As we begin a new term we go back to the beginning of Jesus’ teaching ministry, the Sermon on the mount. Rev. Abi Todd, our vicar, starts us off looking at the beatitudes, what does it truly mean to be blessed, as it’s not what we might imagine.

Jesus starts with His disciples, not with the crowds who had begun to follow Him, because through this sermon He teaches some hard truths because only those who have committed to follow Him have a chance of understanding, only to those in the Kingdom does this make any sense.

The eight beatitudes, or blessings split into two groups of four, first four postures of the heart, ways in which we must approach God. Poor in spirit, mourning our rebellion, humble and meek before our creator and hungry for His righteousness. Then four actions or behaviours, merciful, compassionate like Jesus, pure in heart, holy in our following, peacemakers, willing to diffuse conflict and resolve disputes and expect persecution for defying the world’s norms.

Listen to God’s word and lean into true blessing.

The reading is from Matthew 5:1-12

This message was first preached on 07/09/2025

Over summer we have been looking at ‘FRIENDS OF GOD’ as we find them in the gospel of Mark. This week reaches a climax with Jesus and His friends sharing the Last Supper together. Rev. Abi Todd, our vicar, looks at this important event and what Jesus accomplishes through it.

The disciples were a foundation for the church, they were each different but, in many ways the same, younger, Jewish men. The Passover meal which they celebrate with Jesus marks a change of season for them. As we enter September does this mark a change in season for us too? When Jesus changes the season, He takes existing aspects of our lives and family and expands those concepts.

Jesus changes ordinary into extraordinary, changes holidays into ‘holy’ days and changes our routine into something special. This is exemplified by His betrayal and all that follows from it. The gospels do not shy away from the horror and awfulness of His passion and that which leads up to it, but Jesus expands this concept to give it purpose and perspective and He wants to do the same in our lives.

The reading is from Mark 14:12-26

This message was first preached on 31/08/2025

Over summer we are looking at ‘FRIENDS OF GOD’ as we find them in the gospel of Mark. The story this week picks up from the feeding of the 5000, as Jesus sends His disciples ahead in the boat and then later in the night comes to them walking on the water. David Binns shares three truths that God would teach us through this passage.

The disciples back in the boat, crowd dismissed with full hearts and full bellies, Jesus retreats to the mountain to get alone with Dad. Jesus seemed to treasure these alone times with Dad because everything He was and did stemmed from relationship. And this was not just pouring out His heart, rather it was two-way communication as He listens to the Father. Also, it was not a one-off, we read in Matthew that this was ‘His custom’, a regular habit.

Then the centrepiece, Jesus walks out across the lake to catch up with the disciples. His appearance shakes them; it disrupts their routines and their self-confidence. Jesus wants them not to place their confidence in their skill, or training or experience but to realise that they can do ‘all things through Christ’. Then the storm ceases and they arrive at their destination. Jesus takes His disciples and moves through the surrounding towns and villages showing the extent of His power and the extent of His love by healing all who even touch the hem of His cloak.

The reading is from Mark 6:45-56

This message was first preached on 24/08/2025

Over summer we are looking at ‘FRIENDS OF GOD’ as we find them in the gospel of Mark. This week Tracy Bishop looks at the well-known miracle, which is the only one to appear in all four Gospels, where Jesus and the disciples feed the 5000 (plus women and children).

The disciples have returned from their missions, excited by all they had seen and done, bubbling over with the stories of God working through them but at the same time tired, mentally and physically. Jesus says let’s go and chill, let’s take some rest. But even as they take a boat across the lake to a quiet spot they see in the distance hundreds even thousands running along the shore, round the lake to get to where they were going.

When they land the boat the crowd they left behind is already there, and the disciples think… REALLY!! This was our time, our space. REALLY!! But Jesus has compassion on the people and begins to feed their spiritual hunger. Hours later the disciples realise that hunger has also no become physical hunger. They need food, they need bread, well Jesus is the bread. And so he takes a problem adds faith and the power of God, and the disciples are suddenly part of this great miracle.

The reading is from Mark 6:30-44

This message was first preached on 17/08/2025

Over summer we will be looking at ‘FRIENDS OF GOD’ as we find them in the gospel of Mark. Our vicar, Rev. Abi Todd, fresh back from New Wine looks at what happened when Jesus sends out the twelve disciples to spread His message throughout the region..

