Encountering the Sacred
I have seen the sun break through
to illuminate a small field
for a while, and gone my way
and forgotten it. But that was the
pearl of great price, the one field that had
treasure in it. I realise now
that I must give all that I have
to possess it. Life is not hurrying
on to a receding future, nor hankering after
an imagined past. It is the turning
aside like Moses to the miracle
of the lit bush, to a brightness
that seemed as transitory as your youth
once, but is the eternity that awaits you.
Taking RS Thomas’ poem “The Bright Field” as their starting point each of our speakers will be speaking about their own encounter with the sacred.
The Church of England and BBC’s Richard Coles chairs the evening and is joined by Neil MacGregor, Nicola Green and Ben Okri
You may also like
Great Sacred Music: Feast of the Transfiguration (06.08)
A sequence to speak to heart, head and soul, exploring through songs and readings the great classical music of our religious heritage.
Reflections from Bread for the World (29.07)
Reflections: ‘All that we are’ by Disability Advisory Group. Preached at St Martin-in-the-Fields during Bread for the World on Wednesday 29th of July 2026.
Sermon (26.07)
A sermon preached at St Martin-in-the-Fields on Sunday 26th of July 2026, by Revd Sarah Archer.
Contemplative Prayer (25.07)
Nazareth Contemplative Prayer on Saturday 25th of July 2026, with Revd Richard Carter in Bonnevaux, France.
Great Sacred Music: International Day of Friendship (30.07)
A sequence to speak to heart, head and soul, exploring through songs and readings the great classical music of our religious heritage.
Reflections from Bread for the World (22.07)
Reflections: ‘Sacred listening – the power of listening to shape our deepening discipleship together’ by Revd Catherine Duce. Preached at St Martin-in-the-Fields during Bread for the World on Wednesday 22nd of July 2026.
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Michael Heseltine
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Michael Heseltine Here We Stand: From Acorns to Oaks (23 November...
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Janine Di Giovanni
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Janine Di Giovanni Here We Stand: How to Catch a War Criminal in the...
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Michael Morpurgo
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Michael Morpurgo Here We Stand: In the City and the Country (9...
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Thant Myint-U
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Thant Myint-U Here We Stand: Peacebuilding in a Divided World (2...
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: William Aslet
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: William Aslet Here We Stand: In James Gibbs' Masterpiece (26 October...
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Sam Wells
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Sam Wells Here We Stand: Three Hundred Years At the Heart, On the Edge...
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: David Crystal
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: David Crystal Here I Stand: For Ever and Ever (12 October 2026) When...
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Janina Ramirez
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Janina Ramirez Here I Stand: A Blaze of Light - St Hild (5 October...
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Fintan O’Toole
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Fintan O'Toole Here I Stand: Gulliver's Warning (28 September 2026)...
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Akiko Hart
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Akiko Hart Here I Stand: The Liberty Lecture: The Right to Protest (21...
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Rowan Williams
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Rowan Williams Here I Stand: Solidarity (14 September 2026) When...
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Sayeed Warsi
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Sayeeda Warsi Here I Stand: Muslims Don't Matter (7 September 2026)...
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Agnes Callamard
Autumn Lecture Series 2026: Agnes Callamard Here I Stand: Resist, Disrupt and Transform (1...
Sermon (19.07)
A sermon preached at St Martin-in-the-Fields on Sunday 19th of July 2026, by Revd Andrew Woodward.


















