Reflections on gendered language, socially contextualized imagery, one-year lectionaries and sermon series — The feast of the disciple whom Jesus loved — gentle, reflective, compassionate; the one to whom he entrusted his mother — turned out to be a good day on which to conclude listening to The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast series, about Mark Driscoll’s Seattle mega-church, which never…

Sermon preached at Evensong and a celebration of new ministries, at Saint Deiniol’s Cathedral in Bangor Order of service here; Psalms 133, 134; Isaiah 62:1–5, 10–12; John 4:1–30, 39–42 “For the Father seeks such as these. Oherwydd rhai felly y mae’r Tad yn eu ceisio.” It’s a Saturday night a few weeks ago. It’s quite late. I’m on my way back from Chester to Bangor, and…

Sermon preached on the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Llandudno and St Tudno’s Church on the Great Orme, in the Ministry Area of Bro Tudno The Ministry Area’s order of service with the lections, including a poem in addition to the First Reading and the Holy Gospel, can be found here. How are you? Only a short while ago, saying “Hello. How are you?” wasn’t to ask a serious question. “I’m fine, thank you; how…

Sermon preached on the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Llandudno and St Tudno’s Church on the Great Orme, in the Ministry Area of Bro Tudno The Ministry Area’s order of service with the lections, including a poem in addition to the First Reading and the Holy Gospel, can be found here. Who do you say that I am? At school, I was a lamentably bad violin player. I enjoyed learning about music, but I didn’t…

Sermon preached on the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity at Saint Deiniol’s Cathedral in Bangor Isaiah 35:4–7; Psalm:146; Mark 7:24–37 When you meet God, what do you say? Some of us here will be old enough to remember Viscount Hailsham — Home Secretary in Edward Heath’s government, a forceful personality, and eventually Lord Chancellor under Margaret Thatcher, in which capacity he acted as the presiding…

Sermon on the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Llandudno and St Tudno’s Church on the Great Orme, in the Ministry Area of Bro Tudno The Ministry Area’s order of service with the lections, including a poem in addition to the First Reading and the Holy Gospel, can be found here. Words from Gwenallt’s poem: “We are lifted from the circle, above the fingers’ dictatorship”

Mae’n hoedfa Gosber yn cynnwys rhyw lun ar bregeth fer, sy’n ein harwain at Emyn y Sul. Dyma oedd yr emyn ar Ŵyl Bedr: Tydi yw seren y canrifoedd maith, d’oleuni di sy’n tywys ar y daith; o bob rhyfeddod, ti yw’r mwyaf un, yn wyrth yr oesau yn dy wedd a’th…

Sermon on the Sixth Sunday after Trinity (Sea Sunday) at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Llandudno and St Tudno’s Church on the Great Orme, in the Ministry Area of Bro Tudno The Ministry Area’s order of service with the lections, including a poem in addition to the First Reading and the Holy Gospel, can be found here. How do you know where you are? [Let me warn you that, from somebody who struggles to change a light bulb let alone replace…

Sermon on the Fifth Sunday after Trinity at St Deiniol’s Cathedral in Bangor Ezekiel 2:1–5; Psalm 123; 2 Corinthians 12:2–10; Mark 6. 1–13 There are 174 shopping days until Christmas. We’re passed mid-summer, and there are now 174 shopping days until Christmas. I wonder what that phrase makes you feel? I wonder what it calls to mind for you? I suppose that, in…