At the end of his last meal with his disciples Jesus “took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same … Continue reading
I recently watched a documentary about a 16-year-old boy in the UK who wanted to become a drag queen. He had already come out as gay and had decided to come out as a drag queen at his school prom. … Continue reading
Crucified Eyes 20.3.16 Introduction We are living through one of the most dramatic shifts in the history of Western Christianity, from being the most respected institution in the nation as a holy presence the Church is now tolerated by the powers … Continue reading
Living Repentance Personal Matters Two people attending a shared prayer time recently had been independently drawn to the same passage during the week; “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which … Continue reading
Jesus Plus…Tradition St Mark’s 6.3.16 Deut 6:4-7; Ps 78:1-8; Gal 1:11-14; Matt 15:1-9 “For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any … Continue reading
Fathering Grief Personal Matters An important message sometimes needs multiple confirmations. This word began as I was listening to angry undertones from some Indigenous Christians on Sunday about the way their ancestors had been treated by whites. As I prayed … Continue reading
Find Your Voice Introduction I was in inner city Melbourne for a conference last week and experienced an ugly contrast between the world and the Church. Walking down Swanston St I came across a very conspicuous brothel with a neon … Continue reading
Prayer is sometimes a struggle. There are prayers which seem to be answered immediately and without the need to pray over and over. We don’t seem to need to devote hours of prayer for those matters. But then there are … Continue reading
5 “Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you”. 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; … Continue reading
Signs of Satan Personal Matters Spiritual passivity rules much of the Body of Christ; my local Anglican congregation hardly reacts to my preaching and charismatic gifts lie dormant in corporate worship across the churches. Yet believers never seem to lack … Continue reading
Lately, because of certain events which occurred at work, at home and at church, I have been feeling like I am less that a person. Rather I feel that I have been treated as less than a person. I have … Continue reading
On the Journey with Jesus 4: The Way St Mark’s 24.1.16 Introduction The popular approach to the theme of being On the Journey with Jesus emphasises Christ as a loving companion and guide to me on my life journey. Jesus … Continue reading
Fire: Safe or Good? Personal Matters “There is nothing left in Yarloop. Everyplace we have been working in and holding services in is gone…. You can make plans for another meeting on the 17th unfortunately.” (Dr. Bob Chapman). So reads … Continue reading
Recently I saw a program on TV about hoarders. In this particular episode the woman who had a hoarding problem did not seem to collect anything of value but rather had a house full of rubbish: empty cool drink cans, … Continue reading
Reformation, Sunday Personal matters Recent encounters have challenged me to comment on the shape of Sunday church services i.e. liturgies[1]. First, some observations at a church we visited last week, then a meeting with a devout Christian disturbed by the … Continue reading
Celebrate Jesus Personal Matters I haven’t been in the most energised mood for the last couple of months, but I have learned that if I pray about how I feel a word will come to me which precisely describes my … Continue reading
Light for 2016 Personal matters 2015 has been a year when comfortable Westerners basking in their moral and cultural Enlightenment have been forcibly exposed to the face of evil. Global terrorism brings with it a power of darkness that is … Continue reading
Christmas Inside Out Introduction Personally speaking, I find Christmas Day the most uncomfortable day of the year on which to speak. This is because the popular cultural sentiments centred on the manger setting of the adorable infant in Matthew and … Continue reading
The Mystery of the Word made Flesh Zion Fellowship John 1:1-18 20.12.15 Introduction From time to time I sense the Lord leading me to pray about what the New Testament calls “the mystery”, this “mystery” is certainly related to Christmas but … Continue reading
The End is Joy St Mark’s 13.6.15 Zeph 3:14-20; Isa 12:2-6; Phil 4:4-7; Luke 21:25-28 Introduction Preparing this sermon has stirred up a level of perplexity that takes my mind back to some events decades ago; more … Continue reading
In Acts 7:48-50 the deacon Stephen makes this statement to the Jews in Jerusalem: Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. … Continue reading
The Greatest Terror Introduction Fear has become a part of our everyday life. This time last year I was in a meeting with some older people in our area whose primary concern was street crime. One had recently been bashed … Continue reading
The Trinity and Equal Marriage Introduction Let me start with a few qualifications as to the scope of this talk. It is not a detailed exegesis of the biblical passages that deal directly with homosexuality[1]. Secondly, I do not profess … Continue reading
The Shame we Need Personal Matters Until the last few days I have never really considered the positive role shame might play in renewing the Church. Ministries devoted to releasing people from shame are numberless, but rare is that teaching … Continue reading
Just over a week ago (13/11/15) ISIL terrorists killed 130 people and injured many more in Paris. A week later hostages were taken in a Mali hotel and many were killed. This week Belgium is shut down because of anticipation … Continue reading
The Heart of Unity Personal Matters A number of circumstances lined up recently to bring the functionally divided state of the Church to my attention once again. Firstly I was listening to a local pastor bemoaning the seeming inability of … Continue reading
Job and Jesus St Mark’s Church on the Rise 15.11.15 Job 10:1-22; Ps 38; James 5:7-11; Luke 22:31-34,39-46 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLf_Nlukra0&feature=youtu.be Introduction There is nothing quite as startling as the story of Job. A respected, prosperous and devout family who suddenly loses … Continue reading
The Prize Sonlife Church 8.11.15 Philippians 3:12-21 Introduction I think one sentence in today’s passage is particularly memorable because it is particularly intense; “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, … Continue reading
The Headless Woman Personal Matters This teaching springs from a story told at a leaders meeting about a church (x) where the pastor turned aggressively against his fellow leaders most of whom then died in quick succession. One person prophesied … Continue reading
The Wordless Father Personal Matters A few weeks ago I was privileged, a word I do rarely use for Christian meetings, to attend a seminar in the city where Letitia Shelton spoke about the ministry of City Women in Toowoomba. … Continue reading