In the 1987 film Wall Street, Gordon Gekko's infamous mantra "Greed is good" captured the spirit of an age - and perhaps our own. In a world where self-interest has been enshrined as virtue, where does that leave kindness? Revd. Mark Fletcher tackles this critical question in his compelling sermon on Luke 6:27-36, challenging us to rediscover kindness not as weakness, but as radical strength.Fletcher draws a crucial distinction: kindness is not mere "niceness" - that social veneer that can turn nasty when crossed. True kindness, he argues, is "a commitment to the good of another without any expectation of something in return." It's the stranger's unexpected gesture that changes your life, the unearned compassion that reflects God's own heart. As Jesus demonstrated most powerfully at the cross, God is not simply nice - He is "radically and redemptively kind."This challenging message dismantles two dangerous misconceptions. First, that kindness is weakness - when actually, loving people who don't love you back requires tremendous character strength: the fortitude to forgive, persevere, and resist reacting in anger. Second, that kindness is naivety - when Jesus himself, though supremely kind, was never naive about human nature. Fletcher reveals how the Greek word for kindness (chrēstotēs) sounds remarkably like "Christian" - leading early believers to be known as "the kind ones." In our self-interested society, he argues, kindness becomes an act of resistance: "heart in a heartless world... kindling a light in the darkness." Drawing from Wordsworth and the story of Zacchaeus, Fletcher shows how kindness transforms both giver and receiver - but only when rooted in God's own kindness to us "while we were still sinners."Read or Watch the Sermon: <a href="https://stpeters.ch/sermons/kindness-and-strength/">Kindness and Strength: Why True Compassion Requires Courage</a>
We're excited to announce a valuable new resource for your spiritual journey - our Biblical Reflections section is now live on the St. Peter's website.Our new Biblical Reflections page offers focused commentaries drawn directly from our Sunday messages.Each reflection features: A specific Scripture passage Clear, accessible commentary from the sermon A direct link to the full original message Whether you prefer to browse by recent sermons using the dropdown menu, explore reflections from a particular book of the Bible, or simply scroll through all available entries, this new resource makes it easy to deepen your understanding of God's Word at your own pace.Perfect for personal devotions, small group discussions, or simply refreshing your memory of Sunday's message, these bite-sized reflections capture the essence of our sermons in an easily digestible format.View Biblical Reflections
Filter by: Speaker - find all talks by a particular preacher Bible Book - explore sermons from Genesis to Revelation Topic - discover messages on faith, hope, prayer and more Series - catch up on themed teaching Date - browse chronologically Each sermon includes video and full transcript.Visit: stpeters/sermons
I'm married to Angela, and we have two almost grown up daughters. We've spent 20 years in parishes in central London, and have served some very diverse and international congregations. My current appointment is as team vicar in Barnsbury, with responsibility for Church on the Corner, a missional church plant within the parish that reaches young adults, and for the last two and a half years I have overseen the whole Parish through both lockdown and a long interregnum. I have also had experience of seasonal ministry in Zermatt and Kandersteg. Beyond the parish I hold a number of Diocesan responsibilities in the areas of church planting, training and developing vocations, I was Chaplain to the Stepney Intern scheme, I am an Assistant Director of Ordinands and also Surrogate for Islington.We have had a sense for some time of God calling us on to new things and have been genuinely open to whatever and wherever that might be. Our prayer has been to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, and he will make straight your paths" and despite times of real unknowing, God has been faithful to that promise. And we are delighted that we have been called to a part of the world that we love dearly and two churches that are so outward looking and full of life and love.
