What must I do to inherit eternal life?

I wonder if this is in the same territory as the response to those who ask whether the amount we should tithe should be calculated before or after tax? And what is that response? "If you're asking that question, you're missing the point."

This question is asked by a man who runs up and kneels at Jesus' feet. In my mind, I see a kind of "doorstopping" going on: one of those moments where journalists are camped outside a politician's or celebrity's house waiting for them to emerge so that they might shout out a question and hopefully get a soundbite for their news report which, in an ideal world, will undermine the politician or celebrity by showing them up to be deceitful, dishonest or disloyal. Just as Jesus is setting out on a journey, so our fictitious celebrity is heading out; just as Jesus is pounced upon by this man, so our celebrity is bombarded with questions and demands for comment.

So the doorstepper shouts out "What must I do to inherit eternal life" and Jesus remarks "You know what you must do." This doesn't seem to answer the question well enough for this man; he is not convinced that these actions (despite being listed by the Son of God) is a sufficient checklist for a one way ticket to eternity. We then read that Jesus looked at him, loved him and then said he must sell everything, give the money to the poor and then follow him. "When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions."

There is a very real difference between the verbs to look, to speak and to love. Jesus does indeed tell the man what he must do, but in doing so he demonstrates how we are in the same territory as my opening paragraph about tithing and taxation. It's all very well to look and to speak: those are rational and pragmatic words describing actions that are functional and transactional. That third verb, sandwiched between the two others, is the key, the gamechanger: to love.

Anyone who has ever been in love knows that it fails the test of rationality and releases activity way beyond the scope of the transactional. To love may be a verb, it may be something we do, but not in the same way as we do our looking and speaking. The way we do our loving is by being in love, or (in the Christian sense) by deciding that we shall, no matter how we feel, love one another as Christ has loved us.

Question: "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Answer: "If you're asking that question, you're missing the point."

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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.