At Morning Worship on 18 January 2026, John Sawkins preached on Ephesians 4.4–6, and picked out four things from this passage which he felt still resonate for us as 21st-century Christians. This is some of what he said on the first of these:

“First, remember what unites us. Because sometimes we forget. …

“What unites us, is that we all worship Christ, who is one with God the Father and God the Spirit. The one thing, the only thing, that unites us is Christ. Nothing else.

“We are not one because our churches are organised and run in the same way. We are not one because we all believe in the same things. We are not one because we offer worship in the same way. We are one because we profess Jesus as Lord.

“Throughout the New Testament the idea is expressed in any number of ways; we are all members of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12), we are all branches of the vine (John 15), we are all members of the household of God (Ephesians 2). We are united in Christ. That is what Paul was saying when he noted: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4.4–6)

“And so remember – when we get hung up about ecclesiastical routines or ways of doing things, or translations of the Bible, or the hymn tunes chosen, or whether we kneel or sit or stand to pray, or whether we ask forgiveness for our trespasses, our sins or our debts, or if candles are lit, or what the colour of the preacher’s tie is – remember that these things ultimately do not matter. What matters is our profession that Jesus is Lord.

“That, ultimately, is what unites those of us who are part of a church, and what unites churches across the world. Our profession that Jesus is Lord.”

To find out what John’s other points were, read his whole sermon, available at this link.

Our picture of a group of people standing on top of a sandy beach was taken by James Lee and made available on Unsplash.

At Morning Worship on 4 January 2026, when our readings had been Ephesians 1:3–14 and John 1:10–18, Rev’d Keith Pearce finished his sermon with this thought:

“It struck me that by Christmas Day we’ve already passed the winter solstice, the days are already getting longer, the Light has come, a new year has dawned. I thought, ‘Are we looking at things the wrong way, focusing on the ending, rather than the beginning?’

“Several of us here are nearer the ending of our lives than the beginning. But I think that question has relevance for us all. Frustrated as we might be by the things we once did but can do no longer(!), and anxious as we might be by the news and the way international relations are going, and sad as we might be about the closure of churches we’ve known and loved, might it be that by focussing on endings, we miss the beginnings?

“Our grandchildren, I believe, are much better equipped to face the challenges of the coming years than we are. And recent statistics have shown renewed interest in Christian faith and the Bible, especially among Generation Z. Might we be seeing the beginning of a new response to God’s amazing grace?

“So I pray that God in his providence and grace may help us all, as we get older still through the course of this year, to be aware of his presence, to glimpse his glory, to receive his amazing grace, and to focus on the new beginnings happening all around us. Amen.”

To find out what Keith had to say about grace, glory, presence, read his whole sermon, available at this link.

“Eleven pipers piping”

Keith’s talk to our young people on the Eleventh Day of Christmas included a reference to a well-known song, which he linked to a period when Catholics were persecuted by law, and many English and Welsh manor houses sported ‘priest holes’, hiding-places for a priest.

Although the song was not published until two centuries later, one story behind The 12 Days of Christmas is that the words which make little sense contain hidden references, and suggests that in days of persecution the song was used to teach Catholic children about the Church.

The references make interesting devotional reading, which you can explore further at this link.

Our picture of adult hands helping a baby to walk was taken by Jessie Maxwell and made available on Unsplash

All are welcome to attend the online bible study for Advent, with the theme ‘The Four Christmases’, which starts next Wednesday. For log-in details please speak to Daniel George or David Salthouse.

At our Communion Service on Sunday 12 October 2025, Rev’d Daniel George reflected on the story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5:1–15. He started:

“This story is not only about physical healing but about the healing of the soul, about the change that takes place when a heart begins to realise that its hatred and violence, its pride and arrogance, are a sickness. …

“Into this world of violence comes a young Israelite girl, taken captive in war, serving in Naaman’s house. She is Jewish and female, looked down upon by her captors. She has every reason to feel resentment, every right to remain silent. Yet she speaks compassion: ‘If only my lord were with the prophet in Samaria; he would cure him of his leprosy.’

“Her whisper pierces the veil of scorn. Though oppressed, she becomes the educator; she has not been corrupted by her oppressors, and she has remained true to her God. Her small act of faith begins the long road to Naaman’s redemption.”

Later Daniel commented: “Naaman’s story reminds us that the voice of God is often carried by those without power or status, and that peace begins when pride gives way to humility, when hatred gives way to love, and when hearts are open to hear truth.

“This story speaks to our own time. The same sickness that afflicted Naaman, his pride, his anger, his learned hatred, still corrodes our world today. We see it in the violence between nations, in antisemitism, in prejudice, in the persecution of women across the world and the silencing of the powerless. These are the modern forms of leprosy that mark our collective human soul. Healing begins when hatred ends and when we listen again to the quiet truth of compassion. Faith is born when we allow the healing voice to speak and to break the cycles of vengeance and hatred.”

And he ended: So, like the Jewish servant girl, let us speak mercy into hatred, trusting that every small step toward peace builds God’s kingdom. From Naaman’s healing to Christ’s cross, the Bible’s call is clear: God’s mercy knows no borders, and we are all called to work towards peace.

To see how Naaman’s story plays out, and how it relates to our search for peace, you’ll have to read the whole of Daniel’s reflection at this link.

The whole service had a focus on peace, the Sunday marking the start of the Week of Prayer for World Peace.

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.”

“We know the words of Psalm 23 so well, yet they remain as fresh and challenging as when they were first sung millennia ago. Alongside Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15), we are given a glimpse into the heart of God: a Shepherd who refuses to lose even one of His flock.

“The shepherd in the parable does not shrug and settle for ninety-nine out of a hundred; he searches until the one is found. The woman (in the second part of the teaching) does not accept nine coins as ‘good enough’; she turns the house upside down until the last is restored. And when the lost is found, joy erupts, on earth and in heaven alike. These images invite us to trust. To say with conviction, even in the darkest valley:

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want … Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

“This is a declaration of truth. The sheep’s safety does not rest on the sheep’s hard work or cleverness. It is not about mustering enough wisdom or grit, reading enough books, or being more virtuous than the next. It is about daring to entrust ourselves to the One who has assumed responsibility for us.”

That is how Rev’d Daniel George started his sermon during our service on 14 September 2025. A big thank you to Daniel for reworking what he said into the reflection that you can read in full at this link. And do think about the “Points for reflection” on the final page.

The image is one of the oldest representations of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, found in the Crypt of Lucina, part of the Catacomb of Callixtus, and shows Christ as the Good Shepherd who carries and cares for his flock. Attribution: unknown artist, Rome, 3rd century AD, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons