Eye, 2026
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Joseph Arthur - Hey Satan.
Sunday, 24 May 2026
The Holy Spirit embraces the diversity of Jerusalem
Here's the Pentecost sermon that I shared at St Catherine's Wickford this morning:
The Day of Pentecost is the turning point in the history of Christ’s Church. The believers have gone from gathering together in fear of the authorities to gathering together in readiness for the promised gift. They are waiting to be baptised with the Holy Spirit. Jesus has spoken to them about the Kingdom of God and told them that when the Holy Spirit comes upon them they will be filled with power and will be witnesses to him in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. That prophecy and promise is fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit enables the believers to God’s message to all (Acts 2.1-21).
We often think that Jesus’ words, “you will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth,” mean that they were to start with their own people and gradually move from there to the ends of earth. What we forget is that on the day of Pentecost there were Jews and Gentile converts living in Jerusalem who had come from every country in the world. The different countries or areas are listed for us in verses 9 – 11: Parthia, Media and Elam; Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia; Pontus and Asia; Phrygia and Pamphylia; Egypt and Libya; Rome, Crete and Arabia. Every country in the world was right there in Jerusalem.
There was a real diversity of nationalities present and of languages spoken in Jerusalem and the coming of the Holy Spirit enabled the believers in Jerusalem to engage with the diversity that they found in Jerusalem. As they were filled with the Holy Spirit they all began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them. As a result, although the believers were mainly Galileans and not known for being multi-lingual, each person there in Jerusalem heard God’s message in his or her own language. The Holy Spirit embraced the diversity of Jerusalem and gave the believers the tools they needed to communicate in and through that diversity.
This was a reversal of the story of the Tower of Babel in the Old Testament. There, because the people were working together to arrogantly build a tower reaching towards heave, the people were given different languages so they were unable to work together and progress the tower. Here, God communicates in and through a diversity of languages to bring people to him and into a God-given unity of purpose and practice.
The diversities of nationality and language aren’t the only diversities mentioned in this passage, however. In explaining what God is doing at that time in Jerusalem, Peter speaks about a diversity of age and gender. Look at the passage that he quotes from the Book of Joel in verses 17-21 – there we find the Holy Spirit being poured out on everyone, young and old, men and women, so that all see visions, dream dreams and proclaim God’s message. God uses the diversity of age and gender among the believers in order to speak to the diversity of nations and languages in Jerusalem.
Now, think for a moment about our situation here in the UK. Doesn’t it seem similar to the situation in Jerusalem? According to the 2021 Census, the total population of England and Wales was 59.6 million, and 81.7% of the population was white. People from Asian ethnic groups made up the second largest percentage of the population (9.3%), followed by black (4.0%), mixed (2.9%) and other (2.1%) ethnic groups. The census found the following in relation to Religion in England and Wales: Christian (46.2%); No religion (37.2%); Muslim (6.50%); Hindu (1.70%); Sikh (0.90%); Buddhist (0.50%); Jewish (0.50%); and Other religions (0.60%). The census found that 91.1% (52.6 million) of residents, aged three years and over, had English (English or Welsh in Wales) as a main language. While the most common main languages, other than English (English or Welsh in Wales), were: Polish (1.1%, 612,000), Romanian (0.8%, 472,000), Panjabi (0.5%, 291,000), and Urdu (0.5%, 270,000). From this quick survey, we can see that the same diversity of ethnicities and language as was found in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost is also here in the UK. The world is right here in the UK, just as it was in Jerusalem.
Just as, at Pentecost, God poured out his Spirit on old and young, men and women, so we see a diversity to our congregations here in the Parish and also among the churches throughout the UK. That diversity is not given to us so that we can pat ourselves on the back and think how wonderful we are, it is given to us so that we can proclaim the message of God to people of every ethnicity, age, gender, disability, sexuality and religion. And we need the Holy Spirit’s power, gifts and enabling to make that happen.
