Tag Archives: culture

Faith, Gays, and Sandi Toksvig: Sermon Preached at St John’s, Devizes, Sunday 7th August 2022 (The Eighth Sunday after Trinity)

“Just be a good person” is a charming sentiment – from a nursery school teacher or an 8-year-old. Not from an intelligent adult Continue reading

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Disappointed in Jesus?: Sermon Preached at Trinity Parish Church, Jersey, Sunday 17th July 2022 (The Fifth Sunday after Trinity)

Does the story of Mary & Martha make you disappointed in Jesus? Don’t suppress that emotion: explore it. Continue reading

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A Vision for the Appointed Time: Sermon Preached at St John’s, Devizes, Sunday 3rd July 2022 (Feast of St Thomas)

There are appointed times when we find that, for all of our flaws, we are playing our parts in a divine vision. Continue reading

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The Cost of Love: Sermon Preached at Holy Cross, Seend, Sunday 27th March 2022 (Mothering Sunday)

Readings – Colossians 3: 12–17; John 19: 25b–27 “…he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’”  Let me start this morning’s sermon with a verse of poetry: Morning … Continue reading

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Where is Your Faith?: Sermon Preached at St John’s, Devizes, Sunday 20th February 2022 (The 2nd Sunday before Lent)

No longer confident in traditional authorities, with even faith in science crumbling, we turn to the like of Novak Djokovic and Nicki Minaj for guidance Continue reading

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Your Beautiful Bodies: Sermon Preached at George’s, Belfast, Sunday 2nd January 2022 (2nd Sunday of Christmas)

Readings – John 1: 10–18, Ephesians 1: 3–14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us. One of my favourite activities when off work in the dark depths of midwinter is to go onto YouTube to watch television advertisements … Continue reading

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Celebrating Our Bodies: Sermon Preached at Holy Cross, Seend, Friday 24th December 2021 (Midnight Mass)

Readings – Hebrews 4: 1–4 , John 1: 1–14 The word was made flesh and dwelt among us. The word was made flesh and dwelt among us. For some of you here tonight, that will be a familiar expression heard … Continue reading

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Reading the Signs of the Times

This article first appeared in the September 2021 edition of Franciscan magazine. “In these last days [God] has spoken to us by a Son.” So begins the Letter to the Hebrews. These days, we might joke that God should speak … Continue reading

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A Tallinn Memorial from the Days before Nationalism

Our past was at times profoundly different from our present in ways we little appreciate; this memorial in an Estonian church survives from a time when nationalism was not a given, not too long ago. Continue reading

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Tides Also Come In

TIDES ALSO COME IN (A response to Arnold. And to Cupitt.) A stormy sea today. Grey rock pools catch a leaden sky In Lowry hues; not very far away Bangor’s a shade; the hills of Ireland peer, Like dragons’ silhouettes … Continue reading

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