Sermons And Gubbins

This sermon was written for our Trinity Sunday service on Sunday 26th May 2024. I hope you enjoy reading it! Eleven years ago, I sat in what was then Vicky Johnson’s office, over the road, and talked to her about the possibility of me becoming a Reader. I remember saying to her at the time that I was worried about preaching, as some of my views about God were probably heretical! Vicky laughed and replied that someone had once told her that all good sermons had a bit of heresy in them! Whether she believed that or just said it to make me feel a bit better at the time, it’s often brought me a bit of courage when writing sermons – it’s allowed me to say the braver thing, rather than the safer thing – and I like to think, it’s helped me to become a better preacher.   And – if it’s true – well, buckle up, ‘cause today’s sermon is going to be a doozy!   Today is Trinity Sunday. And today, brave preachers up and down the country are going to be preaching heresy – accid...

This sermon was given at our Trinity Sunday service on 7th June 2020, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, and the blasphemy of Donald Trump using the police to gas peaceful protestors, helpers, and clergy in order to clear a way to stand outside a church and wave a bible in the air. Today is Trinity Sunday. I’m not going to spend this sermon digging into metaphors and similes for what the trinity is like. I’ve given those sermons before, and, if that’s what you’re after, you can find one from five years ago on my blog, or countless others elsewhere on the internet – many of them with good, sound theology (and some with not so much! – I’ll let you decide which into which camp you think my previous sermon falls). I think today, though, calls for something more than sound theology. The world in which we’re living today needs something practical , and not theoretical, and so, for that reason, I’m going to jump straight to the conclusion of what might be a ‘normal’ trinit...

 The Trinity Shield. The corners represent Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the centre of the shield is the word 'God'. Today is Trinity Sunday; a day universally dreaded by preachers. For, today we find ourselves trying to explain the Trinity. Sermons on Trinity Sunday are expected to be academic, theological assignments, using words such as 'modalism', 'co-eternal' and 'perikhōrēsis', and at the same time, be interesting , engaging and understandable, whilst the preacher avoids being heretical (another of those theological words, there). On top of that, the sermon must have relevance to our daily lives, and leave us with a deeper understanding of God and our faith! You see my dilemma, then!  Here are the things I must tick off: Be theological Be interesting Be understandable Be relevant Don't preach an incorrect, heretical, understanding of the Trinity Actually have a point that makes a difference At this point,...