James Lawrence: Sermons from Blackburn Cathedral Tue, 26 May 2026 10:55:02 +0100 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2619909 en-gb © 2026 James Lawrence: Sermons from Blackburn Cathedral yes 7139283a-6b3b-56ef-85ab-2f84bd2713f9 lawrencehannahlucy@gmail.com Hannah Lawrence episodic false Canon James Lawrence is Canon Missioner at Blackburn Cathedral, one of England's great historic churches. In this collection, you will find sermons spanning more than three years of Sunday and festival preaching — through the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and the long stretch of Ordinary Time.


James preaches with intellectual rigour, pastoral warmth, and a gift for connecting ancient texts to the questions of contemporary life. His sermons range across the great themes of Christian faith: the nature of God, the call to discipleship, the work of the Spirit, the demands of justice, and the inexhaustible mystery of grace.


This collection was assembled as a gift and archive for those who have heard James preach at Blackburn Cathedral, and for anyone who wishes to encounter these sermons for the first time.

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Hannah Lawrence lawrencehannahlucy@gmail.com https://storage.buzzsprout.com/xo1sr4u1k05e52h145sqn6lplcix?.jpg James Lawrence: Sermons from Blackburn Cathedral Ash Wednesday 2026 Ash Wednesday 2026 As Lent begins again, James preaches on the dust to which we return — and the breath of God that first animated it. A sermon on mortality, mercy, and the strange freedom of knowing how small we are before a God of inexhaustible grace.

]]> As Lent begins again, James preaches on the dust to which we return — and the breath of God that first animated it. A sermon on mortality, mercy, and the strange freedom of knowing how small we are before a God of inexhaustible grace.

]]> Buzzsprout-19238007 Wed, 18 Feb 2026 21:00:00 +0000 704 full false Feast of the Conversion of St Paul 2026 Feast of the Conversion of St Paul 2026 On the feast of Paul's Damascus Road encounter, James explores the most dramatic conversion in Christian history — asking what it means for a life to be turned inside out by a meeting with the risen Christ, and what this says to us today.

]]> On the feast of Paul's Damascus Road encounter, James explores the most dramatic conversion in Christian history — asking what it means for a life to be turned inside out by a meeting with the risen Christ, and what this says to us today.

]]> Buzzsprout-19229392 Sun, 25 Jan 2026 21:00:00 +0000 979 full false Feast of the Baptism of Christ 2026 Feast of the Baptism of Christ 2026 At the Baptism of Christ, James returns to the theme of repentance — exploring how Jesus's own baptism inaugurates a ministry of transformation, and what it means to follow him into the waters of new life and new identity.

]]> At the Baptism of Christ, James returns to the theme of repentance — exploring how Jesus's own baptism inaugurates a ministry of transformation, and what it means to follow him into the waters of new life and new identity.

]]> Buzzsprout-19229391 Sun, 11 Jan 2026 21:00:00 +0000 981 full false Second Sunday of Advent 2025 Second Sunday of Advent 2025 James explores the Advent call to repentance — not as guilt-inducing self-flagellation but as a liberating reorientation toward God. To repent is to turn from whatever diminishes us toward the one who makes us fully and lastingly alive.

]]> James explores the Advent call to repentance — not as guilt-inducing self-flagellation but as a liberating reorientation toward God. To repent is to turn from whatever diminishes us toward the one who makes us fully and lastingly alive.

]]> Buzzsprout-19229389 Sun, 07 Dec 2025 21:00:00 +0000 807 full false All Saints' Sunday 2025 All Saints' Sunday 2025 On All Saints' Day, James celebrates the extraordinary company of the faithful — those remembered and those forgotten — and reflects on what it means to belong to a community that spans death itself.

]]> On All Saints' Day, James celebrates the extraordinary company of the faithful — those remembered and those forgotten — and reflects on what it means to belong to a community that spans death itself.

]]> Buzzsprout-19237937 Sun, 02 Nov 2025 21:00:00 +0000 1073 full false Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity / Creation Care 2025 Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity / Creation Care 2025 In the first of a creation care series, James reflects on the doctrine of creation — not Gaia as a self-sustaining system, but a world held moment by moment in the hands of a personal, loving God who calls us to be its careful stewards.

