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Isaiah 50.4–10; Galatians 1.11–24; Mark 10.35–45 a sermon at the Annual Readers’ Service for the Diocese of Durham Durham Cathedral, Saturday September 16, 11.30 a.m. by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright James and John said to Jesus, ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in […]

Isaiah 35.1–10; Luke 10.25–37 Sermon at the Service of Re-dedication for the Priory of England and the Islands of the Most Venerable Order of The Hospital of St John of Jerusalem Durham Cathedral, Saturday 23 September 2006 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright There is a great theme in the scriptures which […]

i Kings 19.9b–12; Mark 6.30–34 a sermon at the 60th anniversary celebrations of Shepherd’s Dene by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright To say Elijah was depressed is putting it mildly. In what we now see as a regular pattern, he had a huge and dramatic success followed by a total collapse. He […]

Isaiah 9.2–7 a sermon at the rededication of the Memorial Cloisters, Sedbergh School 13 November 2005 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright ‘The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; for unto us a son is given, the Prince of Peace.’  Isaiah’s words are all the more poignant when […]

Ezekiel 1.22–28; Colossians 1.24–29; John 17.1–13 a sermon at the Ordination of Priests in Durham Cathedral, June 26 2010 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N T Wright Some years ago, Maggie and I were invited to dinner by a very senior person in another university. After the meal I asked if I could see the […]

Acts 2.1–21; John 16.4b–11 a sermon for Pentecost (May 23) 2010 in the Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert, Durham by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright Every child learns to live in at least two worlds, and learns also how awkward it can be when the two […]

Acts 2.1–21; John 15.26—16.15 a sermon at the Eucharist and Baptism (of Isabel Johanna Sheen) in Durham Cathedral on the feast of Pentecost, 31 May 2009 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright What are we praying for when we pray for the Holy Spirit? ‘Send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort […]

Acts 2.1–21; John 7.37–39 a sermon at the Eucharist on the Feast of Pentecost, 11 May 2008 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright ‘There was not yet Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.’ Those words, flattened out somewhat in most translations, conclude the powerful little gospel reading we have just heard. […]

Acts 2.1–21; John 14.8–27 a sermon at the Eucharist in Durham Cathedral on the Feast of Pentecost, 27 May 2007 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright Anoint and cheer our soilèd face With the abundance of thy grace; Keep far our foes, give peace at home; Where thou art guide no ill […]

Acts 2.1–21; John 15.26–27; 16.4b–15 a sermon in Durham Cathedral on the Feast of Pentecost, June 4 2006 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright ‘Grant us,’ says the Collect, ‘by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things.’ That is not, perhaps the first thing that comes to our […]

Exodus 15; Psalm 98; Revelation 5; John 20 a sermon at the Southern Cathedrals’ Festival Eucharist feast of Mary Magdalene, 22 July 2005 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright ‘Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in […]

1 Samuel 3.1–10; Revelation 1.5b–8; Luke 7.36–50 Sermon at the Maundy Thursday Sung Eucharist, 20 March 2008 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright You will have noticed that the question of God has been on the public agenda, for some months now, in a way that hasn’t been true before in my […]

Isaiah 55.8-13; Romans 8.1-11; Matthew 13.1-23 A sermon at Calvary St George, Gramercy Park, New York on the Third Sunday after Trinity, 10 July 2011 within the celebrations of the Four Hundredth Anniversary of the King James Bible By the Right Reverend Professor N T Wright, University of St Andrews ‘Ye have seen,’ says God […]

Isaiah 65. 17–25; Revelation 21.9–27 a sermon at Harvard Memorial Church, October 22 2006 by the William Belden Noble Lecturer, Bishop N. T. Wright (Bishop of Durham) ‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth.’ You might well suppose that this would be the reaction of the delighted Englishman, arriving once more in Harvard […]

Ecclesiasticus 44.1-15; Hebrews 11.32—12.2; Matthew 5.1-12 A sermon at the service to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the foundation of the University of St Andrews In the University Chapel of St Salvator Sunday June 26 2011 by the Rt Revd Professor N. T. Wright, DD Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity St Mary’s College […]

John 20.1–10 a sermon at the Easter Vigil at Stanhope, April 11 2009 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright I had an email earlier today from a friend in Sydney, Australia. And of course where he was Easter had already come. Here we are, meeting in the darkness of Holy Saturday evening, […]

Romans 6.3–11; Luke 24.1–12 sermon at the Easter Vigil (Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion of Easter) in Durham Cathedral, Easter Day (April 3) 2010 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright If you remember little else about this morning, you will probably remember it as the day you got up at half past […]

Romans 6.1–11; Mark 16.1–8 a sermon at the Easter Vigil in Durham Cathedral, Easter Morning 2009 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright ‘If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him . . . so you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to […]

Romans 6.3–11; Matthew 28.1–10 a sermon at the Easter Vigil 2008 (with Baptism and Confirmation) by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright Well, we never thought it would come to this. A white Easter! And so the papers and the airwaves are full of people grumbling about the ridiculous system – as they […]

