Preached yesterday at St Francis’, Luton. The text was 1 Corinthians 12.1-11. Last week, I posted some thoughts as I was preparing.
You can also see the accompanying presentation as a PDF.
Permanent link to this article: http://jamesthevicar.com/wordpress/2012/04/23/sermon-gifts-of-the-spirit-overview/
Apr 20 2012
Pound-shedding Update: Week One
Image by Flickr / puuikibeach
Well, this hasn’t gone according to plan. Four days of extreme discipline. No chocolate, cake, crisps, beer, wine, sweets of any kind, biscuits has resulted in weight gain of 6lb!
Here are the extremely perplexing numbers:
- Weight: 13st 10lb
- Wii Fit Age: 29
No, I don’t understand either!
Update: I left it five minutes and did another body test, this revealed a weight of 13st 9lb and Wii Fit Age of 28. Go figure!
Update 2: It turns out that I’d put the Wii Fit Balance Board on a bit of a slope in our living room today (that’s another story!). I moved it back to the flat bit where it had been on Monday and retested:
- Weight: 13st 3lb
- Wii Fit Age: 27
That’s more like it.
Permanent link to this article: http://jamesthevicar.com/wordpress/2012/04/20/pound-shedding-update-week-one/
Apr 19 2012
Word as Wordle: 1 Corinthians 12.1-11
This Sunday at St Francis’, Luton, we start a preaching series looking at the gifts of the Spirit. Unsurprisingly, the reading therefore is 1 Corinthians 12.1-11. Here’s the Wordle:
The church in Corinth had got hung-up on the exciting gifts, and had over-valued the gift of tongues within this. Paul is concerned to bring a loving correction to this. He reminds them later in the chapter that within a body, all members need each other and that this also applies to the church where not all work miracles, prophesy or speak in tongues.
I’ll be unpacking this more on Sunday at 9.15 and 10.30 for 11.00.
Permanent link to this article: http://jamesthevicar.com/wordpress/2012/04/19/word-as-wordle-1-corinthians-12-1-11/
Apr 16 2012
Let the pound-shedding begin!
Image by Flickr / puuikibeach
Since we moved to Luton, I’ve allowed myself to put on a bit of weight, with the result that I’m currently about 12lb overweight. Less than a stone but still not ideal. Easter’s now passed and with it the compulsion to eat chocolate in large quantities and so I’ve decided to re-adopt a regime that has helped me lose weight before. I announce: the patented (not really), guaranteed to lose you weight (not remotely) James Ogley Weight Loss Plan.
Basically, the deal is I cut out all sweet stuff and allow myself alcohol and crisps only at the weekend. I make an allowance for the fact that occasionally my job takes me to a pub in the week and just give myself a bit of flexibility on that score. I also will be using Wii Fit for a workout at least once a week.
As I said, I’m currently just short of a stone overweight so my target is to lose a stone in the next three months. This will bring me to within my ideal weight range for my height (5’10″). Wii Fit also does a rough calculation of your body’s age based on the results of your weigh-in and some balance tests, so I’ll monitor that too. Of course, I’ll be blogging the updates to give me extra incentive to lose the weight.
So, my starting numbers are:
- Weight: 13st 4lb
- Wii Fit Age: 36
The age is sort of spot-on, it was wavering between 35 and 36 and I’m closer to 36 than I am to 35.
Permanent link to this article: http://jamesthevicar.com/wordpress/2012/04/16/let-the-pound-shedding-begin/
Apr 12 2012
“The” Melling Road
Photo by Flickr / Tim. Edwards
This year’s Grand National meeting begins today. The eyes of the racing world will be on the village where I grew up, Aintree. There will be three days of fantastic racing action (starting with the Liverpool Hurdle at 1400BST), a lot of bets, some silly hats and, worst of all, three days of people getting the name of Melling Road wrong.
