Sermons

Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal son is like a folk tale, and like most folk tales it bristles with questions. Why did the father just give the money, no questions asked? Surely he knew his son, and what he would do with it. Why did the son get his inheritance early? The father must know […]

Luke 4, Temptation in the Wilderness  + Romans 10.8b-13 The Word is near you. It is in your heart and on your lips. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The Temptation in the Wilderness is the story of a journey home. It’s a journey interrupted by […]

And we who with unveiled faces behold the Lord’s glory[…]are being transformed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another. In the name of the Father… “And we who with unveiled faces behold the Lord’s glory[…]are being transformed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another.” Is there a more splendid […]

“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word” **************************************************************** Malachi 3: 1-5;   Hebrews 2: 14-18;   Luke 2: 22-40 The opening line of Simeon’s song of praise is so familiar to all who pray Compline. Some days it seems to come with its own sigh of relief – or even groan […]

Sermon on Luke 4: 14-21 and 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a A few weeks ago I needed to call the customer service of my bank, which I shall not name here. I am convinced that Dante, had he known about customer services, would have used it to illustrate the concept of purgatory. It started nice enough: […]

The Wedding at Cana in Galilee 19/1/25  One dark night,fired with love’s urgent longings– ah, the sheer grace! –I went out unseen,my house being now all stilled. In darkness, and secure,by the secret ladder, disguised,– ah, the sheer grace! –in darkness and concealment,my house being now all stilled. On that glad nightin secret, for no […]

In today’s gospel John the Baptist talks about fruits. He tells the crowd: they have to bear fruit in their lives, and makes clear this starts with our neighbour. Everyone who has two coats must share with any who has none; whoever has food must do likewise. He says all this. And then Jesus appears. […]

Luke 21:25-36 And oh what joy, the year of Luke, Luke that writer of accounts and parables, that author who is ‘the scribe of the gentleness of Christ’.       Yet as is so much of the gentle writers, it bears the greatest punch. Quite rightly Advent 1 kicks off with one of pictures of final […]

2024-11-10 (Heb. 9:24-28; Mark 1:14-20) The Kingdom of God has come near…           Over the past eight or so years, I seem to have opened a number of sermons and talks I’ve done by quoting the phrase, ‘May you live in interesting times.’ It is commonly claimed to be an ancient Chinese curse, yet any […]

One of the joys of being involved with an auction is the way in which it can transport you to a moment of the past. A few months ago Bloomfield Auctions Belfast sold CS Lewis’s bath. I have walked down his road hundreds of times, I’ve often worshipped in St Mark’s Dundela where he was […]