Tuesday, 19 October 2021

Sound Recordings

The latest Mp3 recordings – Listen online, or Download . . .


Rev Vikki Waller Timing:  15:58 Size:  5.5 MB Uploaded:  17-Oct
SUN 17-OCT-2021 - 11 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 4 times ] Download   [ 2 times ]
Pentecost 21 – When James and John approached Jesus to ask if they could sit next to him when he came into his kingdom, Jesus had tell them that it wasn't the sort of request that he could satisfy; but he wasn't rebuking them. A little earlier in Mark's gospel, he had told his listeners that to enter the kingdom of God you needed to receive it like a little child; and here were two of his disciples behaving like children in their enthusiasm to accompany him in his cause. When Jesus challenged them as to whether they really knew what they were asking and what it would cost them, they answered that they understood all that; they wanted the best with all their hearts; and Jesus was able to affirm them. The other ten disciples were unhappy with what was going on, and Jesus had to give them a talk about the inverted hierarchies in God's kingdom, where the greatest, such as rulers and tyrants, were counted among the least, and those who merely served others were counted among the greatest. Jesus encourages us to choose the things that lead to an explosion of life, over the things that would slowly poison us. Following Jesus will include sacrifice, selflessness, and perhaps even persecution; but they are nothing compared to the wonderful gifts that come to those who turn from sin and self-centredness to serve the living and true God.
Mark 10: 35-45

Rev Dr Vicky Balabanski Timing:  19:43 Size:  6.8 MB Uploaded:  17-Oct
SUN 17-OCT-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 2 times ] Download   [ 4 times ]
Pentecost 21 – At the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), taking place in Glasgow from 31 October to 12 November 2021, who will be sitting at the table, and whose voices are going to be ignored? We keep hearing reports of governments and parliaments in flux, power and accountability in disconnect, and abuse of power becoming normalised. In his account of the journey to Jerusalem, Mark recalls three occasions when Jesus' disciples showed that they did not understand that their leader had come not to assert power and authority, but to be a servant to all, even if that meant being mocked, lashed and executed. Is the Jesus movement a path to glory, or is it something else? Perhaps it's not so much about personal salvation in the next world, but about service for the common good, the self-emptying that Jesus embodied and talked about. Today there are world-wide calls to governments for a commitment to our common future – it is the sort of good news we all need right now. Christian faith and political activism are two sides of the same coin. God grant that we have the courage and the clarity to live out our call for Jesus' sake, and for the sake of the whole of creation.
Mark 10: 35-45

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  18:31 Size:  6.4 MB Uploaded:  10-Oct
SUN 10-OCT-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 14 times ] Download   [ 17 times ]
Pentecost 20 – When an unnamed man of substance came running up to Jesus with a question about inheriting eternal life, Jesus shocked him by advising him to sell everything he owned and give the money to the poor. By doing so he'd gain treasure in heaven and become one of Jesus' followers. The poor fellow couldn't face it, and he left in a sorry state. What he was longing for could never be found by striving and achieving, no matter how wealthy, religious or successful he might be. It was not simply a matter of renouncing his wealth. Jesus knew that for this particular rich man, it would be the only way he would ever be able to enter into the mystery at the centre of our human quest, that which we call salvation or eternal life. Wealth can inhibit our ability to distinguish between right and wrong, and it can destroy all too quickly our moral compass. We would all do well to spend some time reflecting on what it might be that is keeping us from the experience of our deepest longings for something more. If, or when, we do this, may God give us courage and hope.
Mark 10: 17-31

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  22:01 Size:  7.6 MB Uploaded:  10-Oct
SUN 10-OCT-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 15 times ] Download   [ 47 times ]
Pentecost 20 – Child Safe Sunday – The question of suffering is not an issue to be debated, nor is it a problem to be solved; it is a reality to be entered into with passion and mercy, in the name of Christ. The gospel calls us to serve and heal, and the assurance of God's presence will bring us grace and compassion. How do we respond to the realisation of someone's suffering, or to our own suffering? It matters that someone acknowledges our suffering. Paul talks of the God of all comfort, the companion and supporter who brings a deep sense of wellbeng. God can come in surprising ways, often in the form of a human being who travels with us along the bumpy road. Churches, like any other places where people come together, can become places of harm and abuse, and caring communities are on the lookout for each other, to be ready to respond practically and compassionately. We must acknowledge it when harmful things have happened, and we must take ownership of the harm done, especially when children are involved. Set up safe practices; speak up; be accountable for maintaining a safe place for children. It can be difficult and painful; compassion does not come easily; but with the companionship of God, compassion will make the disance.
Mark 10: 17-31