We need to remember too that as the Early Church grew and as God’s message spread there were people who tried to restrict this wonderful new diversity. Even Peter, who led this move into diversity at Pentecost, on one occasion in Galatia tried to restrict the diversity of what God was doing and had to be rebuked by Paul. In the same way today, there are those both in the Church and in our society who want to place restrictions on this diversity.
In the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost God celebrates and engages with the diversity that we find in the world he has created. The Holy Spirit comes on all for all and we must not seek to restrict the Spirit’s coming but must enable all to hear God’s call on their lives and be filled by the Spirit just as occurred on that first Pentecost in Jerusalem when all the world’s diversity was gathered to see the pouring out of God’s Spirit on all and for all.
The Day of Pentecost is the turning point in the history of Christ’s Church. The believers have gone from gathering together in fear of the authorities to gathering together in readiness for the promised gift. They are waiting to be baptised with the Holy Spirit. Jesus has spoken to them about the Kingdom of God and told them that when the Holy Spirit comes upon them they will be filled with power and will be witnesses to him in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. That prophecy and promise is fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit enables the believers to God’s message to all (Acts 2.1-21).
We often think that Jesus’ words, “you will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth,” mean that they were to start with their own people and gradually move from there to the ends of earth. What we forget is that on the day of Pentecost there were Jews and Gentile converts living in Jerusalem who had come from every country in the world. The different countries or areas are listed for us in verses 9 – 11: Parthia, Media and Elam; Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia; Pontus and Asia; Phrygia and Pamphylia; Egypt and Libya; Rome, Crete and Arabia. Every country in the world was right there in Jerusalem.
There was a real diversity of nationalities present and of languages spoken in Jerusalem and the coming of the Holy Spirit enabled the believers in Jerusalem to engage with the diversity that they found in Jerusalem. As they were filled with the Holy Spirit they all began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them. As a result, although the believers were mainly Galileans and not known for being multi-lingual, each person there in Jerusalem heard God’s message in his or her own language. The Holy Spirit embraced the diversity of Jerusalem and gave the believers the tools they needed to communicate in and through that diversity.
This was a reversal of the story of the Tower of Babel in the Old Testament. There, because the people were working together to arrogantly build a tower reaching towards heave, the people were given different languages so they were unable to work together and progress the tower. Here, God communicates in and through a diversity of languages to bring people to him and into a God-given unity of purpose and practice.
The diversities of nationality and language aren’t the only diversities mentioned in this passage, however. In explaining what God is doing at that time in Jerusalem, Peter speaks about a diversity of age and gender. Look at the passage that he quotes from the Book of Joel in verses 17-21 – there we find the Holy Spirit being poured out on everyone, young and old, men and women, so that all see visions, dream dreams and proclaim God’s message. God uses the diversity of age and gender among the believers in order to speak to the diversity of nations and languages in Jerusalem.
Now, think for a moment about our situation here in the UK. Doesn’t it seem similar to the situation in Jerusalem? According to the 2021 Census, the total population of England and Wales was 59.6 million, and 81.7% of the population was white. People from Asian ethnic groups made up the second largest percentage of the population (9.3%), followed by black (4.0%), mixed (2.9%) and other (2.1%) ethnic groups. The census found the following in relation to Religion in England and Wales: Christian (46.2%); No religion (37.2%); Muslim (6.50%); Hindu (1.70%); Sikh (0.90%); Buddhist (0.50%); Jewish (0.50%); and Other religions (0.60%). The census found that 91.1% (52.6 million) of residents, aged three years and over, had English (English or Welsh in Wales) as a main language. While the most common main languages, other than English (English or Welsh in Wales), were: Polish (1.1%, 612,000), Romanian (0.8%, 472,000), Panjabi (0.5%, 291,000), and Urdu (0.5%, 270,000). From this quick survey, we can see that the same diversity of ethnicities and language as was found in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost is also here in the UK. The world is right here in the UK, just as it was in Jerusalem.
