John Davies: Notes from a small vicar

The widow who took on the judge, and the Liverpool Poverty Hearing speakers whose truthful, expert, voices were for once given a platform to be heard. A talk for The Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity, 19 October 2025; Church Action on Poverty Sunday . Referencing 2 Timothy 3.14-4.5 ,  Luke 18.1-8. Find the text to this and all my talks at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://bit.ly/jd-talks .

“In the modern world, we compete as individuals, against all other individuals. The community is nothing and the individual is everything. We have identified the enemy and he is us.” (René Girard). Discussing the conflict between a spirit which bows and bends us out of shape, and a spirit which helps us stand tall. A talk for The Tenth Sunday after Trinity, 24 August 2025. Referencing ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ Hebrew...

We need to talk about Israel because today we stand witness to the extreme aggression of the current State of Israel against the Palestinian people, and as our Christian faith is intimately bound up with the historical faith of these semitic peoples, it gives rise to many troubling questions for us. A talk for The Ninth Sunday after Trinity, 10 August 2025. Referencing ⁠ Hebrews 11.29 – 12.2 ,  Lu...

But  proof  isn't the point of faith.  Life  is the point. The important thing about faith is how it makes us live. The essence of faith is that it’s about seeing things from a different point of view. It is ' the perception of the incongruity', (to quote Ken Dodd). A talk for The Eighth Sunday after Trinity, 10 August 2025. Referencing Hebrews 11.1-3,8-16 ,  Luke 12.32-40. Find the te...

Will God help us when it hurts? Will God help us bring an end to the massacre of innocents? Can God show us how to overcome those things which divide us, how to escape our cycles of condemning and being condemned? Will God guide us into ways of goodness and hope? How we long to find a way to ‘shorten the distance between ourselves and God’. There is a ‘way’ to do this, and a ‘how’. The way is Jesu...

The Good Samaritan story is a parable that ‘parables’ us - in other words, we see ourselves in it , and where it puts us, may be an uncomfortable place. It's not intended to condemn us for thinking ill of others: but to motivate us to cultivate love, even for those we fear or dislike, to help us to be better prepared to be compassionate . A talk for The Fourth Sunday after Trinity, 13 July 202...

Jesus entrusted seventy followers to visit people's homes and greet them with “Peace to this house!” It's a simple prayer we can make our own in our search for peace in the world. A talk for The Third Sunday after Trinity, 6 July 2025. Referencing Galatians 6.1–16 , Luke 10.1-20 . Find the text to this and all my talks at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bit.ly/johndavies-talks⁠⁠ .

Men can be reluctant to embrace - in the traditional icon The Embrace of the Apostles Peter and Paul these two certainly are. But the iconographer is saying that, despite their differences, the Spirit united them in the work of the mission of God, in making 'a new thing' happen in a world exhausted of hope. A talk for The Festival of Peter and Paul, Apostles, 29 June 2025. Referencing the...

The exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac is a tale about anyone who does not feel at home in the world at large, anyone uncomfortable with the way of life imposed on them by the powerful spirits of society; it is for anyone made to feel that their so-called ‘mental health problems’ are entirely of their own making, rather than being symptoms of the sick society we live in. And this is a tale which tu...

Public prayers outside the Cavern to commemorate John Lennon; faithful prayers for the good of the next generations - a meditation on hope. A talk for Trinity Sunday, 15 June 2025. Referencing ⁠Romans 5.1-5⁠ . Find the text to this and all my talks at  ⁠⁠bit.ly/johndavies-talks⁠⁠

Luke describes the coming of the Holy Spirit in these words: “And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.” This was the sound of walls falling down, the sound of barriers to love and understanding collapsing; this was the wind of change which blows away our fear and suspicion of others, and fills  us instead w...

Referencing ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ Acts 10.34-43 , Luke 24.1-12. A talk for Easter Sunday, 20 April 2025.  The absence of God "is like a presence”, writes R. S. Thomas. What might this mean for us, living in an era of absence, where, with things lacking in society which we feel should be there, our world seems eerie? Find the text to this and all my talks at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Referencing ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ Exodus 1.8-2.10 , Luke 2.33-35. A talk for Mothering Sunday, 30 March 2025.  Our remarkable scriptures privilege and celebrate the outsiders: like the subversive midwives, the defiant mother and sister, the sympathetic princess, united by their surreptitious risk-taking actions to save a baby. The pharaohs and presidents, the CEOs and chancellors, will go on doing what the...

