by @BloomsburyCBC from Luther King CentreMay 04
Just one week before we welcome @AnthonyGReddie for the David Goodbourn Annual Lecture. There is still time to register, just check out our website for details ---> https://t.co/CLeLZt88vJ
In this section...
Sermons
Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church is known internationally as an historic preaching centre. Here you can access an archive of some of our sermons from the last few years. The most recent sermons can be found under the 'Latest' section of our website.
You can also find our Sermon Podcast both on Apple Podcasts and Soundcloud.
The Anti-Lectionary
A provocative series exploring 'Texts and topics you wouldn't normally hear preached at Bloomsbury'
- Anti-Lectionary #1: Do Spiritual Gifts Still Happen? (Simon Woodman)
- Anti-Lectionary #2: Christianity and Slavery (Dawn Cole Savidge)
- Anti-Lectionary #3: Sodom and Gomorrah (Luke Dowding)
- Anti-Lectionary #4: Do Miracles Still Happen? (Simon Woodman)
- Anti-Lectionary #5: Incest and Lot’s Daughters (Simon Woodman)
- Anti-Lectionary #6: Rape Culture, #MeToo, and the Bible (Simon Woodman)
- Anti-Lectionary #7: Does God Care About Hairstyles? (Luke Dowding)
- Anti-Lectionary #8: Is a Virgin Birth Inconceivable? (Simon Woodman)
- Anti-Lectionary #9: The Massacre of the Innocents (Simon Woodman)
- Anti-Lectionary#10: Do other faiths lead to God? (Simon Woodman)
- Anti-Lectionary#11: Human Sacrifice (Simon Woodman)
Inclusive Church Series
A series of sermons from guest preachers to mark Bloomsbury's registration as an 'Inclusive Church'.
- What does your God look like?: Revd Dr Simon Woodman
- Ethnic Inclusion: Rosemarie Davidson-Gotobed
- LGBT Inclusion: Four stories from Pride 2019
- Disability Inclusion: Revd Glen Graham
- Gender Inclusion: Revd Beth Allison-Glenny
- Economic Inclusion: Revd Lynne Cullens
- Mental Health Inclusion: Revd Karen Stallard
- The End of Discrimination: Revd Jide Macauley
- Trans Inclusion: Revd Dr Karl Rutlidge
Why This Church?
A series exploring aspects of what it means to be 'Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church'.
- Congregational Church Government (Simon Woodman)
- Independence and Interdependence (Simon Woodman)
- The Primacy of the Local Church (Dawn Cole Savidge)
- Believers' Baptism (Simon Woodman)
- Why Bloomsbury? (Simon Woodman)
- Whose church is it anyway? (Simon Woodman)
Social Justice Issues
- Universal Basic Income (Simon Woodman)
- Ecological Justice (Simon Woodman)
- Welcoming the Stranger (Stephen Copson)
- Housing and Homelessness (Simon Woodman)
The Lord's Prayer
- Our Father in Heaven (Simon Woodman)
- Your kingdom come, your will be done (Ruth Gouldbourne)
- Give us today our daily bread (Simon Woodman)
Palestine & Israel
- Two sermons reflecting on the situation facing Palestinians in the occupied territory.
- A reflection on the Bloomsbury visit to Palestine in 2018
- Supporting justice for Palestine and avoiding antisemitism (Mark Braverman)
Christmas
- Is a Virgin Birth Inconceivable? (Simon Woodman)
- God's Midwives (Simon Woodman)
- Light in the Darkness (Simon Woodman)
- Hope in the Face of Despair (Simon Woodman)
- Resistance is Never Futile (Simon Woodman)
- The Massacre of the Innocents (Simon Woodman)
- Peace at Christmas? (Simon Woodman)
- Waiting with Mary - A sermon on the incarnation (Simon Woodman)
- A Right Jeremiah! - A sermon for Advent 2019 (Simon Woodman)
- Bypassing Herod - A sermon for the Bloomsbury Carol Celebration 2019 (Simon Woodman)
- Bethlehem in a War Zone - A sermon for the Bloomsbury Carol Celebration 2015 (Simon Woodman)
- From Priesthood to Prophecy - Zechariah and Elizabeth (Simon Woodman)
- ‘God is the distilled essence of love made absolute.’ - A sermon for Christmas Eve Midnight Communion Service, 2015 (Simon Woodman)
- Full of Grace and Truth - A sermon for Christmas Day 2017 (Simon Woodman)
- A sermon for Christmas Day 2016 (Simon Woodman)
- Creation in Advent (Simon Woodman)
- Resistance is Never Futile - A sermon for Advent 2020 (Simon Woodman)
- The Hope of New Life - Christmas Day 2020 (Simon Woodman)
Easter
- Marching for a new world - A sermon for Palm Sunday 2019 (Simon Woodman)
- The stations of the cross and the stages of grief - A sermon for Good Friday 2020 (Simon Woodman)
- A sermon for Good Friday 2015 (Simon Woodman)
