Follow the Star to Bethlehem

How do we re-orient ourselves to God?
A sermon for the Third Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 61.1-4,8-11; 1 Thessalonians 5.16-24 and John 1.6-8,19-28

John the Baptist

On the third Sunday of Advent, John the Baptist is our central figure. During the four Sundays in Advent, we start with the patriarchs, followed by the prophets, John the Baptist, and Mary, the Mother of God on the fourth Sunday of Advent. Together with these figures, we journey towards Christmas; towards the celebration of God coming to the world in the person of Jesus Christ. Advent is a time of preparing ourselves once more for Christmas, but also reflecting on how ready we are to receive God in our lives, and indeed, how ready the world is to bring in the Kingdom of God.

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Preparing the way of the Lord

A Sermon for the Second Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 40.1-11 and Mark 1.1-8

advent 2

Advent, maybe more than any other time of the year, encourages us to reflect on the many paradoxes of faith, and through that, indeed, on the many paradoxes of life. In the darkest time of the year, we prepare ourselves for the light coming into the world. We are waiting for something that in many ways, though not all, has already happened. Many of us will go from Advent service to Christmas carol concert, and then back to our Advent devotion or worship.

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Advent: Expectation vs Reality

An early Advent Reflection

Advent is a season of expectation and preparation, as the Church prepares to celebrate the coming (adventus) of Christ in his incarnation, and also looks ahead to his final advent as judge at the end of time.

Van_Gogh_-_Country_road_in_Provence_by_night Advent is a season of expectation, a time during which we wait and prepare for Christmas. It is also the beginning of a new Church year, so even more than other days, we are given a new beginning; we can make a new start.

As all of us have experienced, the reality does not always coincide with our expectation: more often than not it doesn’t. Whether it is our expectation of ourselves, our expectations of others, many a time, the reality is not as good as we had expected, and we can feel let down, again by ourselves or by others. It is an experience so common, that I don’t even think I need to give an example. Continue reading “Advent: Expectation vs Reality” →

The Now and Not Yet

A reflection on the Feast of Christ the King

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. (Matthew 25.35-36)

This coming Sunday the Church celebrates the feast of Christ the King. It is the last Sunday of the liturgical year, with Advent starting next week. We start the Christian year with looking towards Christmas, the birth of Jesus as a vulnerable baby, and we end the year by reminding ourselves of the authority of Christ as King. Although this may seem a straightforward movement from weakness to power, the opposite is true: at both occasions we see that power and weakness are not what they seem to be, and at both occasions we are reminded that what was, what is, and what will be, are inextricably linked.

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The Parable of the Talents

Some thoughts on Risk-taking

390px-Parable_of_talents Last Wednesday I went to a Youth Mental Health First Aid training day. I was very pleased that the focus of the day was not discussing how can we keep young people ‘safe’, but thinking how can we teach them to take risks, to make mistakes, and to bounce back. Yes, providing a ‘safety net’, but not trying to avoid any risks, trying to stop them from doing something stupid at all times.

Of course, enabling anyone, and especially young people, to make mistakes is much harder than stopping them. It is harder, because it requires patience and trust, and it will cause more pain and troubles than simply keeping them safe. Continue reading “The Parable of the Talents” →

Remembering and Responding

A reflection for Remembrance Day

poppy

Watching Journey’s End this week, brilliantly performed by a cast of Marlborough College pupils, I was once more struck by the ‘matter-of-factness’ with which so many gave and risked their lives. No great sense of heroism or vocation to fight for justice, peace and freedom, but much more a sense that this is just what needs to be done. Continue reading “Remembering and Responding” →

From where will our help come?

Sermon St Mary’s Marlborough 5^th November 2017

All Souls: A service of prayers and readings to remember those who have died

Psalm 121 & John 20.11-18

Jakub_Schikaneder_-_All_Souls'_Day

For many of us this afternoon it was not easy to come here. Even though the decision to come to the service may have been straightforward, still, I suspect that many of us will have felt some hesitation when we set off. Because what we have in common this afternoon is that we are here to remember those who have died. And although we may feel that there is a lot to give thanks for, we are also faced with feelings of sadness and loss as we remember those who were, but are not longer with us. Continue reading “From where will our help come?” →

We belong together

We belong together: A sermon for All Saints’ Sunday

Marlborough College Chapel, 5th November 2017

all saints

One of the first things that comes to my mind when thinking about Saints is the word ‘belonging’. Why? Because today we are reminded that we not only belong to each other in the present, but also we belong to those who have gone before us and, indeed, to those who will come after us. Continue reading “We belong together” →

Do this to remember me

A reflection on the Season of Remembrance

Beginning with All Saint’s Day today, November is a season of remembrance. We celebrate and give thanks for the holy people who have gone before us, and we remember with thanksgiving those who have died, including those who gave their lives for our freedom. Maybe also in more trivial ways, as the leaves are falling, we remember the long summer evenings and, in our melancholy, we may also think about those people who have crossed our paths but who have disappeared out of sight. Continue reading “Do this to remember me” →

It’s alright to be wrong

right wrong

Homily preached at St Mary’s Marlborough

Bible Sunday: Nehemiah 8.1-12 & Matthew 24.30-35

When looking at this morning’s Gospel reading, we seemed to be faced with a problem. Two problems, actually, if you ask theologians and believers throughout the centuries. The first one is a general difficulty for most Christians: in how far do we take seriously the images that are given of the day of judgement, the second coming? Not only here, but also, for example in the Book of Revelation.

The second problem, and the one I would like to look at in a bit more detail, is when this might happen. As some of you may remember, in Paul’s letters, there is a real sense of immediacy about when the Messiah will come again. And today we even hear Jesus himself saying that ‘this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.’ Continue reading “It’s alright to be wrong” →