Good Friday Reflections – 2 The Last Supper


Luke 22.14-23

Talk by Mother Anne-Marie

The Last Supper

Our image of the Last Supper is highly influenced by the pictures we have seen – Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting is probably the most notable influence. In our mind’s eye, the twelve disciples are sitting in a long line on one side of the table with Jesus in the middle. It is what happens in TV drama. If you are watching one of the soaps, the family sit around the table with a gap on one side so that the camera can move in and everyone can be seen in one shot. Continue reading →

Good Friday Reflections – 1 Towards Jerusalem


On Good Friday we have a series of talks followed by the Good Friday Liturgy. This year Mother Anne-Marie gave the talks and they were based on Paula Gooder’s book Journey to the Empty Tomb. Each talk was preceded by a modern hymn and then a Scripture reading.

Mark 11.1-2, 7-10

Talk by Mother Anne-Marie

Introduction and Towards Jerusalem

“Journey to the Empty Tomb”, the book that is the inspiration for these Good Friday talks, is a book that looks at the biblical accounts of the last week of Jesus’s life. It is scholarly, in that it looks at the Gospel texts and examines them closely, especially their similarities and differences. But it is also a book that draws us into prayerful reflection, so it is designed to be both informative and devotional. The expectation is that it will be read during Lent or in Holy Week.

Paula Gooder, the author, is a freelance lecturer and writer in Biblical Studies. A fuller biography is on the back of the sheet. I have heard Paula speak on several occasions. Continue reading →

Palm Sunday – and what I said


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It was, of course, Palm Sunday this week. Here’s what I said.

Matthew 21.1-11 (Palm Gospel) and Matthew 27.11-54 (Passion Gospel)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.

Charles Dickens could have been writing about Palm Sunday. Continue reading →

Mothering Sunday Talk


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On Mothering Sunday we get, as you’d expect, lots of visitors and especially families. Our uniformed groups also come as it is a parade service. I was taking the service at our neighbouring church so the priest I live with was left in charge. She gave an interactive talk with a quiz  so a change from the usual kind of sermon – here’s what she did. The gospel reading was Luke 2.33-35

Introduction

Did any mothers here this morning get breakfast in bed? Did any children take their mum breakfast in bed?

General chat with congregation about things do on Mothering Sunday.

Quiz

To get us into thinking a bit more about Mothering Sunday I want us to start with a quiz so I can find how much you know about this day. We will do this one side of the church against another. I’ll ask one side of the church and if they don’t know then we will pass it to the other side. Simple scoring – one point for each right answer.

Q1 Is Mothering Sunday on the same date each year? Continue reading →

Sermon for the 3rd Sunday of Lent


Saint Photini, the Samaritan woman at the well

You may have noticed that I didn’t post a sermon last week. That’s because I didn’t preach. However, the priest I live with did and she has now sent me her sermon so that I can post it for you.

John 4.5-42

Perhaps you were surprised this morning when you heard the gospel reading – surprised at its length. Apart from Holy Week when we read the passion gospels, it is the longest gospel you will get in the year. Well you may have been surprised at its length, but were you surprised at its content? This is a gospel story full of surprises.  Perhaps for us as 21st Century Christians we miss some of those surprises. Continue reading →

Funeral sermon for Breck Bednar


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Yesterday we held the funeral service in Saint John’s for Breck Bednar. Breck and his family are a part of our church community, and yesterday would have been his 15th birthday. He tragically lost his life violently on 17th February. There were 600 people in church for the service and a number of people have asked for copies of the sermon, so I have decided to post it here in the hope that people will find it helpful. Continue reading →

What I said on Sunday – Lent 2


The gospel reading for Sunday in the Church of England was the visit by Nicodemus to Jesus. Here’s what I said.

Genesis 12.1-4; Romans 4.1-5, 13-17; John 3.1-17

People have always asked questions about the difficult things in life – questions for which there simply aren’t easy answers. Questions like:
How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man?
Or how many seas must a white dove sail before she sleeps in the sand?
Or how many times must the cannon balls fly before they’re forever banned?

What are the answers to those questions? Continue reading →

First Sunday of Lent – here’s what I said


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Last Sunday was the first Sunday of Lent and as usual the gospel reading was about Jesus being tempted in the wilderness.

Matthew 4.1-11

“Well, Jesus. You’re marooned and alone on your desert island. Well, perhaps not an island but you’re in the desert and on your own. What are your eight pieces of music? What luxury would you like to have? And what book, apart from the Bible and Shakespeare?”

We are all familiar with the concept behind Desert Island Discs [Note – Desert Island discs is a popular long-running radio programme in the UK]. Each week a famous person goes along with the fantasy that they have been marooned all alone on a rather nice hot and sunny desert island somewhere in the tropics with an apparently endless supply of food and clean clothing, a decent bed and toilet facilities. I’m assuming those things are all there since no-one ever seems to ask for them for their luxury. Continue reading →

Sermon at the parish mass on the Sunday following the death of Breck Bednar


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People in the local community in Caterham and across the United Kingdom will be aware of the tragic news of the murder of 14 year old Breck Bednar last Monday. It has been widely reported in the national press. Breck, together with his immediate family, was a member of our church community here at St John’s.  Today we gathered at our customary time to celebrate holy communion together with his family and friends, to share their grief and give them our support and offer our prayers. Please pray for them and all who mourn in the difficult days ahead.

Mother Anne-Marie Garton, associate priest at St John’s, preached the sermon using the set gospel for the day as her text – Matthew 6.25-end. Here is what she said:

In today’s gospel, Jesus teaches us about getting our lives into perspective, getting our priorities right. He was talking to his followers from the top of a mountain, and his words still echo out down the centuries to us today. He is giving advice, guidance, words of wisdom, about getting things in perspective and concentrating on what is really important in life. Continue reading →