Sermons

Bishop Steven standing beside a fire at Christ Church Cathedral on Easter Eve.

The Lord is risen — An Easter Sermon

Alleluia, Christ is Risen. Today the Church celebrates new life: the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. This is an event of global, of cosmic significance. Because Christ has been raised, those who belong to Christ will…
Shadow of palm leaves

Signs of hope on Palm Sunday

Bishop Steven reflects on the quiet revival taking place in our churches among Gen Z and young people for Palm Sunday.
Bishop Steven at Christ Church Cathedral.

A message for Easter 2024

For they did not yet understand (20.9) A very happy Easter to you and to your families. May you know the hope of the risen Christ in your homes and in your hearts. I love the gospel stories of the resurrection. One of the things I love…

A message for Lent

A sermon for the beginning of Lent, preached in St Mary’s Iffley and Keble College Chapel on 11th February. The readings for the day were 2 Kings 2.1-12; 2 Corinthians 4.3-6 and Mark 2.1-9.

Safeguarding Sunday service

Over 200 people came together in our cathedral church on Sunday 19 November to give thanks for the work of our Parish Safeguarding Officers and all those who serve with them, to pray for the safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults across the churches and chaplaincies of our diocese and to commit ourselves afresh to this ministry which we share.

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God

Peace is far more than a truce: an absence of conflict, violence and war. Peace is the presence of human flourishing, of well being, of harmony, of lives well lived from childhood to old age. Shalom describes the world we long for; the world we pray for Sunday by Sunday; the world each of us is trying to build.

Think about all these things

A kingdom of healing and renewal in the natural world. A kingdom of justice as inequalities grow wider. A kingdom of peace in a world at war. A kingdom of welcome and a friend in need to the many who are in distress. Surely Charles is king for such a time as this.

Lift up your hearts!

Walk down any street and you will see many people shuffling along – often with their eyes glued to their devices afraid of missing anything yet actually missing everything.

Our calling to be ministers of hope, of faith, of love

Christ walks the earth among us, calling, calling, who will go for us and whom shall we send? At some point we have said ‘Speak, for we are listening. Here I am, send me’. And we have tumbled into the stream, and begun a journey of discovery.