Latest Sermons

Resurrection is a breathtaking mystery. It’s also the epicentre of the Christian faith. It’s something to be discovered, believed, and lived.

“There was a cross in the heart of God before there was one planted on the green hill in Jerusalem. And now that the cross of wood has been taken down, the one in the heart of God abides, and it will remain so long as there is one sinful soul for whom to suffer”

Our theme for Lent this year has been Abiding, based on the book by Ben Quash. It has seen us reflect on how we abide with God in our care for others and in our relationships with them…

When it comes to thinking about death, we have a straight choice: either we can pretend our death will never happen; or we can face our death head on. Our gospel reading sees Jesus coming face to face with what awaits him. His hour has come.

On Thursday this week, which was International Women’s Day, a message tweeted from the women on hunger strike at the Yarls Wood immigration detention centre included the words: “We feel voiceless, forgotten and ignored. We needed a voice and more importantly we needed someone to listen…”

How do we know the right way to behave in any given situation? Rules or commandments, including the Ten Commandments, often seem to be the answer and every society or organisation, including our schools, needs a set of rules as a baseline for acceptable behaviours.

A few years ago I was asked to take the funeral of a woman whom I hadn’t known but who’d lived in the parish where I was vicar at the time.

Our Gospel today begins with Jesus’ prediction to his disciples that he will undergo great suffering and be rejected. Rejected. Think about that word for a moment.

I want to tell a story about money and church. It’s a story that I believe makes sense of what it means for a church like St Martin’s to ask the members of its congregation to reflect on whether they might be able to consider giving a little more of their own money to enriching the quality and breadth of our common life.