Andrew's Sermons

Sunday 18th August 2019   Gospel: Luke 12.49-56 ‘I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! 51Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! 52From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53they will be divided: father against son    and son against father, mother against daughter    and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law    and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’ 54 He also said to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, “It is going to rain”; and so it happens. 55And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, “There will be scorching heat”; and it happens. 56You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but ...

This was the first time I preached since I was Ordained Deacon on June 30th and also since February. Perhaps I lost my nerve about how candid I was going to be because when the word stress appears, there had been something much more specific there, perhaps another time...   In the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. We always pray in church when we worship, and we talk about prayer quite a lot, but, there is always more which can be said, especially when prayer helps us to deepen our relationships with God and alongside the Bible, prayer is key, it helps us lean in to God. As this is the first time I’ve preached since the ordination, I’d like to reflect on that a little, because prayer has been crucial on this road and I’ve prayed the Lord’s Prayer more than any other, it’s been a constant companion throughout this rollercoaster of a faith journey; the Lord’s Prayer has always been there. I’m not sure God answers prayer in the ways we expect but I have a sto...

In the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen   Have you ever, been on a car journey, when suddenly, the driver had to slam the brakes on hard and start reversing? Of course, because I’m such a good driver, I always see hazards a long way ahead and stop gently with plenty of time to spare… I’m sure Louise will vouch for me…? Okay, let’s just say, I have occasionally practiced an emergency stop.   On one occasion, last year, we were on a day trip while on holiday. We were on a big old coach, heading into the mountains, and after a while, the road got narrower and narrower, so we often had to stop in passing places, looking down thousands of feet of sheer hillside while waiting for cars to pass. Then, the coach started winding its way up a series of hairpin bends on a mountain pass.   What made this especially interesting, was that the coach was too long to make each corner, so the driver would haul away at the wheel until the windscreen was inches fr...

In the name of God, Father, the Son to be born and the Holy Spirit. Amen Well, it’s almost Christmas, we’re nearly there, a season which as we all know, starts tonight and lasts a whole 12 days until Epiphany. Twelve days, you proclaim, that’s a surprise! - I didn’t know that was coming and I never knew Christmas lasted as long as twelve days! I’m probably as surprised as you are, to see me standing here and I have to admit to being surprised when Fiona asked if I would like to preach in this service, and as I progress towards being ordained Deacon next summer, this is one of the services I’ve looked forward to being a part of, although of course, I always was because until this year, I always sang in the choir and it does feel very odd standing here instead. That sense of surprise is something we should all hold onto tonight. And Christmas is all about surprises, and that’s even before we open the stunning knitted tea cosy from Aunt Mabel. ...