Sermons written for a variety of occasions, mostly following the Revised Common Lectionary
John 11:45-53 [The Gospel reading set for the the Fifth Sunday in Lent is John 11:1-44. You can find a sermon base on that reading here. John’s Gospel the event that precipitates the plot that leads to Jesus’ death is the raising of Lazarus. So the verses which follow that story serve as a prelude […]
A Sermon for the Fifth Sunday in Lent (26/03/23): The Plot to Kill Jesus Read More »
Ephesians 5:8-14 The church at Ephesus receives words of encouragement.cThey are told:For once you were in darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light. The problem for us, perhaps, is that Paul addresses a different kind of church than ours. The churches he knew, like the one at Ephesus,
A Sermon for the Fourth Sunday in Lent (19/03/23): Live as Children of Light Read More »
Romans 5:9-12 Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. As Paul writes he has two stories in mind. Though he doesn’t actually tell either of them. And those stories have two central characters. Though again Paul doesn’t actually
A Sermon for the Third Sunday in Lent (12/03/23): Adam and Jesus Read More »
John 3:1-17 “We know” says Nicodemus. What does Nicodemus know? He knows a world in which things work in certain ways. We would perhaps call them the laws of nature. We would say that there are the boundaries of the possible. For example; children are born, they grow up, and there is no reversing that
A Sermon for the Second Sunday in Lent (05/03/23): We Know and What We Know We Say Read More »
Matthew 4:1-11 “Speak of the devil and he shall appear” is what the proverb says. The devil is not, as some of our mythology might have it, a fallen angel. The devil is not, as he would appear when we give him too much credence, an equal and opposite counterpart to God. The devil has
A Sermon for the First Sunday in Lent (26/02/23): Freedom and Temptations Read More »
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Jesus says:Whenever you give alms. . .And whenever you pray. . .And whenever you fast. . .Charitable giving, prayer and fasting, these are three things we might do, or do more of in Lent. And Jesus warns us how not to do them! It is with charitable giving where we might recognise
A Sermon for Ash Wednesday (22/02/23): Piety is Not a Means to Another End Read More »
(Matthew 17:1-9) II Peter 1:16-21 How do we know that Christianity is true or good or even useful? Here we are spending our time and energy on it. We devote ourselves to a particular set of commitments and a particular lifestyle that grows our of those commitments. We tell a story and try to allow
1 Corinthians 2:1-4(5-12) Paul DemoralisedPaul looks back to when he arrived in Corinth. When he got there he was disappointed, frustrated, demoralised. He didn’t cut a very impressive figure. Emotionally he was broken. He was self-doubting and fearful. He arrived in Corinth from Athens. In Athens he had engaged Greek culture, Greek thinking, Greek religion
Corinthians 1:18-31 One of the most troubling things for Christians is the question: why doesn’t everyone believe? Why isn’t it the case that everyone sees the truth of what we are saying? Why doesn’t everyone, or at least a few more, come and join us here Sunday by Sunday? As the church declines in this
Isaiah 49:1-7 You are my servant . . . .and:I will give you as a light to the nations that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.One of the first questions that might ask of this, or for that matter many passages of scripture is: Who are these words addressed to? Who
A Sermon for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (22/01/23): You are my Servant Read More »