]]> In the first of a creation care series, James reflects on the doctrine of creation — not Gaia as a self-sustaining system, but a world held moment by moment in the hands of a personal, loving God who calls us to be its careful stewards.

]]> Buzzsprout-19237941 Sun, 12 Oct 2025 22:00:00 +0100 1068 full false Twelfth Sunday after Trinity 2025 Twelfth Sunday after Trinity 2025 James turns to Paul's shortest letter — the personal, urgent plea to Philemon regarding the slave Onesimus — exploring what this remarkable document says about freedom, dignity, forgiveness, and the social revolution of the Gospel.

]]> James turns to Paul's shortest letter — the personal, urgent plea to Philemon regarding the slave Onesimus — exploring what this remarkable document says about freedom, dignity, forgiveness, and the social revolution of the Gospel.

]]> Buzzsprout-19238003 Sun, 07 Sep 2025 22:00:00 +0100 889 full false Seventh Sunday after Trinity 2025 Seventh Sunday after Trinity 2025 Jesus's warning about the dangers of wealth and the parable of the rich fool lead James to explore what genuine wisdom looks like — and why the accumulation of things is such a poor substitute for the life that is truly life.

]]> Jesus's warning about the dangers of wealth and the parable of the rich fool lead James to explore what genuine wisdom looks like — and why the accumulation of things is such a poor substitute for the life that is truly life.

]]> Buzzsprout-19237997 Sun, 03 Aug 2025 22:00:00 +0100 977 full false Third Sunday after Trinity 2025 Third Sunday after Trinity 2025 James explores the sending of the seventy in Luke 10 — the harvest is plentiful, the labourers few — as a model for mission: travelling light, depending on hospitality, and announcing the nearness of the Kingdom.

]]> James explores the sending of the seventy in Luke 10 — the harvest is plentiful, the labourers few — as a model for mission: travelling light, depending on hospitality, and announcing the nearness of the Kingdom.

]]> Buzzsprout-19237989 Sun, 06 Jul 2025 22:00:00 +0100 1064 full false Second Sunday after Trinity / Feast of Peter and Paul 2025 Second Sunday after Trinity / Feast of Peter and Paul 2025 On the feast of the two great apostles, James explores what Peter and Paul — so different in temperament and background — share: a transforming encounter with the risen Christ and a life given wholly to the Gospel.

]]> On the feast of the two great apostles, James explores what Peter and Paul — so different in temperament and background — share: a transforming encounter with the risen Christ and a life given wholly to the Gospel.

]]> Buzzsprout-19237983 Sun, 29 Jun 2025 22:00:00 +0100 803 full false First Sunday after Trinity 2025 First Sunday after Trinity 2025 As the long Trinity season begins, James reflects on what it means to live as people of the resurrection — shaped by the pattern of Christ's dying and rising, and sent into the world with the good news of the Kingdom.

]]> As the long Trinity season begins, James reflects on what it means to live as people of the resurrection — shaped by the pattern of Christ's dying and rising, and sent into the world with the good news of the Kingdom.

]]> Buzzsprout-19229388 Sun, 22 Jun 2025 22:00:00 +0100 1183 full false Day of Pentecost 2025 Day of Pentecost 2025 James preaches on the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost — the rushing wind and tongues of fire that transformed a frightened group of disciples into a fearless, boundary-crossing community of witnesses.

]]> James preaches on the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost — the rushing wind and tongues of fire that transformed a frightened group of disciples into a fearless, boundary-crossing community of witnesses.

]]> Buzzsprout-19237980 Sun, 08 Jun 2025 22:00:00 +0100 1098 full false Third Sunday of Easter 2025 Third Sunday of Easter 2025 James explores the beach breakfast of John 21 — Jesus cooking fish for exhausted disciples, the threefold restoration of Peter, and the simple, repeated question: do you love me? A sermon on failure, grace, and re-commissioning.

