TowerPod: St Mary's Marston Moreteyne and Lidlington

Dear Reader, Couple of reminders: 9.30am Family Christingle on Sunday, and Carols by Candlelight 7pm. Carols by Candlelight is always what puts me in the mood for Christmas and brings me joy - come and bring a friend! Andrew+ Luke 3:1–6 NRSV In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip rule...

Dear Reader, The word "Advent" comes from the Latin word adventus , which means "coming" or "arrival". It is a translation of the Greek word parousia , which originally referred to the Second Coming . So Advent, although about getting ready to celebrate Christmas - the First Coming of Jesus Christ - is actually meant to get us ready for His Second Coming - the Parousia. Enjoy listening to the Serm...

Dear Reader, With the Assisted Dying Bill coming before Parliament on Friday, may I invite you to take part in our Seven Day Novena of Daily Prayer? I hope you will find comfort and inspiration from the prayers and scriptures as the Bill is debated this week. There are two ways you can participate: either daily prayer or the online Prayer Vigil or both. Either use the Daily Prayer booklet - click:...

Dear Reader, With the Assisted Dying Bill coming up on 29 November, may I invite you to Assisted Suicide: what does the Bible say? It’s a Talk and Q&A with guest speaker Rob Rawlins 7.15pm in church on Tuesday 19 November. This is an opportunity to learn more about this complex issue, along with the ancient teachings of the Christian faith and Holy Scripture. It should be a good discussion. Please...

Dear Reader, A reminder that next Sunday 10 November we don’t have our 10.30am Service - instead it’s 9.30am Joint Family Holy Communion (unlike last year, a Service of Remembrance will be held at the War Memorial 10.45 am). Enjoy praying the Lord’s Prayer Method this week! Here’s the Sermon Notes for you. God bless, Andrew Luke 11:1–13 ESV Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he fin...

Hello, sorry these last two Podcasts came out a little late - hopefully I’ll do better next week! Enjoy this, the second of our mini sermon series on the Lord’s Prayer. It was preached on our Patronal Festival, when we remember and honour Mary the mother of Jesus, our Patron, and seek to follow her example as a disciple of her own son Jesus! Reminder for you - at 7pm Saturday 2 November you’re inv...

Sermon Handout Dear Reader, listener, We are entering our ‘Season of Prayer’ to help us prepare for mission in the New Year. I hope learning to pray the Lord’s Prayer in a deeper way together will help us during this season of prayer, and to fulfil our vision - the prayer bit: “To be a Tower of living stones; chosen, mended and built by Jesus our Cornerstone - to make followers for Him, to be a sa...

Hebrews 4:12–16 NRSV Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.  Since, then, we have a great high priest who...

Dear Reader, A reminder that this coming Sunday 13 October are the Village Pet Blessing Services 9.30 and 10.30am. Bring your pet, or a photo on phone or print! This is Baby Loss Awareness Week, and our Baby Loss Service is coming up 7pm on Thursday 17 October - please invite friends and family. The Service is for anyone who’s lost a baby before or after birth, however it has happened, whether by...

Dear Reader, I hope you’re coping with this rainy weather! I’ve bravely driven twice through long stretches of water above my car door sills this week already! You’ll be pleased to know that our new dishwasher arrived safely this morning, welcomed by Chris, Assistant Churchwarden. This may be the first email with our Towerpod sermon podcast on Substack that I’ve sent you. I hope you find it helpfu...

Dear Reader, This is a vital topic in Christian discipleship - and I can only touch on it briefly in the sermon. I encourage you to study further yourself in order to equip you to protect yourself and those you love from the lies which are ravaging our way of life. Our reading today is taken from St Paul’s letter to the Christian community in Ephesus - by modern-day Selçuk in Turkey. God bless you...

Dear Reader, Welcome to this weeks TowerPod! I pray listening gives you spiritual strength, understanding and encouragement. Keep running the race! Andrew John 6:51–58 NRSV Jesus said: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying...

Dear Reader, This sermon is based on the gospel reading for the day and St Paul’s letter to the Christians in Ephesus. I’m experimenting - you might be able to find a transcript somewhere on here too if you like to read. I hope the sermon gives you spiritual blessing and encouragement wherever you’re at. Enjoy! with love and prayer, Andrew Ephesians 4:1–16 NRSV I therefore, the prisoner in the Lor...

Dear Listener, I hope you’re enjoying TowerPod on it’s new home, Substack. As you can see, you’re able to read the Gospel if you like, and also , there’s a transcript you can read too, so now we have both audio and reading options. I hope TowerPod helps equip you in your discipleship as you seek to follow Christ or explore the Christian Way. Do comment or feeback in the chat section. Blessings on...

Sermon by Revd. Canon Andrew Goodman Mark 6:30–34, 53–56 NRSV The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recogn...

Dear Listener, Someone said to me this morning that they don’t use facebook (where the link to TowerPod is posted) and they asked how they could more easily find out where the podcast is and listen. So… Welcome to TowerPod - now moved to Substack: where you can subscribe for email updates of new posts to arrive in your inbox automatically. Simples! I invite you to subscribe! God bless, Andrew+ Our...

Sermon by Revd. Canon Andrew Goodman Mark 6:1–13 NRSV He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of...

Sermon Revd. Canon Andrew Goodman Mark 5:21–43 ESV And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she...

Sermon: Revd. Andrew Goodman Mark 4:35–41 NRSV On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; a...

Sermon by Revd Judy Harris Mark 4.26–34 He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the...

Sermon by Revd. Andrew Goodman Mark 3.20–35 ...and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, ‘He has gone out of his mind.’ 22And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.’ 23And he called them to him, and spoke to them...

Sermon Revd Canon Andrew Goodman John 3:1–17 ESV Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God...

Sermon Revd. Canon Andrew Goodman John 15:26–27 and 16:4b–15 ESV “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I h...

Sermon by Revd. Canon Andrew Goodman John 17:6–19 “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed...

Acts 10:44–48 Sermon by Revd. Canon Andrew Goodman While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these...