Sunday's coming!

Caring for the sheep John 10: 11-18 1John 3: 16-24 What are sheep like? Last week I was lucky enough to spend a day on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. It was a fantastic sunny day and I walked around the harbour, past the Castle and the Gertude Jekyll garden, along part of the coast, and back along the footpath called the Crooked Lodden… but nearly everywhere I went I had to walk through fields of sheep. Most of them had lambs with them and I soon learned that the best way was to walk steadily and quietly if I was going to get past the sheep without disturbing them too much. Occasionally another walker would be less considerate, or would have a dog with them on a lead, and the sheep would run in wild-eyed panic, scattering in all directions, often ewes and lambs would be separated and great duets of baa-ing would break out until the sheep found each other and settled down again. It occurred to me that if there was a real danger, if a wolf attacked for example, the sheep would certainly...

I may elaborate on this as I preach it, or I might keep it deliberately short and simple - but these are the notes: Easter 3 1 John 3: 1-7 Luke 24: 36b – 48 There are many Easter stories we might be used to hearing or seeing on film or TV, and quite a lot of them seem to involve food and drink. Jesus eating the last supper with his friends, being offered wine as he hangs on the cross, the women with spices finding empty tomb as the sign of resurrection, and the moment when Jesus breaks bread and the disciples on the road to Emmaus recognize him. But Luke tells us this odd story – Jesus appears to his friends and they are amazed but also a bit scared – they wonder if Jesus is just a ghost or if this is just wishful thinking. So Jesus eats a piece of cooked fish. Not very glamorous, is it? Not very exciting or ..well 'Bible-y' really. Bread, wine - we're used to them as symbols rich with meaning and significance - but fish is just a bit of supper left over on someone's p...

Lectionary readings are: 1 John 3: 1-7 Luke 24: 36b - 48 I have a baptism so don't really want 3 readings (so many words in the service already!). I'm struck by a piece of broiled fish (thankfully, not literally). Not very glamorous, is it? Not very exciting or ..well 'Bible-y' really. Bread, wine - we're used to them as symbols rich with meaning and significance - but fish is just a bit of supper left over on someone's plate. But perhaps that's the point - Jesus is real: not a ghost, not an nice idea, real life, down-to-earth - back from the dead, but back - really! I want to link this to the baptism - God in the ordinary, but also utterly extraordinary - in water, in this new life, in a loving family. I also want to challenge everyone who's there - Jesus wants his followers to know he is alive and with them and that his love is greater than death, not so they go 'oh fish, right' but so they go 'wow Jesus wonderful'. How do we recognise...

Whoops! Sorry - forgot to post... Easter 2: Acts 4: 32-35 John 20: 19-31 Last Sunday we were celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the beginning of the transformation of his dejected band of followers into a living and thriving church. Our reading from Acts gives us a glimpse of what is happening to the early church just a matter of months after the resurrection of Christ. ‘The whole company of believers was united in heart and soul.. everything was held in common’. It sounds almost like a Utopian dream – everyone happy, united, caring for one another. The disciples – those who have followed Christ – are now described as apostles – those who have been sent by Christ into the world with the good news of his resurrection. And the writer of Acts tells us that they bear witness to that resurrection with great power. It seem there is a joy and a lightness of heart in these apostles which enthuses and engages everyone around them. This gospel changes lives and makes those who hea...

Some years I have taken the week after Easter off - but this year I'm glad to be preaching. The gospel reading is John 20:19-31 - poor old Thomas! Just as Mark tells us the women took a while to work out a proper response to the resurrection (at first 'they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid'), so Thomas cannot be blamed for being slow to grasp the reality of Christ's rising. Instead of judging Thomas, perhaps we should pause & reflect on how amazing, how strange, how unlikely the resurrection really is. More thoughts to follow as the week goes on...

