Sermons
Belonging and Home
Jesus reassures his troubled disciples that a home awaits them in his Father's house, offering comfort across generations and speaking directly to our deepest human longings.
The Church as Community
Christians are called into relationship not only with God but with one another, building together as "living stones" into a spiritual household where faith is nurtured and shared.
Trust and Following Christ
Rather than providing a route map, Jesus offers himself as "the way, the truth, and the life," inviting disciples to trust and follow him personally rather than a system.
Current Challenges
War, poverty, displacement, and loneliness plague the world today, yet Christ's promise reminds us we are never homeless and are being drawn home even in difficult times.
Our Mission
As chosen people called to proclaim God's light, we have work to do—bearing witness through word and deed to point a troubled world toward Christ.
The Good Shepherd
Jesus uses the shepherd-sheep metaphor to describe his relationship with his followers. Sheep and shepherds appear over 500 times in the Bible, symbolizing God's care and the bond between Christ and believers.
Biblical Context
Jesus taught this lesson after healing a blind man on the Sabbath, which angered the Pharisees. He contrasted physical blindness with spiritual blindness, drawing on Old Testament traditions where the Messiah was promised as a shepherd to gather Israel's scattered people.
Jesus as Gate and Shepherd
Jesus identifies himself as both the gate into the sheepfold and the Good Shepherd. A true shepherd knows his sheep by name and they recognize his voice, while thieves and false shepherds (like the revolutionary leaders of Jesus's time) have no genuine care for the flock.
Christ's Sacrifice and Promise
A good shepherd will die to protect his sheep. Jesus embodies this commitment, foreshadowing his crucifixion. He promises his followers life in its fullness and guidance through all trials in this modern world.
Community of Faith
Believers need a shepherd to lead and protect them. Jesus calls us to form a community of faith together, supporting one another as his sheep, and to listen to his voice until we are taken to live in God's house forever.
The Power of Listening
Jesus listens to Cleopas and his friend without interrupting, hearing their perspective on his crucifixion rather than correcting them immediately.
Listening vs. Hearing
The difference between hearing and listening is paying attention. Many people listen to reply rather than to understand, interrupting before others finish speaking.
God's Constant Presence
Jesus listens and pays attention when we pray to him. Like Cleopas, we sometimes fail to recognize that God walks with us, even during our most difficult times.
Recognition Through Fellowship
When Cleopas and his friend invite Jesus to share a meal, he breaks bread with them—reenacting the Last Supper. This moment opens their eyes and they recognize him.
Invitation and Response
Cleopas and his friend had the choice to let Jesus continue walking alone, but by inviting him to join them, their lives were transformed—a reminder to open the door when God knocks.
- The sermon explores how John’s resurrection narratives engage all five senses to affirm that Jesus is fully alive.
- Thomas’s insistence on touching Jesus completes the sensory evidence: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
- Psalm parallels (e.g., Psalms 18, 46, 34, 45, 150) echo the disciples’ fear, God’s peace, breath and praise, and royal fragrances, reinforcing Jesus’ risen life.
- In the locked room, Jesus says, “Peace be with you,” fulfilling “Be still and know that I am God” and engaging sight and hearing.
- Jesus “breathes” the Spirit, evoking Genesis and Ezekiel; this links breath with life and metaphorically engages taste and smell.
- The myrrh and aloes associated with Jesus’ burial mirror Psalm 45’s royal fragrances, suggesting the scent of kingship at the resurrection.
- John 21’s beach breakfast (fish and bread) clearly engages taste and smell, underscoring the bodily reality of the risen Christ.
- Application today: we “see” faith’s impact in believers’ lives and the church’s witness; we “hear” God’s word, prayers, and praise shaping the community.
- The Eucharist engages taste, while speech (per Ephesians) should edify; touch—highlighted by Thomas—finds communal expression in sharing the peace (Shalom: holistic well-being, forgiveness, inclusion).
- Sensitivity to personal boundaries is affirmed, yet appropriate touch or a kind word mediates grace; all senses are invited to witness that Christ is risen—fully alive and life-giving.
- The preacher frames this Easter message through recent personal grief after his father’s death, connecting it to the universal experience of loss.
- He reflects on John’s account of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, highlighting Jesus’ claim, “I am the resurrection and the life,” and Martha’s tearful confession of faith.
- Small consolations in grief are noted, leading to an unexpected comfort: hot cross buns, encountered during hospital visits with his sisters.
