No-one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back ...

Jesus wasn't to know about GPS satellite navigation and how ploughing a field in a straight line doesn't even need a driver any more ... let alone one who 'keeps their eyes on the road'. It was very different just a few years ago and much more like it was in Jesus' time. It didn't really matter if you were pushing your hand-held plough, driving a pair of oxen or in the cab of a basic tractor: if you turned round, if your looked back, it is highly probable that you would not plough in a straight line.

Nevertheless, Jesus wasn't really talking about ploughing or about those who plough. He was talking about those who are unable or unwilling to fully commit. That's what this Sunday morning's gospel reading is about (Luke 9.51-62). To one person who declares an intention to follow him, Jesus suggests that they won't get the room service they are used to. To another Jesus response seems really cruel: let the dead bury their dead. To the third, who wants to nip home and say "Cheerio" to the family, Jesus replies ‘No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’

This image of Jesus as unsentimental, dispassionate and uncaring is at odds with the image of the shepherd, the pastor, the teacher. Here Jesus seems to be entirely lacking in emotional intelligence which is a characteristic highly prized today and searched for in those who would become clergy.

Maybe the answer is to be found either side of this extract from Luke's gospel. At the start of the reading we learn that Jesus is "setting his face towards Jerusalem" and we, who know how this story pans out, knows what will happen there. In the scenes leading up to this, Jesus encounters an exorcist, has to settle a squabble about greatness between two of his disciples and has had to tell them all "Let these words sink in: the Son of Man is going to be betrayed".

And immediately after this passage, Jesus sends out seventy of his followers to every town and place where he is going to go. He tells them that the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few. He tells them that he is sending them out like lambs into the midst of wolves. He tells them to take no purse, no bag and no sandals. He tells them to expect some of the places they visit to reject them. And he tells them to say to everyone: "The kingdom of God has come near to you."

This is not a place for the faint-hearted, for those lacking in commitment to the cause and for those who, with a hand on the plough, might look back.

Dan Tyndall

June 2022

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Sermon on Sunday,10th August 2025

By matthew.buckmaster • August 10, 2025

Preached by the Revd Laura Verrall-Kelly, Associate Vicar

Interregnum Information

By Laura.Verrall-Kelly • August 7, 2025

Keeping You Updated During the Interregnum As I prepare to go on maternity leave at the end of August, I want to share some important updates regarding our Sunday Services and communication during the Interregnum period. We’ve taken time to consider what is sustainable and meaningful in this season of transition, and while some of the changes have been difficult, they are intended to ensure we can continue to worship together well. Service Changes 8am BCP Eucharist We’ve made the difficult decision to pause this service during the vacancy, following a PCC vote (with 3 votes against). This is due to the limited availability of clergy to cover two Eucharist services on a Sunday. We’re grateful that this decision has allowed us to secure strong cover for the other services. If you’re looking for an early service, the Cathedral offers Morning Prayer at 7.40am and BCP Eucharist at 8am. This change to the 8am will happen from the beginning of October. Mattins & Evensong These will continue with support from a growing team of Lay Leaders. If you're interested in helping lead, please speak to Simon Goodman. Please note: bespoke online orders of service will no longer be produced weekly. Instead, we will use a standard booklet and hymn book in church. Online viewers will receive a standard order of service plus a document with Bible readings and hymns. 10.30am Sung Eucharist Some small changes are being made to simplify things for visiting clergy: Notices will be read by a Church Warden, Duty Warden or Church Representative Communion distribution will return to queue formation A Gradual Hymn will replace the Responsorial Psalm - there is simply not the resource to produce a weekly or termly Psalm hand out in church. We’ll use a standard “Eucharist during the Vacancy” order of service (in booklet form), with hymn books provided in church. As with other services, online resources will mirror this setup. These changes to the 10.30am will happen from the 17th August. Christingle Service Due to the scale of this service and the planning it requires, we’ve made the difficult decision to pause it this year. Without full-time clergy to oversee preparations and lead the service, we don’t believe we can deliver it safely or well. We know this will be disappointing, but this service will be back. Ongoing Communication Thanks to Chris Duncan and Sam Love, we will continue to send out a weekly email during the Interregnum. I’m very grateful to both of them for stepping up to support in this way. We know some of these decisions may not affect everyone, while others may feel them more deeply. We don’t expect universal agreement, and that’s okay — your questions and thoughts are welcome and valued. All we ask is that feedback is offered with kindness and respect for those who have worked hard to make these plans in a short space of time. Thank you for being part of this community and for your ongoing support as we navigate this together.