Melling Road runs South-West out of Aintree towards Walton and divides Aintree Racecourse in two with the result that a number of races have to cross it. When this happens, commentators invariably describe it as The Melling Road. This is neither its name nor an accurate description of it. The Melling Road would imply the road that takes you to Melling but as I already said, Melling Road goes to Walton. Melling is to the North of Aintree and you take Spencer’s Lane to get there.
So this is a plea to all involved in commentating on this year’s Grand National meeting. Get it right please. It’s Melling Road, not The Melling Road.
Thank you.
Permanent link to this article: http://jamesthevicar.com/wordpress/2012/04/12/the-melling-road/
Apr 08 2012
Sermon: He is risen!
Recorded this morning, 10.30 for 11.00 version only. It was All-Age so it’s quite short! 
Mark 16.1-8 – He is risen!
Permanent link to this article: http://jamesthevicar.com/wordpress/2012/04/08/sermon-he-is-risen/
Apr 07 2012
What kind of day has it been?
I have been loaned the DVDs of Sports Night which I am currently enjoying. For those who don’t know, this was what Aaron Sorkin did before The West Wing and it’s Sorkin through and through.
No-one’s writing and characterisation raises my heart-rate like Aaron Sorkin’s.
If, like most in the UK, you’ve missed out on Sports Night, find some way of seeing it. You’ll love yourself for it.
Permanent link to this article: http://jamesthevicar.com/wordpress/2012/04/07/what-kind-of-day-has-it-been-2/
Apr 02 2012
YAESCu (Yet Another Epic Sermon Catch-up)
I have again allowed a long period of time to pass since I last posted a link to the audio for my sermons, so another catch-up is required:
- 19 February – 1 Thessalonians 5 “Live in the Light”: 9.15 version; 10.30 for 11.00 version.
- 22 February – Isaiah 58; Matthew 6.1-6,16-21 “Ash Wednesday“
- 25 March – Jeremiah 31.31-34 “A New Covenant”: 9.15 version; 10.30 for 11.00 version.
- 1 April – Mark 11.1-11 “The King is Coming”: 10.30 for 11.00 version only.
Permanent link to this article: http://jamesthevicar.com/wordpress/2012/04/02/yaescu/
Mar 17 2012
The following motion
Today, St Albans Diocesan Synod voted to reject the Anglican Covenant.
It then voted overwhelmingly in favour of a following motion proposed by Christina Rees and also proposed across the dioceses. I mentioned it in passing in my exhaustive live tweeting of the Synod this morning and promised I would say more now. So here is the text of the motion:
That this Synod:
a) rejoice in the fellowship of the world-wide Anglican Communion, which is rooted in our shared worship and held together by bonds of affection and our common appeal to Scripture, tradition and reason;
b) thank the Archbishop of Canterbury for his tireless efforts throughout the Communion to sustain and strengthen unity in difficult times; and
c) call on the House of Bishops:
i) to find ways to maintain and reinforce strong links across the world-wide Anglican Communion and to deepen the Church of England’s involvement with the existing Communion ministries and networks (especially the continuing Indaba process);
ii) to publicise and promote this work within the dioceses of the Church of England in order to broaden understanding of, and enthusiasm for, the Anglican Communion; and
iii) to encourage a wide understanding of, and support for, the next Lambeth Conference.
Permanent link to this article: http://jamesthevicar.com/wordpress/2012/03/17/the-following-motion/
Mar 14 2012
Three Cities named as “New” Cities!
Image by Flickr / SarahCartwright
Three new cities have apparently been announced – one each in England, Wales and Scotland. They are Chelmsford, St Asaph and Perth respectively.
There’s only one problem with this.
They were all cities already.
A city is somewhere that has a Cathedral and all three places in question have a cathedral.
Don’t believe me?
Luton was also on the shortlist but wasn’t made into a city. Which saves us building a Cathedral if nothing else.
Permanent link to this article: http://jamesthevicar.com/wordpress/2012/03/14/three-cities-named-as-new-cities/
