Sermons at St. John’s

Church in Three Dimensions | The Church as Gift

“When we stop treating the Church as a gift, we turn it into something else — a possession.”
How does the word church make you feel? In this opening sermon of the Church in Three Dimensions series, we reflect on the Church as something that is better and worse than we imagine — and yet, by grace, a gift from God.
Drawing on Acts 2 and Ephesians 2, this sermon explores the Church not as a project to manage or a possession to defend, but as a gift we receive in Christ and are called to share with others.
Relevant links:
https://publicchristianity.org/video/oppressive-or-liberating/
https://scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780334066125/giving-the-church
https://scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780334066484/life-together

Church in Three Dimensions | The Church as School

What does it mean to call the Church a school in an age of information overload, algorithms, and constant noise? In this sermon, “The Church as a School,” we reflect on Acts 2:42 and 2 Timothy 3:14–17 to explore the Church as a lifelong place of learning—shaped by Scripture, formed slowly, and centred on Christ. This is not a school of exams, grades, or graduation, but a community where our attention is retrained, our loves reordered, and our lives taught again and again in the way of Jesus.

There's Something About Mary | Andy Hickford

Guest speaker Andy Hickford opens the Gospels of Luke and John to explore Jesus’ encounters with Mary, the sister of Lazarus. He considers what these encounters reveal about faith, hope, and faithful living amid the turbulent times we face today.

Church in Three Dimensions | Church as Family

Rev Steve Pointon grew up at St. John's, but now pastors at Lincoln Fourth Presbyterian Church in the United States. We’re delighted to welcome him back home as he unpacks Church as family.
 

Church in Three Dimensions | Church as a Hospital

What if church was not a place to perform, but a place to rest?
In this sermon, we listen again to Jesus’ gentle invitation:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
Reflecting on Matthew 11:28–30 and Colossians 3:12–15, we explore the image of the church as a hospital — not because people are well, but because they are not. Drawing on themes of presence, healing, and shared life, this message invites us to consider Jesus as the Good Doctor, whose peace makes space for patience, forgiveness, and rest.
This sermon may be especially meaningful if you are feeling tired, disillusioned with religion, or simply in need of quiet reassurance.

Church in Three Dimensions | Church as an Albergue

Rev Corrina Heron continues our series looking at the Church in Three Dimensions with this exploration of the church as an albergue—a place of rest, refuge, and welcome for pilgrims on the road. Drawing on Scripture, pilgrimage, and the Songs of Ascent, we reflect on how Christian community can offer companionship, safety, and renewal, while always pointing beyond itself to the God who journeys with us.

Church in Three Dimensions | The Church as a Table

Why do Christians still celebrate communion? Is it just a ritual? A memorial? A tradition we’ve inherited without thinking too much about it?
In this sermon from our Church in Three Dimensions series, we explore why the Lord’s Table lies at the very heart of the Church's worship. Drawing on Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 10, we discover that communion is not an optional extra — it is where Christ meets us, forms us, and makes us one.
Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body.

Church in Three Dimensions | The Church as a Neighbour

What does it mean for a church to be a good neighbour?
In this week’s service we reflect on Jesus’ command to “love your neighbour as yourself” and Jeremiah’s call to God’s people to “seek the welfare of the city.”
Christian faith isn’t only about what we believe or what happens inside the church building. It’s also about how we live in the places where God has planted us — showing hospitality, practicing kindness, and seeking the flourishing of our community.

Church in Three Dimensions | Church as an Advocate

In this sermon, Rev. Paul Lutton reflects on the biblical call to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves”(Proverbs 31:8–9). Exploring Jesus’ declaration of his mission in Luke 4, he considers how the people of God are called not only to care for the vulnerable but also to use their voice to defend the rights of the poor and the oppressed.

Church in Three Dimensions | Church as a Signpost

In a culture where faith has often sounded harsh or hollow, what if the way back begins not with argument—but with beauty?
In this sermon, we explore Isaiah’s vision of “beautiful feet” alongside Jesus’ call to go and make disciples, asking what it means for the Church to become a signpost once again—pointing not to itself, but to Christ.
Drawing on the idea that beauty is “goodness made manifest to the senses,” we consider how our life together—and our everyday lives—might either reveal or obscure the goodness of God. At a time when many are quietly rediscovering faith, could beauty be the doorway through which people encounter the gospel?
We are the messengers—but we are not the message. The beauty we glimpse from a distance is fully revealed in Jesus Christ.
How might we live in such a way that others don’t just meet us—but meet him?

Church in Three Dimensions | Church as an Embassy

In an age of uncertainty, it’s tempting to retreat—to protect what we have and wait for the storm to pass. But is that what the Church is for?
In this sermon, we explore Paul’s striking image of the Church as an embassy: not a bunker to hide in, but a people sent into the world as ambassadors for Christ. Drawing on 2 Corinthians 5 and the Lord’s Prayer, we consider what it means to live as citizens of another kingdom—here and now.
What if the Church’s calling is not to win arguments or withdraw from culture, but to embody a different way of being human? A way shaped by grace, reconciliation, and hope.