Sunday's coming!

Completed sermon notes for Aug 21st Transformed As some of you know I have been on holiday this last week, so this sermon had to be written a week early, for once. As I was writing it, the news was full of the riots and looting in London and various other cities. Whatever else has happened in the intervening week, I’m sure the riots are still fresh in our minds. Paul’s letter to the Romans, with it’s call to 'Be transformed not conformed' feels like the good news many people need to hear as we contemplate what makes the think veneer of society break down so dramatically. Don’t follow the crowd, and be conformed but allow God’s love to change you: be transformed. There have been many theories as to why the disturbances have happened, and I’m sure there isn’t one simple answer. But I saw struck by three comments in particular I heard from people at the centre of areas of trouble. A mother in Manchester stated “if you treat them like scum, they’ll act like scum” A resi...

No, I haven't forgotten August 14th - but I'll be on holiday & not preaching. So the plan is to get ahead and prepare for Aug 21st this week. Well, it's a plan - but lots of extra stuff seems to have hit the diary this week...*sigh* Anyway readings for Aug 21st are: Isaiah 51: 1-6 Romans 12: 1-8 Matthew 16: 13-20 My initial thoughts were to preach about Peter - but will all the riots & stuff it seems that Isaiah & Romans are more relevant. 'Being transformed not conformed' feels like the good news many people need to hear - it's time for the church to speak out about what really makes people happy & to stand out against consumerism - not just moaning about 'the state of the world' but offering an alternative. I may well make reference to the Camping and caravanning club campaign 'Get Rich Quick' here - especially as I am off in the tent the next day! Happy Times.

Slightly expanded and amended: If it is you Matthew 14: 22-33 Last week’s gospel passage told the story of the feeding of the five thousand. This week’s passage begins with Jesus sending the disciples back across the lake while he dismisses that crowd of over 5000 and spends time alone in prayer. And then, in the depth of the night, as the disciples struggle against a head wind, the most amazing thing happens – Jesus walks across the lake towards them. I am not surprised the disciples were terrified – wouldn’t you be? The storm is wild, the night is dark, they just want to get to land. And through the dark and the storm comes a figure …walking on the sea. What?? Maybe they had already lamented the fact that Jesus wasn’t with them when the storm started – after all Jesus had already shown them on another occasion that he had the power to still the storm. But the last thing they expected was for Jesus to come and join them in the boat by walking on the water. This is not normal...

Notes so far for the sermon. If it feels unfinished, it's because it is. I just stopped & I'm not sure where I'm going for the last part - but I quite like this 'If it is you' theme & might rework the whole sermon to make more of it: or just tag a bit on the end - who knows? 7-8-11 Last week’s gospel passage told the story of the feeding of the five thousand. This week’s passage begins with Jesus sending the disciples back across the lake while he dismisses the crowd and spends time alone in prayer. And then, in the depth of the night, as the disciples struggle against a head wind, the most amazing thing happens – Jesus walks across the lake towards them. I am not surprised the disciples were terrified – wouldn’t you be? The storm is wild, the night is dark, they just want to get to land. And through the dark and the storm comes a figure …walking on the sea. What?? Maybe they had already lamented the fact that Jesus wasn’t with them when the storm st...

Been looking at Sunday's gospel reading at the first meeting of 'The Good Book Club': Matthew 14: 22-33 Mark & John both have this story too, but only Matthew has the strange bit including Peter. I say 'strange' because I can't quite understand why, when Jesus walks on the water & then reassures the disciples that it IS him, Peter then says 'Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water'. Is Peter genuinely unsure that it is Jesus? But surely a more natural thing to say would have been 'if it is you come into the boat with us'. Or is he sure now that it is Jesus & trying to gain 'top disciples' standing by doing what jesus does? I can't help contrasting this with John's account of the post-resurrection appearance of Jesus on the beach, when again it is Peter who is first out of the boat - this time to swim to shore. We all like Peter because he is fallible, like us - so what does this story tell u...

Readings: Genesis 32: 22-31 Matthew 14: 13-21 I know I’m showing my age – but one of the first films I remember seeing was Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty”. I loved the little flying Fairy Godmothers with their gifts for the little princess – and I shuddered at the appearance of Maleficent – the Bad fairy Godmother who came with the curse – the bad news that the little girl would prick her finger on her 16th birthday and die – although in fact she only falls asleep. I feel a bit like Maleficent today – here we are gathered on this happy occasion of Nia’s baptism, when we celebrate God’s blessing of her: but I want to remind you of some of the bad news around, some of the many hazards and difficulties. How are we meant to make sense of God’s blessing in a world where so much can go wrong? The funerals have begun for the 76 people who died in Norway; our TV screens are full of pictures of people starving in Eastern Africa; and nearer to home this village has been shocked by the death...

The Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-33,44-52) Listen, then, to the parable of the vicarage garden. ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a vicar who had in her garden great quantities of ivy, cow parsley and ground elder. She watched as these plants grew until the whole garden was thick and green and almost impenetrable. And when there was a street party for the Royal Wedding the local children made dens and forged paths with sticks and declared the garden ‘brilliant’; and muntjac deer came and could eat without causing any real damage; and the wood pigeons came and waddled about feeding and grew so fat they could hardly leave the ground. And the vicar decided she’d better not try to become a member of the village gardening society.’ Those who cast a glance over my fence will realise this is not entirely fantasy. I have a dream that one day when I retire I will grow vegetables and pretty flowers and sit in the shade sipping something cool and enjoying it all. But right now my garden is som...