Going to the New Wine conference, just for a week, required taking so much stuff, but that was very different to Jesus sending the disciples out on their itinerant preaching mission. Jesus sends them out and says, ‘take nothing for the road’. This restriction on equipping themselves is part of Jesus’ call. He is calling them to do things in His name but it’s a call of relationship and intimacy. Jesus sends them out in pairs to strengthen their confidence and for accountability, it’s easier to go through with something with someone beside you, encouraging you. And they don’t need to take anything with them because whilst they are weak, Jesus sends with His authority and power.

The reading is from Mark 6:6-13

This message was first preached on 10/08/2025

Over summer we will be looking at ‘FRIENDS OF GOD’ as we find them in the gospel of Mark. The Venerable Mike Power, Archdeacon of West Ham, continues the series by looking at that dramatic miracle when Jesus calms the storm.

What happens when the storms of life break over us? Where is Jesus? Mike explains how Jesus is in the same boat, in the same storm. He is right there with us. Jesus brings peace in the midst of chaos. The story is not really about weather but rather how Jesus calls us to look away from the storms around us and focus on the storms within. Like the disciples He call us to faith, not to change the storm but to change us and lead us through it.

The reading is from Mark 4:35-41

This message was first preached on 03/08/2025

Over summer we will be looking at ‘FRIENDS OF GOD’ as we find them in the gospel of Mark. Our Vicar, Rev. Abi Todd, begins the series by looking at the calling of the disciples.

More than half of the passage is a list of the disciples’ names, but there is much more to it than that. The passage has much to say about what a disciple is. A disciple is a follower, one who spends time with his rabbi, but he is also sent out by his rabbi to spread the message and carries the rabbi’s authority with him.

Jesus Called the twelve, not because they were the brightest and best but because they were willing to follow, and whatever your background Jesus calls you if you are willing to follow.

The reading is from Mark 3:13-19

This message was first preached on 27/07/2025

Our Vicar, Rev. Abi Todd, completes our series in 2 Timothy focussing on Paul’s request to Timothy, ‘come before winter.’ The teaching here points us toward how we should manage ‘time’ in our lives. Time is part of God’s creation, given to us to measure seasons and ages.

As Paul closes out this letter with mention of seventeen different people, he points us to a key use of our time. Building and sustaining relationships is part of God’s plan for us and as John Donne wrote, “no man is an island.” The Christian life was never intended to be lived alone.

Paul also demonstrates that time is not infinite. We need to use our time well and take the opportunities as they arise. And as Paul reminds Timothy, God is calling him and that call is for now. Most of us suffer from procrastination to some extent but we must remember when God calls us it is nearly always for now.

The reading is from 2 Timothy 4:9-22

This message was first preached on 20/07/2025

Rev. Abi Todd, our Vicar, continues in 2 Timothy with Paul declaring, ‘Dare to be different’. Paul’s motif phrase ‘But as for you’ appears three times in this section. Our calling is to keep moving forward in a direction different to the world around us. It matters that we move forward. Sometimes when we run, we slow down and walk or even pause to rest, the key thing is not to move backwards.

We need to be persistent, pressing on even after the first flush of the thrill of meeting Jesus. We need to be consistent. Developing daily habits with a consistent belief stemming from sound teaching. And we must be insistent that Jesus is The Way! Paul is building Timothy up so that Timothy can join with him in the declaration he ends this passage with, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

The reading is from 2 Timothy 3:10 – 4:8

This message was first preached on 13/07/2025

Rev. Abi Todd, our Vicar, moves on with the series on 2 Timothy to the middle section of chapter 2, ‘Stay true to the message of Jesus’.  Paul encapsulates the gospel he preaches in a simple phrase ‘Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David’. Our job in sharing the gospel is all about remembering Jesus. That He was raised from the dead implies His birth, life and death on the cross. That Jesus was descended from David speaks of His humanity and the fulfilment of the many messianic prophecies.

Paul goes on to tell Timothy to embrace suffering and die to self, echoing the message of Romans 6 and Jesus’ message of taking up our cross in Matthew 16. Paul ends this section exhorting Timothy to ‘correctly handle the word of truth.’ Read the bible, study it, meditate on it, remember it. God’s word is not chained!

The reading is from 2 Timothy 2:8-19

This message was first preached on 29/06/2025