Sermons

The parable of the good Samaritan is full of twists, full of poignancies. First of all, we read in many places in the Old Testament that the foreigner, the stranger, is to be treated well. Deuteronomy says: God … executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and … loves the stranger, providing them with food […]

In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. In the name of the Father… Today we celebrate the dedication of this Church of the Resurrection, this place for which we have so many reasons to be grateful, to be thankful, to celebrate; this place […]

Yesterday I had the privilege of being in the gathering at Wakefield Cathedral for the ordination of new deacons for this Diocese of Leeds – a scene repeated around the nation, and in other dioceses again today. It was joyful, and hot, and a stirring of reminiscences, and a remarkable tying together of lives led […]

Trinity 1.  Gadarene Swine. The story we have just heard is history. It is a story of a real man possessed by evil. He is torn apart by that evil and tears others apart. He is endlessly destructive and lives in a place of death apart from life, and love and compassion and all the […]

(Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Romans 5:1-5: John 16:12-15) ‘When he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master worker, and I was daily his delight rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race.’ For reasons I don’t quite understand at Mirfield, we […]

Until now[…]I have spoken to you in figures… In the name of the Father… Today’s gospel is taken from what has come to be known as the great “High Priestly Prayer” of Jesus at the end of Chapter 17 of St John’s gospel. It comes at the very end of the so-called “Farewell Discourses” of […]

Jenny kiss’d me when we met,    Jumping from the chair she sat in;Time, you thief, who love to get    Sweets into your list, put that in!Say I’m weary, say I’m sad,    Say that health and wealth have miss’d me,Say I’m growing old, but add        Jenny kiss’d me What is it is it that we remember about people that we […]

I had a rather surreal experience on Thursday night. As some of you know, I’m a member of the General Synod – which means that I’m also part of the “Vacancy in See Committee”, who are part of the process which will appoint the next Bishop of Leeds (I’ll spare you the details, other than […]

“Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’” ************************************************* “A week later his disciples were again in the house”. And here we are, a week after our varied experiences of celebrating the one universal mystery. And what is this Easter life, this life lived by the Resurrection of Christ, supposed to […]

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 […]