Sermons on Merlon Thompson:

Eulogy For Ralph Deadwyler

Contributed by Rick Gillespie- Mobley on Aug 15, 2018

This is eulogy for an 89 year old Christian man who served as an excellent greeter and usher for many years in the church. He lived the life God called him to live with great humility and concern for others.

Ralph Deadwyler August 8 2018 The year was 1927 and the month was March. Calvin Coolidge was president of the United States. Adolf Hitler was giving his first public speech. Babe Ruth was signing the biggest contract in sports to the tune of $70,000 a year with the New York Yankees and the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:1-15

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Things You Don’t Expect A Vicar To Say: I Agree With Isis.

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Nov 22, 2015

Of course there are a few subtle differences on tactics but on the two key points I agree with ISIS. Loyalty to God always comes before loyalty to my country. I believe in destroying the enemies of God. Shocked? Read on....

Things you don’t expect a vicar to say: I agree with ISIS. Of course there are a few subtle differences on tactics but on the two key points I agree with ISIS. - Loyalty to God always comes before loyalty to my country. - I believe in destroying the enemies of God. Let’s start with ...read more

Scripture: John 18:33-37, Daniel 7:9-14, Matthew 5:43-48, Matthew 5:38-40, Luke 6:27-38, Revelation 1:4-8  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

"It's Only A Handbag" Series

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Dec 26, 2015

Using the 2015 Mulberry and John Lewis adverts to reflect on the Christmas message

I wonder - do you use your sky plus to fast forward through all the adverst on TV. If so you may have missed some very crafted commercial takes on the Christmas message. I wonder for example if you have seen the Mulberry Christmas advert A young couple are in rural cottage with a blazing fire. Jo ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Denomination: Anglican

Safe? Who Said Anything About Safe? Series

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Dec 24, 2012

Do you come regularly to church .... regularly once a year at Christmas? Perhaps you are more committed to God than you yourself think, and perhaps God has things in store for you that you don’t yet realise.

Before the mass begins, projected on the screen are the words: "Imagine God speaks to you tonight. What are you afraid he might ask you to do?" I refer to this question and leave it hanging as I welcome people ......... liturgy continues as normal for Midnight mass, until the ...read more

Denomination: Anglican

The Slaves Cross The Water Series

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Jan 10, 2013

In torn clothes a bedraggled huddle of escaped slaves come to the mighty river Jordan: so through baptism we enter the promsed land.

Its the stuff of Hollywood: in torn clothes a bedraggled huddle of escaped slaves come to the mighty river Jordan. It parts before them and they enter the Promised Land. This is the founding story of the Israelite people - slaves in Egypt rescued from slavery by God’s mighty hand, crossing ...read more

Scripture: Luke 3:15-22

Denomination: Anglican

Choose Your Own Ending

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Jan 29, 2013

An interactive sermon on the theme of Christian giving

Christians give very generously to their churches - certainly to our church and probably to your church too. But even so, the topic of giving is a difficult and sensitive one to talk about. To help people gain ownership I decided to try a two part sermon, the two parts being a month apart. At the ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 14:20

Denomination: Anglican

What Is The Opposite Of A Christian People Series

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Jan 29, 2013

What flight simulators and Chipee the Parakeet have to teach us about Gaudate Sunday.

What would you say was the opposite of a Christian people? would it be an atheist people? a pagan people? Perhaps even a hypocritical people? an unforgiving people? what would be your answer? When the novelist George Bernanos was asked this question “what is the opposite of a Christian ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:4-7

Denomination: Anglican

Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World Series

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Jan 29, 2013

Did you see the Hollywood film of the same name? What lessons does it have for us this Advent?

There was a film out a few months back entitled “seeking a friend for the end of the world”. Now if like me you enjoy the cinema, you often get to watch apocalyptic motion pictures where an asteroid is about to crash into the earth or the volcanoes are going off, or the gulf stream ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

Denomination: Anglican

A Light To Lighten The Cloud Atlas Series

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Feb 4, 2013

A sermon for Candlmass inspired by David Mitchell's novel "Cloud Atlas". I only discovered the day after giving this that Cloud Atlas is about to be turned in a Hollywood Blockbuster.

This is Cloud Atlas. [show a physical copy of the book]. I wonder, have you read it perhaps? Or perhaps you heard about it when it was shortlisted for the booker prize. I remember when I read it - it’s not a book you forget. There are six stories in it, and each story breaks off half way ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:22-40

Denomination: Anglican

In A World Where Jesus Said Yes To The Devil Series

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Mar 8, 2014

A journey in our imagination into what would happen if The Wizard of Gallilee said "yes" to the Serpent's temptations in the desert, and what happens if we say "yes".

Hissss Hissss Imagine…. Imagine….. And the wizard of Gallillee waved his wand. And every church was full. The crowds packed in, acknowledging Jesus as the one true God. Every church was full. So many people crowding in, standing room only. The collection plate piled HIGH full of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11

Denomination: Anglican

Big Results Not A Big Fanfare Series

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Aug 2, 2014

Why do we bring up the bread and wine from the back of church at the offertory? What is heaven like? Does God prefer a big splash and fanfare or big results done quietly?

If you are picking up an Agatha Christie and you are impatient you’ll turn to the last page of the novel to find the answer. But of course first of all you have to know the question, which in an Agatha Christie book is “Who was the murderer”.By the end of this morning sermons I ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:13-21

Denomination: Anglican

Defeating The Waters Of Chaos Series

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Aug 9, 2014

Drenched, cold and fearing for their lives, they bucket the water out the boat as figure comes towards them. Is it the ghost of a drowned sailor....?

“in the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless chaos and darkness covered the face of deep, while the Spirit/breath/wind of God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said “let there be light” (Genesis 1:1) So begins the first creation ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33

Denomination: Anglican

Never Too Young, Never Too Old Series

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Jan 31, 2015

Ancient coffin dodgers Anna and Simeon hold up a tiny baby for all to see. We write two of them off as too old, and the other as too young, but God sees things differently

I met Tinky Robertson back in 2012 when I was out in South Africa. She is ordinary not particularly important white South African woman who now works as a book keeper for the Diocese of Zululand. But back in 1994, just after the first free multiracial elections she lived in Pretoria. Tinky was out ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:22-38, Malachi 3:1-5, 1 Samuel 3:1-21

Denomination: Anglican

I Was Sitting In The Barbers...

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Jan 31, 2015

Lessons from a little boy in Sunday School, the great theologian Thomas Aquinas, the first disciples Andrew and Phillip, and of course members of our own church .. but what about?

I was sitting in the barbers - you know the one? Just down at Old Field circus. I think it was the second time I had been to that barbers since I moved in, but the first time that particular girl had cut my hair. And we get chatting about the music they are playing in that salon (I think it was ...read more

Scripture: John 1:35-51, Matthew 27:19-20

Denomination: Anglican

Superman Taking His Glasses Off

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Feb 14, 2015

Non Christians asked about friendship and I realised I had preached many a sermon about being friends with Jesus, but I had never preached and I could not find by anyone else, a sermon about how to be friends with our fellow human beings

I heard on Wednesday how the Christian Union up in St Andrews went round other students in the university with a camera and asked “If you met God at the pearly gates, what questions would you ask him?” Interestingly there were very few questions about bone cancer or wasps that live ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:2-9

Denomination: Anglican