What have you done

So demands Pilate of Jesus in Sundays' gospel reading. One of the challenges of any public rendition of this passage, in a film or a play or a reading in church on a Sunday morning, is to decide just what Pilate is saying.

What have you done

.. what of all these actions are you specifically responsible for ... what, in all this mess, is your fault?

What have you done

... have you any sense of the trouble you have stirred and the effort it will take to sort this out?

What have you done

... what is it that you are sorry or ashamed of and you don't want to speak about?

What have you done

... have you seen all that I have done and all they have done .. tell me, what have you done?

The decision on how to 'play' this question makes all the difference in the world: two of them focus on the person being questioned (what is your fault, what are you ashamed of) and two on the person asking the question (what I will have to do, what I have already done).

And it's not the only question Pilate asks Jesus in this reading. When Jesus is brought to Pilate, summoned by the Roman governor to his headquarters, the first thing Pilate says is: "Are you the King of the Jews?" Exasperated by Jesus reply, Pilate then puts a rhetorical question and a very real question to Jesus: "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own people, your own chief priests have handed you over: what have you done?"

Further confused by Jesus' response, Pilate then asks: "So you are a king?". And our passage ends with Jesus' response: "You say that I'm a king. But I'll tell you this: I was born - I came into the world (there's an interesting thing to explore here, by the way ... why does John, who has no birth narrative, have Jesus say "for this I was born and for this I came into the world" .. but that's for another day!)

Our passage ends with Jesus' response: "You say that I'm a king. But I'll tell you this: I was born - I came into the world - to testify to the truth and everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me."

That's where our passage ends on Sunday .... and what's the very next verse? Pilate, asking another question: "What is truth?", going out to the crowd and handing the decision as to what to do with Jesus to the baying mob.

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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.