Tag Archives: Year of Luke

Sermon: Do as you would be done by? Not necessarily

Posted on February 19, 2022 by Avril Hannah-Jones

A world in which people of every faith and of none treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves would undoubtedly be an improvement on the world as it is. But that is not what Jesus is asking of us. Instead, Jesus tells his followers to treat others as they have not treated us Continue reading →

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Sermon: Of equal worth

Posted on February 12, 2022 by Avril Hannah-Jones

In the eyes of God, however, every human life is equally important. To God, our lives are without price, so valuable that in Jesus God was willing to die for us. And the same is true of every other person: those we love; those we know: those we will never meet. From God’s perspective, we are all equal and we are, all of us, priceless. Continue reading →

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Sermon: Day of Mourning

Posted on January 22, 2022 by Avril Hannah-Jones

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 →

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Reflection: Uncertainty on Christmas Eve

Posted on December 24, 2021 by Avril Hannah-Jones

Now Omicron has happened and finally, after almost two years, I know not to make any predictions at all. I have not only no idea what 2022 will bring, I have no idea what will happen tomorrow. But, really, that has always been true. We may think we live in a stable, predictable, world, but at every moment the unexpected can shatter it. Continue reading →

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Sermon: Small and insignificant

Posted on December 18, 2021 by Avril Hannah-Jones

Reflection for North Balwyn Uniting Church 19th of December, 2021 Micah 5:2-5a Luke 1:39-55 This week we were finally able to hold a memorial service celebrating the life of Marcelle Maisey. Jenny Preston presided, and she preached on the Bible … Continue reading →

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Sermon: Would we really want God to appear?

Posted on December 4, 2021 by Avril Hannah-Jones

Undoubtedly Zechariah would have asked God to allow him and Elizabeth to have a son, and in his song we hear his gratitude not only for this gift but for the liberation of his people, but there is no doubt that this appearance of the Lord has deeply disrupted his life. Continue reading →

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Sermon: Hope in a time of pandemic

Posted on November 27, 2021 by Avril Hannah-Jones

As we realise our vulnerability, we are offered reassurance. When we are tempted to despair, we are given hope. Continue reading →

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Sermon: A terrifyingly simple parable

Posted on September 29, 2019 by Avril Hannah-Jones

It also takes the church out of the safe realm of biblical interpretation and theology into the scary realm of economics and politics. We could quite easily be told that questions of taxation and social security are none of our business. But we are in the Year of Luke and Luke, as I’ve already said, had no qualms about bringing socioeconomics into religion. Maybe we can too. Continue reading →

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Sermon: A complete puzzle of a parable

Posted on September 21, 2019 by Avril Hannah-Jones

I have been chewing on this parable, as Jesus’ first hearers would have chewed it over on their way home that evening, wondering what the Lord meant by this story. Continue reading →

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Palm Sunday Sermon for the combined service

Posted on April 13, 2019 by Avril Hannah-Jones

we can work for peace, justice and reconciliation with complete confidence, because God has already won the victory Continue reading →

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