Malcolm's podcast

'I believe in the Holy Spirit'. The last of my series of seven sermons on the Apostles' Creed

'He Shall come again in glory to judge both the quick and the dead'

A reflection on the Mystery of Christ's Ascension and what it means to say that we have a brother, and saviour, in Heaven

A sermon on the resurrection: "The central event, the defining moment, the core of Christian witness

Third in my series of sermons preached at Girton College on the Apostles Creed ' 'He descended into Hell'

The second clause of the apostles creed 'I believe in Jesus Christ' Continuing a series I preached at Girton

This is the first in a sequence of seven sermons reflecting on the mystery and meaning of the Apostles Creed. these were originally preached in the Chapel of Girton College Cambridge

My poetry reading for Trinity College Cambridge's Nightmuse series

The final part in my Blake series, concentrating on Blake and the prophetic tradition and looking in particular at His Prophetic Masterwork Jerusalem.

The third in my series of four on Blake. this one is on Blake and Jesus

The second of my talks on Blake, this is on the Songs of Innocence and Experience. There is a slight drop out towards the end of this file. here is the text of the poem i'm reading so you can get the missing lines: THE CLOD AND THE PEBBLE ‘Love seeketh not itself to please, Nor for itself hath any care, But for another gives its ease, And builds a heaven in hell’s despair.’ So sung a little clod of clay, Trodden with the cattle’s feet, But a pebble of the brook Warbled out these metres meet: ‘Love seeketh only Self to please, To bind another to its delight, Joys in another’s loss of ease, And builds a hell in heaven’s despite.’

The first of four talks at St. Edwards on Blake; ahead of his time, ahead of ours? the series will be: 1 biography and overview 2 The Songs of Innocence and Experience 3 Blake and Jesus 4 Blake as prophet.

The third of my three sermons at St. edward King and Martyr on God Above us, Beside us, and within us.

The second of my three sermons on the trinity, understood as God above us, God beside us, and God within us.

'The first of three sermons on the trinity understood as 'God above us', God beside us', and 'God within us.'

The final episode in my series on St. John, concentrating on the great theme of Glory. what does it mean to behold the Glory of God in Christ? How is it revealed? How does he share it with us?

the third in my series on four key words in John's Gospel. This one is about Love!

Continuing my series of key words in John's Gospel, here is the talk on 'Life' in Johns gospel i gave at St. Edwards on tuesday 12th June

Following on from my talk on the prologue to John's Gospel, this is the first of four talks on the main themes in John; Light, Life, Love and Glory, which I am delivering throughout June at St. Edward's Church Cambridge

This talk, on the prologue to John's gospel forms the introduction to a series on John's gospel. Four further talks will develop the interwoven themes of Life, Light, Love and Glory.

Here is a Sermon I gave on the sunday after Ascension day at St. Edward's King and Martyr, tackling some of the awkward issues raised by the image of Christ ascending and trying to get to the heart of what it means to believe that in Christ our humanity has been taken into the heart of Heaven. It also has some links with the thought in my Sonnet for Ascension Day, which was read during the service (http://malcolmguite.wordpress.com/2012/05/15/a-sonnet-for-ascension-day/)

Here is a poetry reading and accompanying sermon I have at St. Edward's Cambridge on the first Sunday after Easter. the traditional reading for his sunday is John chapter 20: verses 24-end, which tells the story of how Jesus ibited thomas o touch his wounds. I am fond of Thomas, a man who dared to ask questions, and this poem and sermon are a celebration of his role in the gospels.

The third and last in my series of Good Friday talks on the Way of the Cross. drawing on the Stations sonnets which can be found here: http://malcolmguite.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/good-friday-the-stations-of-the-cross/

The second of my three good Friday Talks drawing on the Stations sonnets. the Sonnets can be found here: http://malcolmguite.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/good-friday-the-stations-of-the-cross/

This is the first of my three Good Friday Talks on following the way of the cross, which draw on my sonnets sequence 'Stations' which can be found here: http://malcolmguite.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/good-friday-the-stations-of-the-cross/

This is a recording of Rob Groves singing 'Redemption' at the On the Edge service and is intended as an illustration to go with the sermon on Johnny Cash and Tom Waits in the previous podcast

This is the sermon I preached at our 'On the Edge Tom Waits/Johnny cash special. the text was from Revelations 3:14-22 and the set list included: Mr. Seigal, Folsom Prison Blues, Make it Rain, Redemption, Chocolate Jesus, Wrong side of he Road, Long black veil and ol'55.

We come to the 'final frontier', the line between life and death, between mortal and immortal, and once more we find the depth and liberating christian paradox at work; Christ who is life dies to share that life with us, we who live, die, in one sense, in order to have life with Him in every sense. We enter into these mysteries with some help from a reflection on Baptism and some poetry by George Herbert and John Donne

In this talk i look at how the revelation of God in christ, and the new commandment to love radically reconfigure the way we draw the line between self and other. Taking in teaching about the holy trinity from augustine and others, and the teaching of Charles Williams about co-inherence, we finish with a reading of the poetry of Michael O'Siaidhal, which helps our imagination to grasp and 'bring home' some of these ideas.

Continuing our exploration of Christ as reconciler and healer of our false divisions, we look at the 'division' between reason and imagination, with the help of Shakespeare, William Blake, and CS Lewis!

