Author Archives: Revd Neil Summers
Sermon: Fifth Sunday after Trinity, 1 July 2018, St John the Divine
Readings Wisdom 1.13-15, 2.23-24, 2 Corinthians 8.7-end, Mark 5.21-end Preacher Revd Neil Summers Although it’s the theme of death that lurks in two of this morning’s readings, the words we heard from the Wisdom of Solomon affirm that God … Continue reading
Sermon: Trinity Sunday, 27 May 2018, St John the Divine
Readings Isaiah 6.1-8; Romans 8.12-17; John 3.1-17 Preacher Revd Neil Summers On Trinity Sunday we try to talk about God. That is very difficult. All our language about God is picture language. The abstract language used by philosophers and … Continue reading
Sermon: Pentecost, 20 May 2018, St John the Divine
Readings Ezekiel 37.1-14, Acts 2.1-21, John 15.26-27, 16.4b-15 Preacher Revd Neil Summers Pentecost tells the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit on the early Christian community. We read it in the Book of the Acts of the … Continue reading
Sermon: Fourth Sunday of Easter & ACM, 22 April 2018, St John the Divine
Preacher Revd Neil Summers Today is an important one in the life of our three churches as we hold our annual meetings. It is RTM’s equivalent of the State of the Union – a time to review the past … Continue reading
Sermon: Third Sunday of Easter, 15 April 2018, St John the Divine
Readings Zephaniah 3.14-20, Acts 3.12-19, Luke 24.36-48 Preacher Revd Neil Summers For me, perhaps for you, too, Easter Sunday is the most wonderful day of the Christian year. It comes as such a relief after the sombre heaviness of Passiontide … Continue reading
Sermon: Easter Day, 1 April 2018, St John the Divine
Reading Isaiah 25.6-9, Acts 10.34-43, Mark 16.1-8 Preacher Revd Neil Summers One of the many striking features of the Easter narratives in the Gospels is that places which were thought to be enclosed, protected and safe are thrown wide open. … Continue reading
Sermon: Mothering Sunday, 11 March 2018, St John the Divine
Readings Exodus 2.1-10, 2 Corinthians 1.3-7, John 19.25-27 Preacher Revd Neil Summers I guess for some of you (like me) today is a day of mixed emotions: for me, of gratitude and of sadness. Gratitude for memories of a … Continue reading
Sermon: Second Sunday of Lent, 25 February 2018, St Mary Magdalene
Readings Romans 4.13-25, Mark 8.31-38 Preacher Revd Neil Summers In this morning’s Gospel, Jesus begins to talk about his forthcoming death. As he made clear to his followers, their allegiance to him would be no easy option: it could … Continue reading
Sermon: First Sunday of Lent, 18 February 2018, St John the Divine
Readings Genesis 9.8-17, 1 Peter 3.18-22, Mark 1.9-15 Preacher Revd Neil Summers The former MP and current journalist, Matthew Parris, although an atheist, was brought up in a Christian environment and is very knowledgeable about the faith. He wrote … Continue reading
Sermon: Sunday next before Lent, 11 February 2018, St John the Divine
Reading 2 Kings 2.1-12, 2 Corinthians 4.3-6, Mark 9.2-9 Preacher Revd Neil Summers Significant things happen on mountains in many religious traditions, not least Judaism and Christianity. For instance, Noah’s ark came to rest on Ararat; Moses received the … Continue reading