Sermons And Gubbins

This sermon was preached at our Sunday morning service on 30th August. The Gospel was Matthew 16:21-28 , and the New Testament reading was Romans 12:9-21 .  In writing this sermon, I was reminded of a hymn I wrote a few years ago. I nearly quoted it in the sermon, but removed it in the end. It's here  if you wish to read it.   Last week, Huw talked to us about when Peter proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah, and then how difficult the disciples must have found it when Jesus instructed them to keep quiet about it. I have been thinking about that this week. And I’ve also been wondering about Jesus’ motivation. To tell you the truth, I have never understood why Jesus wanted his heavenly identity to be kept so under wraps. Well, this week, we finally find out why.   Poor Peter. I’ve never known someone get it so spectacularly right, and then so catastrophically wrong within such a short space of time. Last week , he was top of his game. Jesus asked his disciples w...

This sermon was preached at our Sunday morning service on 26th July 2026. The gospel was Matthew 13:31-33,44-52   Do you ever sometimes get that ‘aha!’ moment? When someone’s been trying to explain something to you for ages, and then it finally twigs? I remember back in school being taught quadratic equations in maths. Lesson after lesson, the teacher taught us what we needed to do, and – whilst I was in class – I vaguely understood. As soon as I left the room though, it was like I tucked my understanding back under the desk alongside my chair. I distinctly remember (long after the rest of the class) the feeling when I finally understood what it was that I needed to do to solve these monstrosities; that sudden click when it all became clear. Of course, I can’t remember any of it now…   At the end of our gospel reading this morning, Jesus asks his disciples a question: Have they understood what Heaven is like? We’ve had three Sundays’ worth of gospel passages from Matthew...

This sermon was preached on our Sunday morning service on 14th June 2026. The Gospel was Matthew 9:35-10:8 .     Did you ever – at Sunday school maybe – have to learn the names of the twelve disciples? I think, for me, it was one of the things we had to do when I was a member of the Boys’ Brigade in Scotland. To be honest, even now, I’m not sure I could do it from memory…   Let’s start with the easy ones: Simon (also called Peter), James, John, Judas Iscariot, Doubting Thomas – ok, that’s five. Seven more then – feel free to shout out! ·          Matthew the tax collector – sometimes called Levi ·          Philip ·          Andrew! (Simon’s brother) ·          Another James (son of Alphaeus, rather than Zebedee) ·          Another Simon as well – Simon the Zea...