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  20:12 Size:  7.0 MB Uploaded:  3-Oct
SUN 03-OCT-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 29 times ] Download   [ 69 times ]
Pentecost 19 – Some powerful people were scheming to draw Jesus into an ongoing argument concerning what was permissible with marriage and divorce, and what was not permissible; but their question was not sincere. Jesus replied that Moses had allowed divorce because of their hardness of heart. They were asking the wrong questions. Jesus wasn't talking about the legalities of marriage and divorce, he was talking about the way some people were using their power to the detriment of others in their close relationships. What did God originally intend? It was that two become as one, receiving each other as equals and intimates, extensions of each other's flesh and bone. These passages of scripture have often been applied only to marriage and divorce, but the teaching applies also to committed relationships between men and women, men and men, and women and women. Those relationships are good for us, they are life-giving, they enable us to flourish. God's ideal is not always possible; relationships can falter and fail; but God loves us as persons more than he loves the dream of a life-long partnership. Our prayer is for God to lead us, humbly and gently, along very different tracks. into that which gives life, not into that which takes life away.
Mark 10: 2-16

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  19:40 Size:  6.8 MB Uploaded:  27-Sep
SUN 26-SEP-2021 - 11 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 34 times ] Download   [ 71 times ]
Pentecost 18 – The sermon discusses the historical background and other details of the book of Esther, a dramatic tale set around 460 BC in the court of Xerxes I of Persia. The story has no mention of the name of God; the atmosphere is one of political intrigue; and the action revolves around the whims of a despot. The heroine is the beautiful Queen Esther, who hides the fact that she is Jewish; the hero is Mordecai, her Jewish uncle and guardian and a member of the royal court; and the villain is the wicked Haman, also of the royal court. There is little charity and no mercy in the story. When the Jewish exiles in Persia are threatened with genocide, Queen Esther skilfully persuades the king to allow the Jews instead to perform genocide on their Persian captors. Seen from a Jewish point of view, it is the story of a victory which is still being celebrated annually with parties, fancy-dress parades and the works; but seen through another lens, it raises concerns about retaliation, injustice and genocide. It is so incogruent with the Christian scriptures, so different from Jesus' ministry of love, justice and peace. Sandy concludes her sermon with a prayerful reflection on the wrongs and sorrows that beset the world, and how to address them.
Esther 7: 1-6, 9-10; 9: 20-22

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  18:58 Size:  6.5 MB Uploaded:  26-Sep
SUN 26-SEP-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 32 times ] Download   [ 74 times ]
Pentecost 18 – Small endeavours for our sacred Earth. What can one person do? – We would all know about the Parable of the Sower, in which a farmer has varying degrees of success and failure with his crop depending on where his grain happens to fall. The parable has had many interpretations. This sermon talks about planting seeds which need to be risked and committed to the soil for the sake of new life and creativity. John of Damascus, a Greek theologian of the 7th century, taught that the earth is to be honoured because God has filled all matter with his grace and power. The whole of creation is something to be marvelled at and held in reverence, in a multitude of small steps. It's about being at one with the earth. One person can do lots of things to save our ailing planet. God is the source of life, willing us to love fully, and to love wastefully like the Sower in the parable. He is calling us to be all that we can be.
Mark 4: 1-9

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  19:14 Size:  6.6 MB Uploaded:  20-Sep
SUN 19-SEP-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 29 times ] Download   [ 41 times ]
Pentecost 17 – The woman described in Proverbs 31:10-31 could not be a real, historical woman. Nobody like her could ever have lived. Her description is a broad composite – she is welcoming, empathetic and hard working; she knows how to make good investments; she cares for the needy; she is strong and dignified; she is dependable and has integrity; she makes her own expensive garments; and more. We each have parts of these admirable qualities, and we could aspire to others. While the text should not be taken as a job description that could never be fulfilled, it has been empowering for women in their efforts to live out their personhood with dignity and worth. In reading this text less about 'the good wife' and more about the brave and valiant woman – or man, this passage from Proverbs will read less like an idealised woman, and more about examples of women – and men – who show initiative, ingenuity, diligence, and resourcefulness. Seen in this way it becomes part of our discipleship, part of the embodiment of wisdom, part of what it means to follow the way of Christ. May it be so.
Proverbs 31: 10-31

