St Paul's Cathedral

We all have crossing places in our lives - moments on which our life turns. A new baby, leaving home, a bereavement, a new job or country, a medical diagnosis. These ‘liminal’ times – thresholds between one life and another – are often times of uncertainty, waiting and not knowing, but are also precious because they can open us up to a new closeness to God. Richard Rohr has called them ‘a unique spiritual place where human beings hate to be but where the Biblical God is always leading us’. Tricia Hillas says crossing places are where we have to relinquish control and because of that they can be places of profound liberation. In this talk she will explore the challenges, lessons and joys that can come from meeting God at the crossing place. Canon Tricia Hillas is the Canon Pastor at St Paul’s Cathedral, overseeing pastoral care, outreach and interfaith relationships. Prior to ordination she was a social worker, specialising in working with people with HIV/Aids, and has recently completed an MSc in conflict resolution and mediation. Chaired by Pim Baxter, Lay Canon at St Paul's Cathedral. Recorded 4 November 2018.

Sermon by the Reverend Canon Jonathan Brewster, Treasurer, at Sung Eucharist on all Saints' Day, 1 November 2018.

The traditional story of the birth of Christianity is dominated by men. It is often thought that Jesus only chose men to be his disciples and apostles, but evidence suggests that this is really only half the story. Were female disciples in fact crucial to the Jesus movement? Profoundly scandalous at the time, the idea remains highly controversial 2,000 years later. Two distinguished early church historians will present research that shows as many as half of Jesus’ disciples were women. They say the evidence shows that women were integral to his mission and only if we see men and women working together do we see the whole story, revealing the early church as far more radical than we thought. And they will also explore what this means for us today. Can it teach us new things not only about women and men’s ministries and roles, but also about the radical, transformative way of Jesus? Professor Helen Bond is Professor in Christian Origins at the University of Edinburgh. Her books include 'Jesus: A Very Brief History' and 'The Historical Jesus: A Guide for the Perplexed'. She was historical consultant for the History Channel's miniseries 'The Bible' and for BBC 1's 'The Nativity'. Professor Joan Taylor is Professor of Christian Origins at King’s College, London. She is the author of 'What Did Jesus Look Like?' and has edited 'The Body in Biblical, Christian and Jewish Texts' and 'Jesus and Brian: Exploring the Historical Jesus and his Times via Monty Python’s Life of Brian'. She was historical consultant for the 2018 film 'Mary Magdalene'. Their documentary 'Jesus' Female Disciples' (Minerva Productions) screened on Channel 4 in April 2018. The evening was chaired by Andrew Carwood, Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral. Recorded 30 October 2018.

Sermon by the Reverend James Milne, Minor Canon and Sacrist, as part of the sermon series: For Whom the Bell Tolls, remembering the great and the good in the Crypt of St Paul's - Maria Mary Fussell (1834-81), philanthropist. Recorded Sunday 28 October 2018.

Sermon by The Dean, The Very Reverend Dr David Ison, as part of the sermon series: For Whom the Bell Tolls, remembering the great and the good in the Crypt of St Paul's - Admiral the Viscount Nelson (1758 - 1805), naval officer. Recorded Sunday 21 October 2018.

Sermon by the Reverend Canon Dr Angus Ritchie, Director, The Centre for Theology & Community, Priest-in-Charge, St-George-in-the-East, at Evensong attended by the Lord Mayor of London and London Borough Mayors on the Eve of St Luke the Evangelist on Wednesday 17 October 2018.

Sermon by the Reverend Canon Tricia Hillas, Canon Pastor, as part of the sermon series: For Whom the Bell Tolls, remembering the great and the good in the Crypt of St Paul's - Sir Alexander Fleming (1881-1955), physician. Recorded Sunday 14 October 2018.

Sermon by The Reverend Hilary Ison at Mattins on the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday 14 October 2018.

After the Resurrection, Jesus says to the disciples Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. We tend to think of peace as the end or absence of war but Nadim Nassar says that Jesus is talking about something far more radical than that: a whole culture of peace. It is about how we bring up our children, how we flourish in our homes, workplaces and churches, and ultimately about a call to a self-giving culture of love in which we see the reflection of God’s image in the other. Father Nadim Nassar, the Church of England’s only Syrian priest, was born and raised in a Christian family in Syria and studied in Beirut during the Lebanese civil war. He is now the Director of The Awareness Foundation, seeking to counter intolerance and mistrust and to build understanding between faiths. His first book, The Culture of God, is published this autumn by Hodder. Recorded 7 October 2018.

Sermon by the Reverend Canon Michael Hampel, Precentor, as part of the sermon series: For Whom the Bell Tolls, remembering the great and the good in the Crypt of St Paul's - Sir Hubert Parry (1848-1918), composer. Recorded Sunday 7 October 2018.