Signs that the Kingdom is coming

Here's the sermon that I shared tonight during the Healing Eucharist at St Andrew’s Wickford:

When Jesus walked the earth, he looked ahead to that future time when the Kingdom of God will be made perfect, and all suffering will come to an end. But he also announced that, because of him, there is a sense in which that Kingdom has already begun. When he healed sick people and brought good news to the poor it was a sign that the Kingdom had come. In the same way, when he overcame death by rising from the dead he became the first fruits of the Kingdom, an example of what we will all become in future.

Jesus wants us to be signs of God’s Kingdom in the same way that he was (Mark 16:14-20). He commanded us, his followers, to love in the way that he did. He wanted people to see us practically demonstrating love, so that we will clearly be recognised as men and women who belong to God.

As Christians, we are called to follow in Jesus’ footsteps by living under the rule and reign of God. We do this imperfectly, so can, at best, create temporary signs of what the kingdom of God looks like in practice but when we feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, welcome strangers, clothe the naked, take care of those who are sick, and visit prisoners, we come as close as we possibly can.

When we put into practice the values of the Kingdom of God here and now, we become signs of what the Kingdom will be like when it is made perfect in eternity. That is what it means to pray, ‘Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.’

By the resurrection, Jesus has gone ahead of us in signing and establishing the Kingdom of God and calls us to follow where he leads. In this way, as the theologian Jurgen Moltmann says, the “resurrection of Christ does not mean a new possibility within the world and its history, but a new possibility altogether for the world, for existence, and for history.”

As Christ’s followers today, we inherit the task of putting into practice what Jesus has achieved through his life, death and resurrection. We are the people today who are called to work towards the Isaianic vision of nations streaming to learn what Israel’s God wants them to do, settling disputes among the great nations, hammering swords into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks, and never again preparing to go to war.

The Holy Spirit – Jesus’ Spirit - is key in this because the Spirit is given to us as the first fruits of the kingdom of God. The kingdom is still to come but we have the Spirit as the guarantee that the kingdom will come. The Spirit comes from the future to anticipate the kingdom in the present by creating signs of what the kingdom will be like when it comes in full. So, the Spirit initiates the mission of God which is to bring humanity and creation to the completed perfection for which we were originally intended; the time when the whole world will freely return to God, worship him and become like him by living in him. As Colin Gunton wrote, “the Spirit is the agent by whom God enables things to become that which they were created to be.”

Our role is to become involved in this work of the Spirit to heal the broken creation, bring it to maturity and reconcile it in Christ. We get involved by creating signs of the coming kingdom here and now in the present.

So, Christ calls us to create signs of the kingdom of God in each generation. Such signs cannot simply repeat what has gone before. They need to be creative re-imaginings of the kingdom for the present time. So, we need to ask, where are the artists, the dreamers, the ideas people and creatives in this congregation and community? Where are energy, inspiration and initiative to be found in the wider community, beyond the congregation, with which we can partner for the future? These are questions we are seeking to answer through our cultural programming and partnerships with creatives locally.

If the Holy Spirit has stirred that fire, passion and desire in you then we need to cry out for the Spirit to come to us. To daily pray, “Come, Holy Spirit.” Come to stir up this desire and longing and yearning and passion in me.

Let us pray: We pray for the dreamers of this life, O God, for those persons who imagine new possibilities, who long for what others cannot perceive, who spin dreams of wonder and majesty in their minds. Defend them from ridicule and harsh criticism, from self-doubt and lack of faith in their dreams, and from abandonment of this call to make things new. Grant that from their dreams may come forth blessings for humankind to enrich the quality of life and the wonderment of us all. Amen (Ashley Marinaccio)

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The Voices Of East Harlem - Giving Love.

Jesus calls us to be torchbearers

Here's the sermon that I shared this morning at St Andrew's Wickford:

Every four years, numerous cities of the world bid to hold the Olympic Games. In their application to the Olympic Committee, the candidate cities must show, amongst other things, that they have the finances, the infrastructure and the right political and economic climate to sustain the games.

As we found out in London in 2012, immense planning and organizing goes into hosting the Olympics. One of the immediate tasks that the successful city undertakes is setting up a committee to plan the games. For London 2012, that committee was called LOCOG, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Among the functions of LOCOG was choosing individuals to carry the Olympic Torch.