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  15:50 Size:  5.5 MB Uploaded:  19-Sep
SUN 19-SEP-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 37 times ] Download   [ 63 times ]
Pentecost 17 – A Home for all, Renewing the oikos of God. – A common interpretation of the parable of the lost sheep identifies the flock of one hundred sheep as a group of one hundred believers, one of whom is a "backslider" who has wandered away by saying or doing things not suitable for the standards of the household (the 'oikos'); and when they see Jesus bringing him back again there is great rejoicing. But – sheep are flock-minded, and if one of them gets separated, it will almost exclusively be on account of terror, perhaps from being chased by a wolf or a human. It's the same with us. Too many people are being driven from their household and community by injustice and violence, and there is an obvious need for them to be searched for, found, and cared for. The parable has some environmental and ecological inferences as well. Our greed and exploitation are robbing countless living beings of the joy of living in their own special environments, and we have put at risk the very existence of many species. God celebrates when small incremental steps are made to protect, preserve and care for all beings that interact with each other. May God enrich our home, our 'oikos', as we recognise the detrimental impact we have on human communities and our planet. May we act responsibly and creatively with each other and with all creation.
Luke 15: 3-7

Rev Dr Greg Elsden Timing:  16:23 Size:  5.7 MB Uploaded:  12-Sep
SUN 12-SEP-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 40 times ] Download   [ 68 times ]
Pentecost 16 – While Jesus and the disciples were making their way south towards Jerusalem, people along the way were coming up with various stories to explain who he was. When he asked his disciples who they thought he was, Peter spoke for them by calling him the Messiah. When Jesus started to tell them about his future persecution and death, Peter told him to stop being negative; whereupon Jesus told Peter to stop being a stumbling block (a literal meaning of 'satan'), and to follow behind him instead of racing on ahead. Peter's answer was right, as far as it went; but there was much that he did not understand. Down the ages there have often been Christians who insist that they have the correct answers about Jesus, when they don't even know what the questions are. May we resist starting conversations with others from places where we assume we are right, brutally imposing our answers on others, but let us start our conversations by articulating our loves and our doubts. It is often more helpful not to try to answer life's great questions, but to live with them.
Mark 8: 27-38

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  15:07 Size:  5.2 MB Uploaded:  5-Sep
SUN 05-SEP-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 58 times ] Download   [ 104 times ]
Pentecost 15 – The gospel story for the day points to a fundamental human desire, a desire for health and wellbeing that are not inhibited by illness and disease. We need to recognise the path that leads to the wholeness and oneness of who we are, despite the fragility and mortality ever before us. Look at the paralympians: they lead rich and rewarding lives despite their disablilities, and they refuse to be defined by what others see as their impediments. We are all interconnected, and what we do for others we are also doing for ourselves. Love passed on to others becomes the most meaningful form of self-love; even care for the earth and its inhabitants becomes care for oneself. Encounter strangers not as threats but as part of oneself. All we need is to be resourceful with what we have, little though it might be. May God bless us on our journey to the deep, wonderful wholeness of love.
Mark 7: 24-37

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  15:33 Size:  5.4 MB Uploaded:  29-Aug
SUN 29-AUG-2021 - 11 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 59 times ] Download   [ 194 times ]
Pentecost 14 – The gospel reading describes an occasion when Pharisees noticed some of the disciples of Jesus eating without first washing their hands. The Pharisees were a well-intentioned group of religious reformers, and they were trying to interpret the law in order to give people clear directions to follow. Washing your hands before praying or before eating was seen as a holy action performed by a holy people, the people of God, and they took exception to what they had just witnessed. When they asked Jesus to please explain, the way he interpreted the meaning of the law was quite different – his approach seemed to be to invoke an ad hoc ethic, to do what was right at the moment. Hand washing was not the key issue. Our morality is shaped and influenced by what we have internalised – whatever is inside us flows outwards to influence the world, whether for good or for bad. What God considers religious may begin with rules and guidelines, which is the reason for having Pharisees; but in the end the rules must be guided by the heart, and perhaps altered by the heart. How are you cultivating your inner life as a follower of the way of Jesus?
Mark 7: 1-8; 14-15; 21-23

