Category: Sermon

sermons by ian banks

Probably the best…

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is JC Jacobsen, and I have been dead for 130 years.”

As openers go, it was a pretty good one. Jacobsen was the founder of Carlsberg. You can see his name on some of the cans and bottles. He appeared as a hologram in Copenhagen in August last year, to give a posthumous presentation about the value of uncertainty—in business and in life.

The talk was entitled “Why You Should Answer Every Question with Probably,” and fits in with Carlsberg’s long-time slogan, “Probably the best beer in the world.”

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sermons by ian banks

Jonah, Jesus, Fred and you

We are each asked to follow our own particular call, to make the most of what we’re given and not waste it. To show the love & mercy of God to anyone we come across – even when we don’t feel particularly able. Because if we don’t then who will?

And it may not take many words on our part or even particularly clever ones or perhaps even terribly sincere ones, because we too can be messed up and conflicted just like Jonah.

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sermon margery spencer

Flippin heck – Lazarus and wow moments

I used to play the piano at a nursery school so that the children knew that music didn’t always come from a machine. There was a 3 year old who had major problems who called me Mrs. Piano and he was a gem. 

We had been singing about sailing on the sea and I told the children that I had recently been under the sea in the channel tunnel. They asked me if I saw any fish to which I replied no and my friend asked if I got wet. When I said no he looked at me put his hands on his hips and said “no fish not wet  – Flippin heck!”

For a long time at the nursery and at home any event which caused surprise was known as a “flippin heck” moment.

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sermon ralph mallinson

May he keep you from falling

From the little bit we know about the lives of Simon and Jude we can find an example of what it means to love one another. They stuck it out, even when times got tough.  They might have hesitated a bit on Good Friday, perhaps even like the others they ran away.

But Simon and Jude went on to be faithful witnesses of the saving power of Jesus. This was due to the support and love they received from their fellow Apostles, the wider community of disciples. And, if we believe that they travelled together for 30 years, the love they most certainly had for one another.

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sermon gill barnett

Our journey

On preparing for holidays, bags are packed and we’re ready to be off. 

It’s an illustration I often use at a Baptism service. 

Once your bags are packed and loaded into the car you don’t then just sit on the drive for a week and come back raving about what a lovely time you’ve had of it.  That would be pointless.  You’ve made preparations: you make the journey. 

And that’s what we’re here celebrating today – our journey.  Whether we’ve only just begun it or we’re years into it, we’re on the same journey heading for the same destination which is heaven, where our place is assured by the sacrifice of Jesus.

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sermon gill barnett

Two kinds of Wisdom

A picture of wisdom was drawn by the Christian comedian, Milton Jones, comparing it to cutlery. 

He said wisdom is not like that special set of knives and forks you keep for certain occasions, locked away in a velvet-lined box – all pristine and shiny. We used to have a set like that home (fish knives), brought out only on special occasions. 

Rather wisdom is like a Swiss Army knife, worn and pitted, used and useful, honed and sharpened.

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