Talks, Sermons and Reflections

Luke 3.15-17,21-22 From 1993 to 1995 Alison and myself were sent by CMS to build bridges with Orthodox believers in Russia. We lived in the Orthodox seminary in St Petersburg. One of the many treasures that we found were icons, and especially icons from what is called the festival row, depicting the main events in the life of Jesus. A link to the audio of the talk You were, I hope, given a card with the image from a C16th fresco that can be found in the monastery of Dionysos on Mount Athos. The word above the man on the left holding out his hand is John (abbreviated), and the word above the man standing in the water is Jesus Christ. It is an iconic (literally) representation of the baptism (Greek word at top is He Baptesis – just to make sure that we know what it is) of Jesus. And I would like to spend a few minutes reflecting on this icon, because it gives some deep insights into how we might read the passages in Luke and other gospels, how we might reflect on our own baptism and ...

Philippians 3.1-11 I went on a website which asks what, in a secular world, takes the place of religion today? Among other things, people mentioned: political affiliation, health foods, fitness, motorbikes, gaming, music (specifically, the Beatles and One Direction!), social media. The big one was Sport. But I guess our 'religion' can also be all those things in which we put our confidence, things such as status, success, hard work, money, our moral standing, education, fitness, family etc. Paul, the writer of Philippians, was clearly immensely able. He had a brilliant mind, the equivalent of a top Oxbridge or Harvard graduate. And he had all the credentials that would have given him great status in the society in which he lived. In Philippians 3, Paul speaks about some of the things in which he could have put his confidence: He had been through the right rituals He was of the very best family His doctrine was utterly sound. He was committed, zealous and he worked...

Luke 3.15-22 It is a dirty place out there. Herod, in our reading, is an example of that. He wants to live life his way. And when John challenges him, he uses his power to silence him. And that is not unknown today: we think of rulers, political parties, businesses who have used their power to suppress those who would challenge what they do. And it has not been unknown for the Church to use its position of power to cover up its dirty secrets. But there also dirt in here, in the human heart . John the Baptist calls the people who come to hear him preach, ‘a brood of vipers’. Not the quickest way to win friends and influence people. He declares that God’s judgement is coming on a generation of people who have forgotten God and yet are spiritually complacent. They have chosen to be blind to those in need, to live for stuff, and if they’ve already got stuff, live for more stuff, and to use whatever power they have to push others down so that they can get more and go up...

When a person is baptised, whether as an infant or an adult, it is as if God gives to them a ring. It is a ring which tells me that God loves me and that I belong to Jesus. While I wear the ring, the church sees me as a fellow brother and sister. While I know what the ring means, I will cherish it. When I’ve messed up badly and wonder if God loves me or whether I truly belong to Jesus, I will look at my ring and I will be reminded of the love of God and that I belong to Jesus. But when I forget what the ring means, or when I choose to deliberately walk away from the one who gave it to me, there will come a time when I will take the ring off my finger and throw it away. And in throwing it away I will be throwing away the most precious thing that God could possibly give us in this world. There are many people who have been baptised, who are wearing this ring, but because they have not been brought up within the family of the church, they have never known or forgotten wha...

Matthew 3:13-17 listen to ‘Why should I be baptised?’ on Audioboo We read today of Jesus’ baptism Baptism as a ritual washing had been practised by Jewish communities for many years before John the Baptist came on the scene. But John takes it to a new dimension. He is saying that if you are baptised, you are not just washing away the rubbish from the past, but you are identifying yourself with God, his kingdom and his ways. When he calls people to repent he is asking us to do more than just be sorry or turn from the bad stuff. He is calling us to change our whole way of thinking: so that God and the desire for his kingdom becomes the key driver in our life. It is about choosing in our minds to move God from the edge to the centre. It is about saying that whereas before I was nominally a fan of God (he got a ‘like’ on my Facebook page), now I identify myself with him (I become a page on his page) And John urges people to do that through water baptism. So ...

Children are a gift from God. And as always with God’s gifts to us, they are completely and totally undeserved. You have been given the astonishing gift of Benjamin, and the immense privilege and joy of loving him for God, and of bringing him up for God. Our greatest desire for our children is to see them grow, be happy, secure, to flourish and be fulfilled, to bring blessing to others, to be part of the family of God and to love God. And in baptism you are placing Benjamin full square in the family of God. I know that those of us here differ in our views about infant baptism. The belief and the practice of the Church of England is in line with that of the historic church, but also – at the time of the Reformation – of Calvin and the other so-called ‘magisterial reformers’ (which is also the stance taken in the Westminster confession).  They affirmed, on the basis of their covenantal theology, which sees baptism as a new covenant version of circumcision, of Mark 10:13-16 , and ...

Romans 6.1-11 The language of baptism is odd. We don't really have parallels. It is not simply about joining a club: although when a person is baptised they become a member of the church It is more than that. Probably a better way of looking at it is in terms of citizenship ceremony. We have some friends who came here as asylum seekers from Azerbaijan. Last year A and N went through a citizenship ceremony. They pledged allegiance to the queen, said they would follow the laws of this nation, and they became British citizens. As far as the law is concerned, they ceased to be Azerbaijani, and they became British. I guess it is what would happen if there was such a thing as an adoption ceremony. The person adopted ceases to belong legally to one family, and they become members of another family. They are placed in a new set of relationships. They even take on a new name. Baptism is like that - but it is in fact - bigger than both of those. The language that is used in the baptism servi...