Category Archives: Sermons

We do have good news to share, don’t we

Service with Revd. Nick Stanyon –

By what power did you do this? Acts 4

Easter is dangerous. At least to preachers.

Every so often you hear of one ending up in hospital on Easter day. Poisoned. By eating daffodils!!

It was a topic of debate on the URC ministers facebook group again this year, and I have to say I cringed at the comments saying you could eat this bit of the daffodil, but not that bit. In truth, eating any of it can give you a very nasty stomach ache – not at all to be recommended! CONTINUE READING ...

Happy Easter!


Christ has risen

Love is living

so today we sing:

Hallelujah, praise God!

we celebrate new life with Jesus!

Leave your old clothes behind!

Read: John 20: 1-10

If we are expecting everything to return to “normal” I suggest we haven’t experienced Easter in our lives! The world wasn’t the same after Jesus rose from the dead and normal service isn’t meant to resume today. It’s a NEW life we celebrate! CONTINUE READING ...

Everything changes…

Everything changes…

Revd. Andrew Mann-Ray

Read: Matthew 21: 1-11

One of the great challenges with a reading like Matthew 21 is how well we know it. Along with the other 3 gospels Matthew tells us the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and for those of us who have heard this story many times before, we will probably be able to tell others the reason why he does this. This is the moment when God’s salvation plan reaches its climax and the hearers of this story are left in no doubt that Jesus is coming as a king to establish God’s reign on earth and to transform the earth to the desire and design of God’s heart. Jesus comes into the heart and seat of earthly power, to challenge its beliefs and assumptions, and in so doing to turn power on its head. CONTINUE READING ...

Life on Mars? Living on Earth?

Life on Mars? Living on Earth?

Today, during this week of lent our reading encourages us to reflect on the lead up to the sacrifice of Jesus and what a fruitful resurrection looks like.

Two thousand and twenty years ago some non-Christians sought Jesus, Andrew was alert to it and made the introduction, along with the established disciples and everyone else in earshot, they heard that it is essential that Jesus will die, that his sacrifice will enable others to see God, and that one life can multiply in fruitfulness, by sharing the Good News, of how much better life can be for more people, when heaven is on earth. CONTINUE READING ...

🌼 When our old attitudes pass away

Dear Friends,

🌺 When our old attitudes pass away

our mother’s tears will be wiped away! 🌺

Revelation 21: 1-5

The Christ I see today was inspired by the words of my daughter, Laura, as a 4-year old.

I then wrote her words into my own reflection:

If we welcome Jesus when we welcome a man, then Jesus is living in my daddy. CONTINUE READING ...

SAVE THE PLANET FROM THE WILDERNESS!

THE TIME IS NOW –

TO SAVE THE PLANET FROM THE WILDERNESS!

READ: Mark 1: 9-15

On this first Sunday in Lent the message we get from the gospel reading is that the “Time has Come” or, to apply a bit more urgency, “The time is Now” to act and make a difference and save the planet. If humanity is to survive we’ve got to do that unless we’re all going to move to Mars! CONTINUE READING ...

Racial Justice with Love

RACIAL JUSTICE WITH LOVE…

This is Racial Justice Sunday in the church calendar, but with a Valentine celebration so is delivered with a message that LOVE is justice in action. The gospels are the unfolding story of Love that invites people to belong to the Kingdom of God as one family regardless of race, faith or culture. It is Love beyond our understanding because it embraces differences we don’t understand into one diverse family. So you are invited to meet God of the rainbow where colours merge as one in the sky and to meet the Artist who paints flowers of many colours into the beauty of our gardens. Different colours bring energy and vibrancy to the world so that we can celebrate the beauty in our differences. CONTINUE READING ...

THE WORD WAS BROKEN!

THE WORD WAS BROKEN!


Read: John 1: 1-14

The first Word was spoken;

then the Word was written;

before he Word was broken

for a story to be told…

In the beginning the Word was spoken and it was heard by the Spirit and light appeared in the darkness to reveal something good in the chaos and confusion. The spoken Word became story and poem to be remembered and retold or captured in song. CONTINUE READING ...