]]> James explores the beach breakfast of John 21 — Jesus cooking fish for exhausted disciples, the threefold restoration of Peter, and the simple, repeated question: do you love me? A sermon on failure, grace, and re-commissioning.

]]> Buzzsprout-19237917 Sun, 04 May 2025 22:00:00 +0100 1217 full false Fourth Sunday of Lent / Mothering Sunday 2025 Fourth Sunday of Lent / Mothering Sunday 2025 On Mothering Sunday, James holds together the joy of family and the pain of broken relationships — exploring what the New Testament means by the Church as mother, and the healing that comes from belonging. 

]]> On Mothering Sunday, James holds together the joy of family and the pain of broken relationships — exploring what the New Testament means by the Church as mother, and the healing that comes from belonging. 

]]> Buzzsprout-19238033 Sun, 30 Mar 2025 23:00:00 +0100 1113 full false Ash Wednesday 2025 Ash Wednesday 2025 At the imposition of ashes, James preaches on the ancient words — remember you are dust — and their strange power to free us from pretension, to open us to grace, and to set us on the Lenten road.

]]> At the imposition of ashes, James preaches on the ancient words — remember you are dust — and their strange power to free us from pretension, to open us to grace, and to set us on the Lenten road.

]]> Buzzsprout-19238010 Wed, 05 Mar 2025 22:00:00 +0000 566 full false Second Sunday of Christmas 2025 Second Sunday of Christmas 2025 As the Christmas season draws to a close, James reflects on John's great prologue — the Word that was with God and was God, become flesh and full of grace and truth — and what it means to receive him.

]]> As the Christmas season draws to a close, James reflects on John's great prologue — the Word that was with God and was God, become flesh and full of grace and truth — and what it means to receive him.

]]> Buzzsprout-19237976 Sun, 05 Jan 2025 22:00:00 +0000 1110 full false Fourth Sunday of Advent 2024 Fourth Sunday of Advent 2024 In the final days before Christmas, James reflects on the Annunciation — Mary's yes to the angel, the overshadowing of the Spirit, and the courage required to carry the word of God into the world.

]]> In the final days before Christmas, James reflects on the Annunciation — Mary's yes to the angel, the overshadowing of the Spirit, and the courage required to carry the word of God into the world.

]]> Buzzsprout-19238030 Sun, 22 Dec 2024 22:00:00 +0000 928 full false First Sunday of Advent 2024 First Sunday of Advent 2024 James opens another Advent season with the Church's urgent and beautiful invitation: stay awake, keep watch, for the one who came and the one who is coming is already closer than we think.

]]> James opens another Advent season with the Church's urgent and beautiful invitation: stay awake, keep watch, for the one who came and the one who is coming is already closer than we think.

]]> Buzzsprout-19238052 Sun, 01 Dec 2024 22:00:00 +0000 1204 full false Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity 2024 Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity 2024 James explores the upside-down kingdom of Jesus — where greatness is measured in service and the first shall be last — asking what genuine servant leadership looks like in church, family, and public life.

]]> James explores the upside-down kingdom of Jesus — where greatness is measured in service and the first shall be last — asking what genuine servant leadership looks like in church, family, and public life.

]]> Buzzsprout-19237971 Sun, 20 Oct 2024 22:00:00 +0100 890 full false Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity 2024 Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity 2024 On the mountain of Transfiguration, the voice from the cloud says simply: listen to him. James explores what it might mean to truly hear Jesus — and to let his words reshape our lives from the inside out.

]]> On the mountain of Transfiguration, the voice from the cloud says simply: listen to him. James explores what it might mean to truly hear Jesus — and to let his words reshape our lives from the inside out.

]]> Buzzsprout-19238043 Sun, 22 Sep 2024 22:00:00 +0100 1005 full false Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity 2024 Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity 2024 James engages Jesus's radical challenge to the purity codes of his day — arguing that what defiles a person comes not from outside but from within — and asks what this means for our own patterns of religion and righteousness.

]]> James engages Jesus's radical challenge to the purity codes of his day — arguing that what defiles a person comes not from outside but from within — and asks what this means for our own patterns of religion and righteousness.