Just as, at Pentecost, God poured out his Spirit on old and young, men and women, so we see a diversity to our congregations here in the Parish and also among the churches throughout the UK. That diversity is not given to us so that we can pat ourselves on the back and think how wonderful we are, it is given to us so that we can proclaim the message of God to people of every ethnicity, age, gender, disability, sexuality and religion. And we need the Holy Spirit’s power, gifts and enabling to make that happen.
We need to remember too that as the Early Church grew and as God’s message spread there were people who tried to restrict this wonderful new diversity. Even Peter, who led this move into diversity at Pentecost, on one occasion in Galatia tried to restrict the diversity of what God was doing and had to be rebuked by Paul. In the same way today, there are those both in the Church and in our society who want to place restrictions on this diversity.
In the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost God celebrates and engages with the diversity that we find in the world he has created. The Holy Spirit comes on all for all and we must not seek to restrict the Spirit’s coming but must enable all to hear God’s call on their lives and be filled by the Spirit just as occurred on that first Pentecost in Jerusalem when all the world’s diversity was gathered to see the pouring out of God’s Spirit on all and for all.
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Delirious? - History Maker.
Friday, 22 May 2026
Church Times - Art review: Richard Kenton Webb: ‘Passion’ drawings + ‘English Iconoclasm Paintings’ (Benjamin Rhodes Arts, London E2)
My latest exhibition review for Church Times , is on Richard Kenton Webb: ‘Passion’ drawings + ‘English Iconoclasm Paintings’ at Benjamin Rhodes Arts:
'By viewing Webb’s English Iconoclasm images, we enter deeply into the experience and nature of mysticism through images visualising the extent of the Cloud of Unknowing and the approach to it or the possibility of climbing the ladder of perfection and reaching for the light of Christ.
Arvo Pärt : Silentium.
'By viewing Webb’s English Iconoclasm images, we enter deeply into the experience and nature of mysticism through images visualising the extent of the Cloud of Unknowing and the approach to it or the possibility of climbing the ladder of perfection and reaching for the light of Christ.
These mystical images are formed, however, from the stuff of earthly existence, meaning that Webb recognises that mysticism has an incarnational rather than a solely visionary basis.'
Read my interview with Kenton Webb for Art+Christianity here, my article on Kenton Webb's exhibition at Milton's Cottage is here, and my Church Times review of an earlier Kenton Webb exhibition here. Kenton Webb is part of a group of artists who create in the tradition of British visionary art, for more on this group see here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
Other of my pieces for Church Times can be found here. My writing for ArtWay can be found here. My pieces for Artlyst are here, those for Seen & Unseen are here, and those for Art+Christianity are here.
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Other of my pieces for Church Times can be found here. My writing for ArtWay can be found here. My pieces for Artlyst are here, those for Seen & Unseen are here, and those for Art+Christianity are here.
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Wednesday, 20 May 2026
Approaching leave taking
Here's the sermon that I shared at St Andrew's Wickford this morning:
Our two readings today (Acts 20.28-end and John 17.11-19) are both about leave taking. Jesus prays for his disciples as he will soon be leaving them when he ascends to be with God the Father, while St Paul gives his final messages to the Ephesian Elders before leaving them. They kneel, pray and embrace together with tears being shed. Leave taking is always hard, as we will experience at the end of June when we say goodbye to Revd Sue Wise and Simon and thank them for all they have done and been in this Parish. Let us use these passages to reflect on how we should approach that leave taking and what, under God, Sue and Simon will be praying for us.
Jesus prayed that his disciples would know God’s protection, be sanctified and be united. Paul asked the Ephesian Elders to keep watch over the congregation in Ephesus and commended them to God and to the message of his grace, a message that was able to build them up and to give them the inheritance among all who are sanctified. Both were aware that there would be difficult challenges ahead for those they were leaving but trusted that, in God’s hands, they would endure.
