St Mary’s

Reading  Matthew 8.23-34 Preacher  Revd Alan Sykes   I was brought up in the era before central heating. At least it took a long time for that particular mod con to reach our house up in the frozen north of … Continue reading →

Reading  Jonah 2 Preacher  Revd Alan Sykes   For the Jews in ancient times the sea was the great symbol of all that is chaotic, destructive and negative in life. It was on land that people flourished morally and materially. … Continue reading →

Reading  John 6.56-69 Preacher  Revd Alan Sykes   It seems pretty clear to me that Jesus, in today’s gospel, is talking about the Eucharist, the meal of which we’ll be partaking in a few minutes. So the Eucharist is my … Continue reading →

Readings  Exodus 16.2-4, 9-15,  John 6.24-35 Preacher  Revd Alan Sykes   Our first reading today was that well-known episode in the Book of Exodus in which God provides manna for the hungry, grumpy Israelites. He cares for their physical well-being. … Continue reading →

Readings  2 Corinthians 5.14-17, John 20.1-2, 11-18 Preacher  Revd Alan Sykes   Many years ago I managed to scrape through the 11 plus exam and went to our local grammar school. It was a single sex school. As was often … Continue reading →

Readings  Job 38:1-11,  Mark 4: 35-41 Preacher  Revd Alan Sykes   Our first reading was taken from the Book of Job. Just in case you’re not very familiar with it, it’s the story of an absolutely righteous man who undergoes … Continue reading →

Reading  Mark 4: 26-34 Preacher  Revd Alan Sykes   I’ve been spending some time again with my old friend the Oxford English Dictionary. In my opinion at least, you can’t beat the thrill of a good definition. Well, maybe you … Continue reading →

Readings  Galatians 5.16-26 & Ezekiel 36.22-28 Preacher  Revd Alan Sykes   Sometimes, in an idle moment, I speculate on what makes human beings different from other animals. After all, you have to do something with your spare time. But that … Continue reading →

Reading  John 15.1-8 Preacher  Revd Alan Sykes   I was never very good at science when I was at school – especially chemistry and biology. I could never work out whether I wasn’t very good because I wasn’t interested – … Continue reading →

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 →