Hark, the glad sound - the Saviour comes!

Frideswide is an obscure saint and very strongly located not just in Oxford, but in Christ Church. I wrote this hymn for her feast day (and our patronal festival) in 2022. It's dedicated to Richard Peers, then our Sub Dean, a priest of huge integrity, wisdom and gentleness from whom I learnt a lot. The tune is Highwood, because I love it. This is the house which holy Frideswide founded strong in God’s peace, unshaken, unafraid, choosing a life of prayer, of love and service, she taught God’s truth and brought God’s gracious aid. Once in this place, she healed God’s hurting people; here from her faith she built a house of grace; now in her presence we her light remember as she beholds our God with glowing face. Here stands the shrine, its fragments found and mended – marble and stone once carved with faithful care – craft that remade it after years of absence; her silent presence and her steadfast prayer. And here we come, to ask again for healing, kneeling in worship at the broken ...

A sermon preached at Keble College, as guest preacher for the evening Eucharist, 20/01/2019. I don't usually start sermons with jokes, but after the way this one was received, I see why people do! Epiphany 3 Isaiah 62: 1-5 1 Corinthians 12: 1-11 John 2: 1-11 +May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in your sight O Lord, our Strength and our Salvation. As part of my role at Christ Church, I’m chaplain to the cathedral school where the choristers, as well as about a hundred other boys, go; and every week I take an assembly for the Pre-Prep boys. And this week I told them the story we’ve just heard. On reflection, 4 to 7 year olds may be the wrong audience for a story that is essentially about how very nice a good bottle (or three) of wine is. It certainly seemed that way when one boy stuck his hand up and told me his dad had drunk a whole bottle of wine the night before. At this point I tried to catch the teacher’s eye ...