- Hot cross buns’ traditional symbolism (cross, spices, round “stone”) is explained; a Costa variant with bacon and chutney is described as aptly “Good Friday” in its bleak, jarring taste.
- Citing 1 Thessalonians, he emphasizes Christian hope as sure and certain—not wishful thinking—grounded in God’s character and Jesus’ resurrection.
- He critiques how “hope” is often diluted, recalling The Times removing “sure and certain” from a bishop’s article, and reaffirms biblical hope’s firmness.
- Drawing on 1 Corinthians and John 14, he teaches Christ as “first-fruits” of the resurrection and the one preparing a place for believers, inviting trust in his promises.
- Jesus’ authority over death is underlined by Lazarus’ revival—“Lazarus, come out!”—and Paul’s taunt, “Where, O death, is your sting?”
- The move from Good Friday to Easter is illustrated through hot cross bun creativity (BBC list of flavors; Shaw’s treacle tart bestseller), symbolizing the shift from grief to joyful abundance.
- The sermon closes with Mary Magdalene’s witness, lines from a Phil Wickham song affirming core beliefs, and a final image of a moon like a “cosmic hot cross bun” over the church at sunrise.
- Theme: “Remember Me Through Love and Service” within the Maundy Thursday context of upper room, meal, commandment, and transformative love.
- Three readings (Exodus, 1 Corinthians, John) form one story: God saves, God gives, God serves—and calls us to do likewise.
- Exodus: Passover instituted before liberation; remembrance is active trust shaped into practice for generations.
- Contemporary note: Passover began April 1; Jesus shares his final Passover with disciples, transitioning remembrance into divine presence.
- Eucharist: “This is my body…this is my blood”—remembrance becomes participation in Christ’s life, death, and ongoing saving work.
- John’s Gospel centers on foot washing: Jesus assumes a servant’s role; Peter’s resistance highlights God’s kneeling, cleansing love.
- Mandatum: “Love one another as I have loved you”—self-giving, not convenient love; echoed by Archbishop Sarah Mullally’s emphasis on serving love.
- “Table and towel” are inseparable: Eucharist transforms and commissions us to feed, forgive, serve, and love the overlooked.
- Discipleship is recognized not by buildings or programs but by cruciform, revolutionary love in a divided world.
- Invitation: Remember (trust God saves), Receive (Christ’s grace), Respond (serve humbly)—to not just remember Christ but reveal him through love.
- The preacher offers brief reflections due to a busy week, inspired by a conversation with Frank over breakfast for Eid and St Patrick’s Day.
- Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on a donkey is both a humble, accessible image and a deliberate, provocative political and religious challenge.
- Echoing King Jehu in 2 Kings, the donkey and palm branches signal Jesus being hailed as a liberating king—specifically, a king of peace.
- This royal symbolism confronts oppressive rulers (then Rome, and rulers throughout history), exposing power that suppresses and self-serves.
- The crowd’s later manipulation (“We have no king but Caesar”) and the mockery on the cross highlight the clash between God’s kingdom and worldly power.
- Jesus also enacts a priestly role, paralleling Judas Maccabeus: both ride into Jerusalem, are greeted with palms, and proceed to cleanse the temple.
- Temple cleansing critiques corrupt religious systems that misuse God’s name to control and harm; Jesus reveals what God is truly like.
- A modern example of distorted morality: post-WWII forced adoptions of children from unmarried mothers, which the preacher condemns as contrary to Jesus’ heart.
- “Hosanna” means “Save us,” likened to cries of “Gorby, save us” in East Germany; Jesus’ mission is liberation—rescue and freedom.
- Despite attempts to bury him, Jesus’ resurrection shows that sin, death, and corrupt power are defeated; nothing can separate us from God’s love.
- The sermon reflects on the story of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, highlighting their close relationship with Jesus and the crisis of Lazarus’s death.
- Jesus delays coming to Bethany, prompting Martha and Mary’s lament—“Lord, if you had been here…”—echoing our own struggles with God’s timing.
- Though compassionate and moved to tears, Jesus’s ultimate aim is the Father’s glory; he walks with us through suffering rather than always removing it.
- The passage points to both future resurrection hope and a present, renewed life with Christ marked by guidance amid life’s real pains and complexities.
- “Remove the stone” becomes a call for the Church to enter messy places, bringing light, hope, healing, and freedom to those outside our comfort zones.