In his farewell discourses to his disciples, Jesus said something amazing because he said that those who follow him would do greater things than him and would be led into all truth. When you think how amazing Jesus’ own actions were, it is hard to imagine how people like us could do greater things than that, and, when you think how profound his teaching was, how could we be led into deeper or greater truth than that?
But Jesus was articulating something that all good teachers think and feel; the sense that all the time he had spent with them and invested in them was not so they would be clones of him, simply repeating the things he did and said, but instead he had equipped, empowered and enabled his followers to follow him by using their own gifts and abilities and initiative which would inevitably mean that they would do and say different things from him but still with his Spirit and based on all they had learnt from him.
He was saying that each one of us is a unique combination of personality, abilities and potential and, therefore, each of us can make a unique mark on the world. His followers can do greater things than Jesus because they will do different things from him in his name and Spirit – things that only they can do for him because they are that unique package of personality, ability and potential.
That is also what we, the ministry team here, wish for you. That you will use what you have learnt here and the abilities you have developed here to make your own mark on the world and to continue learning, particularly about the meaning of life itself.
What that mark will be we can’t predict, but please don’t make the mistake of thinking that making your mark on the world and doing great things means becoming famous or making pots of money. Many of the most significant things that people do in the course of their lives don’t make the headlines and don’t build our bank balances! For example, forming faithful, committed relationships is one of the most challenging but meaningful things we can do in life but that won’t feature in the press and media or usually impact on our bank balance. Some of us have become parents (others have brought many children into the world) and know the joys and struggles of supporting children in their development and growth. That is one of the most significant things we can do over the course of our lives; something that is both extraordinary and profoundly ordinary at one and the same time.
Our prayer for you is what Jesus prayed for his disciples that you will know God’s protection, be sanctified, be united, be built up, be given the inheritance among all who are sanctified, and go on to do greater things than us by making your unique mark on the world and go ever deeper into truth by continuing to learn throughout your life.
Let us pray for God’s blessing on our experiences of leave taking, our doing, and our learning:
We thank you, Lord, for each one of these your people - for their unique combination of personality, abilities and potential, for all they have learnt here and for all the friendships they have formed. We pray for your blessing on us and pray for your guidance as we continue to seek to make our mark on the world by using all we have learnt here together with our unique combination of personality, abilities and potential. We pray that we might do great things, things that we cannot do alone and cannot yet predict. We pray the blessing of committed, sustained friendships and relationships and the blessing of ongoing, lifelong learning. Most of all we pray that the blessing of God almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit will rest upon and remain with each one of us now and forever. Amen.
Our two readings today (Acts 20.28-end and John 17.11-19) are both about leave taking. Jesus prays for his disciples as he will soon be leaving them when he ascends to be with God the Father, while St Paul gives his final messages to the Ephesian Elders before leaving them. They kneel, pray and embrace together with tears being shed. Leave taking is always hard, as we will experience at the end of June when we say goodbye to Revd Sue Wise and Simon and thank them for all they have done and been in this Parish. Let us use these passages to reflect on how we should approach that leave taking and what, under God, Sue and Simon will be praying for us.
Jesus prayed that his disciples would know God’s protection, be sanctified and be united. Paul asked the Ephesian Elders to keep watch over the congregation in Ephesus and commended them to God and to the message of his grace, a message that was able to build them up and to give them the inheritance among all who are sanctified. Both were aware that there would be difficult challenges ahead for those they were leaving but trusted that, in God’s hands, they would endure.
In his farewell discourses to his disciples, Jesus said something amazing because he said that those who follow him would do greater things than him and would be led into all truth. When you think how amazing Jesus’ own actions were, it is hard to imagine how people like us could do greater things than that, and, when you think how profound his teaching was, how could we be led into deeper or greater truth than that?
But Jesus was articulating something that all good teachers think and feel; the sense that all the time he had spent with them and invested in them was not so they would be clones of him, simply repeating the things he did and said, but instead he had equipped, empowered and enabled his followers to follow him by using their own gifts and abilities and initiative which would inevitably mean that they would do and say different things from him but still with his Spirit and based on all they had learnt from him.
