Fr John Crisp
Many people who know me have heard me talk about Father John Crisp, who was my parish priest when I was a teenager at St Mark’s Church,
Things We Can Get Wrong about Scripture: notes for a sermon at St Olave’s, Exeter.
Epiphany 3. For the OT Nehemiah 8.1-3, 5-6, 8-10; for the Psalm 19; for the Gospel Luke 4.14-21 Our readings today continue the Epiphany
The Armour of God. For St Olave’s, Exeter. Proper 16b, 2021
The Armour of God. For Exeter Central Parishes (13th after Pentecost 2021). The parish has been reflecting in previous weeks on the lectionary
David and Bathsheba: a story for our time
Proper 12 B: 2 Samuel 11.1-15. One reason I love the Scriptures is that they never duck away from the fact that there’s real evil in the world,
AMDG: Sermon at the Ordination to the Diaconate of Pamela Morgan, in Little Rock, Arkansas: 22nd February 2001.
Let me begin by saying how honoured I am to be with you on this wonderful occasion, and how grateful I am to Pamela for inviting me to share with
Peter has a Bad Moment: a Note for the Parishes in Central Exeter
Proper 17A. For the Gospel: Matthew 16.21-28 This morning’s gospel belongs very closely with the gospel story we heard last week. Last week, you
Jesus and the Canaanite Woman: a Note for the Parishes in Central Exeter
Proper 15, Year A. For the Gospel: Matthew 15.22-28 You sometimes hear people who think that they are being marvellously orthodox saying
Easter 2020: a note for the parishes of Central Exeter
I’ve been a priest now for nearly sixty years, and during the whole of that time this is the strangest Easter I’ve known. I’m told it’s the
The Word became flesh: text of a sermon preached at St Stephen’s, Exeter on Christmas Day, 2019
That, then, is what we get to think about at Midnight Mass. By contrast, in the light of Christmas morning, while not forgetting that wonderful
Judgement: text of a sermon preached in St. Olave’s Church, Exeter on the Second Sunday of Advent, 2019.
Advent 2A: OT Isaiah 11.1-10; Ps. 72.1-7, 18, 19; NT Romans 15.4-13; Gospel Matt. 3.1-12 I still remember the morning of my ordination to the
The Pharisee and the Publican. Notes for a sermon preached at St Olave’s Church, Exeter, on the Last Sunday after Trinity
For the Psalm: 84.1-7; the Gospel: Luke 18.9-14 The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican! It’s a simple tale, isn’t it? I’ve heard of a
The Slandered Steward. A sermon for St Olave’s, Exeter, on the 14th Sunday after Trinity
For the gospel: Luke 16:1-13 (often known as “the Parable of the Unjust Steward”.) How strange the story that Our Lord tells us in
A Dreadful Tale: Text of a Sermon preached at St Stephen’s, Exeter on the Fifth Sunday of Easter, 2019
Gen 22.1-24; John 13.31-37 . Our first reading this morning—about Abraham and his son Isaac—is surely one of the most dreadful stories ever told.
Thoughts on the Unspeakable. Text of a sermon written for St Olave’s Church Exeter, for the 3rd Sunday of Lent
For the Psalm 63:1-9; for the Gospel, Luke 13.1-9 On television this week I watched an interview with a man who was at the mosque in
Thoughts on a Perfect World. Text of a Sermon preached at St Olave’s, Exeter, on the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany 2019
The Proper: for the OT Genesis 2:5-9,15-25 I’d like to spend a few minutes reflecting with you this morning on the passage from the Old Testament
The Presentation of Christ in the Temple. Text of a sermon preached in St Stephen’s, Exeter for Candlemas 2019
Proper: Mal 3.1-5; Ps 24; Luke 2:22-40 Good morning. I’m sure I’ve preached here in St Stephen’s at least once before today. But it was a very
Good Shepherds, Bad Shepherds and Dividing Walls
Proper 11 Year B. For the OT, Jeremiah 23:1-6; for the Psalm, Ps. 23; for the NT, Ephesians 2:11-22; for the Gospel, Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 For our
God’s Plumb Line: text of a sermon preached by Sister Hannah C.S.M. in All Saints’ Church, Franklin, North Carolina on Sunday 15th July
Proper 10B. For the Old Testament: Amos 7:7-15 Growing up in North Carolina, I’ve been accustomed to such phrases as “being plumb tired” or
Proverbs and the Playfulness of God
The Book of Proverbs is surely the most down-to-earth book in the Bible. It’s full of what one might call glorified common-sense on just the kind
Thoughts about Pentecost for 2018
When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a
Easter 6, Year B: Text of a Sermon preached at the Convent of Saint Mary in Sewanee, 2018.
For the Gospel: John 15:7-17 Our gospel passage this morning comes from Our Lord’s discourses at the Last Supper in the Gospel of John. It
Jesus the Good Shepherd: Thoughts for the Fourth Sunday of Easter. The text of a sermon preached at the Convent of St Mary, Sewanee.