- Jesus’s call “Lazarus, come out” is applied personally: step out from fear, habits, guilt, and self-protection into Christ’s restorative life.
- Christ’s invitation—“Come to me… and I will give you rest”—offers gentleness, learning, and soul-rest as we follow him.
- Community is essential: after new life is called forth, others must “unbind” us; spiritual growth often requires the Church’s help, not solitary effort.
- Practical unbinding includes forgiving and seeking forgiveness, allowing expression, embracing differences (disability, ethnicity, sexuality, marital status), and encouraging rather than criticizing.
- Our witness is lived: as we emerge from our own tombs and unbind others, people see Christ’s ongoing work and come to believe that he is the resurrection and the life.
- Opens with reflections on hidden roots and stories, including a local evacuee from the London Blitz whose rescue echoes Moses’ journey.
- Speaker shares her late husband’s refugee background from the Solomon Islands to New Zealand and England, highlighting themes of rescue, danger, faith, and family vocation.
- Recounts Moses’ rescue from Pharaoh’s decree, his flaws and exile, the burning bush calling, and God’s covenant—showing God’s strength through humble beginnings.
- Draws parallels between Moses and Jesus: both born amid danger and poverty, both rescued, and both affirmed by God’s covenantal presence.
- Frames Mothering Sunday through the lens of God’s mother-like qualities—compassion, nurture, forgiveness—and the Church as “Mother” that forms and supports faith.
- Emphasizes communal responsibility (it takes a village) and asks how the church can help raise and guide its young people.
- Honors maternal sacrifice, courage, and trust—exemplified by Moses’ mother and Mary—and the painful love of letting children become independent.
- Uses the image of Moses in the basket as a metaphor for believers adrift at times, trusting God to rescue and anchor them.
- Notes the commercialization of Mothering Sunday versus its Christian roots; recalls traditions (mother church visits, wildflowers, simnel cake) and affectionate family memories.
- Acknowledges mixed emotions for many; invites the church to be a caring family to all, recalls our roots in the Mother Church, portrays God in nurturing terms, and concludes with a blessing.
- Thirst is both physical and spiritual; Scripture uses physical thirst to reveal our deeper spiritual longing that Christ alone satisfies.
- Israel’s desert journey illustrates grumbling in scarcity: at Meribah God brings water from the rock, prefiguring the “rock of salvation” who gives living water.
- The preacher links current global conflicts to a widespread spiritual thirst for peace and courageous, Christlike leadership.
- Jesus, as the new Moses, resists testing God in the wilderness and leads God’s people toward true salvation.
- At Jacob’s well, Jesus crosses social, religious, and gender barriers to engage a Samaritan woman, exposing and healing spiritual thirst.
- The woman’s heavy water jar symbolizes her burdens and exclusion; Jesus receives what she can offer and offers “living water” that wells up to eternal life.
- Her encounter transforms her into an unlikely, persuasive evangelist—paralleling Mary Magdalene’s role in proclaiming the Resurrection.
- On the cross, Jesus’ cry “I thirst” expresses both physical suffering and the profound spiritual desolation of feeling forsaken, borne for our sake.
- St. Paul affirms that God’s love is proven in Christ’s death for sinners; at the Last Supper, the cup becomes a sign of ongoing spiritual refreshment and union with Christ.
- In Lent and at the Eucharist, believers bring their burdens and receive Christ’s renewing love—praying with the Samaritan woman, “Give me this water, that I may never be thirsty.”
- Lent is a season not just of solemnity but of renewal, inviting honest self-examination and openness to the Holy Spirit’s refreshing work.
- While tradition holds wisdom, the church risks decline without growth; the unchanging gospel must be expressed freshly in changing cultures.
- Faith is dynamic, requiring continual renewal across generations; today’s readings (Genesis and John) highlight faith as active and evolving.
- Nicodemus, a learned and respected Pharisee, seeks Jesus at night, reflecting both caution and sincere spiritual hunger.
- Jesus teaches being “born from above” by water and Spirit—signifying God’s cleansing and transforming work that brings true new life.
- Faith is not mere heritage, knowledge, or status; it is radical inner transformation—less about information, more about Spirit-led change.
- John 3:16 reveals God’s self-giving love to a broken world; grace precedes worthiness, and the cross discloses God’s heart for all.
- Abraham models trusting obedience amid uncertainty; righteousness comes by faith, not achievement—stepping into the unknown with God.
- Nicodemus’s journey progresses from private curiosity to public courage, showing renewal unfolds over time through encounter and response.