- Mob Mentality and Scapegoating - A sermon for Good Friday 2017 (Simon Woodman)
- Jesus, remember me - A Sermon for Good Friday 2019 (Simon Woodman)
- Resurrection, again - A sermon for Easter Day 2020 (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 24.1-12 - The Absence of Jesus - A sermon for Easter Day 2021 (Simon Woodman)
Genesis
- Genesis 1:20-2:3 - Flopsy Gets It! (Simon Woodman)
- Genesis 2:4b-7, 15-17, 3:1-8 - The Gilded Cage (Sarah Parry)
- Genesis 4.1-16 - Murder! We're all Cain (Simon Woodman)
- Genesis 12:1-9 - The offspring of the church (Simon Woodman)
- Genesis 15.1-6 - Hope in the Here and Now (Luke Dowding)
- Genesis 19:1-29 - Sodom and Gomorrah (Luke Dowding)
- Genesis 19.30-38 - Incest and Lot’s Daughters (Simon Woodman)
- Genesis 37.3-8, 17b-22, 26-34; 50:15-21 - Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Nightmare (Simon Woodman)
Exodus
- Exodus 12.1-13; 13.1-8 - The Passover Lamb (Simon Woodman)
- Exodus 16.12-21, 31 - Universal Basic Income and the Benefit of the Doubt (Simon Woodman)
- Exodus 24.12-18 - The Transfiguration of Humanity (Simon Woodman)
- Exodus 32.1-14 - The Golden Calf (Simon Woodman)
Judges
- Judges 11.30-40 - Human Sacrifice - Jephthah's Daughter (Simon Woodman)
- Judges 19.1-30 - The Levite's Concubine (Simon Woodman)
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
- 1 Kings 17.17-24 - Raising Nain (Simon Woodman)
- 1 Kings 19: 1-18 - The God who gives cake (Andy Fitchet)
- The Parable of the Playhouse - a sermon on the First Temple (Simon Woodman)
Ezra
- I Want My Country Back! (Simon Woodman)
- Ezra 3 -The Priority, Principles, and Power of Worship (Lee Johnson, London Baptist Association)
Job
Explore with us this troubling text, and its profound reflections on the nature of human suffering
- Job 1.1-22 - From Job to #GeorgeFloyd (Simon Woodman)
- Job 3.1-10; 4.1-9; 7.11-21 - Sometimes wish I'd never been born at all (Simon Woodman)
- Job 14.7-15; 19.23-27 - Hope in the Face of Despair (Luke Dowding)
- Job 19.23-27 - Remember, Remember... A Remembrance Sunday Sermon (Simon Woodman)
- Job 31.35-37; 38.1-11, 25-27 - God in the dock (Simon Woodman)
- Job 41.1-8; 42.1-17 - Choose Life (Simon Woodman)
Psalms
- Psalm 46 - Longing for Peace - Remembrance Sunday (Luke Dowding)
- Psalm 137 - Dashing babies heads against rocks (Simon Woodman)
Ecclesiastes
Isaiah
- Isaiah 6.1-8 - Here am I, Send Me! (Simon Woodman)
- Isaiah 40.1-11 - The World Turned Upside Down (Simon Woodman)
- Isaiah 61.1-11 - Light in the Darkness (Simon Woodman)
Jeremiah
- Jeremiah 33.14-1 - A Right Jeremiah! - A sermon for Advent 2019 (Simon Woodman)
- Jeremiah 36.1-8, 21-23, 27-28; 31.31-34 - The Burning Word of God (Simon Woodman)
Lamentations
Daniel
- Daniel 6:6-27 - Resistance is Never Futile - A sermon for Advent 2020 (Simon Woodman)
- Daniel 7:13-14 - Peace at Christmas? (Simon Woodman)
Joel
Jonah
- Jonah 1.1-17 - 'The Book of Jonah / Mormon' (Simon Woodman)
- Jonah 3.10 – 4.11 - Jonah and the Worm: An ecological reading of Jonah (Simon Woodman)
Matthew
- Matthew 2.1-12 - The Way of Wisdom (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 2.1-12 - Golden Dawn - A sermon for Epiphany Sunday 2015 (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 2:1-16 - There's Always Another Way (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 2.13-18 - The Massacre of the Innocents (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 3.13-17 - A Baptism of Non Conformity - A sermon preached for the Academic Awards Ceremony, Bristol Baptist College & Trinity College Bristol (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 4.1-11 - The Politics of Power - A sermon preached at St Paul's Cathedral (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 4:12-23 - Galilee under the Gentiles (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 5.1-12 - Beatitudes not Platitudes (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 5:13-20 - Breaking the law (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 5.14-16 - Keeping the rumour of God alive (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 5:38-48 - If I ruled the world... (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 6.25-34 - Consider the Lilies (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 9.9f - Living Differently and Following Faithfully (Dawn Cole-Savidge & Luke Dowding)
