Texts:
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Luke 21:25-36

Our readings refer to the hope of a Messiah and the hope of a second coming of this ‘Son of Man’ Messiah. One was fulfilled back then with the birth of Jeus, one is foreshadowing future events.
 
The sermon for today has been recorded, and you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/YfA6WznGJa4​

We lift up our souls to you, Holy God.
We trust the Lord with our past, present, and future
We gather in hope and anticipation
Teach us, Lord, that we may know your ways.
Guide our every move, Holy One,
That we may walk in your paths of hope, love and mercy.
Let us worship the One who leads us in what is right.
Together, let us worship God 

Texts:
Revelation 1: 4-8
John 18:33-37
 
Like leaves skipping over the carpet of grass,
God comes to us, the One who was and is and is to come.
Like the first glimpses of the sun peeking over the hori­zon:
God comes to us, the One who was and is and is to come.
Like the moon lighting our way on a cloudless, autumn night:
God comes to us, the One who was and is and is to come.
We have chosen to be here, where God remembers us.
God comes to us, the One who was and is and is to come.
 
Who rules and how do they rule? That question lies behind our reading for today. The question of who holds political power is not modern.
The reading seems a bit out of context as we approach Christmas. We would normally associate this reading with Easter. But as today is Christ the King Sunday, this is the reading where Pontius Pilate and Jesus, in an extended discourse, discuss the issue of political power and what this entails.
Over the centuries, because of this encounter with Jesus, Pilate has tended to be viewed as a villain with Jesus being an innocent victim of a political conspiracy. But the truth be told, Pontius Pilate is actually following the best of Roman rule and jurisprudence, which was a kind of triumph for its day because it was just and fair to all.
 
Watch the recorded sermon here: https://youtu.be/4a7UegTNZIc

Readings:
1 Samuel 1: 4-20
1 Samuel 2: 1-10

We are the body of Christ
The Spirit of the Lord is upon us
Anointing us to proclaim good news to the poor
Sending us to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
And recovery of sight for the blind
Calling us to set the oppressed free
 
Today, we are focusing on the PCANZ’s outreach in and to Myanmar. Hamish has recorded a short reflection, which can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/GHjOJJp4mz4

Text: Mark 12: 38-44
 
Jesus sat down at the place where offerings were made and watched…

​He watched the rich men making their offerings. He watched the poor widow making hers.

But he not only saw the external actions - his gaze penetrated into the heart, the motives, the intentions, the driving desires.

Jesus embarks on journey to expose the religious scammers of his day.

The sermon has been recorded, and can be watched here: https://youtu.be/3poKOEyYLLQ

Text: 1 Corinthians 1:2
 
Friday was All Saints Day, or All Hallows Day. It is a Christian festival dating back to around 800AD, as a time to honour those who have died, especially the recently departed. The night before, All Hallows Eve, was a vigil in preparation for the feast of All Saints. But we all know the way popular culture has now overtaken this ancient Christian feast and turned it into a commercial operation with extravagant costumes, house decorations and trick or treating!

The question we ask today is, how do we untangle ourselves from this crass commercialisation of a Christian tradition and get to the biblical essence of All Saints Day?

You can watch the recorded Sermon here: https://youtu.be/6Ulsbf0S7XA 

Text: Job 42:1-6; 10-17
 
This is the final in our series of sermons on the book of Job – a tale that has a “fairy tale, happily-ever-after ending”. Some scholars have complained that the story is ruined by the happy ending! What do you think of that perspective?

At the end of this story we see changes in Job from proud to humble, from foolish to wise, from angst and despair to a faith in God that brought him a trusting peace.
 
“I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
You asked, ‘who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’
 Surely I spoke things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.”

Watch the recorded sermon here: https://youtu.be/wcDknjpBSCQ 

Texts:
Job 38: 1-7, 34-41
Mark 10: 35-45

Ancient text, contemporary relevance? Job was written around 3,500 years ago but in a sense is, in the words of the commentator T H Robinson, ‘one of the most modern books in the bible.’

This is the 3rd in a 3-part sermon series on the book of Job. In the first sermon we asked the difficult question, ‘why do good people suffer?’ In the second sermon we pondered the times when God seems strangely absent in our times of struggle and questioning – where are you, God, when I really need you!
​
Job and his friends are debating these 2 questions and testing their theories, forming their answers, their philosophical and theological reasoning and arguments.

Watch the recorded sermon here: https://youtu.be/xrhwKddOrUk.

Readings:
Job 23:1-17
Hebrews 4:12-16
 
From all who dwell below the skies,
let the Creator’s praise arise;
Hallelujah!
Let the Redeemer’s name be sung,
through every land, by every tongue.
Hallelujah!
 
This week’s sermon continues with readings from the book of Job, a tale of one man grappling with great suffering. The story of Job calls in to question the different ideas about, and attitudes of people towards, suffering, and how we are to relate to God when everything turns to custard.
 
Watch the recorded sermon here: https://youtu.be/3437L5NV6Tg

Readings:
Job 1:1, 2:1-10
Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12
 
This table is for all of us, near and far, high and low,
East and West and North and South.
This table is for all of us, but it is not our table. It’s God’s table.
You are welcome, you are invited, you are called:
come, let us share this meal together.
 
The book of Job is not an easy one to preach from – it presents us with some tricky questions, but does not necessarily present us with many answers!
 
Watch the recorded sermon here: https://youtu.be/JexHfxRRvCg

Readings:
Genesis 1:20-31
Psalm 104:1,10-25
 
As part of the Church’s “Season of Creation,” today we celebrate God’s gift of animals, particularly those animals that become part of our families. We give thanks for pets.
 
Loving God, we praise and thank you because we can see your goodness and generosity in all that you have created.
We thank you for all that is beautiful and intriguing in the natural world.
We celebrate diversity in creation – in the seasons, in the weather, in landscapes, and in the sheer variety of living creatures that inhabit this planet.
We bring to you our thanks and gratitude for the special bond that can exist between animals and people, especially those animals which become part of our families.
You have given us the blessing and responsibility of caring for animals, and for all your creation. We acknowledge that too often we fail in our responsibilities, and we ask for your forgiveness.
We also acknowledge that often we are not mindful of the needs of other people. We become absorbed in our own concerns and do not care for others as we should.
We pray that you will help us to understand your will for us and for the world you have made.  Help us to walk humbly with you, our God.
We ask for your forgiveness and we thank you for your grace and love.
Amen
 
Watch the recording of the Sermon here: https://youtu.be/Yc0FmtLhAMg