Simon Says ...

A meditation for Vocations Sunday I heard the call a long time ago.   Not really sure when it began, but I just began to watch, to look out for where I might find him.   Once I realised I was doing it, I started to listen hard.   My name, Simeon, it means the one who listens.   So I would live up to my name.   I listened for God, and I asked him about this calling.   Was it for me? Why on earth me?   What was I to look for? A new prophet or a holy one?   And from somewhere the answer came – ‘I am calling you.   Look for the Messiah!’ I’ve looked for a long time – I wasn’t always this old – carefully checking and testing.   A few have claimed that they were the one.   But they weren’t.   But just sometimes, there was enough doubt in my mind to leave me confused.   This calling has been a challenge.   Not everyone likes me saying, ‘no, not them.’   And it’s puzzled me why I should be s...

--> A sermon for the Eve of the Annunciation Genesis 3.8-15 ; Galatians 4.1-5 “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman”. In the depths of Channel Four’s schedules, there is a programme called Tattoo Fixers .   In this programme people arrive with an array of badly crafted tattoos, and those which are less funny once the owner has sobered up. The programme’s team of tattoo artists then transform the tattoos into more tasteful and more beautiful tattoo by integrating the original design into their new art.   The original tattoo is not erased, but cannot be seen any longer. This evening we celebrate God’s plan for the redemption of the world.   “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman” as St Paul puts it.   This plan is announced to Mary by the Angel Gabriel.   It is a plan that is not just for us, but which will have an effect on the whole of creation.   We have sung the M...

On Wednesday, Radio 3's Choral Evensong came from Derby Cathedral. You can find the service on iPlayer , or it will be repeated today at 3pm. Here are the prayers I wrote for the service.   The readings were Zechariah 7 and Mark 10.17-31 In peace, let us pray: In the evening of the day, we come to you, O God, bringing those we have met, for your blessing, our hurts for your healing, our sins for your forgiveness, our labours as our offering and our lives as our worship; we come to you through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who became like us, that we might become like him. Amen. We pray for the church throughout the world, for Justin our Archbishop, for Alastair, Bishop of Derby, for the church here in this place and wherever this service is heard. Lord Jesus, you give us the gift of eternal life; keep us from the love of riches and all that diverts us from your service; strengthen those who are persecut...