- Matthew 13.24-30, 36-43 - Witch-hunts and Scape-goats (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 14.13-21 - Slavery and Freedom (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 15:10-39 - National-ism (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 16.21-28 - Satan (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 18:15-20 - Challenging Sin (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 21.33-46 - What God, and So What? (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 22.1-14 - A Case of Mistaken Identity (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 22.34-46 - Whose Son? (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 23:1-12 - "Scroungers" or "Hard Working Families"? (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 24:36-44 - Jesus the Thief (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 25.31-46 - Restorative Reciprocity (Simon Woodman)
Matthew: The Parables of the Kingdom
- Matthew 13.31-32 - The parable of the mustard seed (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 13.33 - The Kingdom of Heaven is like a Virus (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 13.34-5, 44, 51-53 - De-cluttering our Spiritual Life (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 13.45-46 - The Precious Pearl (Simon Woodman)
- Matthew 13.47-51 - The bottom-trawling-fishing-net kingdom (Simon Woodman)
Mark
Discover how Mark's story of Jesus' opposition to the Roman Empire can inspire our own stand against oppressive powers.
- Mark 1.1-4 - The World Turned Upside Down (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 1:1-8 - 'Good news' story, or good 'news story'? (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 1:4-11 - Better Together (Dawn Cole-Savidge)
- Mark 1:4-11 - Je Suis (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 1.9-13 - A Missing Nativity (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 1.14-20 - The Call (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 1.21-45 - By Whose Authority? (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 2.1-12; 18-22 - On Forgiveness and Healing (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 2.13-17 - Eating with the wrong kind of people (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 4.1-34 - Church growth, naturally (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 5.1-20 - From Promised Land to Compromised Land (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 5.21-43 - Reach out and touch faith (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 6.1-29 - Triangles of scapegoating (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 7.1-23 - Now Wash Your Hands Please (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 8.27-9.8 - Losing one’s ‘self’ to find oneself (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 8.31-38 - On burning books and people (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 9:2-10 - Transfiguration (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 9.30-37; 10.17-31 - Giving it up for Lent (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 10.32-52 - Patriarchy, Paternalism and Patronage: A Sermon for International Women's Day 2020 (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 11.1-11 - The Kingdom is Coming - A sermon for Palm Sunday 2020 (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 12.1-17 - A Taxing Question (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 13.1-8, 24-37 - The End Times? (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 13.24-37 - The last days (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 15:6-15 - Barabbas vs. Jesus (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 15.47-16.8a - The Empty Tomb (Simon Woodman)
- Mark 16.8b-20 - A disputed resurrection (Simon Woodman)
Luke
- Luke 1.5-25, 57-80 - From Priesthood to Prophecy (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 1:26-38, 46-55 - Waiting with Mary (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 1.26-58 - God's Midwives (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 2.1-20 - The Hope of New Life - Christmas Day 2020 (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 2.41-52 - Growing in Wisdom (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 3.1-22 - Check Your Privilege (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 3.15-22 - The Stature of Waiting (Stephen Copson)