]]> Buzzsprout-19237967 Sun, 01 Sep 2024 22:00:00 +0100 1080 full false Twelfth Sunday after Trinity 2024 Twelfth Sunday after Trinity 2024 In one of his most creative sermons, James uses the cultural lens of the zombie to explore what it means to be truly alive — and how Jesus offers not mere existence but resurrection life, a life that begins now and cannot be extinguished.

]]> In one of his most creative sermons, James uses the cultural lens of the zombie to explore what it means to be truly alive — and how Jesus offers not mere existence but resurrection life, a life that begins now and cannot be extinguished.

]]> Buzzsprout-19229386 Sun, 18 Aug 2024 21:00:00 +0100 975 full false Tenth Sunday after Trinity 2024 Tenth Sunday after Trinity 2024 John's account of the feeding miracle leads James to explore the Bread of Life discourse — Jesus's astonishing claim to be the bread that comes down from heaven, given for the life of the world. What does it mean to feed on him?

]]> John's account of the feeding miracle leads James to explore the Bread of Life discourse — Jesus's astonishing claim to be the bread that comes down from heaven, given for the life of the world. What does it mean to feed on him?

]]> Buzzsprout-19229384 Fri, 02 Aug 2024 21:00:00 +0100 967 full false Fourth Sunday after Trinity 2024 Fourth Sunday after Trinity 2024 Drawing on Amos's vision of the plumbline, James asks what it looks like to measure our lives, our churches, and our communities against God's standards of justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

]]> Drawing on Amos's vision of the plumbline, James asks what it looks like to measure our lives, our churches, and our communities against God's standards of justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

]]> Buzzsprout-19238048 Sun, 23 Jun 2024 22:00:00 +0100 894 full false Second Sunday after Trinity 2024 Second Sunday after Trinity 2024 James explores the feeding of the five thousand — one of the most dramatic and multi-layered miracles in the Gospels — as a sign of Christ's provision, his compassion, and the abundance of the Kingdom of God.

]]> James explores the feeding of the five thousand — one of the most dramatic and multi-layered miracles in the Gospels — as a sign of Christ's provision, his compassion, and the abundance of the Kingdom of God.

]]> Buzzsprout-19238037 Sun, 09 Jun 2024 22:00:00 +0100 932 full false Day of Pentecost 2024 Day of Pentecost 2024 On the birthday of the Church, James preaches on the coming of the Holy Spirit — the wind and fire of Pentecost, the gift of languages, and the extraordinary, continuing work of the Spirit in the world today.

]]> On the birthday of the Church, James preaches on the coming of the Holy Spirit — the wind and fire of Pentecost, the gift of languages, and the extraordinary, continuing work of the Spirit in the world today.

]]> Buzzsprout-19238026 Sun, 19 May 2024 22:00:00 +0100 335 full false Maundy Thursday 2024 Maundy Thursday 2024 On the night Jesus was betrayed, James preaches on the Last Supper — the extraordinary act of foot-washing, the new commandment to love, and the bread and cup that carry the weight of the world.

]]> On the night Jesus was betrayed, James preaches on the Last Supper — the extraordinary act of foot-washing, the new commandment to love, and the bread and cup that carry the weight of the world.

]]> Buzzsprout-19238013 Thu, 28 Mar 2024 22:00:00 +0000 441 full false Feast of the Baptism of Christ 2024 Feast of the Baptism of Christ 2024 James returns to the Jordan to explore the baptism of Jesus — the descent of the Spirit, the Father's voice of affirmation, and the way this definitive moment shapes the entire arc of Jesus's ministry and our own call as the baptised.

]]> James returns to the Jordan to explore the baptism of Jesus — the descent of the Spirit, the Father's voice of affirmation, and the way this definitive moment shapes the entire arc of Jesus's ministry and our own call as the baptised.

]]> Buzzsprout-19229383 Mon, 08 Jan 2024 21:00:00 +0000 804 full false Feast of the Epiphany 2024 Feast of the Epiphany 2024 James explores the journey of the Magi — astronomers and outsiders drawn to worship the king of the Jews — as a window into the universal reach of the Gospel and the surprising ways God draws people home.

