Family Occasions & Personal Reflections

Celebrating 50 years in ministry

At a special service of Choral Evensong held in Chelmsford Cathedral on Sunday 11 October 2020 to mark the 50th anniversary of his ordination Paul preached a sermon in which he reflected on his 50 years in ministry entitled ‘Not I, but the grace of God’.

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A Golden Wedding

A speech by Paul on the occasion of Paul and Caroline’s golden wedding, in August 2017.

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This is my life

Read Paul’s address to Rotary Club of Chelmsford Rivermead, 28th June 2017.

Over the last twelve months I have invited members of our club to talk about themselves through the lens of ‘service’, bearing in mind the Rotary principle that “vocational service calls on every Rotarian to work with integrity and contribute their expertise to the problems and needs of society”.  Today in my final week as President, it is my turn to talk about myself through the lens of service.

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A Wedding Prayer for Benjamin and Kathryn

Prayers for Benjamin and Kathryn on the occasion of their wedding St Paul’s church, Knightsbridge.

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Grandpa’s Adventures

In autumn (Sept – November) 2014 Paul wrote to his grandchildren a weekly letter, reflecting on his travels to New Zealand, Australia and Canada. The purpose of these letters was to develop his relationship with his seven grand-children. As he wrote in one of his blog posts:

What my grand-children make of their grand-father, I am not quite sure. ‘Funny old buffer!’ they probably say, and that may well be true. Yet hopefully, they also know that I love them all dearly – and that for me is so important. Furthermore, how could they ever believe me when I tell them that God loves them, if they don’t see God’s love reflected in my life? In this respect I read of an American Presbyterian minister working in one of the more deprived areas of New York who said: “We never tell the kids to say ‘Our Father’ in the Lord’s Prayer, because most of their fathers are alcoholic or absent. The person who represents God to them most of all was their grandmother”. Gosh, that is a sobering thought. And yet, the truth is that grandmothers and grandfathers for that matter can have a real influence on their grandchildren’s understanding of God. As the Apostle Paul once reminded his young friend Timothy: his faith had in the first place been shaped by his grandmother, Lois (2 Timothy 1.5). So I shall continue to work away at my relationship with my grand-children, both for my sake and for their sake too.

An edited version of all the letters is attached.

Celebrating 43 years in Ministry

On the occasion of Paul celebrating 43 years in Ministry, a special service was held at Central Baptist Church, Chelmsford. The sermon was preached by Nick Mercer (Vicar General for the London College of Bishops), for which a transcript is available.

At the same service as Nick Mercer’s sermon, tributes were given by his children: Jonathan,Timothy, Benjamin, and Susannah.

Be bold, go blue!

In October 2013, Paul dyed his hair blue to raise funds for the J’s hospice. He wrote this article to encourage people to contribute.

Ruth Beasley-Murray

A speech in honour of his 90 year old mother, Ruth Beasley-Murray, by Paul Beasley-Murray. Paul also wrote some reflections after her death, in December 2020. Her funeral service took place on 15th December 2020.

George Beasley-Murray

An obituary of Paul’s father, George Beasley-Murray (10 October 1916 – 23 February 2000), written for Jesus College, Cambridge.

A Wedding Prayer for Jonathan & Fiona

A prayer given for Jonathan and Fiona Harrington on the occasion of their marriage.

A Wedding Prayer for Susannah & Rob

A prayer given for Susannah and Robert White on the occasion of their marriage.

Wedding Sermon for Timothy & Charlotte

The sermon preached on the occasion of Timothy’s marriage to Charlotte Hackett.

Arthur Maelor Griffiths

An obituary of Paul’s father-in-law, Arthur Maelor Griffiths written for the Baptist Times.

An Ordination Sermon

The ordination sermon preached by G.R. Beasley-Murray at South Norwood Baptist Church (Holmesdale Road) on the occasion of Paul’s ordination (Saturday 10 October 1967).

A Ruby Wedding

A speech by Paul on the occasion of Paul & Caroline’s ruby wedding.

Thanksgiving for Arthur & Mavis Griffiths

A sermon given for the thanksgiving service of Arthur Maelor Griffiths, and Mavis Gwyneth Griffiths.