St Thomas Blog
Keep up to date with news and views from St Thomas Church!
Holy Week Talks
Friday 18th April 2025
We were delighted to welcome Revd Katy Gough who is an Anglican Prison Chaplain at Exeter prison for talks on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week. Katy reminded us of a notice it is said was posted in Mother Teresa's office. You can it here.
Philip spoke of Foxes, Hens and Chicks on Lent 2
Thursday 27th March 2025
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” Luke 13: 34 Prebendary Philip Sourbut came to preach on 16 March. View his text here. Thanks to Chris Ensminger for the image
Parish Walks
Friday 7th February 2025
We have started a series of Parish Walks around St Thomas, either in organised groups or as a self-guided activity. This can have a prayerful or spiritual focus, or simply be a more recreational activity. For more information and a couple of leaflets, click here. Thanks to Jenny and Liz for starting this off.
Susannah Cornwall speaks on Advent 3
Tuesday 7th January 2025
The promise of Advent isn’t about restoration, but transformation. We cannot wait 'til the world is sane to raise our songs with joyful voice, for, to share our grief, to touch our pain, He came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice! Read the full text of Susannah's sermon here.
Challenging Sermon for Advent 2
Wednesday 11th December 2024
We were privileged to listen to a challenging sermon for Advent 2 on December 8 from Revd Dr Eliza Getman, who is currently chaplain at Taunton School. Her subject was the Makin Review and the opportunity it offers to air some demanding questions. Please click here for the text of the sermon.
Ordination of Revd Carys Puleston
Friday 12th July 2024
I am delighted to report the Ordination to the Diaconate of the Revd Carys Puleston on 29 June 2024 in Exeter Cathedral. Further pictures in the gallery here, and Carys' contact details on the pewsheet. Fr David Nixon
Notes from Revd Eliza's sermon - Easter 3
Friday 19th April 2024
When Rev Sarah asked me to preach today - I responded with a question: May I talk about Gaza? I go to sleep and wake up everyday thinking about Gaza. I wonder how many more people have died. Al Jazeera reported 7 days ago that according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza : At least 33,137 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army in Gaza since the start of the war on October 7. Thousands more are missing under the rubble of collapsed buildings and infrastructure, and are presumed dead. This is not a war. A war presumes two equal sides attacking each other. This is a mass slaughter. When Ukraine was attack we in the western world were…
Holy Week Reflections
Wednesday 3rd April 2024
Mike Clark
We were all grateful for the talks given on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week by Revd Mike Clark during the mid-morning masses. If you open the whole page there is a link below. You can read the text of the talks here.
Easter Day sermon
Tuesday 2nd April 2024
Easter Day 2024 Revd Sarah When my grandparents retired, they announced that they were going to use their newfound freedom and explore Scotland, which was a lifelong ambition. They had gathered some savings and were going to take their time and see all of the sights. There was some concern when we got a phone call two weeks later – is everything ok? “Yes,” they replied, “we’ve done Scotland!” They had indeed covered thousands of miles, visiting famous landmarks and cities, although we suspected that they had packed sandwiches and a flask each morning and never got out of the car! A tour of the carparks of Scotland might have been a better description. We are following Mark’s gospel this year and…
Evening Reflection for 3rd Sunday in Lent
Saturday 9th March 2024
The overarching theme we have as a Church this Lent, ‘Watch and Pray’, focusses our attention on the moment in the gospels, between the last supper and his arrest, that Jesus spends some time alone praying, and while he is doing so, his disciples fall asleep. In John, Jesus prays in a garden—John has a fondness for gardens. Luke only tells us that Jesus was on the Mount of Olives. Matthew and Mark put him in a place called ‘Gethsemane’ though they don’t say it is a garden. Traditionally, we blend all three and think of a garden called Gethsemane on or near the Mount of Olives. Click here to continue to read John Morgan's talk. [Photo by Jasmin Ne on Unsplash]