St Mark's Broomhill and BroomhallA week – Harold Wilson reputedly said – is a long time in politics. So too a week, it would seem, is a long time in the Revised Common Lectionary. Last week we had a infant Jesus being visited by Magi, this week we have a fully grown up Jesus being baptised by John… It […]
Homily for St Mark’s 20 January 2019 to accompany the presentation of the learning principles survey. Epiphany 3, 1 Cor 12.1-11, John 2.1-11 The lectionary has given us two wonderful and fascinating passages to address our theme. To begin with the gospel. It contains a saying which strikes me as one of the most comforting […]
In the 1662 Book of, Prayer the feast of the Epiphany, which we are celebrating today, has the subtitle ‘The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.’ It is an example of the way the narratives around Jesus’ birth illustrate vital aspects of the Christian faith. One commentator (Reginald Fuller in Harpers Bible commentary) suggests: “The […]
Micah 5.2-5a Luke 1.39-55 ‘We light a candle for all God-bearers saying ‘yes’ to God’s challenge accepting the pain and joy of an unknown future ‘ This, the final sermon of our Advent series, falls on the Sunday when we’re poised on the brink, about to move from waiting to celebrating. Despite the many carol […]
“Your letters kept hope alive at the darkest hours of need” Tomorrow, 10th December 2018, marks the 70th anniversary of the adoption of a document ratified by the United Nations assembly that proclaimed the rights to which everyone, regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth […]
Apocalypse? The readings from both Daniel and Mark are examples of apocalyptic writing. They foretell the future, generally predicting that those who are oppressing you will have a really bad time in the future and things will get much better for you. The book of Daniel was written to bring comfort to the Jews during […]
Isaiah 55.1-11 ‘Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy?’ Today is Bible Sunday. There’s a well-known saying whose author I haven’t succeeded in tracking down. The internet claims it is by either Karl Barth or an anonymous African woman. ‘There are […]
When putting together this sermon, I initially started as I often do – reading the passages a couple of weeks beforehand, then doing some more reading and letting themes ruminate in my brain before finally actually writing it – usually on the Saturday morning the day before the service. This process has worked for me […]
Sermon for Trinity 18: 30th September 2018 James 5.13-18 Mark 9.38-50 Who are we? It has been a big week for St Mark’s. Last weekend more than 100 of us were at Swanwick for the parish weekend, with Bishop Pete and the novelist Catherine Fox (his wife) joining us for the Saturday. Another 70 or […]
Hope in Honouring our Pain for the World In the service last Sunday after the bread and wine had been taken up there was this prayer: “Fill our lives with green and Growing hope.” We have been pursuing the theme of hope for some months and it will be the theme of the parish weekend […]