Sermon-That is The Question

Henry Moore - Three Seated Figures - 1975

A sermon given during the Sung Eucharist at St George’s Bloomsbury on Sunday 20th October September 2024 (Year B, Proper 24) based on readings from Isaiah 53.4-end, Hebrews 5.1-10 and Mark 10.35-45 (the request of James and John).

Jesus knew that one of the most effective ways that power and authority can be intentionally transferred – and withheld – is by asking questions. Do we know what we are asking?

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.

Prayers of Intercession - Servant of All

Jesus washes the disciples feet by Luke Allsbrook, 2017

Prayers of Intercession written for the Sung Eucharist at St Stephen Walbrook on Thursday 21 October 2021 (Year B, Trinity 20, Proper 24) based on the text of Hebrews 5.1-10 and Mark 10.35-45

Start:Stop – Lord, do you wash my feet?

Sadao Watanabe - Washing the Disciples Feet, 1988

Hello, my name is Phillip Dawson, welcome to our Start:Stop reflection from St Stephen Walbrook, when we stop for a few minutes and start to reflect on a passage from scripture. You can hear an audio recording of this reflection here. During Lent at our informal discussion group, we are exploring the Gospel of John - do join us via Zoom on Thursdays at 7.30pm if you can.

This week we arrived at the start of what many see as the second half of John’s Gospel - the ‘Book of Glory’ or the Book of the Passion. Here, the pace of events slows and the focus changes. John has spent the first part of his Gospel describing, through signs and teaching , Jesus’ love for the world. Now he focuses on Jesus’ love for his followers. For the next five chapters, John describes Jesus speaking only to the disciples; teaching them - and us - how to follow him in faith after his death and resurrection. His first lesson takes place during the Last Supper.

Prayers of Intercession - Christ the King

Christ in Glory in the Tetramorph, Graham Sutherland, 1962

Prayers of Intercession written for the Eucharist celebrating Christ the King held at St Stephen Walbrook on Thursday 26th November based on readings from Ephesians 1.15-end and Matthew 25.31-end.

Let us pray to Almighty God, that we might see in ourselves and in others the image of his Son, our Servant King.  

Start-Stop:The Servant Leadership of Hilda of Whitby

The Washing of Feet - Sieger Koder

Good morning and welcome to Start Stop. Our reflection and prayers will last around ten minutes and you are welcome to come and go as your schedule dictates. 

Start:Stop - Servant of the servants of God - St Gregory the Great

Start:Stop offers the chance for busy commuters to Start their day by Stopping to reflect for ten minutes. Starting every quarter hour between 7.45am and 9.00am on Tuesday mornings at St Stephen Walbrook, in the heart of the City of London, we invite people to drop in for as long as they can to hear a sequence of bible readings, reflections and prayers or simply to sit and reflect. For more information visit our website. This reflection is from Tuesday 4th September 2018.

Thank you for joining us for Start:Stop. My name is Phillip Dawson. This reflection will last ten minutes. We begin with a bible reading, which can be found on page 50 in the New Testament section of the Bible.