He was saying that each one of us is a unique combination of personality, abilities and potential and, therefore, each of us can make a unique mark on the world. His followers can do greater things than Jesus because they will do different things from him in his name and Spirit – things that only they can do for him because they are that unique package of personality, ability and potential.
That is also what we, the ministry team here, wish for you. That you will use what you have learnt here and the abilities you have developed here to make your own mark on the world and to continue learning, particularly about the meaning of life itself.
What that mark will be we can’t predict, but please don’t make the mistake of thinking that making your mark on the world and doing great things means becoming famous or making pots of money. Many of the most significant things that people do in the course of their lives don’t make the headlines and don’t build our bank balances! For example, forming faithful, committed relationships is one of the most challenging but meaningful things we can do in life but that won’t feature in the press and media or usually impact on our bank balance. Some of us have become parents (others have brought many children into the world) and know the joys and struggles of supporting children in their development and growth. That is one of the most significant things we can do over the course of our lives; something that is both extraordinary and profoundly ordinary at one and the same time.
Our prayer for you is what Jesus prayed for his disciples that you will know God’s protection, be sanctified, be united, be built up, be given the inheritance among all who are sanctified, and go on to do greater things than us by making your unique mark on the world and go ever deeper into truth by continuing to learn throughout your life.
Let us pray for God’s blessing on our experiences of leave taking, our doing, and our learning:
We thank you, Lord, for each one of these your people - for their unique combination of personality, abilities and potential, for all they have learnt here and for all the friendships they have formed. We pray for your blessing on us and pray for your guidance as we continue to seek to make our mark on the world by using all we have learnt here together with our unique combination of personality, abilities and potential. We pray that we might do great things, things that we cannot do alone and cannot yet predict. We pray the blessing of committed, sustained friendships and relationships and the blessing of ongoing, lifelong learning. Most of all we pray that the blessing of God almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit will rest upon and remain with each one of us now and forever. Amen.
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Low - One Special Gift.
Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Artlyst - The Meaning Of Life Explored At Sainsbury Centre
My latest exhibition review for Artlyst is on the 'What is the Meaning of Life?' series of exhibitions at Sainsbury Centre:
"Theming the Sainsbury Centre’s exhibition programme, as has been the case since 2023, around life’s big questions has proved to be a stimulating and endlessly fruitful decision. Leading up to the current big question, ‘What is the Meaning of Life?’, there have been exhibitions examining questions such as: ‘How do we adapt to a Transforming World?’ ‘What is truth?’ ‘Why do people take drugs?’ and ‘Can humans stop killing each other?’
When I interviewed Jago Cooper, Executive Director of Sainsbury Centre, about the impact of these themes, he said: “What I have loved most of all about this season is how it is attracting a new audience to our museum. People who are fascinated by the question and our approach, rather than just traditional museum-goers who always enjoy seeing incredible art …
What we have learnt is that despite the enormity of these questions around climate change and truth, people really enjoy having a museum that lets them explore these challenging topics with inspiration, hope and information provided by the artists and exhibitions we have created.” ‘What is the Meaning of Life?’ seems likely to have a similar impact."
"Theming the Sainsbury Centre’s exhibition programme, as has been the case since 2023, around life’s big questions has proved to be a stimulating and endlessly fruitful decision. Leading up to the current big question, ‘What is the Meaning of Life?’, there have been exhibitions examining questions such as: ‘How do we adapt to a Transforming World?’ ‘What is truth?’ ‘Why do people take drugs?’ and ‘Can humans stop killing each other?’
What we have learnt is that despite the enormity of these questions around climate change and truth, people really enjoy having a museum that lets them explore these challenging topics with inspiration, hope and information provided by the artists and exhibitions we have created.” ‘What is the Meaning of Life?’ seems likely to have a similar impact."
For more on the Sainsbury Centre see here, here, here, For my interview with Jago Cooper, Executive Director of Sainsbury Centre, see here.