Olympic torchbearers carry the torch from city to city, one handing it to the other almost like passing the baton in a relay race. The torch is used to light the Olympic Flame. Individuals chosen to carry the torch are people of accomplishment. They are individuals that the host country is proud to show off. Torchbearers are people that others would want to emulate, they are role models. It is a great honour to be chosen to carry the Olympic Torch.

In 2012, the Olympic torch set out from Land's End en route to the Olympic Stadium. 8,000 people, aged 12 to 100, carried it, with the relay visiting over 1,000 towns, cities and villages. Torchbearers took in Stonehenge and the Giant's Causeway, and the flame crossed Loch Ness and climbed Mount Snowden.

Christians are also called to be torchbearers. A torchbearer is a person who leads or inspires. We are to carry the torch which, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is something that is lit for illumination. Jesus is the light of the world and we are to carry Him wherever we go. As His children, we are to shine so that those who do not know Him may come to know Him. The Bible says "The message that we have heard from his Son and announce is this: God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him" (1 John 1:5).

Just before his Ascension, Jesus met with the eleven disciples and said to them "Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all people” (Mark 16: 15). This great commission, was not only for the disciples but for all of us. It is for everyone who would confess Jesus as Lord and Saviour. We have a mandate to go and preach the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ in every nation of the world. We should be proud carriers of the torch and like Paul we should be quick to declare "I have complete confidence in the gospel; it is God's power to save all who believe, first the Jews and also the Gentiles” (Romans 1:16).

But this can only happen as we all play our own part in the Body of Christ. At the Ascension, Jesus is passing the torch to us and calling us to be torchbearers. So, it can only happen as we act as Jesus’ hands and feet, his eyes, ears and mouth, his body wherever we are. This is the challenge of the Ascension for us, but this challenge is combined with the promise that Jesus will send his Spirit to us to empower and equip us to be his people by doing what he would have done wherever we are. This is why he says to his disciples, “when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1.6-14).

For this reason, the Ascension and Pentecost are intimately linked. The Ascension provides the challenge – “Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples” (Matthew 28. 19) – and Pentecost provides the means - “when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Like the Olympic torchbearers, we are called to pass the torch. It is incumbent upon us as Christians to pass the torch from generation to generation. It is the duty of parents, Christian teachers, pastors, missionaries and all who call themselves Christians to ensure that the torch is passed on. When we hear stories of how people came to know and serve the Lord, for many it was the godly influence of their parents, Sunday school teachers, pastors or friends that drew them to the Lord. "In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5: 16)

Run with the fire

Tongues of fire -
eternal flame -
spark, flicker and flare
on the torch relayed
from runner to runner
in a race of hope
run across ages,
peoples, races, nations,
down through
the generations.
My parents
passed their
own light on
just as their parents
before them
had also done.

Light proceeds
from the fire,
as the Son
from the Father.
Heat proceeds
from fire and light
as Loving Spirit
from Father
and Son.
Love and light
as fire and heat
passed on
and on
from one
to one.

Run with the fire
from burning bush
to flaming pillar
from burning coal
to purifying
pentecostal fire.
Running messenger
run with feet aflame
with burning desire
the fire from above
become the fire
in your belly.

Let sparks fly
as visions
of the young
and dreams
of the aged
as the prophecies
of daughters
and sons.
Run with the fire
that sparks
of Spirit fly
from all to all
setting one and all
aflame with faith
and hope
and love.

Just as the Olympic flame is lit and everyone can see it, so should it be with us. The Bible says, "You are like light for the whole world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid" (Matthew 5: 14). People ought to look at our life and desire what we have. Christians ought to set the pace for others to follow. May we all take up the torch and carry it proudly and faithfully. Amen.

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The Alarm  - The Road.

Windows on the world (571)

 

Norwich, 2026

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U2 - Scars.

The 3 R's history trail

The 3 R’s history trail covers the churches of Rawreth, Rettendon & Runwell.

Each church is unique with its own history and we welcome you to come and find out more. Visit our churches and see for yourself.

Today we launched the 3 R’s history trail with Open Days at St Nicholas Rawreth, All Saints Rettendon, and St Mary’s Runwell.

