Category Archives: Sermons

What is Worthy Conduct? (Philippians 1:27-2:5)

Whatever happens… whatever happens… “Whatever happens, as citizens of heaven live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” (Philippians 1:27)

What does it mean to live as citizens of heaven in a manner worthy of the gospel?

Just twenty years ago, in 1988 a young Irish physician found himself in the infamous Luwera Triangle, witnessing the devastation of two civil wars, surrounded by evidence of genocide and the despair of people robbed of the means of rebuilding their lives. The land was rich in fertility but the people poor and weak. Challenged by what he had seen, Dr. Ian Clarke resigned from his medical practice near Belfast and returned to Uganda to become the only doctor to tens of thousands of people in an area the size of greater London. He began with a clinic under a tree – but the seed was soon to grow and gradually, with the help of Christian friends from Northern Ireland, a modern hospital took shape and with it a whole community recovered hope and the means of survival. Regular outreach clinics are held, including an AIDS support programme in the community.

Whatever happens… “Whatever happens, as citizens of heaven live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” (Philippians 1:27).

Continue reading →

Nehemiah 1: The Servant Leader’s Intercession

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England’s mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England’s pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark Satanic mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold:
Bring me my arrows of desire:
Bring me my spear: O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England’s green and pleasant land.

The singing of William Blake’s poem, immortalised by Sir Hubert Parry’s music, has become a national institution. It is sung every year by tens of thousands of people on the Last Night of the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall and simultaneously in the Proms in the Park venues around the country. Since 2004, it has also been the anthem of the England cricket team. And after the Commonwealth Games in 2010, Team England chose it as their victory anthem too. The Commonwealth Games Council conducted a poll to choose an anthem. The three options were “God Save The Queen”, “Jerusalem” and “Land of Hope and Glory”. Jerusalem was the clear winner with 52% of the vote. It has become the English national hymn.

Continue reading →

The Christian’s Magna Carta (Romans 8)

After losing a disastrous war with France, impoverishing the country and alienating the church, King John finally succeeded… in inciting his Barons to rebel and take control of London. Holed up in Windsor Castle, he had little choice but to agree to their demands, And so, on 15th June 1215, by the river Thames at Runnymede, King John signed the Great Charter, acknowledging that even the king would in future be subject to the rule of law. For 800 years, Magna Carta has inspired generations of reformers and radicals, statesmen and lawyers not just in Britain but the world over.

In the 17th Century, it was used to thwart attempts by Charles I to raise taxes without Parliament. In the 18th Century the American Founding Fathers found inspiration in drafting their Declaration of Independence and Constitution. In the 19th Century reformers invoked Magna Carta against Parliament in defence of the freedom of expression and independence of the press.

Continue reading →

The Parables of the Seeds (Mark 4 :26-34)

A small farming village was threatened with drought because the rains had failed to arrive. On a hot and dry Sunday, the pastor told his congregation, “There isn’t anything that will save us except to pray for rain. Go home, pray, believe, and come back next Sunday ready to thank God for sending rain.” The people returned to church the following Sunday. As they sat down the Pastor gently rebuked them. “We can’t worship today because you do not yet believe,” he said. “But we prayed” they protested, “and we do believe.” “Believe?” he responded. “Then where are your umbrellas?”

Faith is made visible by our actions. So let me ask you this morning “Where are your umbrellas?” Do you have umbrella faith? Please turn with me to Mark 4:26-34. Our gospel lesson this morning speaks about developing umbrella faith. Jesus is speaking about the kingdom of God and how that kingdom grows. It grows with an unwavering faith, a faith that we cannot see or understand but a faith demonstrated by results.

To illustrate the growth of the kingdom of God, Jesus tells two little stories, two parables, one about growing seed, the other about a mustard seed.

Continue reading →

The Enigma of Jesus (Mark 4:1-20)

NGW_partners_logo_NLWToday marks the final day of the Royal Horticultural Society’s, National Gardening Week. It is a celebration of all things green. The aim of National Gardening Week is to encourage people to help keep their neighbourhoods, environments and shared spaces beautiful through gardening. The tagline is ‘Start Something Beautiful.’

My father was a gardener, although his would never have featured in National Gardening Week. Although he did grow flowers for the table, his was primarily a vegetable garden. Through the winter, autumn, spring and summer I would watch him patiently turn over the soil with his fork, manure it, weed it, water it and lovingly nurture seeds and seedlings into organic potatoes, shallots, carrots, parsnips, swedes, peas, runner beans, broad beans, onions, tomatoes, cabbages, cauliflowers, rhubarb, black currents and fat, juicy, strawberries.

Continue reading →

You Were Made for a Mission (Ephesians 6:10-18)

This weekend is an auspicious one in history. In 1919, Benito Mussolini formed the Fascist Movement in Italy. In 1933, the German Reichstag granted Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers. In 1956, Pakistan declared itself an Islamic Republic and in 1983, during the Cold War with Russia, Ronald Reagan announced the Star Wars initiative. Today we live with the lingering consequences. This week the tragic atrocity in Tunis involving European tourists visiting a museum has made the headlines. But if you visit www.warsintheworld.com, you will discover that there are at least 68 other countries where it might be unwise to take your Summer holiday, because they are presently experiencing armed conflict. There are in fact over 600 different militias, guerrilla, anarchist or separatist groups involved in violent struggles. As a young adult I once visited a friend serving with the US military on Lakenheath Airbase. As I left the base, before reaching the checkpoint, on the perimeter wall, hidden from the main road and the gaze of British civilians, I saw a large sign, about 40 feet long with lettering two feet high. Intended for US military personnel only, it read “Danger – you are now entering a war zone.” Although probably intended to improve their survival rates on British roads, I’ve thought a lot about that message.

Continue reading →

When We Think About Money (2 Corinthians 8:1-15)

4-Credit-cards-getty“Look at your hands. When you were just an infant, you came out with your hands closed. And every time somebody put their little finger in yours, you would wrap your hand around it, hold on tight, and not let go. As a toddler, you started grabbing rattles and lit­tle toys. When another child came in your direction and wanted to take one away from you, you said, “Mine,” and held on tight.

When you were in junior school, you hung on tightly to bicycle handlebars and pencils and other things. In senior school you hung on to the hand of Sarah Jane, and you were not about to let that go. In college you hung on to a lot of different stuff—maybe some stuff we don’t even want to talk about here—but when you left, you were clutching a certificate with two hands.

Continue reading →