Sermon-Rooted in the Cross

A sermon given during a service of Holy Communion at St Olave Hart Street on Palm Sunday 29th March 2026 (Year A) based on readings from Matthew 21.1-11 and Matthew 27.1-54

‘Observing a Holy Lent’ through Books, Films, Art and Music!

My contribution to The Pelican, the parish newsletter of St Giles-in-the-Fields, March 2025 offers suggestions for books, films, art, lectures and concerts to enjoy this Lent:

Sermon - Maundy Thursday : Feet which walk to do good

Stanley Spencer, The Last Supper, 1920

It was a great privilege to be invited to preach for the Pascal Triduum at St George’s Bloomsbury in April 2023. The first time I have preached at all three services and the first time I have spoken in front of so many people at once. I drew on my experience visiting the Holy Land last year and based each sermon loosely around part of a prayer attributed to St Teresa of Avila ‘Christ has no body now on earth but yours’ and the theme of connection, disconnection and reconnection. On Thursday the focus was ‘Feet which walk to do good’ and connections to the embodied love of Jesus through the symbolic washing of feet and the sharing of the Last Supper. On Friday the focus was ‘Hands which bless the world’ and our disconnection from the embodied love of Jesus when he died on the cross. On Sunday the focus was ‘Eyes which see life anew’ and our re-connection to the love of Jesus through Mary Magdalene’s vision in the garden at dawn. The sermon on Sunday drew each reflection together to encourage us to choose to live life as pilgrims – not tourists. To embody the love of God we have now received through the Spirit of the risen Christ.

A sermon given at the Choral Eucharist on Maundy Thursday, April 6th 2023 at St George’s Bloomsbury. (Year A) based on John 13.1-17, 31b-35.

Start:Stop - Raising the bar

The Creation of Animals - Paul Nash, 1924

Hello and welcome to this week’s Start:Stop reflection, helping you start your day by stopping to reflect for ten minutes. Through Lent we have been exploring the first chapter of the Book of Genesis, using as our guide the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent Book “Saying Yes to Life.” Our reading this morning describes the sixth day of creation:

BOOK REVIEW : Barabbas by Pär Lagerkvist

Barabbas, a novel by the Swedish Author Pär Lagerkvist written in 1950, tells the story of the man held captive at the same time as Jesus but released by Pontius Pilate at the Passover feast - thus avoiding crucifixion.

Start:Stop-Father, forgive

Craigie Aitchison - Pink Crucifixion 2004 - Methodist Modern Art Collection

Thank you for joining us for Start:Stop. This reflection will last around ten minutes and you are welcome to come and go as your schedule dictates. We begin with two verses from scripture, which can be found on page 95 of the New Testament section of the pew bibles.