Romans 6.3–11; Luke 24.1–12 a sermon for the Easter Vigil, with Baptism and Confirmation, April 8 2007 at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and Cuthbert, Durham by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright Nearly thirty years ago, my family and I lived in Cambridge. One day I went, with […]

Acts 10.34–43; John 20.1–18 a sermon at the Eucharist on Easter Morning, 11.15 am, April 4 2010 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright The taxi driver looked back at me in his mirror. His face was a mixture of amusement and sympathy. We were stuck in traffic and he’d asked me, as […]

Acts 10.34–43; John 20.1–18 a sermon at the Sung Eucharist in Durham Cathedral Easter Day 2008 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright The Easter stories are full of people getting the wrong end of the stick. Mary thinks Jesus’ body has been stolen. Peter sees the linen wrappings and can’t work out […]

Acts 10.34–43; John 20.1–18 a sermon at the Eucharist in Durham Cathedral on Easter Day 2009 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright Let beauty awake in the morn from beautiful dreams, Beauty awake from rest! Let Beauty awake For Beauty’s sake In the hour when the birds awake in the brake And […]

Acts 10.34–43; John 20.1–18 a sermon in Durham Cathedral at the Eucharist on Easter Morning, April 8 2007 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright Once again, Easter has brought a rash of silly-season stories in the press. Some poor shopkeeper has made the blunder of saying that the Easter eggs are to […]

Acts 10.34–43; John 20.1–18 a sermon at the Eucharist in Durham Cathedral on Easter Morning 2006 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright ‘Go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”’ Jesus’ remarkable command to Mary Magdalene is […]

Acts 16.16–34; John 17.20–end a sermon at the Eucharist on the Sunday after Ascension Day York Minster, 20 May 2007 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright I love the weekly Collects in the Book of Common Prayer (and, in principle, their updated versions). Again and again they outshine, in their elegant but […]

1 Peter 2.1–10; Psalm 122; Matthew 16.13–28 sermon at the 125th anniversary of St Peter’s Church, Stockton-on-Tees 10 a.m., 15 October 2006 by the Lord Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright It’s a long and dusty road, but you’d want to do it in a day because it might be dangerous to stop overnight […]

Job 28.12–28; Colossians 1.24—2.5 a homily at the celebration of the 175th anniversary of the founding of the University of Durham in the Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham Saturday 23 June 2007 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright I was fascinated to see that […]

John 17.14–26 a sermon at the Ordination of Deacons in Durham Cathedral, June 27 2010 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr. N.T. Wright The point of having Deacons is so that the world may see the love of God in action. That is the essential message I draw from today’s gospel reading, which forms the conclusion […]

Isaiah 11.1–10; Acts 17.22–32 a sermon at Matins on the Fifth Sunday after Trinity preached before Her Majesty’s Courts of Justice in the Counties of Durham, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear and North Yorkshire in the Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert, Durham by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. […]

Zechariah 8.20–end; John 1.35–42 a sermon at the Installation of the Venerable Ian Jagger as Archdeacon of Durham and Canon Residentiary St Andrew’s Day 2006 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright ‘Give me the map there,’ commands the old king. ‘Know that we have divided In three our kingdom; and ’tis our […]

Isaiah 60.1–4; Colossians 1.15–20; Matthew 5.1–16 sermon at the Inauguration of Dr David Wilkinson as Principal of St John’s College, Durham Durham Cathedral, 17 October 2006 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright It would have been a bold commentator ten years ago, let alone twenty or thirty, who would have predicted that […]

Isaiah 52.7–10; John 1.1–18 sermon at the Eucharist on Christmas Morning, 2008 in the Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright I listened yesterday morning with growing frustration to a clip on the Today programme in which a bishop and […]

Isaiah 9.2–7; Luke 2.1–20 sermon at the Midnight Eucharist on Christmas Eve 2008 in the Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert, Durham by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright ‘Unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his […]

Titus 3.4–7; Luke 2.8–20 Sermon at the Cathedral Midnight Eucharist Christmas 2007 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright The choir had been practicing for hours, and the singers were tired. But the conductor kept them at it. This was the most amazing music they were ever going to sing, and they were […]

Isaiah 9.2–7; Luke 2.1–20 a sermon at the Midnight Eucharist, Christmas Eve 2006 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright Sing a song of Christmas, of emperors and angels; Sing a song of Christmas, of darkness now past; Sing a song of starlight, of shepherds and of mangers; Sing a song of Jesus, […]

Isaiah 52.7–10; John 1.1–18 sermon at the Eucharist on Christmas Morning 2007 in the Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin, and Cuthbert of Durham by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright ‘There was a birth, certainly, We had evidence and no doubt.’ So say the Magi in T. S. Eliot’s poem. […]

Hebrews 1.1–4; John 1.1–18 a sermon at the Eucharist on Christmas Morning 2006 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright If I asked you where in John’s Gospel you would find a wedding scene, several of you would know the answer at once. Don’t worry; I am not going to use the excuse […]

1 Corinthians 1.18—2.5 Bishop’s Charge to Ordination Candidates, July 2 2005 The Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright ‘Jews demand signs, and Greeks seek wisdom; but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and […]