Rev. Robin Hanford

Lammas: The Spiritual Power of Everyday Bread

By Robin Hanford August 7, 2022Sermons

In 2001 a group of people gathered outside a church in the in town of Alamogordo, New Mexico and started a fire. They did not set fire to the church – this was not some sort of anti-religious arson attack – far from it. In fact, this group gathered to set light to a large pile of books that they deemed to be anti-Christian, satanic, and corrupting the minds of the youth by promoting witchcraft. All of these books in the pile that went up in smoke that day by one author J. R. R. Tolkien. Yep, they burned Lord of the Rings. Which is somewhat ironic as, if they had bothered to read it and comprehend what they were reading, they would soon have discovered that, for all its talk of wizards and magical creatures, it is one of the most Christianity influenced stories to have ever sat on a bookshelf.

“Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out”: The Example of Mary?

By Robin Hanford July 17, 2022Sermons

Our reading from the Gospel of Luke today is one that causes many people to get cheesed off with Jesus. Here are two women, one leaves all the work for the other to do and when she has the nerve to finally ask Jesus to tell her lazy sister to finally get up and do some work, what does he do? Criticises hard working Martha and praises lazy Mary! Where is the justice in that?

Mental Health and Social Stigma: The Gerasene Demoniac

By Robin Hanford June 19, 2022Sermons

“Keep to yourself; do not come near me, for I am too holy for you” (Isaiah 65:5). This is the ‘holier than thou’ attitude that the prophet Isaiah spoke against in our second reading today. For the Hebrew prophets this attitude smacked of hypocrisy. Worshiping out of a belief that we are better than everyone else is not true worship but a selfish enterprise. Yet so much of our lives is geared towards giving us a sense of superiority over our neighbours. We see this in the consumerist sense “buy this car and be the envy of your friends,” “wear this dress and be the envy of your colleagues” etc. but also in how competitive our society has become, “look how hard working and productive I am,” “look how much money I have.”

A Unitarian Sermon on Trinity Sunday

By Robin Hanford June 12, 2022Sermons

“It is often supposed in orthodox circles that Unitarian ministers spend a good deal of time in their pulpits attacking the official doctrine [of the Trinity], whereas in reality we hardly ever mention it.” – so said the Unitarian Minister and one time Principle of Manchester College, Oxford, Sidney Spencer. Well today I am going to mention that doctrine and, in speaking about a doctrine concerning the nature of God anyone, myself included, can run into problems. In some respects, then, this is not an easy sermon for me to preach.

The Pentecost; the Holy Dove appears above, below sits the Virgin surrounded by Apostles, after Dürer

Pentecost: The Role of The Spirit in Unitarianism

By Robin Hanford June 5, 2022Sermons

“God is Dove” is what, on first glance, I read to myself from the memorial to George Dare on Friday. Of course, I quickly realised that this reading was the result of a dyslexic Minister trying to read fancy calligraphy. The quote on Dare’s memorial is, of course, “God is Love”. Yet, “God is Dove” might be strangely apt for today’s service.

Angel of the Revelation (Book of Revelation, chapter 10)

Realising the Kingdom of God Through Love

By Robin Hanford May 15, 2022Sermons

I tend not to pick readings from the Book of Revelation too often. I have a academic Bible encyclopaedia that described the Book of Revelation as a “bewildering kaleidoscope of scenes” – if this Book can come across as bewildering to Bible scholars, then I always fear how a congregation may take it. Indeed, if one reads the entirety of Revelation, one can certainly see how some people believe that John of Patmos was clearly on some sort of psychedelic drug when he wrote it – the vivid apocalyptic visions it contains are clearly evidence enough, at least for some, for there having been some sort of hallucinogenic influence upon the Book’s author.

Easter: What is the Resurrection to You?

By Robin Hanford April 17, 2022Sermons

Do not act surprised. You had warning that this sermon was coming. Not just in the order of service, or the posts on the Facebook page. If the members here care to refer back to the notes that I’m sure you took while reading my monthly ‘Minister’s Musings’ in the chapel Calendar, you will have noted that in my third from last paragraph that I asked you all, “What does resurrection mean to you?”

Our New (300th) Year: What Are Our Hopes And Dreams For It?

By Robin Hanford January 2, 2022Sermons1 Comment

Our first reading today comes from the Book of Ecclesiastes, said to be by the pseudonymous author Qohelet [Koh-HEL-ith] – this is a very odd book of the Bible in many ways. I never cease to be amused by the stances various biblical commentaries have on this book. One of the Anchor Bible commentaries on the book opens with the following: “Ecclesiastes is the strangest book in the Bible.”

Biblically Queer: The Story of Ruth and Naomi

By Robin Hanford November 7, 2021Sermons

Our first reading today comes from the Book of Ruth in the Hebrew Bible. Usually, when I preach on a Biblical text, I like to provide an approximate date of when it was written. However, like many details of this book, even that is contested. It could have been within the second temple period or written during the reign of King David. This sets the scene for Ruth very well.

Harvest display of produce with lamps and the moon in the background.

Harvest and Equinox

By Robin Hanford October 10, 2021Sermons

We find ourselves in a time of festivals. Not long ago, my fiancée Zosh, an eclectic Pagan was celebrating the Autumn Equinox, quickly after that we have the festival of St Michael and All Angles – Michaelmas – the festival that gives its name to the first of the three Oxford terms. Many churches celebrate Harvest around this time. Later there will be All Souls and All Hallows.