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Tag Archives: Justice
Sermon: Be afraid, very afraid – or reassured and encouraged
The prophets told the people of Israel again and again that in order to be the people of God it was not enough for them simply to worship God, no matter how carefully they followed the requirements for such worship given in the books of the Law. To truly belong to God, the people of God needed to live out their calling in justice, and in caring for those most in need. Continue reading
Sermon: Don’t blame the victim
Reflection for North Balwyn Uniting ChurchThird Sunday of Lent, 20th of March, 2020 Isaiah 55:1-9Luke 13:1-9 Humans have a dreadful tendency, in our need to make sense of life, to blame victims. We tend to see it when a woman … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged death, floods, Isaiah 55:1-9, judgement, Justice, Lent, Lent 3, Luke 13:1-9, Mercy, Repentance, victim blaming, Year of Luke
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Sermon: Day of Mourning
Today, the Sunday before the 26th of January, is commemorated by the Uniting Church as a Day of Mourning, remembering that while the raising of the Union Jack in Sydney Cove was ultimately wonderful for all the Second Peoples who have been able to live here, it was the beginning of centuries of dispossession, disease, and violence for Australia’s First Peoples. Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a, community, Covenant, Day of Mourning, Justice, Luke 4:14-21, Nazareth Manifesto, UAICC, Uniting Church, unity, Year of Luke
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Reflection: Fighting on God’s Side
It is because we know that God has shown strength with his arm; has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; has brought down the powerful from their thrones; has lifted up the lowly; has filled the hungry with good things; has sent the rich away empty. And so we keep fighting on God’s side. Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged asylum seekers, Elizabeth, immigration detention, injustice, Justice, Luke 1:26-38, Luke 1:46-55, Magnificat, Martin Luther King, Mary, refugees
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Sermon: Don’t accept injustice (Part 3)
The Book of Job is absolutely anti-prosperity gospel. The good are not always rewarded; the bad are not always punished. When people suffer and cry out to God our best response is not to defend God and tell them that God has a plan. Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Book of Job, injustice, Job 42:1-6 10-17, Justice, prosperity gospel, suffering
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Women Celebrating Justice: Reflection for the Victorian Country Women’s Association
In 1928 when the CWA opened ‘rest rooms’ throughout Victoria it was overturning an injustice that meant that women couldn’t travel far from home. We all know how important it is for women to have access to toilets; even today some girls leave school when they start menstruating because they don’t have access to water and toilets. So well done to those very first members of the CWA! Continue reading
Posted in Reflection
Tagged 1 Samuel 2:1-10, Country Women's Association, CWA, Hannah, Justice, Luke 1:39-56, Magnificat, Mary, Visitation, women in the bible, women's history
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Sermon: Absolutely Appropriate Anger
At the very least, when young people facing the injustice of the world express anger at that injustice, even in language we much more mature people find intemperate, we could attack the injustice and not them. Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged anger, Closing the Gap, Emma Gonzales, gun control, gun violence, John 2:13-22, Justice, Lent 3, swearing, Tarneen Onus-Williams, violence
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Sermon: Mary the Magnificent
There’s no doubt that Mary and Jesus are mother and son; both of them are radical re-makers of the world. Neither of them is particularly meek and mild. Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Advent 4, Christmas, Colm Toibin, Gospel according to Luke, Justice, Luke 1:39-55, Magnificat, Mary, Roman Catholic Church
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Sermon: Justice and Mercy
In Jesus we see that God is not working with a rights and rewards scale and making exceptions, but simply loving humanity. Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Fairness, Justice, love, Matthew 20:1-16, Mercy, Year of Matthew
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Sermon: Responding to the American Presidential Election
But what I have never done before is talked about a particular politician. That’s the line I’m crossing today. Today I’m going to talk about the election of Donald Trump as the next President of the United States. Continue reading
Posted in Political Activism, Sermons
Tagged Donald Trump, Isaiah 65:17-25, Justice, new creation, Peace, Politics, Year of Luke
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