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- Sermon: We have no reason to ever feel insecure
- Sermon: The futility of war and the peace of Christ
- Sermon: The God of Israel? The God of the USA? The Father of Jesus Christ is the God of the whole world and all creation.
- Sermon: Jesus’ advantage over Genghis Khan
- Sermon: Was Jesus a violent or a peaceful protester?
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Category Archives: Sermons
Sermon: Wrestling with God
What does it mean to be those who struggle with God? For me, it means that I am never going to wake up one day to find that God has miraculously cured me, and I am no longer mentally ill. It does mean, though, that as I go limping through life with a brain that is sometimes broken I know that I do so accompanied by the God who also blesses me. Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Aslan, C.S.Lewis, depression, Genesis 32:22-31, mental illness, Narnia
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Sermon: I really do love the Apostle Paul!
The theological reflection that is part of the most recent Act2 report says that ‘were the Uniting Church to die as an institution, God would do a new thing’. Despite that, none of us are resigned to the Uniting Church dying, and I am not trying to soften you up for institutional death. But I am saying that we can face the difficulties of the future knowing that none of them can separate us from the God who is for us, and who is always working for our good. Continue reading
Sermon: Why I’m a fan of the Apostle Paul
In today’s short passage we have been told that we are all children of God and heirs of Christ; that suffering does not separate us from God, and most certainly is not a punishment from God; and that the non-human creation is just as important to the Creator as the human creation, and will one day ‘obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God’ together with us. Paul may sometimes have descended into the sexism of the society that surrounded him, and told women to be silent in church (1 Corinthians 14:34) but I am still a huge fan. Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Apostle Paul, body, creation, flesh, Glory, Letter to the Romans, Romans 8:12-25, suffering
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Sermon: “Hello, my name is Paul and I’m a sinner”
We are not Christians because our lives are perfect, and we are admirable people and examples to our neighbours. Frequently we are Christians exactly because our lives are a mess, and we know that we cannot fix ourselves. The good news is that we do not need to try to fix ourselves. Continue reading
Posted in Books, Sermons
Tagged Apostle Paul, Guy Gavriel Kay, Matthew 11:16-19 25-30, Romans 7:15-25a, sin, sinners, sins, The Darkest Road, Year of Matthew
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Sermon: Behaving so the world will believe
It is terrifying to think that non-Christians judge the credibility of the faith we proclaim by our behaviour, but it happens. People judge the possible truth of Christianity by the lives of Christians. That is not currently going well for us. Continue reading
Sermon: Even if we can’t raise the dead
When we worry that our own mission is a failure, we must also remember the failures of these very first missionaries, those who walked with Jesus himself. Judas betrayed Jesus, the rest deserted him, and they later failed to convince most Jews that Christian Judaism was the best way to carry on the Jewish tradition after the destruction of the Temple. Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Abraham, apostles, faith, faithfulness, Isaac, mission, missionaries, Rublev, Sarah, Sermon, trinity, Year of Matthew
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Sermon: Social and Physical Health
This is one reason that I think Reverend Brocklehurst in Jane Eyre is such a bad clergyperson. How could he possibly have read the gospels and concluded that caring for people’s bodies would starve their immortal souls? How could he ignore the many examples of Jesus feeding the hungry and healing physical illness by fabricating a Bible verse, ‘if ye suffer hunger or thirst for my sake, happy are ye’? God created us as embodied beings; of course God cares about our bodies! Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Charlotte Bronte, community, forgiveness, healing, Jane Eyre, miracles, sinners, who is welcome?, Year of Matthew
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Sermon: Trinity Sunday
There is no room for self-sufficient rugged individualists in the church. We are creatures created in the image of the God who is community, and we are called to live as members of a community that includes everyone. That is how we will gather around the Lord’s Table later in this service. As I say every month, ‘Everyone who wishes to eat and drink at this table is welcome, because Christ turns no one away’. Continue reading
Sermon: No longer hiding
Since we are imperfect beings, and churches are imperfect institutions, this means that we will be accused of hypocrisy. How can our community service agencies ask the government to increase welfare benefits when churches receive tax exemptions? How can churches say we support constitutional recognition for First Nations when we played such a central part in colonisation, the destruction of Indigenous cultures, and housed the children stolen from their families? Continue reading
Sermon: We have not been left alone
The disciples show us how to wait, how to live in the time in-between; in community, with one another, constantly devoting ourselves to prayer. Called to glorify Jesus through our own lives we are to love one another as Jesus loved us, so that everyone will know that we are his disciples. We are to be one, as the Father and Son are one Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Acts 1:6-14, Easter 7, Farewell Discourse, Gospel according to John, John 17:1-11
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