The Anglican Cathedral of Second Life

This past weekend Revd Mark preached on the question he gets asked the most about the Anglican Cathedral of Second Life is, ‘How can a church online be a real church?’

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On Sunday we will celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first disciples on the day of Pentecost. Wind and tongues of flame indicated this event, and then the newly empowered disciples went out and spoke to people of all nations gathered in Jerusalem in languages that each could understand. What a day that was! Do try to join us for worship in the Cathedral on the day (Sunday 31st) at noon SLT, when Gareth will be preaching.

At the Thursday service I used readings which looked at the actions of the Spirit: Psalm 96, Ezekiel 11:14-20, Matthew 9:35-10:20. You can read my sermon below. After the prayers and confession, Able Shepherd invited anyone who wished to come forward to kneel at the altar rail while he prayed for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit on us. It was a wonderful time to be together.

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On May 26th we commemorate Augustine, who was a Roman monk sent by Pope Gregory I to convert the Anglo-Saxon pagans in England to Christianity. It was the mission that nearly didn’t happen. Augustine and his companions actually stopped travelling to allow Augustine to return to Gregory to ask if they all might return to Rome instead of travelling on to Kent. God and Gregory had other thoughts and the mission went ahead. The rest, as they say, is history. That mission resulted in the shape of the English church as we see it today very largely despite the many changes since the mission began in 597 AD.

The readings used at the service were Psalm 96, 1 Thessalonians 2:2b-8, Matthew 13:312-33.

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In this short reflection Revd Mark Brown outlines a history of the Anglican Cathedral in Second Life. From a wild idea to a significant ministry.

Originally preached in the Anglican Cathedral in Second Life, May 23/24th
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I wonder if anyone ever told you that becoming a Christian would solve all your problems. Sometimes this can be the message that is given as part of the invitation to faith. If you were to interview a group of Christians I think you would find they have problems like everyone else – sickness, financial difficulties, relationships which are challenging and so on. In the sermon at the Tuesday service in the Cathedral I explored the life of faith using the Bible passages for the day: Psalm 126, Deuteronomy 28:1-14, 1 Peter 4:12-end.

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In the gospel reading for Sunday there is the famous commandment from Jesus: Love one another as I have loved you.  Together, in the noon SLT service, we looked at what this might mean for us as individuals and as a church. Just to make sure that everyone was listening, there were two places in the sermon where those present were asked to contribute their thoughts! It was really good to share together.

The readings were Psalm 98, 1 John 5:1-6, John 15:9-17.

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Holiness indicates being set apart for a special purpose. The outward sign of being set apart could be following different rules from those around us, maybe trying to be better in some way than others. Is this what Jesus intended for his followers?

My sermon preached today at 2pm SLT explores what holiness means. The readings were Psalm 19, Deuteronomy 17:14-end, 1 Peter 1:13-end.

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The church needs more prophets, more people who seek the truth and speak the truth. To find out why and how check out this short message (14 mins) preached by Revd Mark Brown in the SL Cathedral this past weekend.
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So often we look at other people and see them to be superior to ourselves. That can undermine us and leave us feeling that God can’t work through us. God has always worked through ordinary people, even ordinary people who make big mistakes.

The following sermon, preached at the 2pm service was drawn from Psalm 89:1-2, 20-26, Acts 13:13-25, John 13:16-20.

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In my sermon on Tuesday I mentioned a piece of Biblical narrative entitled ‘Where is my voice?’ which had been written by a friend concerning the rape of Tamar in 2 Samuel 13. http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=108687163

I have been given permission by him to post it here. It’s a powerful and poignant piece and one I found difficult to read. If there is a possibility that this will trigger memories from your own past you may not want to read it. If this piece does raise issues for you, do find someone to talk to, either in RL or by contacting me inworld or at ailsa [at] ailsa-wright.net

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