19.02.12

 Mark 9.2-9

Building a dwelling for glory:  God's glory cannot be tied down in buildings.  Our security cannot be in bricks and mortar because they will be taken away from us - our links to a place must rest on something which can feel altogether more fragile. 

 05.02.12

 Mark 1.29-39

Take Bible Up:  We are told that Jesus went on to the other regions of Galilee, preaching, healing, and casting out demons.  Healing is central to Mark's account of Jesus' life and ministry.

 15.01.12

 John 1.43 - end

Second Sunday of Epiphany:  It is perfectly obvious, isn’t it, that one of the themes of today’s readings is that of calling – calling of Samuel, of Philip, and of Nathaniel.  For some, God’s call seems perfectly clear; for others, we wonder if he perhaps doesn’t ever speak to us; doesn’t he care about us;       or is it that we are deaf to his call?  Could it be that God knows each of us so well that he works for each of us, communicates with each of us, in different ways, so that for each person, our call will come differently?    We’ll think about the call to these three people in our readings today, and see where that takes us.

08.01.12 

 Mark 1.4-11

Baptism of Jesus:  Today’s Gospel from Mark 1 focusses on God the Son and this extraordinary story of his baptism which raises a perplexing question for many Christians.  Why does Jesus have to be baptised?  Why go through this symbol of spiritual cleansing when we he is already pure? 

01.01.12 

Luke 2.15-21

A Covenant between us and God: My joy and anticipation at the prospect of preaching on New Year’s Day increased considerably yesterday when I met Don Stanley and he told me the terms of the Clowberry Bequest.  Under the terms of the will of Mr Clowberry, who died in 1664, £220 was left in order to buy land in Penn, and from the rents and profits thereon, the sum of £1 was to be paid to the Rector of Beaconsfield to preach a sermon on New Year’s Day.  You will see that I have even come up into the pulpit to preach this morning, for fear of the ghost of Mr Clowberry telling me it was not a proper sermon if only preached from the chancel steps.  Don tells me that the money was certainly claimed by my predecessor in 1937, but we have no record of any more recent payments.   Of course, in 1664, the sum of £1 would have been more than adequate to provide a very decent lunch for the Rector and his family on New Year’s Day – I fear today it will scarcely buy me a packet of crisps.   And I fear that no information was forthcoming on how to claim my prize!
 

23.12.11

John 1.1-14

Words and Flesh: 2011 has been a year for words.   Private words obtained by stealth and deception from the  phone calls of celebrities and families of murder victims; revolutionary words spread through Facebook and social networks in the Arab World, telling people to come and join the demonstrations; inciting words, calling young people across our cities to join a riot.  Though maybe we should remember most of all the words of forgiveness spoken by a father whose son had been killed, and perhaps was more instrumental than anyone in bringing peace to the situation.  Dictators have discovered that they cannot crush words with bullets and military crackdowns; newspapers have been vilified for taking private words and publishing them as public truth; and through this summer in this country, we wondered how to control words to prevent riots and looting.  But words have been too strong.  Words have conquered all.