Why, when we are in the middle of the Great Fifty Days of Easter – why in the midst of all of the wonderful stories of Christ the Risen One which
Ghosts? Text of a Sermon preached by Fr Robert MacSwain on the 3rd Sunday of Easter 2018 at St Mary’s Convent, Sewanee
For the Gospel: Luke 24:36b-48 I’m not a fan of most supernatural horror movies, but there are some good, well-made, thought-provoking ghost
Florence Li Tim-Oi: Text of a sermon preached by Fr Robert MacSwain in the Chapel of the Apostles, Sewanee, on 24th January 2017
In 1948, C. S. Lewis published an essay against the ordination of women titled, “Notes on the Way.” It was posthumously re-titled, “Priestesses
Thoughts on the Second Sunday after Epiphany: the text (more or less) of a sermon preached in All Saints’, Sewanee
Year B: For the Old Testament: 1 Sam. 3:1-20; for the Gospel: John 1:43-51. Our readings today continue the Epiphany themes of “manifestation”
Thoughts on the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ
First Sunday after Epiphany. Year B. For the Gospel: Mark 1:1-11 (I’ve added the three opening verses, as permitted by BCP p 888 last paragraph).
Thoughts on the Nativity of Our Lord: Text of a Sermon preached by Mother Julia Gatta in the Chapel of the Convent of St Mary at Midnight Mass
For the Gospel: Luke 2:1-20 Saint Luke paints his nativity scene on a very wide canvas. He begins by solemnly invoking the Roman imperium: “In
Thoughts on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, 2017: the text of a sermon preached at the Convent of St Mary, Sewanee
For the Psalm: The Magnificat. For the Gospel: Luke 1:26-38 Our readings on this last Sunday of Advent take us to two points in Saint Luke’s
Thoughts on a First Profession: the text (more or less) of a sermon preached in the Chapel of the Convent of St Mary on the occasion of the First Profession of Sister Hannah, CSM.
Advent 3, Year B: Old Testament Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11, Gospel John 1:6-8, 19-28 I spent a very interesting hour last Tuesday talking with Rebecca
Saint Nicholas of Myra: text of a sermon preached by Robert MacSwain in the Chapel of the Apostles on the 6th December 2017
For the Proper: Proverbs 19:17, 20-23, Psalm 145:8-13, 1 John 4:7-14, Mark 10:13-16 You disgust me. How can you live with yourself? You
Thoughts on Joshua and The Promised Land: text of a sermon preached at the Convent of St Mary, Sewanee, on Sunday 12th November 2017
For the Old Testament Reading: Joshua 4:1-3a, 14-25. I’d like to spend a few minutes with you this morning looking at our Old Testament lesson.
James Theodore Holly, Bishop of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Text of a Sermon preached by Professor Cynthia Crysdale in the Chapel of the Apostles on the 8th November 2017
If this sermon were to have a title it would sound a bit like a Dr. Seuss book: “Oh the Stories we tell!” I want to talk about three
Thoughts on Proper 24A: Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. Text of a Sermon preached in All Saints’ Chapel, Sewanee
Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap [Jesus] in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying,
Out of Africa: Reflections on the Story of Christian Mission by the Right Reverend Dr James Tengatenga, for the Feast of St Philip the Deacon, 2017. Text of a sermon preached in the Chapel of the Apostles.
For the Epistle: Acts 8:26-40 For the Gospel: Matthew 28:18-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Saint Francis of Assisi: text of a Sermon preached in the Chapel of the Apostles by Mother Julia Gatta
“For I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body” (Galatians 6:17) I must confess I have long enjoyed a rather acerbic comment that goes all
Sister Constance and Her Companions, the “Martyrs of Memphis”: text of a sermon preached at Saint Mary’s Convent, Sewanee
For the gospel: John 12:24-28 “Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but
“Prin”: A Reminiscence of the Reverend Canon Harold Wilson, D.D., Principal of Salisbury Theological College in England from 1965 to 1973.
