The Cranmer Group Podcast

Drawing especially on Psalm 73, and also John 20:24-29, Annie explores how the Psalmist responds - as every one of us who follows Jesus has to do at some point in our Christian journey - to challenges to their faith.

The Bishop of Sherwood, the Rt. Rev. Andy Emerton, shares with us his very personal reflections on one of the 'Psalms of Lament', Psalm 13, and Luke 18:1-8. With the Psalmist, Bishop Andy asks "How long, Lord?" but also joins with the Psalmist's affirmation that we "trust in [the Lord's] unfailing love ... for He has been good to me."

Bron shares with us her favourite Psalm - 139 - and how God's intimate knowledge and loving protection of us is a source of comfort and encouragement for all.

Tim kicks off our new sermon series, journeying together through the Psalms, by considering, in the imagery of Psalm 1, how we can choose to be rooted in the Lord's blessings, like a strong tree flourishing by the living waters of God's Word.

Tim draws on Jesus's 'Nazareth Manifesto' of Luke 4:16-21, and reflecting on both the political upheavals of recent days, and the Church's commemoration on July 30th of emancipation campaigners, William Wilberforce, Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Clarkson. He asks us whether Jesus, the Messiah, was political; and how we, as his followers, are called to respond 'politically' in living out our faith.

We continue our journey through Matthew's Gospel (on this Sunday, looking at chapter 13, verses 31-33 and 44-46), with Eoin's baptism, and with a bit of help from the World Cup! Tim explores small beginnings in Jesus's parables of the mustard seed and the yeast; and the finding of the true value of the Kingdom of Heaven, in the parables of the treasure buried in the field, and The Pearl of Great Price.

As we welcome little Brontë into God's family at her baptism, Tim asks each one of us (speaking about the Parable of the Sower, in Matthew 13:1-9 and 18-23) how is the quality of our "spiritual soil" into which God sows His word? What spiritual fruit will I enable Jesus to bring forth from me?

Annie shows us how Jesus reassures John the Baptist in his doubting, and how he reassures us: “I am with you, I will carry your burdens with you and for you, I will NEVER leave you and you WILL find my rest - I promise you.” Jesus continues, “But come to me as a child - open, curious, trusting, so that I can work with you and begin to shape into my likeness, ready to represent me in this world.” Let’s hold our ‘theologising’ lightly and focus on our developing relationship with Jesus!

Tim helps us to reflect on the three short verses of Matthew 10:40-42, showing us how:
-Christ goes with us;
-We represent Christ; and
-Even the smallest acts matter.

Tim helps us navigate through a difficult Gospel passage, Matthew 10:24-39. Jesus challenges all of us who follow him, to place him before everything and everyone else in our lives, with the assurance that - with him alongside us - we have no need ever to be afraid.