Sermon-God so loved the world

The Kiss, Edvard Munch, 1897

A sermon given during a service of Holy Communion at St Olave Hart Street on Sunday 1st March 2026, the Second Sunday of Lent based on readings from Romans 4:1–5, 13–17 & John 3:1–17

Sermon-Lord, it is good for us to be here!

St Olave Hart Street in 1941 prior to restoration

A sermon given during a service of Holy Communion at St Olave Hart Street, City of London on Sunday 15th February 2026 (Year A, Sunday next before Lent or Quinquagesima, based on the text of Matthew 17.1-9.

Thought for the Day-Loving Tradition

Mardi Gras on the Boulevards, Camille Pissarro, 1897, Harvard Art Museums

A Thought for the Day given at a lunchtime service of Holy Communion at St Olave Hart Street on Tuesday 10th February based on the text of Mark 7.1-13 and preparations for Lent, which begins next week.

Sermon-Plugging in to a Divine Power Network

Pylons on the Road to Yeovil, Danny Marky, 2021

A sermon given during Holy Communion at St Olave Hart Street on Sunday 2nd November 2025 – the Feast of All Saints, based on the text of Ephesians 1.11-end and Luke 6.20-31. We were delighted to welcome the Master and members of The Worshipful Company of Fuellers to the service to mark ‘Fuellers Sunday.’

Thought for the Day – Spiritual Friendship: Barnabas and the Holy Trinity

Friendship, Pablo Picasso, 1908

A Thought for the Day given at St Giles-in-the-Fields on the Feast of St Barnabas the Apostle, Wednesday 11th June 2025 at 1pm based on the texts of Acts 11.19-30 and John 15.12-17.

Prayers - A New Commandment

Gate with a Tower, New Jerusalem, Aristarkh Lentulov, 1917

Prayers of intercession written for  the Sung Eucharist at St George’s Bloomsbury on Sunday 18th May 2025 (Easter 5, Year C) based on the text of Acts 11.1-19, Revelation 21.1-6 & John 13.31-35. The service was followed by the Annual Parish Meeting. 

Sermon-Blind Faith

‘Christ Healing the blind" (2010) by Thobias Minzi, Tanzania

A sermon given during Holy Communion (BCP) at St Giles-in-the-Fields on Sunday 2nd March 2025 (Quinquagesima or the Last Sunday before Lent) based on the text of 1 Corinthians 13, Luke 18.31-43 and inspired by the pop history of nearby Denmark Street, as explored in Peter Watts excellent book.

Chaplaincy Reflection - LSHTM Carol Service 2024

It was a great pleasure to speak at this year’s LSHTM Carol Service – on the “Big Steps” in the new Pumphandle Social Space. Over 150 attended. Thank you to my colleague and co-Chaplain Fr David Peebles for introducing the service, the University of London Chamber Choir for the fantastic music, to Ian Carter and the Student Support Services Team for providing the refreshments and to Godfrey from the Catering Team for serving them. During the service I gave the short reflection below:

Sermon - The Symbolism of Advent Sunday

Time Death and Judgement by George Frederick Watts (now hanging in St Giles-in-the-Fields)

A sermon given during Holy Communion following the Baptism of Nicola Pitts on the First Sunday in Advent at St Giles-in-the-Fields on 1st December 2024 based on readings from Romans 13.8-14 and Matthew 21.1-13.

Drawing on the changing symbolism in the art of George Frederick Watts, whose work hangs in St Giles-in-the-Fields to explore the Prayer Book readings for the First Sunday in Advent.

Sermon - Looking Love in the Face

Ernest Edward Spears, Frank Wotton Eastlake & Richard Henry Vaughan Thompson

A sermon given during services on Remembrance Sunday 10th November 2024 at St Giles-in-the-Fields based on the text of John 15.9-17 and the stories of some of the men listed on the WW1 memorial at the back of the church. The photographs of Ernest Spears, Frank Eastlake and Richard Thompson were printed in the pew sheet.

Sermon-Forgiveness

The Prodigal Son in Modern Life, James Jacques Joseph Tissot, 1882

A sermon given during Holy Communion (BCP) at St Giles-in-the-Fields on Sunday 27th October 2024, The Twenty Second Sunday after Trinity, drawing on the text of Matthew 18.21-35 (The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant).

The bitterness and malice that inhabit the absence of forgiveness are a source of perpetual torment to so many. The testimony of those who have forgiven others of the most heinous crimes shows that the world can be so different when we forgive. May we have the grace to accept and the courage to share the forgiveness we have received. To help to bind together this broken world with God’s love.

Wedding Sermon - The Song of Divine Love

A sermon given at the marriage of Scott Westoby and Shani Cantor at St Giles-in-the-Fields on Thursday 26th September 2024. Scott manages The Phoenix Arts Club, a drag and cabaret bar next to the church. Shani is a fantastic performer and sings at the club as well as in numerous productions on the West End stage. The marriage service ended with a procession behind a band down Denmark Street. The sermon draws on lyrics from songs recorded, demoed or written in Demark Street – the UK’s version of Tin Pan Alley, which is next to the church.

Thought for the Day - And the greatest of these is love

War & Peace (Peace), Candido Portinari, 1957

A Thought for the Day given at the lunchtime service of Holy Communion at St Giles-in-the-Fields on Wednesday 18th September 2014 based on the text of 1 Corinthians 13

A reflection on the primacy of love in the Christian life, inspired by the writing of Dag Hammarskjöld who died on this day in 1961.

Reflection - Letting go of our desire to hold on

The Artists Hand V, Henry Moore, 1979 - Tate/Henry Moore Foundation

A reflection for the Church of England's National Online Service on Sunday 9th June 2024 - the Second Sunday after Trinity, recorded at St Giles in the Fields, based on the text of Mark 3.20-end

Sermon - Jesus' Wedding Sermon to Us

Louis Kahan, The Wedding Feast at Cana, 1949 

A sermon given at the Sung Eucharist at St George’s Bloomsbury on Sunday 21st January 2024 – The Third Sunday of Epiphany (Year B) based on readings from John 2.1-11. You can listen to an audio recording of this sermon in the video clip below:

Thought for the Day - Rooting for the Underdog

David and Goliath by Marc Chagall, 1955-56

A “Thought for the Day” given at Mattins at St Giles-in-the-Fields at 1pm on Wednesday 17th January 2024 based on the text of Mark 3.1-6 and 1 Sam 17.32–33, 37, 40–51

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.

Homily - Freedom and Judgement

The Three Judges, Georges Rouault (Tate Gallery)

A Homily given during Choral Evensong at St Giles-in-the-Fields on Sunday 17th September 2023 (Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity) based on readings from Job 1 and Matthew 7.1-14. In this homily I sought to explore personal disclosure, as part of my curacy training. 

Further Prayers for Choral Evensong on Sunday 10th September 2023

Zandile Tshabalala, Untitled, 2021

Further Prayers written for a service of Choral Evensong at St Giles-in-the-Fields based on text from the hymn ‘O Perfect Love’ by Dorothy F. Gurney (1883), Psalm 119.46-64, Proverbs 31.10-31 (‘The Valiant Woman’) and Matthew 6.19-34.