18 April 2021 11 April 2021 4 April 2021 – Easter Sunday 28 March 2021 21 March 2021 14 March 2021 7 March 2021 28 February 2021 21 February 2021 14 February 2021 7 February 2021 31 January 2021 24 January 2021 17 January 2021 10 January 2021 3 January 2021
Sermon at St Mary’s Church Hadlow 10 a. m. on the Second Sunday of Easter 11th April 2021 Readings: Acts 4 vv 32 – 35 Believers share their possessions John 20 vv 19 – End The risen Jesus appears to the disciples on Easter Day and a week later. Introduction. I have said before that there are two people in … Continue reading Sermon – 2nd Sunday of Easter→
Sunday 14 March 2021 Fourth Sunday in Lent / Mothering Sunday Readings: Exodus 2:1-10, Luke 2:33-35 This is, tragically, our second Mothering Sunday of not being together here in the church building. That is slightly skewed by the fact that Easter is a bit earlier than it was last year. Nonetheless, when we were put into lockdown last March and, … Continue reading Sermon – Mothering Sunday, Lent 4→
14th February 2021 Readings: 2 Kings 2: 1–12 Elisha succeeds Elijah, who is taken up to heaven Mark 9: 2–9 Jesus’ Transfiguration 1. Introduction. Alexei Navalny, the Opposition Leader in the Russian government, is a good modern-day example of a person of great courage, who despite an attempt on his life, returns to his home country to challenge the leaders … Continue reading Sermon – Sunday before Lent→
Sunday 7 February 2021 – Second Sunday before Lent Readings: Colossians 1:15-20, John 1:1-14 I was most affected by a telephone conversation I had on Thursday morning. It was a long call, with someone I hadn’t spoken to before, obviously I won’t go into details but their lives had been turned upside down in the last six months – not … Continue reading Sermon – 2nd Sunday before Lent→
Sunday 31 January 2021 Candlemas – The Presentation of Christ in the Temple Readings: Malachi 3:1-5, Luke 2:22-40 I have a slight concern with the Church of England at the moment. Actually, I have lots of concerns both for and about the Church of England at the moment, but today’s is this: Sometimes I wonder if we are so keen … Continue reading Sermon – Candlemas→
Sunday 24 January 2021 The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Readings: 1 Corinthians 1:10-13; 3:21-23, John 17:20-23 If you have been joining me for morning or evening prayer over the past week then you will have noticed that we have been travelling through the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. If you have not been joining me for prayer … Continue reading Sermon – Epiphany 3→
Sunday 17th January 2021 Readings: 1 Samuel 3: 1-20, John 1: 43-end Why are we here today? I don’t mean why are you at home on Zoom, whilst Francis, Annabelle and I are in a rather cold church, we know all about that, I mean what makes us gather as a church at all? What, or who, calls us together? … Continue reading Sermon – Epiphany 2→
Sunday 10th January 2021 Readings Acts 19:1-7, Mark 1:4-11 I started trying to write this sermon on Thursday morning, not knowing quite how the world would look whenever, or indeed if-ever, I finished writing it, never mind by the time we came to this morning. Generally speaking I try not to talk about the sermon writing process when I come to … Continue reading Sermon – Baptism of Christ→
Sermon Sunday 3 January 2021 The Feast of the Epiphany Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6, Matthew 2:1-1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” As most of you probably know, before coming here as Vicar I was a curate in the village of Woodchurch. One of the lovely peculiarities about Woodchurch, which you … Continue reading Sermon – Epiphany→
Sermon – St John the Apostle, 27 December 2020 1 John 1 God is Light – walk in the light; John 21 vv 19b – End – Jesus’ rebuff of Peter. John will probably outlive Peter. Introductory. Christmas has ended. Thankfully Christmas was not completely cancelled although it wouldn’t have been the first time. During the period of the Cromwellian Commonwealth, 1642 to 1660, … Continue reading Sermon – St John the Apostle→
Readings 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16-end; Luke 1:26-38 “Do not be afraid” There can be no doubt that this has been a year of fear and anxiety. We have spent most of this year following all the rules and guidelines about preventing the spread of Covid, quite rightly so, but there is no doubt that the virus has caused many people … Continue reading Sermon – 4th Sunday of Advent→
24 windows around Hadlow will be decorated throughout Advent with a Christmas theme. On each day of December a different window will be unveiled. Follow the trail around Hadlow. Downloadable map here. The windows will be lit from 4pm until 9pm. Trail maps are also available in St Mary’s Church, Hadlow Parish Council Office and some village shops. View the … Continue reading Hadlow Advent Windows Trail→
Sermon at St Mary’s Church Hadlowon Advent Sunday 29th November 2020 Isaiah 64 vv 1 – 9 A prayer for God to interveneMark 13 vv 24 – E The distress of the last days Introduction. “O that thou wouldst rend the heavens and come down”. Perhaps many Christians, and others would echo that prayer of Isaiah at the beginning of … Continue reading Sermon – Advent Sunday→
22 November 2020 Today is the 22nd November which means that Christmas Day is only just over a month away. Given our current uncertain and parlous state I expect that many of us are thinking about Christmas with varying degrees of joy and apprehension. But, as I alluded to last week, although Christmas is not far away chronologically there are … Continue reading Sermon – Christ the King→
15 November 2020 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Matthew 25:14-30 I don’t know whether you have ever seen it but there is a T-Shirt available which expresses in a very succinct way the message that it is possible to take from this morning’s readings – the T-shirt says: Look busy – Jesus is coming,! Now, of course, that slogan is meant as a joke … Continue reading Sermon – 2nd Sunday before Advent→
Do you have a window that could help light up Hadlow this December? We are looking for homes to take part in an Advent calendar with a difference. We need up to 24 windows in the village that can each be seen from the street, decorated with a scene on a Christmas theme. On each day a new window will … Continue reading Hadlow Advent Windows→
Monday 2 November All Souls Day is when the church traditionally remembers all the dear departed. In recent years we have celebrated a Memorial Service in the Spring, not least because the imagery of remembering our loved ones in the Springtime always feels more uplifting than doing so as the nights draw in. However, it was not possible to hold … Continue reading All Souls – Remembering Those We Loved→
