Sunday 19th March 2023 – 4th Sunday in Lent
 
Ephesians 5: 8-14: Paul writes encouraging us to actively seek to know how we should live, not just as individuals but as a community of faith.
John 9:1-23: Jesus heals a man who was blind from birth, thus provoking a controversy about sin and sinners.
 
The recording of today’s sermon can be watched here: https://youtu.be/do-inPVFPeg

Sunday 12th March 2023

The text today is from John 4:5-27, 39-42, when Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman about ‘living water’ and then He reveals himself to be the long-awaited Messiah, the Saviour of the world. Many Samaritans come to believe in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony.
 
You can watch the recording of the sermon here: https://youtu.be/57a8F2sq_Uk
 

Sunday 5th March 2023 - 2nd Sunday in Lent

Reading: John 3:1-17
 
Our text today – where Nicodemus visits Jesus to find out more about this teacher - talks about the new life that comes with a relationship with Jesus Christ.
 
May we, like Nicodemus, be open to the ‘more’ God has for us, humble enough to acknowledge we have more to learn and courageous enough to investigate Spiritual encounters with God.
​
You can watch the recorded sermon here: https://youtu.be/eC4gyexEMaI

The Lord says, 
“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean.
I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. 
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you, 
I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 
And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” 
(Adapted from Ezekiel 36:25-27)
 

Readings:
Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
Romans 5:12-19

We are not here because we have found God
but because God our Creator has called us here,
challenging us to accept the cost and joy of discipleship,
and to be servants in the service of the whole human family.
But the call is also God’s promise:
A promise of forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace,
courage in the struggle for justice and peace,
and eternal life in that realm which has no end.
Blessing and honour and glory and power be to God!
 
Today’s sermon can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/a9hJp07pSC8

Today's Readings:
​Exodus 24:12-18: Moses and Joshua, at the command of God, ascend the mountain taking with them representatives of the people. At the half way point Moses and Joshua continue alone. God, signified by the descending cloud, meets them there.

Matthew 17: 1-9: Jesus takes three of his disciples up on a mountain. There he is miraculously transfigured before them and a voice declares, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with whom I am well pleased; listen to him!” The disciples, upon seeing the vision and hearing the voice, were overcome by fear.
 
Transfiguration is not a word which is in common usage. We are more familiar with the words transform, transcribe, transfix or transgress.
 
Transfiguration is one of those “church” words which have a specific meaning. Because this is Transfiguration Sunday, in this context, the word refers to Christ’s appearance in radiant glory to three of his disciples on the mountaintop. Before the eyes of the disciples Jesus was transformed into something more beautiful or spiritual. The Transfiguration experience was a revealing to the disciples who Jesus really was: God’s Son, the Messiah or Christ.
Jesus was changed so as to glorify – which is what, in this context, the word transfigure means.
 
The Sermon for today - Good things come to those who wait! – has been recorded and you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/Mb3AZz6rlDc

The Choices we make

Readings:
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Matthew 5:21-25
 
Making a decision is not always easy. We weigh up our options, think of all possibilities, consider what the outcome may be and then, if you are like me, procrastinate for a while. Those who Moses was leading through the desert were good at this. They wanted Moses to make the decisions for them and then they complained when they didn’t like the choice he made. How like those people are we?
 
The recording of the sermon can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/YxkDqnTE7xU

What do we learn from our history?

Readings:
Isaiah 58:1-12: Isaiah becomes an instrument of God’s truth – telling as he announces to rebellious Israel the depth of their sin in this stirring call for national repentance. The call to repentance ends with the announcement of divine mercy for the penitent.
Matthew 5:13-20: Jesus continues his sermon on the mount by urging his followers to be salt and light for the world by obeying all of his commandments.
 
The recording of today’s sermon can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/H1ed1svYAng

Happy & Blessed
Readings:
Micah 6:1-18
Matthew 5:1-12

Blessèd are the poor in spirit:
for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

Blessèd are the sorrowful:
for they shall find consolation.

Blessèd are those of a gentle spirit:
for they shall have the earth for their possession.

Blessèd are those who hunger and thirst to see right prevail:
for they shall be satisfied.

Blessèd are those who show mercy:
for mercy shall be shown to them.

Blessèd are those whose hearts are pure:
for they shall see God.

Blessèd are the peacemakers:
for they shall be called God’s children.

Blessèd are those who have suffered persecution for the cause of right:
for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

The recoded sermon – Happy & Blessed – can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/sSq4twW06tA

In 2016, Pope Francis introduced six ‘Beatitudes for Modern Christians’. How do these compare to the Beatitudes in Matthew 5? How do you find yourself responding to them?
https://www.caritas.org.au/resources/library/the-beatitudes-for-modern-christians

Called together
 
Readings:
Isaiah 9:1-4
1 Corinthians 1:10-18

The invitation is given to every person by Jesus Christ:
"Come to me! Follow me! Be my disciples!"
We come to this place, to this time,
at the invitation of Jesus Christ.
In the name of Christ,
we accept the invitation to discipleship.
In the name of Christ,
as his disciples, we worship and praise God.
In the midst of a world where cruelty abounds,
we proclaim the God of Compassion.
In the midst of despair that threatens to swallow up
whole lives, whole peoples,
we proclaim the God of Hope.
In the midst of indifference and apathy,
we proclaim the God of Love.
 
You can access our printed service sheet here: Bulletin 22 January 2023, and the recording of the sermon can be watched here: https://youtu.be/aQLeGQdZjd0

May this holy season be for each of us 
a time of moving beyond what is “reasonable” 
and toward the star of wonder; 
moving beyond grasping tight to what we have 
to unclenching our hands and letting go, 
following the Light where it leads; 
moving beyond competition toward cooperation, 
seeing that all humans are sisters and brothers; 
moving beyond the anxiety of small concerns 
towards the joys of justice and peace. 
May we respond to Jesus’ invitation to follow him
with willingness and gratitude, now and in the days ahead.

Look, See, Focus
Text: John 1:35-51
We don’t know what the first words Jesus uttered were but, in this passage we have the first recorded words that Jesus speaks in John’s Gospel. This is significant because this gospel was written by an eyewitness, but late in his life after years of reflecting on what he saw in Jesus. It is a crafted gospel, filled with meaning and no wastage of words. His first recorded words of Jesus, I believe, are important, significant and pointed.
“What are you looking for?”
 
View the recorded sermon here: https://youtu.be/w5UmvgbdLD4