Christ is not confined by human borderlines, religious or geographic. He crossed the fontiers between city and wilderness, Jew and Gentile, and ultimately, life and death.He still calls his followers to cross new frontiers with him. This Lent, with the help of some poets and visionaries, we will journey with Christ on both sides of five frontier lines: Today's talk will take us back and forth across the borderline of Faith and Doubt with help from GK Chesterto, Thomas Hardy, Philip Larkin and Geoffrey Hill. The full line up of talks for lent is here: Feb 28th: Faith/Doubt March 7th: Matter/Spirit March 14th: Reason/Imagination March 21st: Self/Society March 28th: Life/Death Among the poets who help us on the journey will be: Shakespeare,George Herbert, Milton,Blake, Tennyson, Thomas Hardy,Philip Larkin, and Geoffrey Hill. The Talks will be recorded and posted on the St. edards site and on my podomatic site.

Christ is not confined by human borderlines, religious or geographic. He crossed the fontiers between city and wilderness, Jew and Gentile, and ultimately, life and death.He still calls his followers to cross new frontiers with him. This Lent, with the help of some poets and visionaries, we will journey with Christ on both sides of five frontier lines: Today's talk will take us back and forth across the borderline of Faith and Doubt with help from GK Chesterto, Thomas Hardy, Philip Larkin and Geoffrey Hill. The full line up of talks for lent is here: Feb 28th: Faith/Doubt March 7th: Matter/Spirit March 14th: Reason/Imagination March 21st: Self/Society March 28th: Life/Death Among the poets who help us on the journey will be: Shakespeare,George Herbert, Milton,Blake, Tennyson, Thomas Hardy,Philip Larkin, and Geoffrey Hill.

This is the sermon I preached at a special Eucharist at St. Edwards Church in which we explored Rilke's life and work.

Here's a brief sermon I preached as the opener for a series at Girton college on storytelling in the Bible/ It concludes with one of my epiphany sonnets called Nathanael's epiphany, which you can find on my blog.

This is the talk I gave at our On the Edge special service: 'You want to travel with him; Leonard Cohen as fellow pilgrim'. the playlist for the service was: Sisters of Mercy, Last Year's Man, Anthem, If it be your will, Suzanne, and Halleluia!

The season of epiphany, which follows on from the visit of the wise men, gives us a chance to contemplate some of the moments of 'epiphany' or glimpses of ultimate reality in the Gospel. One of these is when the 'Heavens open' at the Baptism of Christ. Here is a sonnet and a short sermon both contemplating that particular epiphany.

Here is a lovely ittle piece by GK Chesterton which I always enjoy reading at Christmas time. I hope you will enjoy it too!

The fifth and final talk in my series on the inklings as radical prophets.

Fourth in my series on the inklings as radical prophets, not nostalgiamongers. This one is a look At Charles Williams key ideas: Coinherence, substitution, exchange

Third in my series on the Inklings, this one is about Owen Barfield, the first and last Inkling, whom Lewis called 'the best of my unofficial teachers'. I was joined for this talk by his Grandson Owen Barfield, who talks about the exciting release of significant unpublished works

my talk on Lewis, no.2 in my series on the Inklings As Prophets, tomorrow at 5:30 at St. Edwards. I am going to be emphasising his radical critique of reductive philosophy, his accurate prediction of the assaults on human identity that would arise from the abuse of science and his call, in The Abolition of Man for a 'new kind of science' more respectful of, and in harmony with nature.

This book, which I think lies behind some of Tolkien's chapter 'The Scouring of the Shire' is about the need to maintain the old truths by ceaseless renewal and vigilance, and is a great call to resist tyranny and the erosion of freedom wherever we find it.

This book contains the episode I read on the anniversary of 9/11, of the child rebuilding the tower, it has Alfred's great rallying call to the ordinary folk of England to choose a good death rather than slavery, and most famously it contains his cry at the turning point of the battle which was quoted by the times after the D Day landings: "The High tide!" King Alfred cried. The high tide and the turn!"

Three heroic deaths in battle and the utterly chilling description of the cursed spear of Elf, from the rhineland, which sems to anticipate the Nazi interest in occult objects and weaponry.

Battle commences! This contains, amongst other treasure Colan's great evocation of the trees of Britain, worth it for that alone!

This contains he famous episode of Alfred burning the cakes and Chesterton makes it the occasion of his great Hymn to God as the universal and unnoticed servant of all

The King walks boldly into the Camp of the Danes in guise of a wandering minstrel with his harp on his shoulders. We are introduced to Guthrum, the Danish leader and his earls each of whom take the harp and play, each of whom represents and expresss one of the self-serving or nihilistic and despairing philosophies which were about to crush the twentieth century and to which GKC saw Christianity opposed and answering. He projects them back into the mouths of the danes and then in the last part Alfred gives a powerful answer on behalf of the faith. In some ways I think this book is the hear of the poem.

Inspired by his vision and 'shaken with the joy of giants', Alfred gathers the remnants of his people for a last stand against the Danes. The England Alfred represents is culturally and ethnically diverse but united in faith and vision The Thre chiefs represent three strands of culture and vision; Eldred is anglo-saxon, loves his ale and bacon and prefers the arts of peace but is mighty when roused, Mark is of Roman origin and represents the culturs and organisational skills of Rome, and Colan of Caerleon (my favourite) represents the celts, Christian, but still in touch with 'the gods of unbearable beauty/that break the hearts of men'!

I this first book, Alfred, having faced defeat after defeat gainst the Danes is almost ready to give up. But he sees a vision of our Lady. She refuses to reveal the outcome of the battle, indeed tells him 'nought for his comfort' but just to have seen her,to have had a glimpse of the innocent joy of heaven is enough to inspire Alfred to go on: 'The very colours of her coatwee better than good news!'

The First episode of my reading of GK Chesterton's Ballad of the White Horse in its entirety

The first in a series of five talks which will explore how the Group of writers who clustered around CS Lewis in the middle of the last century were forging a vision that is vital for us in the 21st Century