Here are the notes from which I preached - I think I went 'off piste' quite a bit! Easter Sunday Isaiah 25: 6-9 Mark 16: 1-8a Mark’s account of the resurrection allows an amazing story to unfold, although his abrupt end leaves us still hanging on the edge of true revelation. After the dashed hopes of Palm Sunday, and the utter desolation of Good Friday, the story of Easter Sunday begins with a faithful group of women going out, just after sunrise, to perform a final act for their Lord – to anoint his body. They are the ones who had watched the terrible act of crucifixion from a short distance away. Whilst the men who followed Jesus had scattered and fled in fear, these 3 women – Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James & Salome – are named as being amongst those who stood watch while Jesus died. It may even be that it is their eye-witness account which Mark used to write his gospel. They are the ones who know for sure that Jesus is dead; and Mary of Magdala & Mary th...

We are having a Seder meal & communion first, in the church room, around tables, then I'll invite people into the church for this liturgy. Those who want to stay in vigil afterwards will be given Psalm 22 to reflect on if they want it. Stripping of the altar ( removing all ornaments, linens, and paraments) is an ancient custom of the Church done on Maundy Thursday. It is symbolic of the humiliation of Jesus at the hands of the soldiers. After the Last Supper, less that 24 hours remained in the earthly life of our Lord. Events moved rapidly: prayer in Gethsemane, betrayal by Judas, arrest, mock trial, painful beating, the trudge to Golgotha and execution. As His life was stripped from Him, so we strip our altar of the signs of life to symbolize His purposeful, redemptive suffering and death for us. Plants are new life springing forth. In the passion and suffering of Christ, human life ebbs from Him. In recognition of this we remove the palms from our altar. PALMS ARE REMOVED. Je...

Where to start?? This evening is our 'community worship' - which sets out to be different from Sunday worship, hopefully a bit easier 'entry' and possibly appealing to a different group of people (you'll notice lots of 'possibly & hopefully' going on there!). I've decided to focus the service on George Herbert - inspired by his poem 'agony' (see posting RevGalBlogPal below). As I found out more about George Herbert I thought it was worth reflecting on his life & work: someone who gave up political ambition & wordly success to follow God's will, someone whose ministry lasted only 3 years, and yet someone who left a wonderful legacy - seemed like a good source of reflection for Holy Week. Plus his writing is truly inspiring Here;s another one I'll use tonight: 'Matins' I cannot ope mine eyes, But thou art ready there to catch My morning-soul and sacrifice: Then we must needs for that day make a match. My God, what is a h...

Here is a short sermon. I may go back to it later and add bits - but this is the gist Readings will be: Mark 11: 1-11 Isaiah 50: 4-9a Philippians 2: 5-11 Mark 15: 1-39 Palm Sunday So Holy Week begins. There are many events we will be led through this week. From today’s praise of Palm Sunday, through the more muted celebration and remembrance of the Last Supper, then the utter desolation of Good Friday, the strange sense of waiting which is Holy Saturday, and finally to Easter Sunday and uncontainable life and joy. We have a lot to remember, a lot to celebrate, and many emotions which we might feel at different times. It can feel like a strange roller-coaster. From the height of Palm Sunday, down to the depths of Good Friday, and back up again as we celebrate resurrection. Our worship might mirror the life of Jesus – laid down to be given back: placed in the tomb and rising to new life. But today is about more than the celebration of the events of Palm Sunday: we have heard the gospel o...

Hopefully the completed sermon will be posted before lunch (late lunch?) - having had my lovely break I'm now trying to fit a week's work into 3 days: ouch! I've been thinking about palm AND passion - centred around the word 'Hosanna', the difficulty some people have with 'Hope' (the theme of the last session of tour Lent course), and the sense of 'God with us' through Holy Week: and the cheers and in the pain. Back to it!

It was finding the Rev Gal Blog Pals site which first got me thinking about creating this blog. I find it an interesting site to get me started when I'm thinking about preaching: and sometimes there's a posting there which really gives me food for thought. So for the first time I'm trying to do the 'Friday Five': five questions which I answer & then link from that site to this. So with some feeling that it might not work, here are my answers: So faced with a busy week: 1. What restores you physically? I need to remember at least 5 times a day to drop my shoulders: sitting at the computer, having a meal, talking to people - all the tension goes to my shoulders & they end up, up round my ears! If I'm alone I can acoompany the relaxation of my shoulders with a big 'huff!' - for extra effect. 2. What strengthens you emotionally/ mentally? It might sound corny, but being grateful. I am a very fortunate woman: I have a job I love, a wonderful family, a...