Sermon-The Conversion of Paul

Conversion of St. Paul, by Roy Ruiz Clayton 

A sermon given during Holy Communion at St Olave Hart Street on Sunday 25th January 2025 (Year A) The Conversion of Paul – based on readings from Galatians 1.11-16a & Matthew 19.27-30

Grace for a Civic Luncheon at Trinity House

Bell Rock Lighthouse, JM Turner 1819

A short grace written for a Civic Luncheon at Trinity House on Tuesday 21 October 2025 in the presence of The Princess Royal as Master of the Corporation of Trinity House, incorporating references to the work and motto of Trinity House and that of the Corporation of London. Such a great honour and privilege to act as Hon Chaplain to Trinity House.

Almighty God, Great one in three, 
Bless this fine fare and company.
Lord guide us to share all gifts received 
with grace t’ward Brethren most in need.  
Amen

Thought for the Day-A Grace Exchange?

The Corn Exchange, Mark Lane (published by Rudolph Ackermann, 1808)

A Thought for the Day given at a lunchtime Harvest Festival at St Olave Hart Street based on the text of 2 Corinthians 9.6-11.

Grace for The Clothworkers' Livery Dinner

The Caged Bird's Song, Chris Ofili

A grace given at a Livery Dinner of The Clothworkers Company at The Drapers Hall on Wednesday 1st October 2025, drawing on the season, the historic roots of the Company in the Fullers & Shearmen and the Company motto. 

As we gather this Michaelmastide, let us pray;

Generous God, in whom alone we trust,
Bless these fruits of the harvest, and all who laboured to bring them forth.

As we show the fullness of our thanks and praise in our enjoyment of them,

Clothe us in your grace,
Drape us in your peace,

Shear from us all that dulls compassion,
And weave our lives ever closer to another, and all to you.

Amen.

Different Livery Companies and Guilds have different traditions. In this case I was asked to write a short (30s) prayer in English not in a rhyming style. It was such an honour to attend the dinner and to meet so many inspiring people. 

Sermon - Embodying the ‘good desires’ of God’s grace

Churches, New Jerusalem, Aristarkh Lentulov, 1917

A sermon given during 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.

Thought for the Day - Who, What and Why

Carmen Lomas Garza, La Curandera, 1989, The Mexican Museum, San Francisco, CA

A Thought for the Day given during the lunchtime Eucharist at St Mary le Bow on Wednesday 2nd April 2025 based on the text of John 5.17-30.

A Grace for the Civic Dinner of the Guild of Investment Managers

Gustav Klimt - Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, 1903-1907

A grace written for the Civic Dinner of the Guild of Investment Managers on Tuesday 18th February 2025 at The Goldsmiths' Hall. 

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.

A Grace before a dinner celebrating the Civil Partnership of two good friends

The Owl and the Pussycat - Screen Print by Joyce Hargreaves

A grace given before a dinner celebrating the Civil Partnership of two good friends:

From the Yorkshire Moors to The Golden State;
there’s no distance too far for your soul mate!
Now a new journey has begun, no time to reminisce
  about blowing the last long-goodbye kiss.
Sharing a home and all their stuff
They’ve celebrated their love together at Goodenough.
So let us thank God for such a special day;
before sharing the First Supper after anchors aweigh
and give thanks for being with them on this new trip; 
   the maiden voyage on their civil partner-ship.
Amen.

Image : The Owl and the Pussycat by Joyce Hargreaves

A Grace for the Installation Dinner of the Guild of Investment Managers

Pennies from Heaven, George Pemba, 1986

A grace written for the Installation Dinner of the Guild of Investment Managers on Tuesday 9th July 2024. The dinner took place a week after the General Election in Ironmongers’ Hall, close to the site of John Wesley’s conversion experience in Aldersgate Street when his heart was ‘strangely warmed’.

In Ironmongers’ Hall, 

we gather to install 

   a Master, Wardens and their Court.

To steward this growing Guild 

as you continue to build 

   the City that we ought.  

May we value this time to share

   in such delightful fare.

And as we sit and eat, 

chewing over our new political elite, 

spare a thought for all who serve. 

Let us not regret 

   the sight of stripped assiettes;

a compliment well deserved.

Lord, may all those who invest 

   be well and truly blessed.

Hearts warmed as we digest 

all we are about to receive. 

Amen 

Image : Pennies from Heaven, George Pemba 

Sermon - Grace is not faceless

My Family, by Fateme Hossini, Afghanistan, 2019

A sermon given during Choral Holy Communion at St Giles-in-the-Fields on Sunday 5th May 2024 (Rogation Sunday, BCP) based on the text of James 1.22-end and John 16.23-end. You can listen to an audio recording of this text at this link.

Sermon - A race in which the last shall be first

Ernie Barnes, 100m Sprint, Poster for the 1984 Olympic Games

A sermon given during Holy Communion at St Giles-in-the-Fields on Sunday 28th January 2024 (The Sunday called Septuagesima) based on readings from 1 Corinthians 9.24-end and Matthew 20.1-16

Thought for the Day - The Economics of Possibility

Still Life with Zimmerlinde, Lucian Freud, 1950

A “Thought for the Day” given at Mattins at St Giles-in-the-Fields at 1pm on Wednesday 24th January 2024 based on the text of Mark 4.1-20 

A Grace in honour of two trailblazing City women

Miss Sylvia Tutt, Master of the Worshipful Company of Secretaries and Administrators (1983/4)

A grace written for a lunch held by the Lady Masters Association at Trinity House, London on Thursday 12th October 2023 marking the fortieth anniversary of the first Lady Master of a Livery Company (Miss Sylvia Tutt) and the fortieth anniversary of the first female Lord Mayor of London (Dame Mary Donaldson). It was a great honour and privilege to be invited and to meet so many other trailblazing City women - and to hear from the second female Lord Mayor of London, Dame Fiona Woolf.

Sermon - The uncomfortable truth about God's love

James Janknegt (b1953), The Day Laborers

A sermon given during the Sung Eucharist at St George’s Bloomsbury on Sunday 24th September 2023 (The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity), Year A, Proper 20, based on readings from Jonah 3.10-end of 4, Psalm 145.1-8, Philippians 1.21-end and Matthew 20.1-16

More Music and Poems for Corpus Christi

Francis Newton Souza, The Last Supper, 1990

It was a great joy to lead Choral Classics at St Stephen Walbrook on the Feast of Corpus Christi, which you can watch at this link. Preparing for Choral Classics involved finding out a lot about music and poems related to Corpus Christi. This post contains some of the information I didn’t have enough time to share in the service!