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The Upper Room is to this day, an inconspicuous space along a quiet street in Jerusalem. The windows  are hardly noticeable on the first floor next to some dangling electric cables. Jerusalem normally bustles with people, but in these days of lock down it is a quiet and eerie street.

The disciples had returned to the Upper Room in secret, and Jesus was with them for a short time, and showed them his side and feet.But Thomas, was not there and he could not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. When Jesus did return, then Thomas believed. There is much more to this story and it can be found in John 20, verses 19-29.

I am intrigued though with  the secrecy of the Upper Room and gathering there without the authorities knowing. In our isolation world at the moment, we have become aware of being fearful, to know that going out is a risk, to know that there may be people watching us. This is so strange and I am reminded this morning from our Sunday readings just how powerful it is to be isolated.

And yet, like Thomas, many of us do go out and do the essentials, the shopping, the daily exercise, maybe a visit at 2 metres distance to a vulnerable person. I delivered a birthday card to Pearl yesterday, aged 88. The notice at the back door said,” Please knock on the lounge window, I would love to see you.” So I did that and we stood 2 metres apart and had a chat. “How good to have a chat!” said Pearl.

We don’t know what Thomas was  doing, and sometimes he is perceived as doubting Thomas just because he wasn’t there. He was just being very realistic though.

Maybe he too had just been out for some essentials. Don’t judge him too harshly

Rev’d Sue Martin

On a dark and dreary night one week before Christmas, in deepest West Norfolk, I walked along the lane, covered with mud from the fields.

As I turned into the church entrance the windows were lit up with a warm glow from within.  This was a warm welcome to St Mary’s Church.

I was leading the carol service that evening and along with my robes, bag and service sheets, I had assorted necessary items; spare bottle of mulled wine and 12 mince pies.

Opening the creaking door, I immediately felt the warmth from the coal fired boiler, glowing red in the corner; beautiful singing was coming from the a small choir.

“Hello,” said Bill, the churchwarden and farmer.

And I knew that St Mary’s Church, would remain my favourite place for a Carol Service.

“We have 6 bottles of mulled wine, dozens of mince pies and shortbread, all we need now are the people. said Bill.

“I’m sure we will be fine”, I answered in that reassuring way of a vicar!!  And we were.

The creaking door continued to groan at every entrance and people stepped in out of the wet and cold,  joining us with chatter and laughter.

We began singing Once in Royal David’s City. After an hour of listening to the story of Christmas, singing the well known carols, dreaming of the good news that Christmas and Jesus will bring we gathered at the back of the church to share in fellowship with each other. And of course to eat a considerable quantity of mince pies and mulled wine.

Christmas can start once the carols are sung, the readings are read and we are ready to share with families and friends the good news that Jesus came down from heaven.

Rev’d Sue Martin

Advent literally means the arrival or the coming.  Just as it’s getting darker and darker with the nights getting longer and longer, we start thinking about the light of the world;

All out of darkness there came light,…

The light of the world has come among us to cast away the works of darkness and put on the armour of light from the collect.

What does that all mean, darkness, the works of darkness, the armour of light?

After news of another attack on the people of London near London Bridge, can we reconcile ourselves to be aware that there are still many incidents of dark deeds in this land and on this earth.

Having been completely disillusioned by politicians of any side of the debate, I wonder when we can get back to knowing that there is still a deep unrest in this country and others too.

Read more in Advent 2019

Rev’d Sue Martin

Spartacus the ballet was performed over three weeks this summer. I was lucky to be there for the opening night and the performance by the Bolshoi Ballet was stunning beyond words. This is a ballet full of emotion and hard gritted determination of Spartacus and his followers in the complete strength of the Roman Army in Italy. A full three hours of energy,passion, ballet like I had never seen, dance and gymnastic skills which were perfection, either as a group or individuals.

‘The Bolshoi Ballet returned to the Royal Opera House for another exciting three-week season of spectacular ballets presented by Victor Hochhauser, beginning with Yuri Grigorovich’s Spartacus.

This sensational staging, first performed in London in 1969, is a Bolshoi classic, displaying the energy and power of the company’s male dancers.

Spartacus leads his rebellion of gladiators and slaves against the rule of empire in ancient Rome – an epic uprising that brings marching battalions, mortal combat and heroic death scenes.

Performing Khachaturian’s thrilling music, the Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre accompany these performances.’

Further information about the dancers can be found on the Royal Opera House website.

The 150 players in the orchestra were incredible and gave more than I can describe to the energy and passion of this performance.

The principal and soloist dancers were completely stunning and the full audience in the Royal Opera House  were silenced in awe and wonder.

Sometimes it is so good to leave all words behind, and yet feel the amazing energy that life has. This ballet gave so much to the audience and without any words at all, we all left knowing the story and feeling deep within us the hurt and anguish of the life of the slaves.

To know the feeling that is caused by such an outrage as slavery can only help to know and to understand that we all need to leave behind such horrors and reconcile them to the past.

In creative works of dance, art and music we can sense more than we can say and we can glimpse an awareness of life beyond our own understanding.

Rev’d Sue Martin

‘One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind’. Neil Armstrong.