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  16:51 Size:  5.8 MB Uploaded:  22-Aug
SUN 22-AUG-2021 - 11 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 66 times ] Download   [ 175 times ]
Pentecost 13 – The final chapter of Ephesians, Chapter 6, has familiar verses describing the armour of God in terms of the period's personal military gear: belt, breastplate, footwear, shield, helmet and sword. The pieces of armour are figures of speech for various spiritual attributes. The armour is not to be used aggressively, it is for defence and protection against the spiritual forces of evil. Believers need to recognise that they are subject to hidden forces and overwhelming odds, and they need to be ready to defend themselves. Some Christians see the armour of God as permission for a combative approach to faith and engagement with the world, and they take to a fighting mode to destroy evil; but Jesus is a prince of peace, not a warrior king. The writer to the Ephesians is not encouraging an aggressive "stance" against evil, but is pointing to Christ who brings life and reconciliation. Peacemaking doesn't mean passivity; it is the act of interrupting injustice without mirroring injustice; disarming evil without destroying the evildoer; finding a third way that is neither fight nor flight, but a pursuit of reconciliation and justice.
Ephesians 6: 10-20

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon and Libby Hogarth Timing:  25:20 Size:  8.7 MB Uploaded:  22-Aug
SUN 22-AUG-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 62 times ] Download   [ 287 times ]
Pentecost 13 – John's gospel lacks any account of the Last Supper, but it is full of references to Communion or the Lord's Supper, some of it in unpalatable language that talks about drinking blood and eating flesh. It's about an ingestion of the life of God into oneself, and of one's own life into the life of God. When Jesus spoke of such matters, there were listeners who couldn't face it; but when he asked his twelve disciples what they thought of it, Peter spoke for them by saying, "Where else could we go, when we're in the company of the one who speaks eternal life?"
— And where does all of this fit, when we think of the situation of the suffering people of Afghanistan and beyond? Libby Hogarth is a migration agent who has been working for years on behalf of clients struggling with the Australian refugee and asylum seeker policies; and she has found that although Australia has an overtly Christian Prime Minister, this country has demonstrated the worst response of any government in the world to the current refugee situation. The PM needs to be asked, "What would Jesus do?". Let us welcome the stranger before us.
1 Kings 8: 1, 6, 10-11, 22-30, 41-43;
John 6: 56-69 [paraphrase © Nathan Nettleton]

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  21:22 Size:  7.4 MB Uploaded:  15-Aug
SUN 15-AUG-2021 - 11 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 83 times ] Download   [ 153 times ]
Pentecost 12 – What is wisdom, and how do we get it? It is not knowledge, and it is not information. It comes from a willingness to know ourselves, to plumb the depths and learn to live with ourselves and with others. Solomon, the third king of Israel, was renowned for the extraordinary wisdom which he received as a gift from God at the start of his reign. But he was not the ideal man that the lectionary reading would suggest. He was a deeply flawed, violent, unfaithful despot. He was blessed with wisdom and cursed with foolishness; he was committed to his intellect and shackled to his appetites. It's just too much like our own stories. The seeking of wisdom is a journey to many places, and one of the most important is the discovery of ourselves as both flawed and fabulous, both courageous and coward, sometimes wise and sometimes plain stupid. Yet for all of our ambiguity, we are unconditionally loved by God.
1 Kings 2: 10-12; 3: 3-14

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  17:06 Size:  5.9 MB Uploaded:  15-Aug
SUN 15-AUG-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 82 times ] Download   [ 134 times ]
Pentecost 12 – Where can wisdom be found? – Today's reading is about how Solomon dealt with the getting of wisdom. When God invited him to consider what he would like to receive, he asked for wisdom rather than wealth, health or a long life; and when he put wisdom first, the rest followed. The story of Solomon was told against a backdrop of political intrigue, drama, and dealing in death. Compared with the Jesus stories in the New Testament, the Old Testament stories can seem too complex and preposterous to have much impact on us today, but we can recognise that the words and stories are not always what they seem to be. Some are morally ambiguous with details that dismay, horrify and disturb, but they are not to be glossed over with platitudes. Solomon is seen as undoubtedly great, and yet dangerously flawed. His entire biography presented in 1 Kings is evidence of the brokenness that he shares with us all. The wisdom that nourishes virtue knows that good water and bad water can flow from the same spring. We see it in our contemporary leaders, and we see it in our own lives.
1 Kings 2: 10-12, 3: 3-14

