Author: chrisbryan

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 Christchurch when the shootings happened. He spoke about it hesitatingly for a few minutes and finally stopped, saying in effect, “I...

23 March, 2019

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 that we heard a few minutes ago. [caption id="attachment_1252" align="alignright" width="300"] St Olave's Church, Exeter[/caption] It’s part of a collection of stories...

17 March, 2019

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. [caption id="attachment_1228" align="alignleft" width="299"] St Stephen's, Exeter[/caption] I’m sure I’ve preached here in St Stephen’s at least once before today. But it was a very long time ago--perhaps thirty years!--and I confess I have absolutely no idea what the...

04 February, 2019

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 [caption id="attachment_282" align="alignright" width="291"] The destruction of Jerusalem[/caption] For our first reading this morning we have a little group of oracles from...

22 July, 2018

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 [caption id="attachment_1147" align="alignleft" width="273"] "Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people" (Amos 7:8b)[/caption] Growing up in North Carolina, I’ve been accustomed to such phrases as “being plumb tired” or “plumb crazy” (in case...

19 July, 2018

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 kinds of subject that over two thousand years later people still want their children to get right, even if...

28 May, 2018

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 violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire,...

20 May, 2018

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 follows directly on from what we heard last week, Our Lord’s parable in which he spoke of himself as the true...

06 May, 2018

Jesus the Good Shepherd: Thoughts for the Fourth Sunday of Easter. The text of a sermon preached at the Convent of St Mary, Sewanee.

[caption id="attachment_1043" align="alignleft" width="222"] ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλὸς[/caption] 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 we have heard over the last few...

29 April, 2018

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 films out there, by which I mean films that are less about scaring you witless and more about making you think about what it...

15 April, 2018