]]> James explores the journey of the Magi — astronomers and outsiders drawn to worship the king of the Jews — as a window into the universal reach of the Gospel and the surprising ways God draws people home.

]]> Buzzsprout-19238018 Sun, 07 Jan 2024 22:00:00 +0000 1011 full false Christmas Eve 2023 Christmas Eve 2023 At Midnight Mass, James preaches on the extraordinary heart of Christmas — that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. A sermon of wonder, warmth, and the scandalous particularity of the Incarnation: that God chose to arrive as a child.

]]> At Midnight Mass, James preaches on the extraordinary heart of Christmas — that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. A sermon of wonder, warmth, and the scandalous particularity of the Incarnation: that God chose to arrive as a child.

]]> Buzzsprout-19229381 Sun, 24 Dec 2023 21:00:00 +0000 884 full false Third Sunday of Advent 2023 Third Sunday of Advent 2023 On Gaudete Sunday, James explores the paradox of Advent joy — a joy that does not deny darkness but chooses hope anyway, rooted in the unshakeable promise of the one who is coming.

]]> On Gaudete Sunday, James explores the paradox of Advent joy — a joy that does not deny darkness but chooses hope anyway, rooted in the unshakeable promise of the one who is coming.

]]> Buzzsprout-19238023 Sun, 17 Dec 2023 22:00:00 +0000 837 full false First Sunday of Advent 2023 First Sunday of Advent 2023 James opens the new liturgical year with Advent's great themes — the coming of Christ in history, in the present moment, and in final glory — and the peculiarly counter-cultural invitation to wait with hope rather than to consume with haste.

]]> James opens the new liturgical year with Advent's great themes — the coming of Christ in history, in the present moment, and in final glory — and the peculiarly counter-cultural invitation to wait with hope rather than to consume with haste.

]]> Buzzsprout-19229379 Sun, 03 Dec 2023 21:00:00 +0000 940 full false Remembrance Sunday 2023 Remembrance Sunday 2023 At the Cathedral's Remembrance service, James holds together grief and gratitude, the horror of war and the hope of peace — preaching with honesty and pastoral care on what it means to remember, and what the dead ask of the living.

]]> At the Cathedral's Remembrance service, James holds together grief and gratitude, the horror of war and the hope of peace — preaching with honesty and pastoral care on what it means to remember, and what the dead ask of the living.

]]> Buzzsprout-19229376 Sun, 12 Nov 2023 21:00:00 +0000 813 full false Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity / Bible Sunday 2023 Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity / Bible Sunday 2023 On Bible Sunday, James celebrates the gift of scripture — exploring how this ancient library of texts continues to speak with living authority into every generation, and how we might read it more faithfully, honestly, and generously.

]]> On Bible Sunday, James celebrates the gift of scripture — exploring how this ancient library of texts continues to speak with living authority into every generation, and how we might read it more faithfully, honestly, and generously.

]]> Buzzsprout-19225973 Sun, 29 Oct 2023 20:00:00 +0000 735 full false Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity / Harvest 2023 Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity / Harvest 2023 At the Harvest Thanksgiving, James reflects on gratitude, abundance, and the responsibility that comes with God's generosity — inviting the congregation to hold lightly what they have received and generously what they can give.

]]> At the Harvest Thanksgiving, James reflects on gratitude, abundance, and the responsibility that comes with God's generosity — inviting the congregation to hold lightly what they have received and generously what they can give.

]]> Buzzsprout-19225972 Sun, 08 Oct 2023 21:00:00 +0100 804 full false Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity 2023 Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity 2023 James preaches on one of the most demanding and liberating teachings of Jesus — the call to forgive as we have been forgiven. A searching and pastoral exploration of what forgiveness actually costs, what it gives, and why it lies at the heart of the Gospel.

]]> James preaches on one of the most demanding and liberating teachings of Jesus — the call to forgive as we have been forgiven. A searching and pastoral exploration of what forgiveness actually costs, what it gives, and why it lies at the heart of the Gospel.