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  16:15 Size:  5.6 MB Uploaded:  8-Aug
SUN 08-AUG-2021 - 11 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 93 times ] Download   [ 165 times ]
Pentecost 11 – In the 2021 Australian Census, the number identifying themselves as Christian will probably be less than 50%; but Christian faith often attracts media attention from spokespersons who don't represent the breadth of Christian faith in Australia. The epistle passage from Ephesians could be read as a guide to how Christians should be living, and the failure of professed Christians to live according to the guidelines often leads to the label of 'hypocrite'. In the Ephesus community there were plenty of cultural and religious differences to detract from the way they lived out the gospel of Jesus; and they were being urged to imitate God, for whom Jesus was the fullest revelation. So how should they live? The author said to put aside lies and deception and hateful speech; to be careful with difficult conversations; to be honest and articulate. Be respectful, realising that there are many views of reality, and each view has part of the truth. It's not easy. When thieves are told to stop stealing, they're being asked to be gainfully occupied helping their neighbours and the community. "Tell the truth." "Be kind to one another." "Share." You are living differently, so be prepared to have a conversation about it one day.
Ephesians 4:25 - 5:2

Peter Russell Timing:  18:54 Size:  6.5 MB Uploaded:  8-Aug
SUN 08-AUG-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 103 times ] Download   [ 210 times ]
Pentecost 11 – "Time for a Checkup" – The faithful who are grounded in the love of Christ should not be found wanting, and in this portion of the letter to the Ephesians the writer has put together a checklist to help us work out whether we're doing the things God wants us to do. Here is a summary. (1) We must get real – instead of pretending to be Christian, we must start acting like Christians. (2) It's OK to be angry with good, righteous, productive anger, when we notice injustice and are galvanised into wanting to do something about it. (3) Stop being thieves, taking other peoples' possessions. It's not just about petty theft and burglary; there is also institutional theft such as tax cuts for the rich while people on Jobkeeper struggle in poverty. The land of Australia was stolen from its owners more than 200 years ago, and has been pillaged and ruined for the benefit of the thieves. (4) Watch your mouth – don't remain silent when people around you make offensive, derogatory remarks. Reply with compassion for those who cannot speak for themselves. Finally: (5) Don't let your behaviour make God sad. Be compassionate and tolerant, forgiving each other as God is compassionate in forgiving us. Live a life of love, love that doesn't stop for anything.
Ephesians 4:25 - 5:2 (Nathan Nettleton 2000, LaughingBird.net)

Rev Vikki Waller Timing:  14:55 Size:  5.2 MB Uploaded:  1-Aug
SUN 01-AUG-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 100 times ] Download   [ 196 times ]
Pentecost 10 – John's gospel was written to let us get to know Jesus, from what he does and says. In this passage from chapter 6, he announces that he is the Bread of Life. On the previous day he'd fed a multitude of people with a few loaves of bread and a few fish, enough for the whole crowd to have their fill and still leave behind a pile of scraps. Assuming that he is the great prophet they've been waiting for, the people are now following him around hoping for more handouts. Yesterday's miraculous meal was great, and today they're hungry again. They've missed the point. They're wanting him to do something really big, as though feeding 5000 people wasn't enough; they want to be shown a miracle. Jesus points them in a better direction. He says, "I am the Bread of Life." He equates himself with I AM, God's existence which is defined by nobody but God himself. Unlike our life which always depends on outside resources, the great I AM needs nothing and nobody. It is through Christ that we obtain perfect satisfaction, filled forever. Where do we find this kind of nourishment? Answer: we must believe in Christ. Christ alone gives food that lasts to everlasting life. With that kind of bread, we will never hunger.
John 6: 24-35

