Tag Archives: Year of Matthew

Sermon: Peace Sunday

Posted on December 3, 2022 by Avril Hannah-Jones

I suspect that the people of Israel heard this prophecy as true for the same reason that we are hearing it in church two thousand years after the birth of the one we Christians believe is the Messiah. Prophecies of the peaceable kingdom speak to our deepest longings. They describe what we believe, in the core of our hearts and our guts, God’s good creation should be. Continue reading →

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Sermon: Jesus’ female ancestors

Posted on November 26, 2022 by Avril Hannah-Jones

I lived through a ‘think of the children’ scare campaign as a young gay woman; I do not appreciate politicians, political candidates, and neo-Nazis replaying it with trans people today. Continue reading →

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Reflection: As I have so often said, it’s all about love.

Posted on October 24, 2020 by Avril Hannah-Jones

No matter how each gospel writer puts it, the core of Jesus’ message is the same. It is all, always, about love. Continue reading →

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Reflection: When the things of God and the Emperor conflict

Posted on October 17, 2020 by Avril Hannah-Jones

As Christians, we too need to refuse to give our obedience and loyalty to ‘the emperor’ if the emperor is defacing the image of God by mistreating human beings. In such cases it is only by resisting the emperor that we can give to God the things that are God’s. Continue reading →

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Reflection: What is that ‘wedding robe’ all about?

Posted on October 10, 2020 by Avril Hannah-Jones

I hope that I have made it clear that while Matthew and Paul might disagree on the route of the journey, they are in full agreement about the destination. Continue reading →

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Reflection: THIS is who we are

Posted on July 11, 2020 by Avril Hannah-Jones

when we make mistakes, when the evil we do not want is what we do, we are still, always, no matter what, God’s children Continue reading →

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Reflection: Choosing the Gospel

Posted on June 20, 2020 by Avril Hannah-Jones

Reflection for Western Heights 21st of June, 2020 Matthew 10:24-39 and Refugee Week I have to confess that the Gospel according to Matthew is my least favourite. (For those interested, my ranking of the canonical gospels is Luke, John, Mark, … Continue reading →

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Sermon: Who is welcome? Those who need to be born again

Posted on March 7, 2020 by Avril Hannah-Jones

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 →

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Sermon: Who is welcome? Sinners.

Posted on February 29, 2020 by Avril Hannah-Jones

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 →

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Sermon: Do not be afraid

Posted on February 22, 2020 by Avril Hannah-Jones

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 →

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