My other pieces for Artlyst are:
Interviews -
Interviews -
- Michael Petry Discusses In League With Devils with Revd Jonathan Evens
- Sean Scully A Humility Towards Nature
- Winslow Homer: American Passage An Interview With Biographer Bill Cross
- Grayson Perry Tapestries On Show At Salisbury Cathedral
- Sidney Nolan’s Africa: Interview With Andrew Turley
- Ilona Bossanyi: Tate’s Ervin Bossanyi Stained Glass Window Mothballed After 2011 Redevelopment
- Louis Carreon: Sampling Art History
- Modus Operandi - What Makes Successful Public Art: Vivien Lovell Interviewed
- Genesis Tramaine: A Queer Devotional Painter
- Lakwena Maciver: Review-Interview Hastings Contemporary
- Nicola Ravenscroft - Sculpture With A Peaceful Stillness
- Artist Hannah Rose Thomas – Tears of Gold – Interview
- Marcus Lyon: Human Atlas Explorations
- Elizabeth Kwant Interview
- Helaine Blumenfeld: Undulating Structures
- National Gallery Explores ‘Sin’ In New Exhibition – Interview Dr Joost Joustra Curator
- Betty Spackman: Posthumanism Debates
- Christopher Clack: Connecting The Material And Immaterial
- Peter Howson Artlyst Interview
- Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker On The Legacy Of ArtWay
- Alastair Gordon A Testament To His Faith
- Katrina Moss Chaiya Art Awards Interview: Where is God in our 21st century world?
- Apocalypse Now: Michael Takeo Magruder Interviewed
- Jonathan Anderson: Religious Inspirations Behind Modernism
- Caravan – An Interview With Rev Paul Gordon Chandler On Arts Peacebuilding
- Art Awakening Humanity Alexander de Cadenet Interviewed
- Michael Pendry New Installation Lights Up St Martin In The Fields
- Mark Dean Projects Stations of the Cross Videos On Henry Moore Altar
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- Christmas: The Art Of Faith December 2022 Diary
- Soulages And Strange Clay November 2022 Art Diary
- Alexander de Cadenet And Michael Forbes October 2022 Diary
- Spiritual Joseph Beuys Plus More: September Diary
- Holiday Snaps – End Of Summer Art Diary
- Art Search: August 2022 Diary
- Re-imagining Essex July 2022 Diary
- Art Illuminating spirituality June 2022 Diary
- Venice To London May 2022 Diary
- Jacob Epstein, Louis Carreon, Titus Kaphar, Betty Spackman – April 2022 Diary
- Audrey Flack Carlo Crivelli And Robert Indiana – March Diary
- My Art Diary And Other Thoughts February 2022
- And On An Art Note: End Of Year Diary 2021
- International Autumn Art Exhibition Reviews
- And On An Art Note: End Of Year Diary 2021
- Zurbaran Contrasts and Innovations National Gallery London
- Bruegel To Rembrandt Drawing The Rise of Naturalism Compton Verney
- Into Abstraction Meaning Connection And Hope Firstsite
- Nigerian Modernism Explored Tate Modern
- Can We Stop Killing Each Other? – Sainsbury Centre
- Millet Life on the Land National Gallery
- Lubaina Himid With Magda Stawarska Kettle’s Yard
- Arpita Singh Social Observations Serpentine North
- Siena: The Creative Achievement Of Christendom
- An Uncommon Thread Hauser & Wirth Somerset
- Michelangelo Leonardo Raphael At The Royal Academy Review
- Modern Art Oxford Reopens After £2million Redesign
- Leonora Carrington Still Relevant Firstsite Colchester
- Ken Currie, Kehinde Wiley, Susie Hamilton Three Exhibitions About Communities
- The Victorian Radicals And Other Related Exhibitions
- Cedric Morris And Arthur Lett-Haines Gainsborough House
- Lunar Lullabies, David Lock and Concrete Dreams Three Shows To See At Firstsite
- Tate Expressionists Exhibition Reveals Spirituality and Past Gender Disparity
- The Last Caravaggio National Gallery
- Issam Kourbaj Kettle’s Yard And Heong Gallery Cambridge
- Li Yuan-chia And Friends Kettles Yard Cambridge
- Antony Gormley Explores Self Awareness White Cube Bermondsey
- Holbein: Politics Religion And Draughtsmanship – The Queen’s Gallery
- R B Kitaj And Philip Guston: Figurative Painting Celebrated
- Paula Rego And Lord Harries Respond To Art And Religion
- A World In Common: Contemporary African Photography Tate Modern
- Chris Ofili Exploring Sin At Victoria Miro
- Ai Weiwei - The Artist of Resistance - The Design Museum
- Saint Francis of Assisi A Timely Exhibition - National Gallery
- Why Critics Have A Problem With The Pre-Raphaelites?
