The Cranmer Group Podcast

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&apo...

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 P...

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.” L...

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.

Tim unpacks Jesus's sending out of his disciples (apostles, as they are referred to here, for the first time, in fact) in Matthew 9:35 - 10:10, finding encouragement for us in all the possibilities to bring the Kingdom of Heaven into people's lives, through our words and our actions.

Reflecting on Matthew 9:9-13 & 18-26, and Romans 4:13-25, Bron helps us to see that we are promised that God is, and always will be, faithful to us; as He challenges us and encourages us in our discipleship journey of - and in - faith.  

Reflecting especially on Genesis 1:1 - 2:4, Annie asks us what might be our response to the greatness, complexity and diversity of our God - three persons, yet one God - with His amazing mission and love for us all?

In the conclusion of our mini-series on generosity and giving, Tim marvels at the extraordinary Pentecost gift of the Holy Spirit to Christ's first followers, and also to us today (Acts 2:1-21). And then, drawing on the account of Jesus witnessing the widow's offering to the Lord (Mark 12:41-44), he invites us to reflect on our response to all that God gives to us - do we open our lives...

In the first of our mini-series on generosity and giving, our Archdeacon of Nottingham, the Ven. Phil Williams, asks us about what and whom we truly love. From that place of love, echoing God's love for us above all in the gift of Jesus, Phil asks us what we will do for the people and communities amongst whom God has placed us, drawing especially on the example of the Macedonian Christians to...

Rev. Tim Chambers, in the plenary session of our 2025 Annual Parochial Church Meetings, looks back over all that God has done amongst us in 2025, and looks forward to some important developments in Cranmer Group life, potentially in the pipeline in the months and years to come.  Please note that there are some brief interruptions in the talk due to slightly malfunctioning technology - we're s...

In the final Sunday reflecting on our Benefice's ministry 'Areas of Focus', Tim encourages us to consider Jesus's words to his disciples in John 15:1-17, that he is the vine and we are the branches, and that only through abiding in him, and sharing his love, can we bear the beautiful "fruit that will last" which he calls us to do.

In the second of our Sundays in which we're reflecting on our Benefice's three ministry 'Areas of Focus', Kevin Deacon shares with us how prayer shapes the way we live - our discipleship! - individually and as God's family (Mark 1:35–39, and Colossians 1:9–12).

In the first of our three Sundays in which we focus on our Benefice's ministry 'Areas of Focus', Clare Chambers speaks to us about Children, Youth and Families, drawing on Paul's Second Letter to Timothy (chapter 1, verses 1-7) and Matthew 13:1-9 - and also on her recent gardening adventures! Clare shares with us what God is already doing in this area of ministry across our chu...

Annie shares with us one of what she describes as three stories with a common, single theme, of 'Jesus and the people on the edge': his encounter with two disciples on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-36, and Psalm 22:1-11)

Tim explores how the resurrected Jesus's words first to his disciples, and then to Thomas, of "Peace be with you!" can be prayed by us over ourselves; over those we love; and over God's world. (Acts 2:14a & 22-32; and John 20:19-31)

As we celebrate Easter Day, linking it back into our recent Exodus sermon series, Tim shares with us - in the risen Jesus's words to the women by his tomb - why the resurrection means that we need never be afraid (Exodus 14:21-31 and Matthew 28:vv1-10).

Drawing on the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in Matthew 21:1-11, and referring back to Exodus 13:17-22, Tim encourages us to choose "The Way of Humility" modelled by Jesus, a King like no other.

Tim brings together the threads of our journey through Exodus, drawing on Exodus chapter 40, verses 16-38, and John's Gospel, chapter 1, verses 14-18. He shows how God dwelling amongst his people in the Tabernacle, as they journeyed through the wilderness, is fulfilled in Jesus "tabernacling" in our hearts today.

Looking especially at the story of the Golden Calf in Exodus, chapter 32, verses 1-20, and also Jesus's tempting in the wilderness, in Matthew, chapter 4, verses 1-11, Tim explores how each one of us is drawn to worship idols in our lives, and how we may be able, with God's help, to resist these temptations, and worship Him alone.

Looking at Exodus 20:1-17, & 20; and Matthew 5:17-20, Bron shows us how the Ten Commandments aren't "a list of all the things you're not allowed do to", but instead are God's blueprint for his people to have a wonderful life lived in harmony with one another and with Him - a life which is fulfilled in the person of Jesus.