9 October 2025

We watched the first episode in the Channel 5 adaptation of the Revd. Richard Coles', ‘Murder before Evensong’. I thought the characters were well-observed and the priest had some authentic characteristics – his skill at listening, his knowledge of people in the parish, his frustration with parochial governance.

However, there were a couple of moments when my heart sank. It may have been Coles’ intention to present a priest who was so preoccupied with the affairs of the parish that he was unable to write his Sunday sermon. On two occasions, we saw the priest staring at a blank piece of paper with the word ‘sermon’ written on it.

On his desk, I couldn’t see a single book never mind the Bible. In preparing a sermon which is  related to the Biblical texts in the lectionary for the day, one would have anticipated an open Bible  and evidence that the Bible had been read.

Staring at a blank page without the stimulus of the Word of God implies that the priest wanted words of wisdom to come pouring out of his head but, of course, they didn’t. A sermon must begin with the Word and diligent study and end with the proclamation of God’s Word and the harvest of the Holy Spirit.

If a preacher can do nothing else, she could begin by explaining the texts for the day simpliciter. This would have the advantage of leading people into the Scriptural texts  for the day, providing basic background and unpacking some meaning. More is expected but this is a helpful beginning.

Having done this groundwork, the preacher is required to reflect on the text. The preliminary work takes time but is straightforward. Reflecting on the  Word in the contemporary context is more demanding. Failing to complete this  task is only excusable if there is  a murder in the parish before evensong!