- Religion and Spirituality in Post Impressionism National Gallery
- Black Artists From The American South Royal Academy
- Donatello: The Divine Fused With The Human V&A
- Lucian Freud And His Circle Surveyed In Two London Exhibitions
- A Question Of Clay: Strange Clay – Hayward Gallery
- William Kentridge: Merging Politics With Aesthetics – RA
- Winslow Homer: Beyond The Sea – National Gallery
- Hidden Depths: The Woman in the Window – Dulwich Picture Gallery
- Heavenly Visions: Churches As Spaces For Contemporary Art
- In The Black Fantastic London’s Best Summer Exhibition
- Hew Locke And The Christian Roots Of Carnival – Tate BritainLes Lalanne, Schütte And Gursky London Spring Exhibition Highlights
- Sensuous Sickert and Philpot Two Major UK Solo Exhibitions
- Raphael The Human And Divine – National Gallery
- Damien Hirst The Visceral Reality Of Death
- Ali Cherri: Artist in Residence National Gallery
- Surrealism Outside The Usual Story – Tate Modern
- Marcus Lyon Creates Fields of Vision At St Martin-in-the-Fields London
- Van Gogh Self Portraits The Infinite And The Ordinary
- Marvellous Icons: The London Jesuit Centre
- Albrecht Dürer Travels Of A Renaissance Artist – National Gallery London
- Diasporan Identities: Life Between Islands Caribbean British Art – Tate Britain
- Isamu Noguchi: Socially Engaged Art – Barbican Centre
- Pablo Bronstein: A This-World Vision Of Hell
- Bosco Sodi: In The Beginning Of Wisdom
- George Condo Lockdown Works Hauser & Wirth
- Theaster Gates Clay As A Profound Metaphor
- Mark Rothko: Mesmerising And Intimate Works On Paper
- Roger Cecil: A Once In A Generation Welsh Painter
- Tino Sehgal: Location, Nature And Pandemic – Blenheim Palace
- Michael Armitage And The Power Of Art – Royal Academy
- Marie Raymond And Post-War Avant Garde Painting In Paris
- Rachel Kneebone: A Complex Tableau Of Organic And Geometric Forms
- Rodin: Suffering And Conflict – Tate Modern
- Barbara Hepworth: Symbols Of Art & Life – Hepworth Wakefield
- 20th Century Women Artists Challenging Conventions In Britain
- Chaiya Art Awards 2021 Gallery OXO
- Marc Chagall’s Exquisite Stained Glass Window Commissions
- George Gittoes Equal parts artist and warrior
- Keith Haring: Personal Spiritual Imagery
- Sean Scully: Philosophical Poetic Pastoral The 12 / Dark Windows
- Arthur Jafa: The Art Of Cutting And Pasting
- Blackpentecostal Breath: Spirit-Led Movement Jumps From Music To Visual Art
- Made in USA Ed Ruscha An American Perspective
- Robert Smithson: The Archetypal Nature Of Things
- If Jesus Is A Man Of Colour Why Did We Make Him Aryan?
