PETER SILLS
Anglican priest, pilgrimage leader and prayer guide.
Welcome to my website!
Like many priests I have developed materials for Christian education and formation, and the main purpose of this website is to make them available to parishes and individuals who might find them helpful.
On this page you will find information about talks, publications and retreats, and in the side panel a guide to the website.
NB I am in the process of revising and updating this website, and I apologise that much of the information is out of date. This page is done, and I am working my way through the other pages.
INTRODUCING THE GOSPEL OF MARK
The Year of Mark begins this Advent and I will be leading a series of three seminars on Zoom Introducing the Gospel of Mark for the Diocese of Chichester, though they are open to all. They will be on Tuesday mornings from 10.30–12.00. The details are as follows, together with the link to book a place.
November 24 2026: In the first seminar I ask: Who was Mark? When, why, where and for whom did he write? What are the keynotes of his message? Seminar 1 https://www.trybooking.com/uk/HFBX
March 16 2027: In preparation for Holy Week, this seminar explores Mark’s Passion Story, noting its distinctive features and the picture of Jesus it paints. Seminar 2 https://www.trybooking.com/uk/HFBY
May 11 2027: The concluding seminar looks more closely at Mark’s message, at its personal, social and political contexts. Seminar 3 https://www.trybooking.com/uk/HFBZ
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
Beginning this December, I will be offering a thought for the month (the link will be on this page). As we prepare in Advent to celebrate the birth of Jesus, I will reflect on the pictures of God that lie behind the violence in the Middle East, and how they contrast with the picture of God that Jesus revealed.
SIX STEPPING
The response to Six Steps Into The Bible (published October 2023) has been very encouraging. I wrote it for those who would like to deepen their understanding of the Bible and are up for a bit of serious study. It aims to fill the gap between popular introductions to the Bible and academic commentaries. It takes the form of a course which builds learning for the reader, beginning with how the Bible came to be written, and continuing to show how its message evolved over the nine centuries of its writing. It explores the developing understanding of God and Jesus, morality, hope and human destiny. Full details, reviews, and how to order a copy are on the Courses page.
A feast for enquiring minds and hungry spirits. – Canon Nick Parish
This book gets under the skin of the Bible. It is superbly written, clear, focused and engagingly accessible. – Barbara McGowan
Six Steps Online 2027
Between January and Easter 2027 I will be leading a third series of Six Steps Seminars on Zoom, reading through and discussing the book together. There will be eight seminars on a Thursday morning, 10.30–12.00. The dates are:
January 7, 14, 28; February 4, 18, 25; March 4, 11.
The previous two series have gone well and have provoked interesting discussions and good feedback. I was particularly touched by one comment:
Peter does not preach, but gives hope through his gentle exposition of crushingly difficult issues.
If you would like to join the Zooms please contact me: peter.sills@icloud.com
MAGNIFICA HUMANITAS
Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical letter is an important document. If you have not read a Papal Encyclical Letter before, I’d certainly recommend this one, especially if, like me, you are concerned about the rush to develop new and more powerful applications of AI – given the kind of problem mentioned on the news recently of one AI system hacking into another without having been instructed to do so. This Encyclical is a powerful plea to be aware of the dangers of unchecked progress, and of the need to ensure human values and human agency remains in control of this new technology. I recall many years ago the Reith Lecturer talking about the ‘technological imperative’: because we can do it, we must do it. It’s very much the working out of that imperative that we are dealing with now. I will be discussing Magnifica Humanitas later this year with a group locally, and in the light of that, may offer a wider forum for discussion in 2027.
BOOKS AND TALKS
Much of what I’ve written is available to download. However, the longer books – Light in the Darkness, I Was There, Faithful is the One who Calls, Signs, Symbols and Ceremonies and Six Steps Into The Bible – are available only in print form. They make good gifts!
Light in the Darkness explores the path of Christian Hope. It was inspired by the Advent Antiphons, some of the most beautiful prayers and praises of Jesus, and explores seven hopes: for truth, justice, freedom, a new beginning, enlightenment, peace and love. It it written in the conviction that the Christian faith offers a sure way forward, personally, communally and globally, and I consider how these hopes can shape our personal lives and our common future. Light in the Darkness will appeal to all who seek to understand how the Christian faith speaks to us today; it is available direct from the publisher, Sacristy Press: www.sacristy.co.uk
I Was There tells explores the meaning of the story of Jesus through the eyes of those who were there at the time. It is not simply a retelling of the story; as the characters recount their experiences, they also reflect on what it means for them. This book will appeal particularly to enquirers, those new to the faith, and to those preparing for confirmation.
Faithful is the One who Calls is a collection of talks published to mark my fortieth anniversary of ordination, the latest in an occasional series. In this booklet I reflect on what it means to respond to the Call of God, which I describe as the call of Love to grow in virtue, to bear witness and to serve. It offers encouragement and food for thought to all who would like to deepen their spirituality.
Signs, Symbols and Ceremonies is a concise exploration of the meaning of Christian worship written for those who want to know more about what we do in Church. The reader is taken on a journey through five basic steps of the Christian life from a first reaching out to God to becoming a witness for Christ. It is presented as a five part course based on the liturgy of the Church of England and explores the faith expressed in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist through the symbols used in worship: water, oil, gesture, bread and wine, light and fire.
Talks
Some of the talks I’ve given recently have been added to the Talks Page, including the tribute I gave to her late majesty, Queen Elizabeth II at the Requiem I was invited to celebrate for her at Tournay Abbey.