In spite of the weather everyone who had booked a place managed to turn up and enjoy the fizz, pizza and the fun quiz prepared by Elise, ably assisted by Bella and friend. The questions were a great mixture and just right – what a fabulous evening we had! Thank you Elise for being our quiz-master for the evening and … Read More
Revelation 20:11-12; 21:1-8 When someone dies, one of the many realities that strike at the soul is the paperwork that is issued by civic authorities – the death certificate. It is a stark document, perfunctory and precise, stating simply that someone has died and that it is now official. It is also a necessary document, for without it funeral arrangements … Read More
Many years ago I recall seeing an article in a newspaper that had a graphic of a railway carriage seating plan, with passengers of various shapes and sizes, and above each seat was a price. The purpose of the illustration was to show that each person in the carriage had paid a different price for their ticket, even though they … Read More
Dear Friends, Epilogue to my sermon from Paul’s 2nd Letter to Timothy 1: 1-14 This I believe, may be my last sermon before I retire, and if I was writing a letter to St Mary Magdalene’s Church, Windmill Hill, in the style of Paul to Timothy. In a paragraph or two it might read something like this: To My Beloved … Read More
2 Tim 3:14-4:5 – Luke 18:1-8 How do you pray? – How do you pray? According to an official Church of England press release this week, Church of England prayer apps were used more than five million times over the last year as a record number of people sought Christian contemplation and reflection online. Apps allowing users to pray the … Read More
All the food you have brought – thank you so much. It is all going to the North Enfield Foodbank. Imagine mixing it all together – opening all those tins and packets and putting it in one great food mixer/processor. It would be terrible. And each item on its own is fine, but one tin of beans doesn’t add up to, … Read More
When we commemorated the end of the First World War last November we looked back at the parish magazines from 100 years earlier to see what people were saying at the time – particularly what the vicar wrote in the magazine and other parish records. Since then I’ve been very aware that what one writes now is not just for … Read More
When we commemorated the end of the First World War last November we looked back at the parish magazines from 100 years earlier to see what people were saying at the time – particularly what the vicar wrote in the magazine and other parish records. Since then I’ve been very aware that what one writes now is not just for … Read More
Church spaces for hire with Tutti Book our Church, Hall or Vestry for photography, music, dance or drama rehearsals. We have a lovely church with good acoustic and grand piano and newly refurbished organ. We have two halls, the small one is suitable for a small ensemble and the large one for a larger group of singers or players. Choirs … Read More
The parable of the Dishonest Steward, as we might call him, is one of the most unusual: but this story of a debt collector who, seeing the writing on the wall, is generous to those who owe money in order to feather a nest for himself when he gets fired, actually makes more sense in today’s culture than in Jesus’ … Read More
Did you recognize what Jonathan played just now? Sometime between 1795-98 Ludwig van Beethoven write a whimsical piano piece called “The rage over a lost penny”. Or, in eurospeaek: Die Wut über den verlorenen Groschen, ausgetobt in einer Caprice. It’s a bit of a showpiece, and perhaps uncharacteristically of its composer, it is not really angry, resentful or despairing in … Read More
Rough notes for the sermon: The Xian dichotomy: And what is a Christian? A Christian is someone who is a follower of Jesus Christ, who believes that there is always hope for the world, hope for communities and hope for us all, in this world and the next. And with this salvation, and this hope come Christian values, many of … Read More
Lk 14: 1,7-14 May I speak in the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. An American monk once said something we may not really want to hear, but we can immediately connect with, the uncomfortable truth about Jesus’ teaching in our gospel today. Thomas Merton said, “People may spend their whole lives climbing the ladder of success only … Read More
We Need One Another! My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I’m sure most of you will have now heard that I will be Retiring at Harvest, on Sunday 13th October 2019 at the 10am Service; followed by lunch in the hall. Retiring, but definitely not leaving! After a holiday, I plan to join everyone back in the pews; and … Read More
On Sunday 21 July Bishop Rob Wickham came to bless our newly restored organ. Below is a video of the blessing which intersperses the hymn When in our music God is glorified – lyrics written by Fred Pratt Green to the tune ENGELBURG:
I’m thinking of all those poor people in the village of Whaley Bridge I know it quite well…. They have had to move out – not able to return to their homes – everything they have is there, including pets. If the dam breaks, everything will be washed away or submerged in an instant. It’s happened before – the nearby … Read More
Dear Friends, Well what a Patronal weekend we had! A stunning and well-attended Organ Spectacular at which John Rippin, Keith Beniston and Jonathan Marten played wonderfully, including a topically themed improvisation on ‘Blue Moon’ by Keith. After delightful fizz on the lawn, we adjourned to the Hall, where Judy Smith had prepared a bumptious dinner of cold salmon and wicked … Read More
Well what a Patronal weekend we had! A stunning and well-attended Organ Spectacular at which John Rippin, Keith Beniston and Jonathan Marten played wonderfully, including a topically themed improvisation on ‘Blue Moon’ by Keith. After delightful fizz on the lawn, we adjourned to the Hall, where Judy Smith had prepared a bumptious dinner of cold salmon and wicked deserts, which, … Read More
Sorry there is no audio for this sermon Luke 11:1-13 “Lord, teach us to pray” Words from the Holy Gospel according to Luke. Amen. Prayer is not only at the heart of the Christian life; it is also at the heart of a lot of Christian frustration, misunderstanding, and even pain. How do we pray? How does God answer prayer? … Read More
I wonder if Mary Magdalene ever looked into the night sky and wondered about that white blob we now call the moon? She, whom some scholars have taken to be some kind of lunatic – someone from whom seven kinds of demon were cast out. The word lunatic comes from the idea that someone who was mad, was somehow affected … Read More