- Cosmic Patches And Quilts Five Exhibitions
- Everyday Heroes: Southbank Exhibition Celebrates Low-paid Key Workers
- Entwining Spiritualism And Art – Three Shows
- Of Church And The Visual Arts
- Has The Word Master Reached Its Sell-By Date?
- The People Behind Community Is Kindness Billboard Campaign
- André Daughtry: Art, Rebellion And Racial Justice
- Salisbury Cathedral 800 Years Of Art And Spirit
- Home Alone Together Twenty Five Artists
- Botanical Mind Online: Art, Mysticism and the Cosmic Tree
- Salvador Dalí The Enigma of Faith
- Art And Faith A Time For Seeing
- Andy Warhol: Catholicism His Work, Faith And Legacy
- Kiki Smith: Embodied Art
- Art and Christianity Awards A Positive New Millennium Legacy
- Arnulf Rainer: 90th Birthday Exhibition Celebrated At Albertina Museum
- A Belonging Project And Exiles Loss and Displacement
- Robert Polidori: Fra Angelico Opus Operantis
- Art, Faith, Church Patronage and Modernity
- Contemplating the Spiritual in Contemporary Art
- Mat Collishaw Challenges Faith Perspectives With Ushaw Installation
- Waterloo Festival Launches At St. John’s Waterloo
- John Bellany Alan Davie Spiritual Joy and Magic
- RIFT Unites 17 Art and Science MA Graduates At Central St Martins
- Visionary Cities: Michael Takeo Magruder – British Library
- Van Gogh’s Religious Journey Around London
- William Congdon Holy Sites And The Kettle’s Yard Connection
- Mark Dean Premieres Pastiche Mass At Banqueting Hall Chelsea College of Arts
- John Kirby: The Torment
- Underlying The Civilised Facade
- Curating Spiritual Sensibilities In Changing Times
- Homeless Highlighted: New Beau Exhibition At St Martin-in-the-Fields
- Ken Currie: Protest Defeat And Victory
- Bosco Sodi: A Moment Of Genesis
- Bill Viola And The Art Of Contemplation
- Art In Churches 2018: Spiritual Combinations Explored
- Sister Wendy Beckett – A Reminiscence
- Guido Guidi: Per Strada Flowers Gallery London
- Peter Howson: The play is over – Flowers Gallery
- Camille Henrot: Scientific History And Creation Story Mash Up
- Nicola Green Explores Recent And Contemporary Religious Leaders – St Martin-in-the-Fields
- Art And The Consequences Of War Explored In Two Exhibitions
- Helaine Blumenfeld Translating Her Vision
- Sam Ivin: Physically Scratched Portraits Of Asylum Seekers Exhibited
- Sacred Noise: Explores Religion, Faith And Divinity
- Bill Viola: Quiet Contemplative Video Installation St Cuthbert’s Church Edinburgh
- The ground-breaking work of Sister Corita Kent
- Picasso To Souza: The Crucifixion Imagery Rarely Exhibited
- Michael Takeo Magruder: De / coding the Apocalypse – Panacea Museum
- Giorgio Griffa: The Golden Ratio And Inexplicable Knowledge
- Arabella Dorman Unveils New Installation At St James Church Piccadilly
- Can Art Transform Society?
- Art Awakening Humanity Conference Report
- Central St Martins in the Fields Design Then And Now
- The Sacramental And Liturgical Nature Of Conceptual Art
- Polish Art In Britain: Centenary Marked At London’s Ben Uri Gallery
- Refugee Artists: Learning from The Lives Of Others
- The Religious Impulses Of Robert Rauschenberg
- The Christian Science Connection Within The British Modern Art Movement
- Artists Rebranding The Christmas Tree Tradition
- Art Impacted - A Radical Response To Radicalisation
- The Art of St Martin-in-the-Fields
- Was Caravaggio A Good Christian?
Josh Garrels - White Owl.
Sunday, 17 May 2026
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)
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.
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Alarm - The Road.
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