]]> Buzzsprout-19225969 Sun, 17 Sep 2023 21:00:00 +0100 1071 full false Twelfth Sunday after Trinity 2023 Twelfth Sunday after Trinity 2023 James turns to the story of Peter — his failures, his restoration, and his remarkable transformation — asking what this flawed and passionate disciple can teach us about grace, identity, and what it truly means to follow Jesus.

]]> James turns to the story of Peter — his failures, his restoration, and his remarkable transformation — asking what this flawed and passionate disciple can teach us about grace, identity, and what it truly means to follow Jesus.

]]> Buzzsprout-19225965 Sun, 27 Aug 2023 21:00:00 +0100 967 full false Feast of the Transfiguration 2023 Feast of the Transfiguration 2023 On the Feast of the Transfiguration, James explores the moment when the veil between heaven and earth grew thin on the mountain — and what it means to glimpse the glory of Christ in the midst of ordinary life and discipleship.

]]> On the Feast of the Transfiguration, James explores the moment when the veil between heaven and earth grew thin on the mountain — and what it means to glimpse the glory of Christ in the midst of ordinary life and discipleship.

]]> Buzzsprout-19225964 Sun, 06 Aug 2023 21:00:00 +0100 948 full false Eighth Sunday after Trinity 2023 Eighth Sunday after Trinity 2023 James brings Romans 8 to its soaring conclusion — the Spirit interceding for us in our weakness, all things working together for good, and the unbreakable love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. A sermon of extraordinary confidence and hope.

]]> James brings Romans 8 to its soaring conclusion — the Spirit interceding for us in our weakness, all things working together for good, and the unbreakable love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. A sermon of extraordinary confidence and hope.

]]> Buzzsprout-19225961 Sun, 30 Jul 2023 21:00:00 +0100 1210 full false Fifth Sunday after Trinity 2023 Fifth Sunday after Trinity 2023 James engages with Paul's raw and honest wrestling in Romans 7 — the battle between the good we want to do and the patterns that pull us away — and what it means to find freedom in Christ rather than in our own moral effort.

]]> James engages with Paul's raw and honest wrestling in Romans 7 — the battle between the good we want to do and the patterns that pull us away — and what it means to find freedom in Christ rather than in our own moral effort.

]]> Buzzsprout-19225960 Sun, 09 Jul 2023 21:00:00 +0100 815 full false Fourth Sunday of Epiphany 2023 Fourth Sunday of Epiphany 2023 Drawing on the Epiphany season's theme of revelation, James considers how Christ continues to make himself known — in scripture, sacrament, and the surprising encounters of everyday life.

]]> Drawing on the Epiphany season's theme of revelation, James considers how Christ continues to make himself known — in scripture, sacrament, and the surprising encounters of everyday life.

]]> Buzzsprout-19225959 Sun, 29 Jan 2023 21:00:00 +0000 1012 full false Feast of the Baptism of Christ 2023 Feast of the Baptism of Christ 2023 James explores the significance of Jesus's baptism in the Jordan — a moment of divine affirmation, Spirit-anointing, and the launch of a ministry that would change the world. What does it mean to hear the Father say 'you are my beloved'?

]]> James explores the significance of Jesus's baptism in the Jordan — a moment of divine affirmation, Spirit-anointing, and the launch of a ministry that would change the world. What does it mean to hear the Father say 'you are my beloved'?

]]> Buzzsprout-19225957 Sun, 08 Jan 2023 21:00:00 +0000 780 full false Fourth Sunday of Advent 2022 Fourth Sunday of Advent 2022 In the final Sunday before Christmas, James reflects on the mystery of the Incarnation — the astonishing claim that God chose to enter human history through the birth of a child — and what it means to receive him with the openness of Mary.

]]> In the final Sunday before Christmas, James reflects on the mystery of the Incarnation — the astonishing claim that God chose to enter human history through the birth of a child — and what it means to receive him with the openness of Mary.

]]> Buzzsprout-19225951 Sun, 18 Dec 2022 21:00:00 +0000 797 full false