“Moses saw a burning bush while he was out tending sheep and you won’t believe what happened next!”

Sermon at Evensong, St Paul's Woldingham, Sunday next before Lent Exodus 3:1-6 John 12:27-36 “Walk while you have the light.” What does it mean to walk in light? What does it mean to stand on holy ground? It was the light that Moses would have seen first, so bright, and unending as the burning bush didn't burn. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition it's called the “unburnt bush”: and the...

Sermon for Baptism of Christ, Year C

Sunday 10th January 2015 – St Andrew's Leytonstone Isaiah 43:1-7 Psalm 29 Acts 8:14-17 Luke 3:15-17,21-22 This morning we celebrate the Baptism of Christ. We heard the main details of the event in our Gospel reading. It's a good time to recall those details, but also to reflect on our own baptism and what it means to be a member of the Body of Christ. We talked about baptism at the Advent...

Sermon for St John the Evangelist, 2015

St Andrew's Leytonstone Exodus 33.7-11 Psalm 117 1 John 1 John 21.19b-end Christmas is finally here – after all the preparation and planning during Advent and, if you're a church musician, even beginning before then. For many, the biggest celebrations are all done and dusted now, whether that's singing your heart out in church, exchanging gifts with loved ones, having a big roast dinner or all...

Sermon for St Luke

Sunday 18 October 2015 St Andrew's Leytonstone Isaiah 35:3-6 2 Timothy 4:5-17 Luke 10:1-9 Today we celebrate the life and ministry of St Luke. Tradition has it that he was an artist, writer and doctor – perhaps today he would be called a polymath, someone with remarkable skill in a number of areas. He is best known as the writer of the Gospel according to St Luke, of course; but he also gets...

Sermon: life by love, not by numbers

St Paul's Woldingham 4th October 2015 Evensong Deuteronomy 28:1-14 Luke 17:11-19 Have you ever wished life could be simple? I certainly have. Sometimes there are so many options it's hard to know which is best. What will bring abundance? What will bring blessing and fruitfulness and success? The reading from Deuteronomy this evening seems to offer an answer: worship God and no other gods, follow...

Sermon: Refugees

St Paul's Woldingham Sunday 6th Septmeber Evensong Exodus 14:5-end Matthew 6:1-18 Over the last few weeks something remarkable has happened in the media in Britain. There has been a change from talking about “migrants” to talking about “refugees”. That, alongside pictures of a drowned boy washed up onto a beach, have led to a sort of tipping point... suddenly the newspapers which only...

Sermon: The Good Way

Evensong Sunday 7th June 6pm St Paul's Woldingham Jeremiah 6:16-21 Psalm 37:1-11 Romans 9:1-13 Jeremiah is sometimes called the “weeping prophet”, and it isn't difficult to understand why. In the books attributed to him there is, not to put too fine a point on it, rather a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth. This evening's reading is no exception: this is a prophet in full rant mode. Why?...

Sermon: Second Sunday of Lent

Sermon for 1st March 2015 St Paul's Woldingham, Evensong Second Sunday of Lent Psalm 135:1-14 Genesis 12:1-9 Hebrews 11:1-3,8-16 "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." All three of tonight's readings are about faith, in one way or another. The Psalm starts, telling us to praise God -- not only because God has power over wind and rain, oceans and...

Sermon for Candlemas

Candlemas 2015 Christchurch Wanstead, 8am Malachi 3:1-5 Luke 2:22-40 Candlemas is a sort of pivot or turning point in the church calendar. On this day, we look back to the birth of Christ, giving thanks, and we look ahead: to his death and passion, and ultimately to his resurrection. It's time to remove any remaining Christmas decorations, and start thinking about how we might endeavour to have a...

Sermon for All Souls

I did some preaching again yesterday, at a Choral Evensong for All Souls. The readings were Lamentations 3:17-26, 31-33 and 1 Peter 1:3-9, and this is roughly what I said: All Saints this morning was a chance to celebrate all those who have illuminated the Christian faith for us. In contrast, this evening's commemoration of All Souls is an opportunity for a quieter reflection, remembering those...