Rev elations

The Mayor has given himself a challenging theme for his Mayoral year that of peace and unity.  In our current national context where fears around religious fundamentalism, or fundamentalism of any kind are rightly feared, it is so important to articulate a hospitable and generous account of what it means for people of different faiths and none to work together for the common good.  This is something that the new Mayor, Ramesh Srivastava has committed himself to, which is a truly noble task. This year provides a great opportunity for the people of Rugby to be further united and to work for peace; we have come together today to witness to what it means to be people of difference who work for peace and unity. Thich Nhat Hanh, an internationally known Vietnamese Zen Buddhist Monk, writes that: 'The practice of peace and reconciliation is one of the most vital and artistic of human actions.' Jesus says in the Bible reading we have just heard: 'Blessed...

As Christians we all the time stand in the presence of the one who is glorified; we always have God as our background, as our strength. We look elsewhere for the ultimate means of knowledge, for the ultimate means of consolation. This marks us out in a secular world, for a secular mindset rejects the idea of there being something greater and better than us who teaches us who we really are and what our real end is. Everything is reduced to what humanity can see, understand, categorise. The Vision that Isaiah* has of God, sums up in many ways the story of God that is told from the start of the Old Testament to the close of the New – God alone is worthy of honour and praise – a true encounter with God brings us to our knees in recognition of our own unworthiness – God forgives us and calls us and sends us to do his work. This Vision of God is a Trinitarian vision as God is seen to work in the ways that we understand God to work as Christians – The Mighty Creator and King worthy of ho...

At the Feast of Pentecost we remember the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. To help us enter into that story afresh,  I wonder if you will imagine with me that you are visiting a house that hasn’t been lived in for some time which, however, you know it really well. Perhaps it’s a summer house that has been left empty all winter; you are travelling down to re-open this house for the summer. Imagine approaching this house, what do you see? Perhaps the grass is very overgrown at the front, too many shrubs that need cutting back. All the curtains are drawn. As you turn the key in the lock and push the door you are at first halted by the amount of mail that has piled up behind the door. As you start to move through the house opening curtains and doors, light starts to filter back into the house, so that you see the furniture and the dust. Your presence starts to bring light with warmth a human touch. You pat down sofas, move some things around. Start to open and sort throu...