- The church’s Lenten call is to embody the unchanging gospel anew—through Spirit-empowered lives, fresh language, and compassionate action—centred on Christ’s love and the hope of new creation that begins now and culminates in eternal Shalom.
- Highlights the biblical significance of the number 40 (e.g., flood, Israel’s wandering, Moses on Sinai, Jesus’ 40 days), symbolizing trial and preparation.
- Jesus, led by the Spirit after his baptism, fasts 40 days in the wilderness, facing temptation at his weakest.
- Temptation 1: Turn stones to bread; Jesus cites Deuteronomy, prioritizing God’s word (spiritual sustenance) over physical needs.
- Temptation 2: Test God by jumping from the temple; Satan misuses Psalm 91, but Jesus again quotes Deuteronomy, rejecting putting God to the test.
- Temptation 3: Worship Satan for worldly power; Jesus affirms exclusive worship of God, after which angels minister to him.
- Connects Jesus’ obedience with Adam and Eve’s disobedience in Eden; clarifies the serpent as Satan and notes the text never specifies an apple.
- Describes Satan as a fallen angel (Lucifer) and contrasts his eternal rebellion with Adam and Eve’s sin in time; Jesus, the “second Adam,” remains sinless.
- Frames Satan’s tactics as the “three Ds”: deception, distraction, discouragement; only Jesus fully resists, securing salvation (echoing Romans).
- Offers the “three Cs” as a response: conviction, confession, conversion; cites 1 John on confessing sin and God’s faithful forgiveness.
- Encourages Lent as positive spiritual discipline—either giving up or taking on practices—praying for strength to continue beyond Lent as a life-giving habit.
- Mountains in Scripture symbolize places where heaven and earth meet; encounters with God transform us but send us back into ordinary life changed.
- The sermon centres on the Transfiguration in Matthew as a pivotal revelation of Jesus as the bridge between heaven and earth.
- Jesus brings Peter, James, and John up the mountain to pray; his face shines like the sun and his clothes become dazzling, revealing divine glory.
- Moses (Law) and Elijah (Prophets) appear, speaking with Jesus about his coming departure in Jerusalem, foreshadowing the cross.
- The Transfiguration holds both radiant glory and the shadow of suffering, preparing disciples for the passion and modelling how prayer faces real-world pain.
- Peter’s impulse to build shelters is corrected by the divine command: “This is my Son… listen to him,” emphasizing attentive listening over impulsive action.
- Prayer is portrayed as an adventurous ascent with rare spiritual “peaks,” amid mostly ordinary, sometimes arduous, daily faithfulness.
- Personal anecdote: “Climb Every Mountain” from The Sound of Music evokes the joy and perseverance of spiritual climbing and moments we wish to “bottle.”
- As Lent begins (Ash Wednesday service on the 18th at 10am), the congregation is invited to prepare intentionally through prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and a Lent course.
- Like mountaineering, Lent requires preparation; the Transfiguration strengthens faith to follow Jesus through light and darkness toward the cross and resurrection—trust him, follow him, listen to him.
- Central theme: Jesus’ instruction “Do not worry” invites trust in God rather than anxiety that erodes our relationship with Him.
- Liturgical context: Positioned between Epiphany/Candlemas and Lent, the reading reframes concerns as we prepare to follow Christ to the cross and resurrection.
- Worry alienates us from God; recognizing ourselves as cared-for members of His kingdom changes the tone of our anxieties.
- Jesus exemplifies joy and trust amid hardship—homelessness, opposition, grief, betrayal, and crucifixion—showing a life not ruled by worry.
- Creation imagery from Galilee (birds, flowers, hills, lake) illustrates the Father’s providence: if God lavishes beauty on fleeting flowers, how much more on us.
- Life is a gift to be enjoyed in relationship with God; externals (possessions, adornments, pleasures) are secondary, not ultimate.
- Critique of gloom-based religiosity: God is not chiefly a rule-maker inducing guilt; Jesus invites freedom and joy rooted in divine love.
- Anecdote: Young women living with nuns discover worth beyond makeup and fashion; God’s love restores self-esteem and quiets worry.
- Lenten application: Christ carries our unworthiness and anxieties to the grave; His resurrection opens a new day—seek first His kingdom, not others’ opinions.
- Conclusion with Augustine: “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you”—rest in God brings less worry, more joy, hope, and purpose in Jesus’ name.
