God of the harvest, at this time we usually come to celebrate earth’s plenty, but this year we still find ourselves anxious and with faltering hope. Things were so much better two years ago! Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like a river changing from trickle to flood. After tears of sadness we pray that you…Continue reading Harvest Intercessions
Author: Anne Morris
I am an anglican parish priest in the Diocese of Blackburn working in a parish of multiple deprivation. I believe the Church of England has a strong bias towards the wealthy and powerful and has little idea about either poverty or ministry in places of poverty.
I have an MA in Feminist Theology from the University of Manchester and a Doctorate in Practical Theology from the University of Chester.
My interests are gardening, bird watching, playing the piano and icon painting.
A Sermon for Harvest
Hope has wavered over the past two years. Sometimes it felt as if we were never going to come out of the other side of covid. Even now things feel unstable and insecure – once again there are empty shelves at the supermarket and those of us with cars have faced queues at petrol stations…Continue reading A Sermon for Harvest
Intercessions Year B Proper 23 2021
Generous God, you give us the world’s plenty, but we have become immune to your blessings: give us a deep sense of what is truly important, what is of abiding value, and what we might lay aside in order to follow you more faithfully. Forgive our excesses, human greed and decadence, and bless those who…Continue reading Intercessions Year B Proper 23 2021
Sermon about the Parable of the Rich Young Man
‘You lack one thing’, Jesus tells the young man who has come to ask how he might inherit eternal life. For the young man it was his wealth, his possessions. We might breathe a sigh of relief and think, ‘well I’m OK then’ – I’m not wealthy’. But this young man’s wealth wasn’t stocks and…Continue reading Sermon about the Parable of the Rich Young Man
Intercessions – Proper 20 Year B 2021
Lord Jesus, you came as a child in dangerous times; you were fragile and vulnerable. You became the crucified One, dying with criminals and outcasts outside the walls of the city. Give us eyes to see you in people we easily overlook and ignore, in those who grasp on life is fragile. And having seen, help…Continue reading Intercessions – Proper 20 Year B 2021
Sermon – Proper 20 Year B 2021
A few years ago, I dealt with a situation in a Vicarage in Burnley, where visitors complained of seeing a shadowy woman in a vintage dress who emitted a feeling of intense sadness. We did a bit of research to find out who this woman might be. We stumbled upon the story of a Vicarage…Continue reading Sermon – Proper 20 Year B 2021
Sermon – Proper 18 Year B 2021
Last week we heard the gospel story about the washing of hands – about how ritual washing put people inside or outside the accepted understanding of ritual cleanliness. Jesus argues with the Pharisees, who were shocked that the disciples were eating without washing their hands. This made them unclean as understood by the rituals of…Continue reading Sermon – Proper 18 Year B 2021
Intercessions – Proper 18 Year B 2021
God whose love is boundless, we bring to you the world you made; our home – a place of beauty but of trouble and sorrow. We pray for the people of Afghanistan, the people of New Orleans and New York, for countries where Covid rages with no hope of vaccinations, for those who endure famine…Continue reading Intercessions – Proper 18 Year B 2021
Intercessions – Proper 16 Year B 2021
Jesus Christ, bread of life, we pray for your church, that around the fellowship of your table, we will be one in heart and mind, following you in love for humanity and in the ways of justice and peace. Look on our little church, small but faithful: bless us, we pray. Lord Jesus, your…Continue reading Intercessions – Proper 16 Year B 2021
Sermon – Proper 16 Year B 2021
Proper 16 I was lucky enough to be brought up in Kendal. Looking back, I can see that it was a lovely place to be, although I didn’t really appreciate it as a teenager; it seemed you couldn’t go into town without a teacher who was still waiting for your homework! The town motto of…Continue reading Sermon – Proper 16 Year B 2021