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  21:00 Size:  7.2 MB Uploaded:  1-Aug
SUN 01-AUG-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 118 times ] Download   [ 289 times ]
Pentecost 10 – One day, David spied Bathsheba bathing, he lusted after her, and he got her pregnant. Trying to cover up his adulterous rape, he ordered Bathsheba's husband Uriah to return home on leave from active service in the warzone, and spend some time at home with his wife. If it worked, Uriah would be recognised as the baby's father. But it didn't work the way David meant it to; Uriah's sense of duty towards his men back at the front didn't allow him to indulge in domestic bliss, and he was a man of honour and character. David ordered him back to the front, and secret orders were sent for Uriah to be abandoned to the enemy and killed. It was a story of power's corruption, with the ugly, deceptive use of personal and political power to cover up truth and preserve a dodgy reputation. People have been covering up sexual abuse for millennia, and it happens even in the church. The prophet Nathan was a truth teller. He didn't accuse David head on; he took an indirect route, using a parable to elicit the truth. A story about a much-loved lamb and a rich bully evoked David's sympathy; David was indignant at what had taken place; and Nathan was able to turn the story around on David himself, telling him "You are that man!" There might be questions about David's remorse; but the idea that anyone, even an adulterer and murderer, can receive forgiveness from God is a true and hopeful message about God's character. The people in this story and their circumstances resonate deeply with our contemporary context.
2 Samuel (11: 1-15); 11:26 - 12:13a

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  17:25 Size:  6.0 MB Uploaded:  25-Jul
SUN 25-JUL-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 113 times ] Download   [ 236 times ]
Pentecost 9 – This selection from the letter to the Ephesians can be seen as a rollicking, tumbling prayer in which the writer comes to attention before God with bended knee, in whom we find God's love and hospitality in all its dimensions – a love so embracing that is challenges our most fundamental divisions of human family and experience. It challenges race, ethnicity, religion, politcal ideology, gender, and socio-economic status. A community of people following the way of Jesus defeats the language of antagonism and division. All are welcome and respected in the world of God's gracious hospitality. But to the detriment of us all, the ideal is being continually fractured. Christ dwells in our hearts by faith. Do we have people in this community, for example refugees from frightening circumstances, with whom we can share friendship? Where are we rooted and founded? The love of God comes with no strings attached. The indwelling presence of God is sheer and utter gift, not a reward for merit, but God chooses to live among us. God's glory fills us. This is sheer grace, unimaginable possibilty, life-giving hope. May if be so, by the grace of God.
Ephesians 3: 14-21

Rev Dr Greg Elsden Timing:  26:09 Size:  9.0 MB Uploaded:  18-Jul
SUN 18-JUL-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 119 times ] Download   [ 193 times ]
Pentecost 8 ‐ The sermon is about tearing down the walls that we use to keep each other at a distance – walls erected, guarded and maintained to express our fears, divisions and mistrust, and to retain privilege and enforce deprivation. A few notable walls were mentioned, including the Berlin Wall, demolished on the 9th of November 1989 by ordinary people chipping away with small hammers; the wall between North and South Korea; the Great Wall of China; and Hadrian's Wall in northern England. On a personal level, when two parties find that they cannot communicate effectively, it is said that a wall has been built between them. The writer to the Ephesians tells us that God is in the business of demolishing and pulling down the walls between people, making redundant the differences between Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female. Former strangers are to be welcomed into the household of God, and we must accept them in their diversity, not expecting them to change and become like 'us'. Which demands a certain humility. At the moment, many parts of the world are fractured and broken. What are the walls that separate and fracture our communities, lives and families, and how might we be able to chip away at those walls and bring them down?
 (Greg also presented this sermon at our 11 AM service.)
Ephesians 2: 11-22 (From 'The Message')

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  21:25 Size:  7.4 MB Uploaded:  11-Jul
SUN 11-JUL-2021 - 11 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 143 times ] Download   [ 289 times ]
Pentecost 7 – The 'Epistle to the Ephesians' is a general letter that could be addressed to any church, anywhere. It doesn't mention Ephesus or any other place by name, it contains nothing personal, and it's not in Paul's style. It was probably written by one of Paul's disciples as a summary of Paul's teaching, and it sets out to convince the reader about what God is actually up to in our flawed and broken world. We enter into God's family not by force, power or coercion, but by the open generosity of adoption. All are special and loved, and there is nothing that we can do to make God love us more or make him love us less. God's extravagant grace is more than the subject of beautiful hymns sung in church; it is about real life, real things, real messiness. We are urged to participate in God's good grace with our daily transactions, as we deal with people we know or don't know, with people we love or can't love, with people who make life a joy or make it a misery. According to Paul, that is God's grand vision.
Ephesians 1: 3-14

