MESSAGE: Baptism of our Lord Sunday – A – 8 January 2023 THEME: Jesus revealed I’m sure you recognize what I have in my hand. It’s a photo album. Most parents have several photo albums that are full of pictures taken of their children as they were growing up. We have always been very pleased...
MESSAGE: Epiphany Sunday – A – 1 January 2023 HAPPY NEW YEAR! THEME: Epiphany a light for the nations. Arise, shine; for your light has come. What is the Epiphany of our Lord? Who are the major characters? Re-tell the story. It’s Epiphany! Epiphany: a realisation/revelation of the nature of God, shown in...
Merry Christmas! Today is one of the most significant days in the Christian Calendar. Unfortunately, we can easily miss how powerful and transforming this day really is – unless we’re willing to open our lives and hearts not just to the Christ Child, (in the manger) but to the way that God intends us all...
MESSAGE: 4th Sunday of ADVENT A – 18th December 2022 THEME: God with us Two names of the child tells us about the nature of God: Jesus, meaning “God saves” Emmanuel, meaning “God is with us” Where has God been present in your life this week? The Gospel reading for this last Sunday before Christmas...
Joy is seldom recognised for the incredibly restorative, liberating force that it is. Unfortunately, even in faith communities, soberness, seriousness and even cynicism are often portrayed as the marks of true spirituality and maturity. The Lectionary this week would challenge that thinking, and would call us to consider joy as the mark of true faith,...
THEME: Prophecy, promises, and preparation This week we will explore what it means to allow God’s new world to take hold of us. Prophecy, promises, and preparation – all are part of the Advent tradition. They serve as reminders in this hectic season that there is more to prophecy than guessing what is in this...
Thanksgiving Theme with BCA Deputation (Maroochydore 2022) Slide 1 Thank you, Tania for the invitation to come and join you all today and for your welcome. It is a real privilege to be allowed to speak on the day after the joyous official Grand Opening blessing of your new buildings. And what I have to...
This is the last Sunday of the Church Year! Ordinary time gives way to Advent, but for one week we offer a prophetic salute to Christ’s reign: no plea, no mere hope or prediction, but rather a celebration that God certainly will sweep away the old. The days are surely coming, and they will be...
THEME: REMAINING FAITHFUL A new heaven and a new earth . . .wars and persecutions. . . they don’t seem to go together. What were the lectionary folks thinking? These seemingly contradictory passages speak of endings and beginnings—the vision of what can and will be—times of trial, times of peace. It was the best of...
This week we return to a central pillar of our faith, and one that must inform all that we do as we seek to follow Christ – the idea that life is eternal, that God saves, and that resurrection emerges from death. This is, of course, more than just an idea, but is a lived...
