Sermons

On Philippians 3.4b – 14 Imagine a chick inside an egg. It decides at a certain moment to start pecking at the eggshell. Eventually it sticks its head outside the shell and looks around. And I think, surely it must say to itself something like “Cor blimey – I never imagined all this!” All it […]

Philippians 2.1-13; Matthew 21.23-32 Today’s readings from Paul and Matthew are sobering stuff for those of us in the religion game. They both contain warnings against religious pride. This is a pitfall for all Christians, to be sure, but we who follow supposedly special callings and wear special garb to prove it are perhaps particularly […]

Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. In the name of the Father… Reality, it has been said, is an acquired taste. And, like all acquired tastes, there will always be those who say to us “Why […]

, 29-32; Matthew 15. 10-20, 21-28 The Dog’s food. Today’s gospel is not an easy one. A woman cries to Jesus for help and first he ignores her and then he insults her with a remark that would be read today as politically incorrect and racist. To call anyone a dog would be insulting. To […]

FEEDING THE FIVE THOUSAND Today we have one of the best known stories from the Gospels to think about: the Feeding of the Five Thousand. It is a wonderful story and I am sure it is a historical story. It really happened. But it is one of those stories that can also be read as […]

Sermon Sunday Trinity 8 Matthew 13.31-33, 44-52 ; Romans 8.26-end Kingdom Parables; All things work for good for those who love God. The kingdom of heaven is like a man who told many stories. In today’s reading from Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus continues and completes his series of parables of the kingdom of heaven. Over the […]

Sermon Easter 6: John 14.15-21; Acts 17.22-31; Gen 8.20-9.17 ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments.’ If we’re not careful, we can hear this as the voice of emotional blackmail: ‘If you really loved me, you would do what I want.’ Perhaps you’ve heard this from an insecure partner, parent or pastor. Well, […]

Easter 5.  “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Jesus is speaking to his disciples. “I am the way, the truth and the life.” This is one of Jesus’ most well known sayings. In broad terms it is easy to understand what it means. If we want to go to God we must […]

The story of doubting Thomas is very strange. After Jesus had appeared to the women, he appeared to the disciples, and they rejoiced when they saw him. They weren’t rejoicing until they saw him. But Thomas wasn’t there, and he said he wouldn’t believe it until he saw him too, which is reasonable enough. But […]

Much though, as some of you will know, Lent is my least favourite season in the Church’s year, it is at least mitigated in Year A by these three gospel readings from John on these last three Sundays before we get to Holy week: The woman of Samaria last week, the man born blind today, […]