- Luke 4.14-30 - Jesus' Inaugural Speech (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 4.1-20 - Jubilee Justice (Wale Hudson-Roberts)
- Luke 4.14-21 - The World Turned Upside Down (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 4.14-21 - Pursuing What is Right (Stephen Copson)
- Luke 5.1-11 - On Choosing and Being Chosen (Brian Haymes)
- Luke 5.1-11 - Busy cleaning nets (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 6.1-16 - Keeping the Sabbath (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 6.46-49 - Making Disciples? (Dawn Cole-Savidge)
- Luke 7:11-17 - Raising Nain. (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 9.28-36, 51-56 - The Transfiguration (Dawn Cole-Savidge)
- Luke 9:28-43a - Take Off Your Mask! (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 11.1-10 - Ask, Seek, Knock (Simon Perry)
- Luke 11:1-13 - Teacher, teach us how to pray... (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 13.1-9 - The Barren Fig Tree (Stephen Heap)
- Luke 13.1-9 - Unless You Repent, You Will All Perish (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 14:25-33 - What kind of revolution? (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 15.1-17 - The Scandalous Shepherd and The Traumatised Sheep (Martyn Watson)
- Luke 15.1-17 - Not All Those Who Are Lost, Have Wandered (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 16:1-15 - Stewards of dishonest wealth (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 16.19-31 - Did You See Lazarus (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 18:1-8 - Praying for Justice (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 18.31-19.10 - Zacchaeus: Becoming More Like Jesus (Nigel Williams)
- Luke 19:1-10 - How Small Was Zacchaeus? (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 19.28-40 - Marching for a new world (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 19.29-44 - God's Peaceful Kingdom (Dawn Cole-Savidge)
- Luke 23.32-49 - A sermon for Good Friday 2015 (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 23.42-43 - Jesus, remember me (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 24.1-12 - The Absence of Jesus - Easter Sunday 2021 (Simon Woodman)
- Luke 24.13-35 - The Mystery of the Everyday (Simon Woodman)
John
- John 1.1-3a - Creation in Advent (Simon Woodman)
- John 1.29-42 - Facing the Monsters (Simon Woodman)
- John 1.43-51 - Can Anything Good Come From Nazareth? (Ruth Gouldbourne)
- John 2.1-11 - The Laughing Christ (Paul Martin)
- John 2:1-11 - A sermon for the wedding of Dawn and Simon Cole-Savidge (Simon Woodman)
- John 6.22-40 - Jesus, the Bread of Life (Simon Woodman)
- John 10.7-10 - Shalom in Albania (Dan Dupree)
- John 10.11-30 - The Good Shepherd (Simon Woodman)
- John 11:1-45 - Mortal, can these bones live? (Simon Woodman)
- John 11.14-29 - An Affinity for Eternity (Simon Woodman)
- John 14.1-14 - Who is God? (Simon Woodman)
- John 14.8-17, 25-27 - Lost for words? (Simon Woodman)
- John 14.15-21 - All of Life's a Trial (Simon Woodman)
- John 18:10-11 - Malchus (Simon Woodman)
- John 20:17 - Clinging to Jesus (Simon Woodman)
- John 20:19-31 - Doubting Thomas (Simon Woodman)
- John 21.1-17 - Breakfast on the Beach (Simon Woodman)
Acts
- Acts 1.1-11 - Where's Jesus? (Simon Woodman)
- Acts 1.1-14 - Disciples in Lockdown (Simon Woodman)
- Acts 2:1-4 - Pentecost (Nigel Williams)
- Acts 2.1-13 - You’re not listening to me! Pentecost and the healing of broken relationships (Simon Woodman)
- Acts 2.1-21 - Pentecost without Division (Simon Woodman)
- Acts 2.1-21, 37-41 - Pentecost and the Ethic of the Spirit (Simon Woodman)
- Acts 2.42-47; 4.32 – 5.11 - Believing and Sharing (Simon Woodman)
- Acts 3.1-10 - Transformation, Not Charity (Simon Woodman)
- Acts 3.1-10 - Making a difference to one person (Simon Woodman)
- Acts 4.32-35 - Giving money to the church (Simon Woodman)
- Acts 5: 1-11 - God is not angry (Dawn Cole-Savidge)
- Acts 8.26-39 - Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch (Simon Woodman)
- Acts 11 1-18 - Breaking down barriers (Paul Martin)
- Acts 15.1-18 - Identity Politics and the Early Church
- Acts 16.11-40 - Money Making Religion (Simon Woodman)
