We have come to the central week of the Church’s year. Over the next few days we shall have before us the mystery of Christ’s suffering, dying and rising. For us as Christians there is nothing more important than this event. The fact that for us and for our salvation Christ came, suffered, died and...
Another very long Gospel reading this morning – and perhaps we need to remind ourselves why this comes about. Originally, Lent was a time of preparation for baptism and confirmation – which only happened once a year at the Paschal Vigil on Holy Saturday, the night before Easter day. And as part of the...
There are all sorts of significances attached to this Sunday in the way that it has fallen this year. All of which could merit several sermons! So first of all, this is Laetare Sunday. The word from the beginning of the traditional Introit for this Sunday’s Eucharist, which in turn directs us in a...
Today in this series of homilies which are looking at the Person of Christ with the help of the readings through Lent and the Church of England’s Lent Course, Dust and Glory, we think about Christ as the Living Water. Now matters of thirst and water come into the first reading from the book...
We live these days in a highly risk-averse culture. In my last chaplaincy before I retired, we were supposed to have a written risk-assessment in place for every single activity that took place within the orbit of church life. I am afraid that this was not altogether the case. Of course, we try to...
For this first Sunday in Lent, things are a little different in our Eucharist this morning. The penitential section, which concludes with the sign of ash, follows this homily and it is much longer than usual with more time for us to reflect, at the beginning of Lent, on our failures and sins. As a...
One of my favourite Bible stories is the group of Greeks who find the disciples and then announce that they want to see Jesus. It’s such a reasonable request. They seek out – a man with the Greek name – Phillip. They have come to the Passover in Jerusalem along with tens, maybe hundreds of...
We are made in the image of God – as the Bible says in Genesis. Tzelem Elohim in Hebrew, Genesis 1:27 but also James 3 – you find it! Somehow or other we are created like God. How?Well as a species we are notoriously creative. Gardening is key in that. Joanna arrived with her brother...
The Gibraltar Open is the snooker of the week. No audience, though piped clapping, as far as I could make out. I watched some of it on EuroSport. The rules actually make the game. Harriet, our youngest, got a card game book for Christmas, and I delighted in being with her over the last two...
Most Biblical commentators put Mark as the first of the gospels, and many suggest that the gospel writer knew Peter and received much of the content from St Peter. That makes our gospel reading all the more poignant. It is quite possible that Peter is telling the story about himself, and against himself. When you...