Rawreth Church (St Nicholas)

The parish of Rawreth has a list of Rectors going back to before 1361. It retains a 13th century tower, but the present church was rebuilt in 1882. The tower, arch and west wall of the north aisle remain from 1450, the rest has been rebuilt in 1882 to designs of Ernest Geldart, rector of Little Braxted.

• The family of Lancelot Andrewes lived in Rawreth and St Nicholas Church was their family church. Andrewes served successively as Bishop of Chichester, Ely and Winchester and oversaw the translation of the Authorized Version (or King James Version) of the Bible.
• Church organ - one of the smallest church organs in the country, built c.1860-1870 by Bryceson and Ellis
• Bells - over 700 years old and made by John Hadham C. 1320, making them amongst the oldest bells in Essex
• Chancel screen, reredos and pulpit - designed by the architect, the Reverend Geldart in 1862
• Memorial - to Edmund Tyrell and his wife of Beeches manor dated 1576

Runwell Church (St Mary's)

St. Mary’s Church is a beautiful Grade I* listed building, a magnificent mediaeval building which boasts an interesting and mixed history. The church is often described by both visitors and regular worshippers as a powerful sacred space to which they have been drawn.

This powerful impact comes in part from the art and architecture in the space. From the modern rood screen to the beautiful stained glass windows, St Mary’s is a must on any history trail. Its two churchyards (one linked to Runwell Hospital) also provide green space in which to walk and reflect. The church and churchyards are often used for contemplative Quiet Days. The Running Well, which may have given Runwell its name, is one mile from the Church.

• Prioress' tomb - tomb of the last Prioress at the Nunnery by the Running Well
• Runwell cross - original and contemporary versions of this unique cross design
• Devil's Claw - marks on a door, said to have been made by the Devil whilst chasing a curate
• Murals - medieval-style mural designs and interior decoration
• Painting - 'The Baptism of Christ' by Walsingham artist Enid Chadwick
• Squints - enabling those outside to see in.

Rettendon Church (All Saints)

The village of Rettendon is blessed with an old and beautiful Grade 1 listed church, with many unique aspects of its history.

The church stands on high ground, its 15th century ragstone tower acting as a landmark for the area. All Saints stands on high ground and from its lofty tower, over 100 feet high, there is an extensive view. To the east one can see the Crouch estuary, to the south the hills of Rayleigh stand out boldly, to the west, the round hilltops of the Langdon Hills are a notable landmark.

• Memorial - marble and alabaster memorial to Edmund Humfrye dating from the early 18th century, one of the best of its type in the country
• Anchorite Cell - the upstairs room over the vestry may have been used by an anchorite linked to the Nunnery at the Running Well, as evidenced by the window there which overlooks the altar
• Memorial brasses - to the Canon family, whose charity fund is available to villagers in need to this day
• Choir stalls - with 15th century medieval wood carvings on the nine bench ends
• Piscina and Sedilia - the Piscina, a stone basin, is dated 1220 while the double Sedilia also dates from the 13th century and consists of two bays with trefoiled heads and moulded labels

St Nicholas Church, Church Rd, Rawreth, Wickford SS11 8SH
Open every day between 09:00—16:00

St Mary's Church, Runwell Road, Runwell, Essex SS11 7HS
St Mary's is open by prior arrangement only. Please contact the churchwarden to arrange a time to visit:
Tel: 01268 765360
Email: alanvictorjones20@gmail.com

All Saints Church, Church Chase, Rettendon, Chelmsford CM3 8DP
Open Friday 10:00—12:00 or by prior arrangement only.

For further details on our history trail please contact:

Rev'd Jonathan Evens - jonathan.evens@btinternet.com | 07803 562329
Rev’d Steve Lissenden - revsteveliss@gmail.com | 07944 959300

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Josh Garrels - Farther Along.

Videoshoot in Bowers Gifford

St Margaret’s Church, Bowers Gifford, was recently used for a videoshoot, the second time that churches in the deanery have been used for film projects this year.

Directed, shot and cut by Sam Moore, the video, which stars Thierryna Ngavandje, is an unofficial music video for the song ‘The Boy Who Played The Harp’ by Dave. View the music video here.

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Dave - The Boy Who Played The Harp | Unofficial Music Video.