Sunday's coming!

St Andrew’s Day and first Sunday of Advent I recently had reason to watch again the film ‘The Miracle maker’ – a clay animation version of the life of Jesus which was made about 15 years ago. In the film Andrew is voiced with a Scottish accent – perhaps a nod at his position as patron saint of Scotland, as well as his role as a ‘simple’ fisherman. Whilst Simon’s first reaction to Jesus is shown as rather scowling and uncertain, Andrew’s expression is one of open acceptance, even slight amusement, as Jesus begins to talk to them. Depending on which film you watch or which version of the gospel you read, you build up a picture of Andrew as someone who is very ready to follow Jesus even before he really knows what this might mean, and who encourages others to come and join the adventure too. In John’s gospel he is a disciple of John the Baptist, and when John tells him to follow Jesus, Andrew asks Jesus ‘Where are you staying’ ‘Come and See!’, says Jesus – and after spending the rest of t...

I've been reading 'Simple Church' by Thom S. Rainer & Eric Geiger. It's based on research done on churches in the US, so you have to 'translate' a bit, but the basic premise is that churches which are growing are simple. They are based on loving God, loving others & serving the world... all that these churches do falls into one or more of these areas of focus, and the church stands back from time to time to ensure that all 3 areas are in balance in the life of the church, and that people are encouraged to move from one area to another, and to give each of them balance in their lives. I am very drawn to this - and can't help seeing a link with the simplicity and enthusiasm of Andrew. Though he hasn't really sussed who Jesus is, he is happy to follow, and keen to draw other along, too, though he was just a simple fisherman. Maybe we need a simple Advent, a simple christmas and a simple new year??

Yet again these things come together for our four churches. I think I'll take the St Andrew's readings: Deuteronomy 30:11-14 Romans 10:8b-18 Matthew 4:18-22 & at the moment I'm thinking along the lines of our responsibility to go into a stressed and anxious world with the good news of the advent hope. Deuteronomy says 'the word is very near you' - whilst Romans underlines our responsibility to others. As disciples we are also apostles - sent out with good news. Andrew could not have understood quite what it was that Jesus was bringing, but nevertheless wanted others to share in it. I hope that we have seen enough of the joy of Christ's coming to want to share it, too - even if Advent reminds us Jesus' kingdom is not yet fully come... I think I want to encourage people to watch & pray this Advent and to be bold to enjoy & share Christ.

Last day of the liturgical year (which means Advent next week - ulp!) and also baptisms in both churches. But here's my go at it! Christ the King (John 18:33-37, Revelation 1: 4b- 8) I wonder if you’ve ever been asked what you think God looks like? I love the story of the little 8 year old, busy drawing away, who was asked by his teacher ‘what are you drawing?’. ‘I’m drawing God’ he answered. ‘But no-one knows what God looks like’ said the teacher to which the boy replied, ‘They will when I’ve finished!’. Trying to describe or draw, or even talk about God is very difficult. But somewhere in there you would want to include some kind of ‘Wow’ factor. The book of Revelation is the very last book of the Bible, and is an account of a series of visions to one man, John of Patmos. In writing down these visions, John tries to describe how amazing God is. In the reading we heard, he describes God as the one who was and is and is to come, and calls Jesus ‘the ruler of all the kings of the...

As it happens I did most of my thinking about this sermon away from the computer - so here are the notes more or less 'fully formed' Mark 13; 1-8; Hebrews 10, 11-14, 19-25 After today there are just 5 more Sundays until Christmas. If you’re anything like me that thought makes you panic slightly: each year there seems to be more things to think about – cards, presents, food & drink, and Carol services galore. And those are just the material preparations that need to be done – there is also the need to be spiritually ready for the coming of Jesus Christ – the rule of all things and prince of peace. It might seem when we look around at the world that we will never be ready for Jesus – the world seems, in so many ways, to be in a mess. News of the financial crisis, the state of the banks, and growing unemployment all fill the bulletins. We might be struggling with personal worries about our health, or about family, or about work. And sometimes it just seems the world is going t...

Tonight is our annual service for those who've been bereaved. I'll post the sermon below. Again, it isn't a great theological treatise, but I hope it will be appropriate for those who are at the service. Memorial service (Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-5) I hope we find those words from the Wisdom of Solomon comforting. Of course there is terrible pain when we lose someone – we miss them, in ways that might change as time passes, but we never stop missing them. Many people who have been bereaved have commented to me that the pain doesn’t go away as time passes, it just changes with the months and years. But the Christian hope is that although we feel the pain of loss, those we have loved are ‘In the hands of God’. We cannot know for sure, this side of death, what it might be like to be in the hands of God, but we know what it means to feel secure, to feel loved, to feel comfortable and relaxed – and the Bible promises that heaven is like all the good things we know in this life. ...

The sermon below may seem very simple. there are various reasons for this - there is so much that could be said on Remembrance Sunday, but actually so many people are lost in their own thoughts and find it hard to listen; there is always a timing issue, so that the 2 minutes' silence comes at the right point; and the service I'm leading will have (who knows how many) brownies, cubs & scouts in it, so I don't want to 'go on' too much. And in any case, I'm a fairly simple soul... Remembranc e : Isaiah 52: 7-12 Romans 8: 31-39 After about half an hour here in the church we’re going to gather outside to read the names on the war memorial, and to stand for 2 minutes’ silence. Thanks to the wonders of the internet and the British Legion ‘Roll of Honour’ we can find out a lot about the men whose names are on the memorial. There are 15 men who died in the First world war & 9 who died in the Second world war. They’re called ‘world wars’ because so many countries ...