Trinity 20: True leadership is…

Some of you may know the Rector of Chingford, Justin Lewis-Anthony. He came to see me last week and we were talking about leadership in the Church of England. He said something that really struck me. “We talk about Jesus Christ but we expect John Wayne.”
We want leaders in the Church of England and our model of a leader is a secular manager or even the hero of a Western, someone like John Wayne or the eponymous hero of “Shane” – one of the best films of 1953.

Harvest 2021 with the Scouts

Welcome for all the Scouts/Beavers
I was a scout – story of raccoon hunt
I loved badges – what badges to you have?
Today you’ve come to the church on a special day – what day is it?
Harvest Festival!
The story of Harvest Festival begins with Parson Hawker of Morwenstow

Trinity 18: God’s Love for the Hurting

Our gospel reading this morning starts with a discussion about divorce and ends with a discussion about entering God’s kingdom like little children. While they seem to be disconnected, they really are not, and we need to find out why.

Vicar’s vlog: October 2021 – “Save the Parish” and the General Synod

Vicar’s Blog ~ October 2021: “Save the Parish” and the General SynodDear Friends “How did you go bankrupt?” Ernest Hemingway once asked. “Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.” As elections to General Synod approach many in the Church of England seem to be afraid that her decline is now entering this second sudden phase. Her numbers were already falling, and her … Read More

Magazine October 2021

Parish Magazine ~ October 2021 Dear friends, Remembering the people of Afghanistan I found this prayer to say for them. A Prayer for Afghanistan: O God of mercy and of peace, We hold before you the peoples of Afghanistan. Be living bread to those who are hungry each day Be healing and wholeness to those who have no access to … Read More

Trinity 17: An analogy and an adventure

Trinity 17: An analogy and an adventure Mark 9.38-50 Our Lord uses harsh and shocking language in the Gospel today. He speaks of exorcisms, demons, amputations, and hell. Why does He talk like this? It’s not really what you’d expect in the Church of England is it? Perhaps the parable of the ducks can help us to understand why. Once … Read More

Trinity 16: True greatness

Trinity 16: True greatness Mark 9. 30-37 Do you want to be great? May I speak in the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.  ‘I am the greatest’ the mantra of Mohammed Ali, some thought it presumptuous, but he really was a very successful boxer. If we are honest that’s how we’ve lived in this very ‘me’ … Read More

Trinity 15: Take up your cross

Trinity 15: Take up your cross Mark 8. 27-38 In today’s Gospel Jesus conducts a sort of survey. He asks his disciples: Who do people say that I am? They give Him different responses—John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets. He then makes it personal: Who do you say that I am? And Peter replies on behalf of the … Read More

Trinity 14: “ephphatha” – Be Opened!

Trinity 14: “ephphatha” – Be Opened! St Mark 7. 24-37 There’s one word in the Gospel today that sums up the whole mission of Jesus Christ. It’s one small word that sums up all His work. The Evangelist Mark gives us that word in the very language that Jesus spoke so that we can hear it even more vividly. The … Read More

Vicar’s Blog September 2021: Afghanistan and the refugees

Vicar’s Blog ~ September 2021: Afghanistan and the refugeesWe’ve seen the images from Afghanistan in the last few weeks. It seems a long way away but we are at one end of the Piccadilly Line and at the other end is Heathrow Airport. And at Heathrow there has been absolute chaos in the last few days, as thousands of refugees … Read More

Trinity 13: The flow of power is reversed

Trinity 13: The flow of power is reversed Mark 7 1-23 (with omissions) Today we meet Jesus’ most persistent and regular antagonists, the Pharisees and the Scribes of Jerusalem… when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands they found fault. They are disputing about something that perhaps even Christians today barely even … Read More

Magazine September 2021

Parish Magazine ~ September 2021 St Augustine heard a voice from on high that said: “I am the food of grown men; grow, and you shall feed upon me; nor shall you change me, like the food of your flesh, into yourself, but you shall be changed into me.”. Yours, JamesFrom the Parish RegistersFor a PDF file of the Parish … Read More

Trinity 12: Be strong in the Lord

Be strong in the Lord Ephesians 6. 10-20 In our second lesson St Paul tells us to: …be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, … Read More

Picnic 2021

Picnic 2021Photos from ‘Pick up sticks’ played during our picnic on 14th August.

Trinity 11: Flesh and Blood

Flesh and Blood! May I speak in the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. There is so much in today’s gospel for our understanding and encouragement. But we must remember from the beginning that what was important to the first century Judaeans may not be so for us. For example, what was painfully obvious to the Judaeans … Read More

Frinton 2021

A day out at FrintonPhotos from our outing to Frinton…

Trinity 10: The grief of a parent

Trinity 10: The grief of a parent 2 Samuel 18. 5-9; 15; 31-33 The king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said, ‘O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would that I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!’ It was … Read More

Trinity 9: Food for thought

Trinity 9: Food for thought John 6.24-35 May I speak in the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. There are lots of idioms and sayings that include food but are not about food and we are familiar with the point being made when we hear them. A taste of paradise, I’ll eat my hat, or a grain … Read More

Vicar’s Blog August 2021: Do walls make a Christian?

Vicar’s Blog ~ August 2021: Do walls make a Christian? After an 18-month rollercoaster of soaring and falling cases, and more than 100,000 deaths in the United Kingdom, is this epidemic finally coming to an end? Confirmed UK cases have fallen for the past six days, dropping 21.5% week on week up to July 26. Could it be that we … Read More

Magazine August 2021

St Mary Magdalene Church Enfield

Parish Magazine ~ August 2021 Gathered for the Eucharist and nourished by the Bread of Life, we are a sign to the world of God’s redeeming love and his mercy at work among us. To many onlookers, we’re ordinary sinful people and the Church is just a flawed human institution; we’re prosaic and plain as bread. But God is present … Read More