Sermon by the Bishop of Oxford at Holy Baptism and Confirmation

It’s a real joy to be with you today, to visit and to share in this service of baptism and confirmation. The candidates have shared with me something of their spiritual journey which were all very moving to read.

It’s been a privilege to walk with this parish across the last ten years in the journey you have made together. Thank you for your fellowship, your friendship, your encouragement in this journey.

How would you answer the question, I wonder, what is your superpower? What quality do you have at which you excel? The world around us loves to celebrate superpowers in athletics, in entertainment, in culture. Just two weeks ago, Sabastian Sawe incredibly ran the London Marathon in under two hours.

We love superpowers in the stories of great heroes from the past or of our comic book heroes. Achilles is known for his prowess in battle; Odysseus for his cunning; Priam for his wisdom. The Marvel superheroes and villains all have different superpowers, strengths and weaknesses.

The Church rightly loves to celebrate the saints: Christians who demonstrate virtue and holiness and love for the poor and who draw us closer to God. No two saints are exactly the same. I was struck in reading the testimonies of the candidates how often you mentioned the examples of others and of the saints who have gone before us.

In the life of the Church we make the extraordinary claim that every single Christian has been given superpowers – gifts from God. The gifts flow from the promises of Jesus in our gospel reading.

And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate. The word is sometimes translated as Comforter, as Helper, as Friend, as Counsellor.

What kind of helper could this be? Is this like a helpline, someone to contact when you are lost? This gift is much more precious.

This Advocate, this helper will be with you, for ever. Each day. This is the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive. Where might we find this Spirit of Truth? Jesus say You know him because he abides with you and will be in you.

Almighty God, maker of heaven and earth, sends his only Son to love the world, to die on the cross for our sins, to rise again to life eternal. And now, Jesus promises that the Father and the Son will send another helper, the Spirit of truth to dwell within each of us, to make his home in you..

The Advocate, the Comforter will be in you. We will come to them and make our home with them.

In a few moments time we will share in the baptism of Sam, Amy and Aysha. We mark with this outward sign the spiritual reality that they have been washed and made clean through the death of Jesus for them. We mark with this sign that their old life has come to an end and they are risen with Christ.

And then we will share in their confirmation and the confirmation of Jacob, Joe and Anna.

I will pray on behalf of us all, that each would have this help which Jesus promises. Confirm O Lord your servant with your Holy Spirit.

We are praying that God will fill them with God’s beauty and love and presence. That God will awaken in them a sense of the divine Spirit, dwelling deep within. That they would never, ever feel orphaned or alone. That the Advocate will indeed abide in them and they will abide in God’s love. That over time, the Holy Spirit, the helper, will grow in them a new character, the best they can be, of love and joy and peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. We are praying that God will give them gifts for ministry and service in the world and in the church, to reveal God’s love and glory to others.

We need to know that we are praying big prayers this morning for the gift of the Spirit. And as we pray for Sam, Amy, Aysham Jacob, Jo and Anna so we are praying for ourselves.

We are praying that we will live out our baptism. We are praying that we will remember and rediscover the presence of the Spirit in our lives. We are praying as we pray in every Eucharist, for the real presence of Christ and for renewal in God’s love and grace.

That we will be equipped to serve and love God’s world. That we would have the power and strength to love our neighbours. That we will walk with Christ and live with Christ for ever.

Amen.