Neil was the first man to walk on the moon, followed by Buzz Aldrin on 20th July 1969.

Awesome, inspirational and 50 years on shows just what we can do from planet earth!

Buzz Aldrin read from the Bible, John 15:5

‘ I am the vine, you are the branches.

Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.’

You can see the last stages of the landing of the lunar module The Eagle

On a clear dark night we can look at the moon, we can also look at Jupiter for a while. But when the moon is out, especially a full moon, we can look and wonder that it is only a small part of our solar system, it has always been there for us shining and reflecting the Sun. Beyond our solar system and universe we know there is our own galaxy and then more beyond that, beyond our wildest dreams, imagining and understanding.

We live in a tiny part of this universe and our understanding of God and our part is still pretty small.

Read more on Sermons 2019

Rev’d Sue Martin

There is something very special in knowing we are part of The Solar System, a small place in God’s universe. The BBC series on The Planets with Professor Brian Cox brings in more than just the science. There is a huge dimension of awe and wonder. The sense of something so much larger than we can see or imagine is embedded in every episode.

I was lucky enough to be star gazing a week ago and watched Jupiter  slowly appear over the darkened horizon, above a cliff side in the Mediterranean. As it slowly crept into the night sky in the south, it shone way in excess of anything else in the sky. No one could  fail to have been impressed with the sight.

Jupiter could in fact have destroyed the earth, in sending out asteroids which landed on earth billions of years ago and have left enormous craters and were responsible for the destruction of over 70 species, including of course, the dinosaurs!

Definitely a series worth watching !

Rev’d Sue Martin

On this glorious Easter Day , spend time in the garden if you can or at least ouside in the sunshine. Gardens and being a gardener are part of the Easter Story. Remember the Garden of Gethsemane, and when Mary found that Jesus was not in the tomb, she thought his voice was that of the gardener.

Jesus said,  “Remember I am with you always to the end of the age”.

And that surely is what the Easter message is about. Jesus risen from the dead, alive and with us, here, now and forever.

The cross that we wear and the cross that he bore gives us the light to walk out into the world and proclaim him Lord, It takes away the power of darkness, it takes away the things that we do wrong and leads us to an eternal life.

It is a love proclaimed, God who sent his only Son to be with us to show his love for all his people.

And Jesus gives us forgiveness, he gives us love, he gives us a light to shine in the world.

The cross that we wear and the cross that he bore gives us the light to walk out into the world and proclaim him Lord,

And let us always remember he said,

I am here with you always, to the end of the age.

Happy Easter and Alleluia Christ is Risen. 

Part of Easter Day sermon

Rev’d Sue Martin

Darkness and on the road. But not like the Wise Men.

Some weeks ago, just before Christmas I went to London and was walking along the road towards The British Library. I noticed a hooded figure lighting up a cigarette in a corner, small, covered in black jacket with a hoodie.

I walked on and then heard a wailing from behind me. There were great crowds of people and no-one else seemed to notice this distressing call from behind, saying,  ” No, you can’t go there, that’s my pitch. Get out! It’s mine, I have it from Big Issue, it’s mine!”

A much larger man was in her space by the wall. He was not giving it up either despite emany wails, hits and tears!

I carried on to the library and had a coffee.

When I came out, it was nearly dark. There by the side of the road was my little figure, squatting on the road, cigarette in mouth, tears down her face, on the phone talking to someone about her problem.

Now, why I walked past a second time, I just don’t know! Please don’t remind me of the story of The Good Samaritan!

So, a month later, Jan 16th, I was walking back along the same piece of road in the dark. And yes, there was my girl, in her own pitch, in her claimed place on the streets of London, not selling Big Issue, but fast asleep, with a mountain of sleeping bags, wrappers, newspapers and other stuff. She looked about 16.

At least she was still with us, and I’m sure or I pray for the certainty, that other rough sleepers keep an eye on her, or maybe the local homeless charity or Camden borough.

What a way to live in 2019 in London!

Rev’d Sue Martin

The picture of boys in India praying for boys in the cave. 

This is a story that went straight to people’s hearts, the successsful rescue was everybody’s hope. What does it tell us…

There is the respect for human life.

There is the willing of nations and ordinary people for a successful rescue.

There are the rescuers with their expertise and determination that this is just their job. But one of them lost his life.

The parents who laid no blame on anyone

The boys who showed such courage and strength.

The coach who had led them into the cave and it had all gone horribly wrong.

Read more in Sermons 2018

Rev’d Sue Martin

The Woman who touched Jesus, Healing of the Woman with a Haemorrhage.  Mark 5: 21-end  

Who touched me?

In a crowd of people, Jesus asks who touched my clothes?

Have you ever been in a crowd of people, with people getting far too close, squashing in from all directions, crowds can be very unsettling anyway.

The disciples said to Jesus, “You see the crowd pressing in on you, how can you say, who touched me?”

How often do we sense that feeling of connectedness? But do ever do anything about it? Not that we ever have the power to perform such miracles. But every day occurrences leave us with a chance to make a difference.

Extract from Sermon on 1st July.

Rev’d Sue Martin