Sermons And Gubbins

This poem was written for our Evensong service on Sunday 22nd April. It is a response to the Old Testament reading for that evening; Exodus 16:4-15 , specifically picking up the theme of bread/manna and the idea of the Israelites complaining to God. If you'd prefer to read a sermon on that passage instead, you might want to look at one I wrote a couple of years ago; The Immigrants and the Bread . Hope you enjoy! You rescued me from the den of my enemies, Brought me out of slavery and into the wilderness, Led me to safety away from my oppressors, And I complained. I have seen miracles: seen seas parted, and fiery cloudy pillars, I have been led on a journey,       travelling to start a new life in a new land filled with milk and honey I have been set free . And I complained. I was wandering in unfamiliar lands, led away from everything I once knew, I was hungry and thirsty, longing to return to my captors,     ...

This sermon was given at our Easter Sunday service - Sunday April 1st 2018. As well as being Easter Sunday, it was April Fool's Day. Oh - hang on a minute. Dons jester’s hat That's better. Alleluia! Christ is risen! RESPONSE:          He is risen indeed! Alleluia! I was half-expecting at least one or two of you to shout back at me, ‘April Fool!’ instead, there. Let’s be honest – there are many people out there this morning making similar jokes, I suspect – ' those foolish Christians, sitting in church, celebrating a god who doesn’t exist dying and rising again. April Fool to them!' And, if you think about it – really think about it – what we believe is foolish. St Paul says so himself in his letter to the church in Corinth. He tells them that, to the world, for the people who do not know Christ, “ the message of the cross is foolishness ” And it is … …imagine it afresh, as if you’d never heard it before ...