A sermon for the Third Week of Lent 2016 by Rev'd Matt Harbage, reflecting on Edward Burra's painting 'The pool of Bethesda' I pray that I may speak faithfully of the One God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. You may find the subject matter of this address difficult or uncomfortable this morning. My prayer is that we might find Jesus in even the hardest … [Read more...] about Reflecting on the Methodist Modern Art Collection – The pool of Bethesda
Contemplative Prayer – Rev’d Kate Toogood
First Sunday of Lent – Contemplative Prayer May I speak in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen As you are probably aware, the sermons in the parish throughout Lent are focussing on prayer, and today – on this first Sunday of Lent – the focus is on contemplative prayer. So, as contemplative prayer is largely silent, I was rather tempted to … [Read more...] about Contemplative Prayer – Rev’d Kate Toogood
A ‘Wow’ Moment – Rev’d Kate Toogood
Epiphany 4 Mark 1:21-28 I wonder whether any of you have had a ‘wow’ moment……. Have a think for a moment………. The phrase ‘wow moment’ might mean different things to different people and so there are no right or wrong answers………. A recent wow moment for me, which I will remember always, is my ordination, but when I put my mind to it I thought of a few………. Giving birth to my … [Read more...] about A ‘Wow’ Moment – Rev’d Kate Toogood
Prayer: The Collect of Purity – Rev’d Nick Brown
1st Sunday of Lent 22nd February 2015 Prayer: The Collect of Purity As I hope you will gather the focus of our Lenten devotions this year is intended to help us explore in a little more depth what prayer is, and how we can engage more deeply with God through prayer. At our morning services we are looking at four broad themes in prayer – contemplation, communion, … [Read more...] about Prayer: The Collect of Purity – Rev’d Nick Brown
Revealing the glory of God – Rev’d Nick Brown
Sunday next before Lent 15th February 2015 Revealing the glory of God Our three readings today each tell us something of the spiritual experience of the ‘otherness’ of God. Our first reading is one of the rare occurrences in the Hebrew Bible of an event that is not within human time, human space or everyday human experience. In it we hear of Elijah being … [Read more...] about Revealing the glory of God – Rev’d Nick Brown
Responding to God’s call – Rev’d Nick Brown
4th Sunday of Epiphany 1st February 2015 Responding to God’s call, wherever it may lead us As we come to the end of the Christmas cycle – the seasons of Advent, Christmas and the Epiphany – we are called to remember how Christ reveals God to us. As a theological motif this is at its most refined at Christmas itself when we remember ‘the Word made flesh’, or ‘God made man’ … [Read more...] about Responding to God’s call – Rev’d Nick Brown
Seeking the still small voice – Rev’d Nick Brown
2nd Sunday of Epiphany 18th January 2015 Seeking the still small voice In our first reading we heard the familiar story of Samuel hearing God’s voice but misinterpreting it several times before coming to the final realisation of what he needed to listen to and for – the still small voice of God. This ties in with the vision that we have just heard at the end of the Gospel … [Read more...] about Seeking the still small voice – Rev’d Nick Brown
Ist Sunday Epiphany – Rev’d Nick Brown
1st Sunday of Epiphany 11th January 2015 Over the past few days we have seen events that may well make us despair at the human ability to be inhuman. There can be no doubt that any reasonable person must be appalled by the events that we have seen on our TV screens and read about in our Newspapers. And there has been quite some reaction against what we have seen – … [Read more...] about Ist Sunday Epiphany – Rev’d Nick Brown
God Made Man – Rev’d Nick Brown
4th Sunday in Advent 21st December 2014 God made man Over the past three Sundays of Advent we have reflected on three aspects The Patriarchs The Prophets The Forerunner – John the Baptist – who called Each of these focuses for our prayer and worship has an overlap with the next: The line of Patriarchs stretches from Abraham to Moses – … [Read more...] about God Made Man – Rev’d Nick Brown
A Gospel Written for the Church – Rev’d Nick Brown
Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist 21st September 2014 Sung Eucharist in The Parish Church of St. James, Louth A Gospel written for the Church Today we remember the Apostle and Evangelist Matthew. In the Christian year that will soon be coming to a close we have been reading the gospel that he wrote – a gospel that is often referred to as the Gospel written … [Read more...] about A Gospel Written for the Church – Rev’d Nick Brown