Our Gospel reading today comes from a chapter of the Bible (Mark 13) which is full of imagery of the world shaken to the core, of destruction, suffering and war. And perhaps this seems to be a description of today: when we open a newspaper or watch news reports, we could be overwhelmed by the […]
“Look busy, Jesus is coming!” is a popular slogan, often found on mugs or similar gifts, designed to make us laugh. After all, sitting at ease sipping a coffee is not exactly “busyness” – or at least according to business productivity stats. In contrast, I’m reminded of the story about the two woodcutters – one […]
This week, it’s a pleasure to welcome another guest post from my colleague Revd. Jim, who preached the sermon below for us on Sunday 22nd November, the festival of Christ the King. I recently met again with a cousin with whom I played ‘hide & seek’ with in the 1960s, and meeting him I was […]
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed which a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the biggest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air can come and shelter in its branches. —Matthew […]
As the dark draws in, the loneliness of this new lockdown can seem oppressive. Many people are taking comfort from the twinkling fairy lights of Christmas, bringing decoration to their homes early this year. Others cannot afford this joy. Early dusk and dark nights for some will mean curling up by the fire to escape […]
A homily for Remembrance Sunday by Lucy Gildersleeves, given at the Act of Remembrance at Charney Bassett, Oxfordshire War is a human invention, driven by human greed and human fear. War is a human tragedy – but so much more: war drags in and destroys human lives and livelihoods but also the lives and habitats […]
Early yesterday morning, I looked out through the dawn mist. The church next to the Rectory was barely visible through the foggy air. A faint image, easily missed, unless you know it’s there, and what to look for. Sometimes God can seem distant – as can the Church. Obscured by the mist, or darkness. Far […]