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What I’ve been reading …
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- Sermon: Why persecution does not work on Christians
- 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
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Category Archives: Sermons
Reflection: Feasting with Jesus
Jesus reveals himself to these disciples, and they journey from despair to recognition, through what Luke’s readers and we ourselves can recognise is a standard church service. Continue reading
Posted in Reflection, Sermons
Tagged communion, eucharist, Luke 24:13-35, the Lord's Supper
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Sermon: Christ is Risen!
Today, Easter Sunday, is a day of celebration. It is a story of apparent defeat turning into a great victory; of sorrow becoming joy. It is about the triumph of life over death; love over hate. This year, of all years, in the midst of a pandemic, unable to gather together to celebrate, we need to hear this message. Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged civil disobedience, Easter Sunday, eucatastrophe, J. R. R. Tolkien, Matthew 28:1-10, resurrection
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Sermon: Palm Sunday Protests
There can be no ‘Walk for Justice for Refugees’, which churches and community groups have held on this Sunday for years as our government’s attacks on people seeking asylum have got worse. We are seeing a very different Palm Sunday, a much more subdued one than we would normally experience. But its importance, its message, remains the same. Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Matthew 21:1-11, Palm Sunday, Palm Sunday March for Refugees, political protest, Politics, prophecy, protest, refugees, street marches
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Sermon: Life and death and Lazarus
It is a story about death and darkness and mourning; about life and light and rejoicing; and so it is an almost uncannily suitable story for us to hear during this pandemic, as the world faces the prospect of thousands upon thousands of deaths from COVID19. Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged covid19, death, grieving, Hope, John 11:1-45, Lazarus, Lent 5, Mourning, resurrection
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Sermon: Who is welcome? The doubters; the faithful; the rule-breakers
Ultimately we can have faith that one day, like the man born blind, Jesus will find us and that, with our blindness cured, we will be able to see him face to face. Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged covid19, doubt, faith, John 9:1-41, Lent, Lent 4, rule-breaking, welcome, who is welcome?
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Sermon: Who is welcome? Foreigners and women
Why is the story read this way? Because if this is not the story of a mincing and coy harlot who is trying to distract Jesus from her sins, then what we have here is a story of Jesus seriously engaging with a foreign woman who asks a theological question. Continue reading
Sermon: Who is welcome? Those who need to be born again
This week I watched a time lapse video from the BBC of a caterpillar spinning a cocoon, and one of the lines that most struck me was ’the caterpillar’s head is about to split wide open’. And then it did! Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged being born again, being born from above, butterfly, Butterfly House, caterpillar, cocoon, John 3:1-17, Lent, Lent 2, Nicodemus, Year of Matthew
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Sermon: Who is welcome? Sinners.
We can come to God with all our messiness and sickness and failure, and know that we are welcome. God’s door is open to us, and all we need to do is walk through it. Our sins are forgiven. Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Ash Wednesday, death, Lent, Lent 1, Matthew 4:1-11, sin, sinners, sins, welcome, Year of Matthew
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Sermon: Do not be afraid
Sermon for Western Heights Uniting Church Transfiguration, 23rd of February 2020 Exodus 24:12-18 Matthew 17:1-9 ‘And [Jesus] was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Exodus 24:12-18, Fear, Madeleine L'Engle, Matthew 17:1-9, Transfiguration, Year of Matthew
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Sermon: The unfashionable virtue of obedience
Of course we cannot be perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect. But every time we try to be better, every time we could call another Christian, ‘You fool’, or objectify someone by looking at them with lust in our hearts, and yet we don’t – we come closer to being the people God created us to be. Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Adolf Eichmann, Matthew 5:21-37, Nazis, obedience, Sermon on the Mount, Stanley Milgram, Year of Matthew
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