St Mary’s Attenborough Church

The Freedom of Renunciation

Chris Doig continues our sermon series on the Desert Fathers and Mothers. He reflects on Matthew 19:19–24 and Mark 10:21, where Jesus spoke about money - a topic he covers more than heaven and even prayer. Life does not consist in an abundance of things; while God gives good gifts for our enjoyment, our culture often encourages us to see consumption - bigger homes, better cars, and constant shopping - as what we deserve. With the ease of online purchasing, it has never been simpler to spend, yet the satisfaction it brings is often short-lived. The New Testament calls Christians not simply to give a set percentage, but to give joyfully, proportionately, and sacrificially, remembering that God cares about how we use all that we have. Jesus invites us to seek something greater than possessions: the lasting riches of his grace and presence. When we set our eyes on heavenly treasure rather than material success, we discover the true freedom of renunciation - learning to enjoy earthly blessings as gifts from God without allowing them to take his place in our hearts.

Loving Silence and Solitude

Toby Artis continues our Lectio 365 series by exploring the theme of silence and solitude. In a culture shaped by noise, busyness, and constant activity, he invites us to step away and embrace a different rhythm. Silence and solitude aren’t just spiritual practices to add to a full schedule - they’re a reframing of life itself. Toby reminds us that when we fill every moment, we can miss the deeper work God wants to do in us. Creating intentional time and space allows God to reorient our hearts and form us into Christ’s likeness. The reward isn’t productivity, but the presence of God. Though silence can feel uncomfortable and surface what we’d rather avoid, choosing this path opens us to the transforming grace that has been available all along.

Journey of Faith - Angie

Angie Springhall shares her story of faith, transformation, and God’s faithfulness.

Intensifying my Hunger for Holiness

Jo Stephens continues our Lectio 365 sermon series. She reflects on intensifying our hunger for holiness, especially during the season of Lent - a time that invites us to take sin seriously through an honest audit of our reactions and attitudes. So often we avoid the topic of sin, yet the Christian tradition names eight recurring thoughts or passions that quietly shape our lives: gluttony, lust, greed, anger, dejection, apathy, vainglory, and pride. Gluttony isn’t just about food; it can be any kind of overconsumption - shopping, scrolling, constant phone use - used to numb pain. Lust, as Jesus teaches in Gospel of Matthew 5:27–30, is not love but a selfish desire to possess rather than to give. Greed subtly tightens its grip on our hearts, while anger can become detached from love of God and neighbour, calling us back to prayer for gentleness and the absence of resentment. Dejection may be met with journaling, prayer, and gratitude; apathy, described in Proverbs 13:4, can show up as unproductive sloth, inviting us to step away from passive habits and choose life-giving practices instead. Vainglory thrives on empty boasting, yet in stillness we begin to see our failings more clearly. Pride, countered by the call in 1 Peter 4:10 to use our gifts to serve others, reminds us that everything we have is grace. Ultimately, Lent invites us not to suppress our underlying desires but to bring them honestly before God, sitting with him even in unpleasant emotions, and allowing him to transform our hearts from the inside out.

Reigniting my Passion for Jesus

Toby Artis begins our Lectio 365 Lent series on the Desert Fathers and Mothers, specifically looking at Matthew 4:1–11 and Colossians 4:2. Toby reminds us that we are called to love God wholeheartedly: with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to remain open to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. We are always being formed by something; if we are not intentionally shaped by Jesus, then we will be shaped by the surrounding culture. Drawing on the wisdom of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, including Anthony the Great, we are reminded of the need to withdraw at times so we do not “snap like a bow drawn too tight.” Looking at Jesus’ baptism and subsequent testing in the wilderness, we see that Jesus resists temptation and the lure of power because he is secure in the Father’s love. Through prayer, fasting, and intentional quiet - discovering our own “desert place” - we can learn deeper dependence on God, setting roots beneath the surface where lasting spiritual maturity can grow.

