Andrew's Sermons

A Sermon preached at St Cyr, Stinchcombe, October 29th 2023.  Rev'd Andrew Hill, Associate Priest A Joint Benefice service for Bible Sunday, presided by Rev'd Canon Frances Wookey to also celebrate fifty years of marriage and 25 years since ordination. (Readings and Intercessions are further down the page)  May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and Redeemer, Amen. We take turns, but many months ago, I had the task of choosing the readings for each Sunday and for today, there were either ordinary time readings, or, Bible Sunday. Which isn’t something we always mark in our churches, even though we do look at the Bible on a fairly regular basis, I promise.   At that point, I didn’t know who would be preaching today or that we would also be celebrating with Frances and Roger, for their fiftieth wedding anniversary and Frances’s 25 th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood.   So it’s fitting to be marking all of

The story of Jonah is one of hope and help, because in spite of what he goes through, the story ends with God by his side, telling him that a city of people and animals was saved, thanks to him. And now God is here, with Jonah, to make sure he is okay. I should also say that there are moments of despair for Jonah in this story which are quite challenging, so please do seek help or talk to one of us if you need to later, we are happy to listen. Jonah is one of the Old Testament characters we often miss or overlook, other than the part about the whale, which has always been popular in Sunday School and has inspired works from Pinocchio to Moby Dick. Jonah is one of the twelve minor prophets in the Old Testament and the only one to also appear in the Koran. In fact Jonah is important in the three Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths. His tomb in Mosul was partly destroyed by ISIS in 2014 because of this inter-faith, in their eyes, apostasy. Ironically, after they were defeated, multi

  St George Cam & St Cyr Stinchcombe  August 6th 2023. Trinity 9. Part of a Sermon series on Worship in the Benefice.  Readings Exodus 33:12-23  -  Moses’ Intercession   12  Moses said to the  Lord , ‘See, you have said to me, “Bring up this people”; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, “I know you by name, and you have also found favour in my sight.”  13  Now if I have found favour in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favour in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.’  14  He said, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’  15  And he said to him, ‘If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here.  16  For how shall it be known that I have found favour in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth.’  17  The  Lord  said to Moses, ‘I will do the very thing that you