- Acts 17.1-9 - Turning the World Upside Down (Simon Woodman)
Romans
- Romans 8.18-39 - The Hope That We Know (Sian Murray-Williams)
- Romans 10.5-15 - Choose Life (Simon Woodman)
- Romans 11:1-2, 28-32 - Whose Lives Matter? (Simon Woodman)
- Romans 12.9-21 - Do Not Be Overcome By Evil (Simon Woodman)
- Romans 13.1-7 - A sermon following the General Election, 2015 (Simon Woodman)
- Romans 14.1-12 - Taking Care of our Bodies (Simon Woodman)
1 Corinthians
- 1 Corinthians 1.10-18 - The Personal Touch (Simon Woodman)
- 1 Corinthians 8.1-13 - A stumbling block to whom? (Simon Woodman)
- 1 Corinthians 9.16-23 - Don't tell me what to do! (Simon Woodman)
- 1 Corinthians 11.3-16 - Does God Care About Hairstyles? (Luke Dowding)
- 1 Corinthians 12.1-11 - Serving one another (Luke Dowding)
- 1 Corinthians 12:1-13 - Pentecost 2020 (Simon Woodman)
- 1 Corinthians 12.4-11 - Do Spiritual Gifts Still Happen? (Simon Woodman)
- 1 Corinthians 12.12-27 - Toxic Charity (Simon Woodman)
- 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 - The Stories We Live By - A sermon for the induction of Louise Polhill (Simon Woodman)
- 1 Corinthians 13 - Growing Up (Simon Woodman)
- 1 Corinthians 15.1-58 - 'I'll Fly Away, Oh Glory!' (Simon Woodman)
- 1 Corinthians 15.1-26, 51-57 - Resurrection? (Simon Woodman)
- 1 Corinthians 16.1-9 - Bearing Burdens (Simon Woodman)
2 Corinthians
- 2 Corinthians 1.1-11 - Consolation in Affliction (Simon Woodman)
- 2 Corinthians 2.1-10 - It's hard to love jerks (Travis Adams)
- 2 Corinthians 4.1-18 - It's the cracks that let the light shine through
- 2 Corinthians 5.1-21 - Ambassadors of Reconciliation
- 2 Corinthians 8.1-15 - It's Not Fair
Galatians
- Galatians 2.11-21 - Was Luther right on justification by faith? (Simon Woodman)
Ephesians
- Ephesians 2.11-22 - A Dismaland Sermon (Simon Woodman)
- Ephesians 4:1-7 - Institutions have the capacity to make demons of us all (Simon Woodman)
- Ephesians 4.1-16 - Why Bloomsbury? (Simon Woodman)
- Ephesians 4.25-5.5 - Remember, Remember; A sermon for Remembrance Sunday (Simon Woodman)
- Ephesians 6.10-20 - Choose your weapon carefully (Simon Woodman)
Philippians
Colossians
- Colossians 1.15-20 - Experiencing the Depths of God (Stephen Copson)
- Colossians 3:1-4 - Raise your eyes above the horizon (Simon Woodman)
1 Thessalonians
Hebrews
- Hebrews 3.1-19 - Shifting Perspectives (Luke Dowding)
- Hebrews 10.19-25 - What Disturbs You? (Gemma Dunning)
- Hebrews 11.1-3, 8-19 - Promises, promises, promises… (Simon Woodman)
- Hebrews 12.1-2, 12-15 - It is what it is (Mark Oakley)
- The Returning Jesus (Simon Woodman)
- The Visible Jesus (Luke Dowding)
- The Accessible Jesus (Simon Woodman)
- The Familial Jesus (Simon Woodman)
- The Pastoral Jesus (Simon Woodman)
- The Sustaining Jesus (Simon Woodman)
- The Vulnerable Jesus (Simon Woodman)
1 Peter
- 1 Peter 1.1-12 - Exiles in a Familiar Land (Simon Woodman)
- 1 Peter 2.18-25 - Slaves of Christ (Simon Woodman)
- 1 Peter 3.13-22 - The Harrowing of Hell (Simon Woodman)
1 John
- 1 John 2.29-3.3 - Living Resurrection (Ruth Gouldbourne)
- 1 John 4.7-21 - Perfect Love (Paul Bailey)
- 1 John 3.16-24 - Speaking with boldness (Dawn Cole Savidge)
- 1 John 4.7-16 - God loves you, get over it! (Ruth Gouldbourne)
- 1 John 5.1-6 - Truthful Testimony in a World of Fake News (Simon Woodman)
- 1 John 5:6-13 - Water and Blood - Escaping Scapegoating (Simon Woodman)
Revelation
In this series Simon uses his decades of research on the book of Revelation to shed new light on this important text for resisting 'empire' in all its forms.
- Revelation 1 - Heaven’s perspective on Power (Simon Woodman)
- Revelation 2-4 - Heaven's perspective on the church (Simon Woodman)
- Revelation 5-7 - Heaven's perspective on the Empire (Simon Woodman)
- Revelation 8-10 - Heaven’s Perspective on Prayer (Simon Woodman)
- Revelation 11 - Heaven’s Perspective on History (Simon Woodman)
- Revelation 14 - Heaven's perspective on mercy and judgement (Simon Woodman)
- Revelation 16 - Heaven's Perspective on the Environment (Simon Woodman)
- Revelation 17-18 - Heaven's Perspective on Economics (Simon Woodman)
- Revelation 20 - Heaven's Perspective on Martyrdom (Simon Woodman)
- Revelation 21-22 - A tale of two cities: from New York to the new Jerusalem (Simon Woodman)
- Revelation 21.1-11, 22-26; 22.17 - Building a Vision for the Common Good (Simon Woodman)