Romans 8:18-25

Guest preacher Ian Paul explores Romans 8:18-25 and the tension of living in a world that is both beautiful and broken. We see wonder and pain not only in our own lives, but woven into creation itself - even in seemingly unanswered prayers, where we feel the ache of a world not yet as it should be. Romans 8 lifts our eyes to the bigger story of Scripture - a world created good, then damaged by sin, yet longing for restoration.
Ian highlights how Scripture asks if creation can be made whole again, and answers yes, through Jesus’ costly love on the cross. This restoration is like childbirth: painful, but full of hope. In Christ, we receive new life now as the “first fruits”, a foretaste of the full redemption still to come. Until then, we wait with patience, trusting that God is at work and holding fast to the promise of new creation, where every tear will be wiped away, and there will be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain.

1 Corinthians 1:18–31

Liam O'Boyle looks at 1 Corinthians 1:18–31, exploring how God’s wisdom is revealed through the apparent foolishness of the cross. In a culture like Corinth’s, which was obsessed with status, strength, and intellectual achievement, Paul proclaims a God who deliberately chooses what looks weak and shameful to overturn the world’s values. The cross - a symbol of humiliation - becomes the place where God most fully reveals himself, not through human reason or effort but through self-giving love. Jesus doesn’t merely teach God’s wisdom; he embodies it, seeking us out and calling us into an upside-down way of life marked by generosity, enemy-love, and trust. This pattern runs throughout Scripture, as God repeatedly chooses the overlooked and unexpected to carry his purposes. Liam invites us to ask where we look for wisdom, and to consider whether God may be calling us to a way that seems foolish by the world’s standards, but is in fact the path of true life.

Practising the Way - Service (Kinship)

Our vicar, Toby, concludes our series on Practicing the Way by looking at Luke 16:19-31. Toby challenges the idea that service is just occasional good deeds, presenting it instead as a way of life rooted in relationship and kinship. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is not a simple reward and punishment story, nor does it suggest that poverty is virtuous in itself. Rather, it reveals the values of God’s upside-down kingdom. The rich man’s failure is not simply wealth, but the belief that what he has is his own and his inability to see Lazarus as a brother. Though made by the same God and equally bearing God’s image, Lazarus is treated as invisible - shown less compassion than even the dogs. His name, meaning “God helps,” points to where true hope lies. Even after death, the rich man misunderstands kinship, caring only for his biological family and assuming he has done enough by offering scraps. He also fails to recognise that God’s compassion is already revealed in the Scriptures. In contrast, Jesus does not offer scraps or quick fixes but gives his whole life, entering into human poverty and suffering. Toby challenges us to consider whether we are willing to be inconvenienced and changed in order to live out that same costly compassion.

Practising the Way: Service (Being Available)

Oliver Towlson continues our series on Practicing the Way: Service; looking at Luke 10:25-37, the Good Samaritan. Oliver argues that this parable invites us to see ourselves both as the Samaritan and the wounded man. We are invited to join Jesus on his way to the cross and give ourselves away in self-emptying love, like the Samaritan. But we are also invited to see ourselves as utterly helpless, lost and dying, whose only hope is being rescued by Jesus. Oliver urges us to become people who, just like Jesus, are intentionally available and interruptible, gracious in conversation, able to navigate a morally complex world through reflection on God’s wisdom, who serve others (even people we don’t like) in costly demonstrations of unexpected love, and who are humble enough to receive help.

Matthew 1:18-25 - Accepting Jesus (late upload from 21-12-2)

Liam O'Boyle preaches on Matthew 1:18-25, highlighting how Joseph is often overlooked in the Nativity story, yet without him, God's plan wouldn't come to fruition. Called the "Son of David" by the angel, Joseph's lineage was crucial, requiring him to travel to Bethlehem for the census. Joseph’s response reveals his maturity and compassion. Though his world was turned upside down, he chose mercy over judgment — his humiliation great, but his humility even greater. This humility might be a key reason why God chose both Mary and Joseph. Joseph’s acceptance of God's plan, despite public disgrace, was a radical act of obedience and love. Joseph's story invites us to reflect on our own response to Jesus: Will we open our hearts to Him and embrace the new possibilities He offers? Just as Joseph accepted the unexpected, we are called to accept Jesus into our lives. His willingness to follow God’s plan challenges us to live with faith, humility, and love, knowing that Jesus promises to be with us always.