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Luke 1.46-55 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowly state of his servant. Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name; indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has brought

I am shortly heading off to Italy on holiday. I love Italy- the landscape, culture, people, language (and of course the food and wine). Like a lot of other people, I love the idea of getting “away from it all” and being somewhere very different from home. Often, we want to feel free of all the struggles and hassles of everyday life, and free from the people whom we find it hardest to deal with. But, as much as I love going away, I have to recognise that, however far I go, a

John 17.6-19 Jesus prays to the Father for his disciples 6 “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you, 8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking o

Life at the Vicarage is rarely dull. The other day, I was minding my own business when the phone went. It was a lady whose husband was walking from somewhere in the South of England to Cape Wrath: he’d been planning to spend the night at the Camp in Grimley, but the ground was too wet: Could I, as the vicar, suggest an alternative? To cut a long story short, the gentleman in question (aged about 60) ended up camping on the vicarage lawn, and joining me, my daughters, and our

There’s been a lot in the national media recently about extremism. Michael Gove has re-defined extremism. Extremists, we are told, are to be rooted out, banned, silenced. Extremism, we are told, is a bad thing. We read about far-right extremists and Islamist extremists, we read about extreme misogyny from the likes of Andrew Tate. When we think about how, since October 7th, there has been a massive increase in both ant-semitic and Islamophobic attacks, we may well feel despai

Being a vicar is quite an odd job (perhaps being quite an odd person is a help in that respect). I seem to find myself in all sorts of places, doing all sorts of things, from discussing church heating systems to blessing new homes, organising Maypole dancing and singing Carols in the pub…. it’s certainly not just Sunday services, baptisms, weddings and funerals! One of the things I see as a central responsibility in the parishes I have been asked to serve- Broadheath, Grimley

Today we are looking at two passages- one from the book of 2 Kings, and the other from Mark’s Gospel- both involving Elijah and heavenly visions! 2 KINGS 2, starting at Verse 1 2 Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.’ But Elisha said, ‘As the Lordlives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So they went

Today’s gospel is the account of Mary and Joseph taking Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem- aged just six weeks- and the events that unfold as they do so. LUKE 2, verses 22- 40 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), 24 and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated i

Looking at the Miracle at the wedding at Cana- from Mary’s end- the second chapter of John’s Gospel: 2 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6

Looking at Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 2, verse 1-12 2 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where