"The Bad Tenants" - Matthew 21:33-46

"The Bad Tenants" - Matthew 21:33-46

A sermon preached by Simon Carver at Dagnall Street Baptist Church  5th October 2014 pm

http://www.stalbansliteraryfestival.co.uk/podcasts/dsbc/DSBC20141005pm.mp3

"My richest gain I count but loss." Sermon from 5th October 2014

"My richest gain I count but loss."  Philippians 3:4-14

Originally preached at Dagnall Street Baptist Church on Sunday 5th October 2014 by Phil Palmer

 http://www.stalbansliteraryfestival.co.uk/podcasts/dsbc/DSBC20141005am.mp3

"The Earth is the Lord's III: ... and eveything in it" A sermon for Harvest 28th September 2014

Originally preached at Dagnall Street Baptist Church on Sunday 28th September 2014 by Simon Carver

Psalm 19, "The Earth is the Lord’s III: ... and everything in it"

http://www.stalbansliteraryfestival.co.uk/podcasts/dsbc/DSBC20140928am.mp3

"The Earth is the Lord’s II: The Importance of being Lost" Sunday 21st September 2014 am

Originally preached at Dagnall Street Baptist Church on Sunday 21st September 2014 by Simon Carver

Job 1:6-12, "The Earth is the Lord’s II: The Importance of being Lost"

http://www.stalbansliteraryfestival.co.uk/podcasts/dsbc/DSBC20140921am.mp3

"The Four Female Ancestors of Jesus" Sunday 14th September 2014 am

"The Four Female Ancestors of Jesus" Sunday 14th September 2014 am


Originally preached at Dagnall Street Baptist Church on Sunday 14th September 2014 by Joe Kapolyo from Edmonton Baptist Church

Matthew 1:1-17

http://www.stalbansliteraryfestival.co.uk/podcasts/dsbc/DSBC20140914am.mp3

"The Earth is the Lord's" Sunday 7th September 2014 am

"The Earth is the Lord's" Sunday 7th September 2014 am

Originally preached at Dagnall Street Baptist Church on Sunday 7th September 2014 by Simon Carver

Genesis 1:27 - 2:2

http://www.stalbansliteraryfestival.co.uk/podcasts/dsbc/DSBC20140907am.mp3

"A Child-like Faith" Sunday 31st August 2014

"A Child-like Faith" Sunday 31st August 2014

Originally preached at Dagnall Street Baptist Church on Sunday 31 August 2014 by Simon Carver

Matthew 18:1-5

http://www.stalbansliteraryfestival.co.uk/podcasts/dsbc/DSBC20140831am.mp3

"If you want to walk on water..." Sunday 10 August 2014

Originally preached at Dagnall Street Baptist Church on Sunday 10 August 2014 by Philip Palmer.

Matthew 14:22-33, "If you want to walk on water..."

http://www.stalbansliteraryfestival.co.uk/podcasts/dsbc/DSBC20140810am.mp3

Sermon 3rd August 2014: Is there more to life than this?

Originally preached at Dagnall Street Baptist Church on Sunday 3rd August 2014 by Simon Carver

The fourth in a series of "Questions people ask."

http://www.stalbansliteraryfestival.co.uk/podcasts/dsbc/DSBC20140803.mp3

Why do I keep messing things up? Sunday 27 July 2014

Originally preached at Dagnall Street Baptist Church on Sunday 27 July 2014 by Philip Palmer.

The third in a series of "Questions people ask."

http://www.stalbansliteraryfestival.co.uk/podcasts/dsbc/DSBC20140728am.mp3

Will anyone love me? Sunday 20th July 2014

The second in a series of sermons: "Questions people ask".

Originally preached at Dagnall Street Baptist Church 20th July 2014 by Simon Carver

http://www.stalbansliteraryfestival.co.uk/podcasts/dsbc/dsbc20140720.mp3

Appeasing the Masterchef gods - will John and Gregg love me?

Having not watched any of the previous episodes, I turned on the TV last night and Celebrity Masterchef was on. It was the Final and the last cooks standing were two people I didn't recognise, and Jodie Kidd. I hadn't realised quite how tall Ms Kidd is. Normally she would be among others of her exceptionally tall species, but alongside normal people ... The contestants had one task which was to cook a three course meal of their own choosing in two and half hours. Gregg Wallace and John Torode, the presenters and judges of the show wandered around the cooks' tables, making encouraging noises, but rolling their eyes behind the contestants' back. And then they were done.

One by one the contestants brought up the products of their labours. There is an unfairness inherent in this process in that the last person to come forward, has had their food cooling and congealing on the plates for several minutes before it gets prodded and tasted. If my mother was a judge she would mark it down purely on the basis that it would fail to take the skin off the roof of her mouth. 

While I have sat through many Masterchef episodes, I had never before noticed the similarity between the way that the food is judged and the offering up of Ann Darrow to King Kong. This is not a sly dig at Gregg Wallace's pre-diet physique, rather it is a based on the attitude of the contestants. As they lay out the food, their faces show that they are beseeching the gods, "Please like my food. Please love me."

This blog is really an effort not to waste a thought that I'm not going to be able to fit into a sermon which is part of a series of "Questions that people ask". This arose from the idea that the Church is often answering questions that people aren't asking and that if it is answering those questions, it is not very good at letting people know. This week's topic is, "Will anyone love me?" 

The Masterchef contestants demonstrate very visually the desire that is in all of us to know love. That love come from a person, but it may come from being in a place, or returning to a place. As Mad Men's Don Draper once said:

Round and a round, and back home again. To a place where we know we are loved.

If you want to know more, let me know.