Holy Trinity Winchester Podcast

Christ For All, Third Sunday After EpiphanyLuke 4:14-22A Confrontation in the SynagogueIn our reading today from Luke’s Gospel we’ve got half a story. These readings are taken from the Church’s lectionary and so we have to preach on what we’re given, but the selection today I have to say is somewhat odd and could be quite misleading. In the translation that you just heard, the English Standard Ver...

Against Austerity"There was some one thing that was too great for God to show us when He walked upon our earth; and I have sometimes fancied that it was His mirth."This quote, from G.K Chesterton’s book Orthodoxy has been on my mind whilst I have been preparing this sermon. I am sure that Chesterton had a very clever and insightful meaning behind it, but I am not certain that I agree with him. My...

The First Sunday of Epiphany/The Baptism of Christ, 2005Isaiah 43:1-7, Acts 8:14-17, Luke 3:15-17,21-22“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”Isaiah 43:2About three years ago, a five-year-old Moroccan boy called Rayan Oram fell through through the narrow opening of a 104 feet deep well and became trapped. Rescue efforts continued for four days and the story became global news. Hund...

Speaking on Epiphany Sunday, Fr Phil Collins encourages us to imitate the three wise men in their search for Christ and in their gifts for him, seeing him in the poor and those in need. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit holytrinitywinchester.substack.com

Repentance: The Message of John the BaptistLast week we spoke about the opportunity that the season of Advent presents to us: we recognise the coming of Christ as Christmastide and we prepare ourselves to receive him in the best way that we can. I focussed upon the theme of devotion and love for Christ. But this week’s readings remind us that there is a fundamental work that must go alongside such...

The First Sunday of Advent, 2024Luke 21:25-38Realign Your Hearts to GodWhat is Advent about? Friends, today we come to the first Sunday of Advent. I have to be honest and say that Advent my favourite of the liturgical seasons. To begin with, it marks the beginning of the liturgical year. In this six-month period, we start by longing for the coming of Christ amongst us and then celebrate his birth...

Where is the presence of God now?13 And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John a...

Mark 1:14-2014 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will mak...

“Go your way; your faith has made you well.”The story of the blind beggar Bartimaeus ends with Jesus commending the man for his faith. On the surface, this story could be taken to be an exhortation to approach God in prayer in the hope and expectation that he will fulfil the requests of those who call upon him. And yet a closer look at the context of the story reveals a much more challenging pictu...

Find Glory in Suffering“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”“What is good? All that increases the feeling of power, will to power, power itself, in man.” These words were written by the nineteenth century philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche’s view seems to have been that the great majority of human action is motivated by a d...

Think about Wealth Differently“How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!”Each of us only has a certain amount of time and energy to spend in life. Many people experience a moment of awakening when they realise that they have ended up spending it in something they don’t like very much, that isn’t too fulfilling, like a career that doesn’t pay that well or isn’t...

A sermon from Fr Jamie Franklin on the radical dignity that Jesus bestowed upon women and children, contrary to the expectations of his culture and even of his own disciples. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit holytrinitywinchester.substack.com

7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. Andthe dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him...

Jesus and NicodemusOur Gospel reading today needs context. Jesus is speaking to a high-ranking Pharisee called Nicodemus who has come to him secretly because he thinks there is something to the things Jesus has been saying but is afraid to be seen by his peers. They have a slightly odd conversation most of which isn’t in the reading we’ve just heard. But I think in the whole conversation, Jesus is...

Fr Jamie Franklin speaks about a Gentile woman who would not take no for an answer. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit holytrinitywinchester.substack.com

Why aren’t you observing our traditions?(The Pharisees) saw that some of (Jesus’) disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed… And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” (Mark 7:2,5)-       Significance of this question? Disciples not observing the tradition of the Pharisees....

The Devil and the ChurchEphesians 6:10-20Final sermon on Ephesians, ‘The Devil and the Church’Spiritual WarfareIllustration – Cooperative and Antagonistic board games. Central Point – Spiritual life is not just cooperative but involve a battle again the Enemy. Therefore – we must be focussed, aware of the enemy, aware of what he does. Who is the enemy? Who is the enemy? The devil (v.11) and the ru...

The Church is a Place of Genuine JoyEphesians 5:15-21Worldly and Christian JoyI’m calling this sermon today ‘The Church is a Place of Genuine Happiness’ and I’ll come to what I mean by that in a moment. But I’d like to tell a story to begin with. Some years ago, as part of my training for ministry, I had to attend a particularly tragic funeral. This was of a young man who had taken his own life mu...

The Assumption of MaryThursday 15th August, 2024Some Initial ObjectionsThe Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the belief that Mary the mother of Jesus, having completed her earthly life was assumed, body and soul, into heavenly glory to be with her Son. More will be said about that in a moment, but how do we make sense of this belief as Anglicans? The Reformation anxiety about such beliefs i...

The Church is a Picture of the GospelEphesians 4:25-5:2Introduction – The Most Important Thing About the ChurchContinuing with this series of homilies on the book of Ephesians and the Church, I’d like to start with the end of our New Testament reading and work my way back to the beginning. This is because the end of this passage tells us maybe the most important thing about the Church, that which...

The TransfigurationLuke 9:28-36Just over a hundred years ago, many elite Christian professors and intellectuals came up with the idea that the supernatural elements of Christianity were unpalatable to modern tastes and so they decided to get rid of them. The most famous name here is that of Rudolf Bultmann who is associated with the project of ‘demythologising’ Scripture. This project and others l...

The Church is a Place of Growth and UnityEphesians 4:1-16The Holy Trinity and the New BirthIn our reading from the Book of Ephesians there is quite a remarkable passage which describes the church:‘There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through and in all....

The Church is the Place where the Love of Christ is KnownEphesians 3:14-21Today I’d like to speak once again on the New Testament reading from the Book of Ephesians 3:14-21 and to concentrate on what we learn from it about the Church. I’m calling this sermon ‘The Church is the Place where the Love of Christ is Known’.Let’s begin with some observations about the prayer of the Apostle Paul which beg...

The Church Exists for OutsidersEphesians 2:11-22Friends, we find ourselves in the middle of the Sundays after Trinity and the lectionary provides us with an opportunity to speak about the nature of the Church. It does this because, for the next few weeks, the New Testament readings are taken from the book of Ephesians. And the book of Ephesians is all about the Church: what it is and what it shoul...

-       Story of Jesus’ rejection at Nazareth and sending out the twelve to preach and to work miracles.-       Three basic points: Jesus causes offence. Prepare to be offended by Jesus. Prepare to offend and to be rejected.1)    Jesus causes offence-       Jesus preaches well. Instead of positive reaction, suspicion: “Where did he get these things?” And insult: “Isn’t this the son of Mary?” Not J...