Category Archives: sermon

Recapturing the Imagination of Our Culture: Sermon Preached at St John’s, Devizes, Sunday 26th June 2022 (Patronal Festival)

Readings – Isaiah 40: 1–11; Luke 1:57–66, 80 A voice says, ‘Cry out!’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’ Some of you will by now know of my fondness for financial crisis movies. One, called The Big Short, tells … Continue reading

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Jubilee and the Holy Spirit: Sermon Preached at St John’s, Devizes, Sunday 5th June 2022 (Pentecost)

Readings – Acts 2: 1–21; Romans 8: 14–17; John 14: 8–17, 25–27. “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever”.  Seventy years and a few months ago, a young woman was … Continue reading

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The Worth of Doubters: Sermon Preached at St John’s, Devizes, Sunday 24th April 2022 (Second Sunday of Easter)

Do you blame Thomas for doubting his friends’ bizarre report that Jesus was alive? The Church needs its sceptics as well as its romantics. Continue reading

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The Gardener of Life: Sermon Preached at St Mary’s, Potterne, Sunday 17th April 2022 (Easter Day)

Resurrection is no mere conjuring trick with bones; it’s vastly greater. Continue reading

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Admit It, You Think Judas is Right: Sermon Preached at St John’s, Devizes, Sunday 3rd April 2022 (Fifth Sunday of Lent)

Beauty matters. Stalin understood the power of beautiful buildings to move. Why can’t we? Continue reading

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The Cost of Love: Sermon Preached at Holy Cross, Seend, Sunday 27th March 2022 (Mothering Sunday)

Readings – Colossians 3: 12–17; John 19: 25b–27 “…he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’”  Let me start this morning’s sermon with a verse of poetry: Morning … Continue reading

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War and the Devil: Sermon Preached at St John’s, Devizes, Sunday 6th March 2022 (The First Sunday in Lent)

The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist: what has this to do with Kevin Spacey and Ukraine? Continue reading

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Where is Your Faith?: Sermon Preached at St John’s, Devizes, Sunday 20th February 2022 (The 2nd Sunday before Lent)

No longer confident in traditional authorities, with even faith in science crumbling, we turn to the like of Novak Djokovic and Nicki Minaj for guidance Continue reading

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Send Me: Sermon Preached at St John’s, Devizes, Sunday 5th February 2022 (The Fourth Sunday before Lent)

As Christians we are called to walk as pilgrims with all people, not act as a supposedly superior vanguard. But we also need to sail into deep water for God. Continue reading

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Fresh Wine and Springtime: Sermon Preached at St John’s, Devizes, Sunday 16th January 2022 (The Second Sunday after Epiphany)

Readings – 1 Corinthians 12: 1–11, John 2: 1–11 Everyone serves … the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now. I think you all know me well enough by now … Continue reading

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