It’s more or less forty years since the death of Canon Harold Wilson, who was one the two most important mentors in my life—the other being
Thoughts for Pentecost
Lesson Acts 2:1-21; Epistle 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13; Gospel John 20:19-23 The risen Lord in the upper room said, “Peace be with you” to his
Thoughts on Easter 7A: The Ascension and what Follows
For the NT reading: Acts 1:6-14 The disciples say, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the Kingdom to Israel?” Jesus replies, “It is
Thoughts on Easter 6A: The Promise of the Paraclete
For the Gospel: John 14:15-21 Jesus said, ”If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another
Thoughts on Easter 5A: The Way, the Truth, and the Life
For the Gospel: John 14:1-14 Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are
Thoughts for the Fifth Sunday in Lent: The Raising of Lazarus
It’s appropriate that on this last Sunday before Palm Sunday and Holy Week we hear the story of what Saint John presents as the last mighty act
Thoughts for the Third Sunday in Lent: Is the LORD among us or not? (Exodus 17.1-7, Ps 95)
“‘Is the LORD among us or not?’” I’d like to day to spend a few minutes with you looking at the story from Exodus that was our first lesson—the
THE UNIVERSE AND GOD: MISTAKES OLD AND NEW
People in the Middle Ages* assumed that the sun went round the earth. Given what they saw every day, that was a perfectly reasonable
Thoughts on the Transfiguration of Our Lord
It had begun the week before. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are agreed about that–the week before, with that never-to-be-forgotten conversation
Thoughts for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany, 2017
For the Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12 I would like to spend a few moments this morning looking with you at the passage we just read for the gospel, the
Thoughts on the Second Sunday after Epiphany 2017
John the Baptist is back with us again this morning. He appears a lot during the seasons of Advent and the Epiphany, doesn’t he? Today we have
Thoughts on the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ 2017
“Then,” Saint Matthew tells us—that is, while John the Baptist was preaching—“Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan.” Jesus comes with a
Thoughts on the Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ 2017
In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Juliet is frustrated that her love for Romeo is forbidden for no other reason than that he belongs to her
Thoughts for Christmas 2016
“Fear not!”[1] That, according to Luke, was the first word of the angel’s Christmas message to the shepherds. And as we listen to Luke’s story,
Thoughts for the Fourth Sunday in Advent, 2016.
This morning’s gospel passage is from the first chapter of Matthew’s gospel. If you know your Bible you’ll know it’s preceded by what Matthew
Thoughts for the Third Sunday in Advent, 2016: the Sermon that was NOT preached at Epiphany, Sherwood because I thought the congregation looked too cold to be able to listen!
Gospel: Matthew 11:1-13 “Are you the one that is to come?” John the Baptist asks Jesus from prison. And so John reveals that even he—rough,
Thoughts for the Second Sunday in Advent, 2016. Text of a Sermon preached in All Saints’ Chapel, Sewanee, Tennessee, four days after the United States’ election
For the gospel: Matthew 3:1-12 “Repent,” said the Baptist, “for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” And it seems that they did. Many came to
The First Sunday in Advent, 2016. A Sermon preached in All Saints’ Chapel, Sewanee, by Mother Julia Gatta
In the northern hemisphere, Advent falls during the darkest weeks of the year. And for us this year, the darkness of Advent is intensified by our
Thoughts for Advent
It was more years ago than I care readily to admit, but I can still remember vividly the morning of my ordination to the diaconate. Thirty of us
All Faithful Departed. A Sermon by Mother Julia Gatta
The Commemoration of All Faithful Departed,[1] which we celebrate today, has a somewhat different history and a different character from
Thoughts on Jeremiah after hearing Propers 23 and 24, Year C
The prophet Jeremiah isn’t generally associated with being particularly upbeat or cheerful. The prophetic book that bears his name is dominated
Thoughts on the Story of the Unjust Steward
At the heart of his gospel Saint Luke presents us with a collection of four parables (Luke 15:1-16:8). They come in two pairs. We have a parable
Individualism
Our forebears before the Enlightenment had in general a deep sense of human solidarity. It was not that they were unaware of people
Firsts from a Couple of Small Islands*
For a small country (population about 4.5 million) New Zealand has a surprising number of “firsts.” As early as 1890 it was the first country in
The Canon of Holy Scripture: An Anglican Note
The Canon The canon (from Greek, κανών: “norm,” “rule,” or “standard”) of books recognized as Holy Scripture by Anglicans, Orthodox, Protestants,
Why Do We Like to Tell Stories
I was baptized as an infant and I was taught from my earliest years to say my prayers. But as a family we did not normally go to church—probably
The Ascension
On Good Friday we contemplated a Christ so helpless, so in thrall to the powers of this age, that we might easily have forgotten that God was in
Lent and Beginnings
Another Ash Wednesday arrives. Another beginning to Lent. Again we receive the ashes on our foreheads and begin to sing the Lenten hymns.
A Christmas Reflection
The Meaning of Christmas What is the meaning of Christmas in the year of Our Lord 2013? How do we explain it? I am suspicious of theologians or
(Editorial) “9/11, Ten Years’ Later”
The following was originally published in the Sewanee Theological Review for September, 2011. It remains the copyright of the author and The
C. S Lewis as an Interpreter of Scripture
The following is based in part on an article on C. S. Lewis’s attitude to biblical scholarship that I wrote for A Sewanee Companion to “The
Left Behind and All That
“Left Behind and All That” is owned by the author and the University of the South, which originally published a version of it in the Sewanee
Reviewing Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
A version of this note was originally published in the Sewanee Theological Review: it remains the copyright 2003 © of the author and The