Referencing ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ Psalm 91.1-11 , Luke 4.1-13. A talk for The First Sunday of Lent, 9 March 2025.  "...Then the devil appeared at a supermarket checkout, and said to the customers purchasing processed food, ‘If you throw yourself wholeheartedly into consuming food full of additives, fat, sugar, and calories, you have nothing to fear, for the angels of God will protect you from cancer, heart...

Referencing ⁠⁠ 2 Corinthians 3.12-4.2 , Luke 9.28-43. A talk for The Sunday Next Before Lent, 2 March 2025.  Esther Ghey says that the practice of mindfulness saved her. Originally rooted in Buddhist mediation, mindfulness is now popularly attached to no religion in particular. It’d say that it’s not unlike the Christian, Lenten, practice of taking oneself off for a time to quietly be in the momen...

Referencing ⁠Revelation 4⁠ , ⁠Luke 8.22-25⁠ . A talk for The Second Sunday Before Lent, 23 February 2025.  With so much apocalyptic speech in our public realm stirring up agitation today, it’s vital we grasp that ‘The Christian apocalypse does not indicate the end of the world in a mighty conflagration called Armageddon, nor the resettling of the land of Israel as Zionists would have it. On the co...

Referencing ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ 1 Corinthians 15.12-20 ,  Luke 6.17-26 A talk for The Third Sunday Before Lent, 16 February 2025.  Sometimes in our history dangerous, hateful, words are spoken about the poor, the homeless, and the outsider; sometimes we hear scripture being ‘weaponised and abused’ to justify bigotry and hatred and violence against the mo...

Referencing ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ Hebrews 2.14-18 ,  Luke 2.22-40. On this stage the performers give every sign of being odious human beings, who flaunt the odiousness, knowing that it maddens their opponents and electrifies their cult. What they do as presidents and primates can cause misery for millions of people; and they seem to exult in the distaste they pr...

Sheppard and Worlock came to be known as ‘fish and chips’ because they were always found together and in the newspaper. A celebration of The Body of Christ, disabled and divine, still alive and active in the world today. Referencing ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ 1 Corinthians 12.12-31a , Luke 4.14-21 . A talk for the Church Anniversary service at the end of The Week of Prayer for Chr...

Drawing on the life of Jimmy Carter, Pope Francis' 2025 Jubilee of Hope declaration, and in debt to Howard Thurman's 'Jesus and the Dispossessed', a journey with those who travel in search of the light. Referencing ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ Isaiah 60.1-6 , Matthew 2.1-12. A talk for The FirEpiphany, 5 January 2025.  Find the text to this and all my talks at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bit...

Luke’s story of the 12-year-old Jesus in the temple: this is the story of his bar mitzvah : his becoming an adult who 'increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favour’. New Year is an opportunity for us to reflect, take stock, of everything in our lives. And to recommit to those things which sustain and help us be the best versions of ourselves. Referencing ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ C...

This is the special hour in our year... an hour to contemplate this child, and to offer him the hopes and fears of all our years. Referencing ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ Isaiah 9.2-7 ,  Luke 2.1-14. A talk for Christmas Eve, midnight, 24 December 2024.  Find the text to this and all my talks at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bit.ly/johndavies-talks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ .

Luke does his Jesus family history research. It reveals that it's not, after all, Caesar Augustus who is 'Son of God'. But Jesus... and us... Referencing ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ Malachi 3.1-4 ,  Luke 3.1-6. A talk for The Second Sunday of Advent, 8 December 2024.  Find the text to this and all my talks at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bit.ly/johndavies-talks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ .

'There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress... ‘Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near,’ he said. But how can we raise our heads with the weight of the world on our shoulders? Referencing ⁠⁠⁠ Jeremiah 33.14-16 , Luke 21.25-36 A talk for Advent Sunday 1 December 2024.  Find the text to...

Trouble in Bethlehem: Jesus calls it "the birth pangs of the new beginning" - and we are called to be midwives of a new kingdom in which war and its consequences - famines, disease - will be no more. Referencing ⁠ Hebrews 10.11-25 ,  Mark 13.1-8. A talk for the Second Sunday before Advent, 17 November 2024.  Find the text to this and all my talks at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bit.ly/johndavies-talk...