The eyes of all in the synagogue ...

Who is your favourite director of motion action films? Cecil B DeMille? Kathryn Bigelow? Steve McQueen?

Whenever I hear this Sunday's gospel passage (Luke 4. 14 -21) I find myself wondering what an inspirational and creative director would 'do' with it. The first time I remember having this thought it was Stephen Spielberg who came to mind.

We're in Nazareth, where Jesus spent his childhood. We're in the synagogue, surrounded by those who knew the family and knew Jesus when he was growing up. We're at the point in the liturgy when the attendant hands over the scroll of the scriptures and a passage is found to be read aloud .. and it's going to be read by Jesus of Nazareth.

The text says that Jesus 'found the place where it was written': did Jesus decide this was the passage he wanted to read and was scrolling through until he found it; or (like many of us when we are presented with a reading from one of the more obscure books of the Apocrypha) was it the reading set for the day which he was scrolling through to locate. And then he says: "The spirit of the Lord is upon me".

By this point the author has already narrowed the scene down from town, to synagogue, to Jesus; and slowed the pace of the narrative until we're just watching an individual scrolling through a scroll. And then, at the end of the quotation from Isaiah, the narrative comes to total full stop: "he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him."

Then, and only then, when the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him; then, and only then, the full stop shatters and fragments of history and prophecy, present and future, theology and (what will become known as) ecclesiology sway with surprise, dance with delight and weave themselves into a known unknown future made present in their very midst: "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

What would Cecil B DeMille, Kathryn Bigelow or Steve McQueen do with that? I'd love to see.

Dan Tyndall

21 Jan 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.