Sermons
Healing of the man born blind John 9
It’s the same pattern we saw in John 4 with the Samaritan woman at the well. The unexpected Jesus encounter is real and deeply life-changing in a beautiful way. At the beginning of the chapter the man is physically healed. Jesus doesn’t get drawn into the question, ‘Who sinned, this man or his parents, that… Read more
The Samaritan Woman at the Well or…. Leaving your Jars Behind.
We were privileged to have Laura Robbins (Deputy Principal and Head of Senior Campus) share her understanding of the Gospel reading on March 12. Here are some of the things she highlighted. The woman feels unable to join the other women every morning and evening fetching water from the well. She avoids them and does… Read more
What are we being invited to be born into?
Jesus told Nicodemus he had to be born from above to see the kingdom of God. What is this new life of water and spirit that Jesus is inviting us into?
Love is at the heart of everything
I Corinthians 13 and doing a personal check-in with the God of deep love. For the confession of sins on Sunday we did this reflective check-in, as a way of being more aware of what is getting in the way of us being more loving, and what we might be invited to let go of,… Read more
The Word of God – notes on a Lutheran Understanding – Pastor R J Mayer.
I’ve typed out these handwritten notes from my father, Pastor Reiny Mayer, former college chaplain and Qld District President. He has been part of the Lutheran Church of Australia since the beginning in 1966, and has been part of the sometimes fierce debates on what is the right way to deal with God’s Word. Those… Read more
Trusting that peace is real, even in a place of pain.
The Peaceable Kingdom.’ Painting by Edward Hicks The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. Isaiah 11:6 American Quaker, Edward Hicks, painted this around 1830. He looked back to the peaceful history… Read more
Leymah Gbowee (Nobel Peace Prize 2011) and ‘shedding the weight’, so that people can work for peace.
Isaiah 2:4. They will beat their swords into ploughshares…nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. In 2002 when Leymah Gbowee received a word from God to gather the women of Liberia to pray for peace in the middle of a terrible civil war it was just another step… Read more
Luke 19: 11-27 The Parable of the Horrible Ruler and the 10 gold coins. I don’t think this is a picture of Jesus at work.
In this parable, Jesus talks about a nobleman, who goes away (think distant Rome) to be appointed as ruler. He is hated by his people, so they send a counter-delegation, which fails. In the meantime, he gives a significant amount of money to 10 senior officials, instructing them to use it while he is away…. Read more
When your security gets trashed hold on to Christ.
Stand firm. You will be given the wisdom you need at the right time. The disciples were excited about how grand and wonderful the temple was. They thought it was rock solid and would always be there. Jesus, looking 30 years into the future, knew that the Jewish people would get it wrong in thinking… Read more
Non-violence. Leymay Gbowee, a Lutheran Superhero.
May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the people. Psalm 149:6-7 These sorts of verses cannot work for us as Christians because the words of Jesus are just too powerful. ‘Love your enemy, and do good to… Read more
