Category Archives: Sermons
Sermon: Living out the Sermon on the Mount
The UN Charter says that its aim is to ‘reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small’. But as historian Tom Holland points out: ‘That human beings have rights; that they are born equal; that they are owed sustenance, and shelter and refuge from persecution: these were never self-evident truths.’ They are Christian truths. They are the truths we see in the Sermon on the Mount. Continue reading
Sermon: When warnings from history are being ignored
Despite all the world’s danger and chaos, we who follow the Lamb of God know that we live in communion with the Creator, whose intention for the creation is justice and peace. As we take comfort in that relationship, so we also join with God in working for the day when the heavens will sing for joy, the earth exult, and the mountains break forth into singing, because God’s will is finally done on earth as in heaven. This is our calling as it is our prayer, now as throughout history. Continue reading
Sermon: Welcomed into an inclusive Israel
We are recipients of the gift of an inclusive Israel. We exist as a Christian community, worshipping the God described in the Hebrew Scriptures, the One who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it, because a small group of Jews invited Gentiles to join them in walking the way of Jesus. Continue reading
Sermon: The true light has come to the world!
As comforting and inspiring as Jeremiah’s Book of Consolation was, the hope it offered was exclusive. It was Jacob, the remnant of Israel, firstborn Ephraim, who was to be redeemed. The nations were to hear the word of the Lord and declare that God has redeemed God’s people, but the nations themselves were not to be redeemed. In the prophecies of Jeremiah, a distinction was to be made between those born to the remnant of Israel and those born to the rest of the world. This distinction is destroyed by the gospel. Continue reading
Christmas Day: Making room for Jesus
Reflection for North Balwyn Uniting Church Christmas Day 2025 Luke 2:1-20 A few weeks ago, I was at a service of Lessons and Carols where I heard a new Christmas Song. This does not often happen to me, at least … Continue reading
Sermon: Light amid darkness; God amid disgrace.
Terrorists wish to create terror. We defeat them by refusing to be afraid. On Monday night, I attended a Chanukah event at Federation Square with other Uniting Church ministers, and I was so glad that Victoria Police had offered the Jewish community support to continue holding it, rather than advising them to cancel it. Terrorists also wish to divide us. We defeat them by staying united. The weirdest of all the responses to this terrorism was the attempt by Islamophobes to claim that Ahmed al Ahmed was not a Muslim immigrant, but an Australian IT worker called ‘Edward Crabtree’. The response to antisemitic hate needs to be more commitment to the wonderful multicultural and multifaith diversity of Australia, not less. Continue reading
Sermon: Complaining to God; doing justice
Habakkuk suggests that there are then two equally faithful ways of engaging with God amid wrongdoing and trouble, destruction and violence, strife and contention. One faithful response is to complain to God, as Habakkuk does, as Job does, as the psalmists do. The Hebrew Scriptures are full of examples of people saying, ‘O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen?’ Complaining to our just and loving God that the world God created is not demonstrating justice and love is an example of the faith by which the righteous live. Continue reading
Sermon: Do not choose trauma
We can divide the world into Us and Them, Exiles and Babylonians, Jews and Samaritans, or we can recognise that we are all human beings who have been created by the one God to live on this one fragile and wonderful planet. We know which choice Jesus, who told us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, wants us to make. Amen. Continue reading
Sermon: No one deserves this
We are told in excruciating detail of the suffering Daughter Zion is experiencing. As Daughter Zion complains, ‘The punishment of my people is greater than that of Sodom’. (Lamentations 4:6) Nothing that Judah had done could justify the starvation, exile, and death her people are experiencing. Another way of saying it might be, no possible war crime can ever justify genocide. Continue reading
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