Sermon-This is the record that matters

Leonid Pasternak - The Passion of creation

A sermon preached during Sung Holy Communion (BCP) at St Giles-in-the-Fields on Sunday 21 December 2025, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, based on Philippians 4.4-7 and John 1.19-28.

Sermon - Signs of the (Christmas) Times

Fairy and Christmas Ornaments – Christmas Card by Andy Warhol 1953-1955

A sermon given during Holy Communion at St Giles-in-the-Fields on Sunday 24th December 2023 (The Fourth Sunday in Advent) based on readings from Philippians 4.4-7 and John 1.19-28

Sermon - What did you come here to see?

“Visit Me” – illustration for Christianity Today magazine by Kumé Pather

A sermon given during Holy Communion at St Giles-in-the-Fields on Sunday 17th December 2023 (The Third Sunday in Advent) based on readings from  1 Corinthians 4.1-5 and Matthew 11.2-10.

Sermon - Both sides of John the Baptist

St. John the Forerunner, Angel of the Desert, Lyuba Yatskiv, 2019

Sermon preached at Evensong at St Stephen's Rochester Row on Sunday 28th August 2022 (Year C, 11th after Trinity, Proper 17) based on the text of John 3.22-36

This bank holiday weekend many people will be spending time on road trips - as far as the traffic jams will allow of course! Looking out for funny signs is often a good way to brighten up a long and tedious car journey. I found a book full of funny signs recently and thought I would share some of the cleaner ones with you (which isn’t actually that many!)

Sermon - Joy in the present moment

John the Baptist by William Wolff

A sermon preached at St Stephen Walbrook at the Sung Eucharist on Thursday 16th December 2021 (Advent 3, Year C) based on readings from Philippians 4.4-7 and Luke 3.7-18. A version of this sermon was also preached at St George’s Bloomsbury on Sunday 12th December 2021. A recording of the sermon is available at this link.

Prayers of Intercession - Rejoice in the Lord Always

Nativity,Sawai Chinnawong, 2004

Prayers of Intercession written for the Sung Eucharist at St Stephen Walbrook on Thursday 16th December 2021 (Year C, Advent 3) based on readings from Philippians 4.4-7 and Luke 3.7-18.

Let us rejoice that God came among us in the person of Christ, rejoice that he is here alongside us each day and rejoice in his promise that he will come again in glory.

Prayers of Intercession - Becoming Messengers

St John the Baptist by Georges Maurice Cloud

Prayers of Intercession written for the Sung Eucharist at St George’s Bloomsbury on Sunday 5th December 2021 (Year C, Advent 2) based on readings from Luke 1.68-79 (Benedictus), Philippians 1.3-11 and Luke 3.1-6.

Prayers of Intercession - Pointing Truth to Power

The beheading of John by Baptist by Nicholas Mynheer 

Prayers written for the Sung Eucharist at St Stephen Walbrook at 12.45pm on Thursday 15th July 2021 (Year B, Trinity 6) based on readings from Mark 6.14-29

Prayers of Intercession - Lead us through the wilderness

 

John the Baptist by Caiphas Nxumalo, 1970

Prayers written for the Sung Eucharist at St Stephen Walbrook at 12.45pm on Thursday 10th December 2020 (Year B, Advent 2) based on readings from Isaiah 40.1-11 and Mark 1.1-8

God our Father, we look for the day when your Good News is told by the whole world. Strengthen us, your church; that we might proclaim with one voice your message of salvation. We give thanks for our Bishops, Priests and Deacons and all who point others towards you. Prepare us, with their guidance and through the power of your Spirit, to live each day according to our baptismal promises; emptying our lives so that we might discover the fullness of your love.

Start:Stop-His Fullness

Woodcut by Benjamin Miller, 'John the Baptist in Prison,' 1927

Hello and welcome to this week’s Start:Stop reflection from St Stephen Walbrook, my name is Phillip Dawson. You can listen to an audio recording of this reflection at this link. We begin with a short reading from the first chapter of the Gospel of John.

Night Prayer - St John's Eve

It was a great pleasure to lead Night Prayer today on the St Augustine's College of Theology Facebook page. Please follow along by watching the video below

Start:Stop-The Perfect Messenger

Alberto Giacometti, Pointing Man (detail)

Hello and welcome to this week’s Start:Stop reflection from St Stephen Walbrook, my name is Phillip Dawson. Reminding us that change is a natural part of God’s creation, Midsummer’s Day falls this week in the northern hemisphere, the point at which the days start to decrease and the nights start to increase in length. Six months before Christmas, Midsummer’s Day also marks the Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist. Jesus himself said of John that “among those born of women there has arisen no one greater”. So it should come as no surprise that alongside that of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary, John the Baptist is the only saint whose birth is celebrated in the calendar of the church.

Our bible reading this week describes the birth and naming of John the Baptist and is from the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke.

Facebook Art - Lord you have called me by name

Mosaic based on a batik 'Jesus on the Lotus Flower' by Dr P Solomon Raj, 1998 

Today I led a virtual service of Morning Prayer on our College Facebook page. You can watch the recording here and follow the order of service here. I am grateful to Ben Schoeman for the music in today’s service and to my partner Henry for reading and for acting as cameraman. Today the Church of England remembers Mary Ramabai, a Sanskrit scholar and translator of the scriptures and the first woman to be awarded the title ‘Pandita’ which means scholar or learned person. She is remembered for her opposition to child marriage and the caste system, for setting up schools and homes for women and orphans and for pioneering an Indian vision of the faith.

Advent Quiet Hour - Week 2

St John the Baptist by Leonardo da Vinci

The season of Advent has been set aside as a time of preparation for Christmas since at least the last half of the sixth century. Advent comes from the Latin word adventus meaning “coming.” Advent begins the church year, starting four Sundays before Christmas. Advent is a time for self-examination and asking for forgiveness as the church prepares to celebrate the incarnation of God at Christmas. Take time out during your commute to work to spend a few moments in stillness and prayer during our Advent Quiet Hour on Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 8am-9am. The readings, prayers, poems and practices in this leaflet may be helpful. Please take this sheet away with you.