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  15:12 Size:  5.3 MB Uploaded:  11-Jul
SUN 11-JUL-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 145 times ] Download   [ 225 times ]
Pentecost 7 – John the Baptist had the moral courage to speak truth in the public arena despite the consequences, and his relentless truth-telling was inconvenient for those who held power and privilege and preferred power over principle. John, and then Jesus, replaced deceit with candour, falsehood with frankness, vice with virtue, and duplicity with principle. What had the religious leaders been teaching the people? We can be sure they were not teaching hospitality towards the stranger or care for the poor, and they were not calling out dishonesty and corruption. Such matters are mentioned quite explicitly in the scriptures, and they were being ignored. The current Australian Prime Minister, in his maiden speech to Parliament, spoke of his own Christian faith and of issues such as personal and social responsibility, justice and loving-kindness. But however well-intentioned his words may have been, government policies and practices are steadily undermining them. Let's hear afresh the call for a renewal of the moral courage the Gospel compels of us as followers of the Jesus way. Together, our collective voices and actions can enflesh the biblical imperatives we hold central to our faith. Repent, for surely the kingdom of God is at hand.
Mark 6: (12-13) 14-29

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  15:36 Size:  5.4 MB Uploaded:  5-Jul
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Pentecost 6 – When Jesus arrived back in his home town, people were asking questions about his identity, what sort of a person he was. They were offended by his behaviour in the synagogue, because it was unseemly for someone from his sort of family to behave that way. He was disruptive and didn't follow the conventional, very conservative religious rules and expectations. In Mark's account, this was the last time Jesus was in a synagogue. His mission was to show people a better way to be in relationship with God, and it was not going to be through institutional means. It was going to be through an ordinary bunch of people to whom he delegated work, asking them to do the same things that he had been doing. He didn't go with them. They did not have superior abilities, they were just ordinary people who might take a while to catch on to what he was telling them, and still get it wrong. He did not choose them for their superior abilities, but for their preparadness to follow him. This gives an idea of what it means to be church – not to be in a church, but to be church. God calls, commissions and sends people like us, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to proclaim the gospel of a world being renewed.
Mark 6: 1-13

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  25:24 Size:  8.8 MB Uploaded:  4-Jul
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Pentecost 6 –
Mark 6: 1-13 When Jesus arrived back in his own village and started teaching in the synagogue on a Sabbath, his listeners where initially astonished at the power of his words and actions; but their astonishment soon changed to offence and rejection when they brought to mind his questionable family background. His legitimacy and integrity were suspect because his father was only a carpenter, lower in status than even a peasant. And who was his real father, anyway? They thought they knew where he came from. For us today, who are the people being discredited, disempowered and intentionally silenced, and how can we give them voice? Worth considering would be refugees and asylum seekers struggling to fill in official forms to have their visas or residency permits renewed, only to be frustrated by sloppy bureaucratic processes that seem to take an age to do little or nothing. Many of our First Nations people continue to suffer discrimination on account of cultural misunderstandings. And according to recent news reports, women associated with our parliaments have been having a rough time with sexual discrimination and harassment.
Mark 6: 1-13

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  21:44 Size:  7.5 MB Uploaded:  28-Jun
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Pentecost 5 – The sermon begins with the story of "Alice" (not her real name), who as a 14 year old girl was invited by the minister of the family's church to help him with some planning. Of course she was so excited to be asked; and he raped her. Over the years, everyone with whom she shared her story called her a liar. She spent her life feeling abused, defiled, guilty and shameful, convinced that she was responsible for what happened. Until, in her early seventies, she raised an official complaint against the minister, who had died 20 years before. A proper investigation was launched, and they believed her. It was not her fault, and she feels that her life has been given back to her again. The gospel passage tells the healing stories of two women who, also, were given back their lives – one of them had suffered from bleeding for twelve years and was therefore unclean under the purity laws, making her a social outcast; and the other was the 12 year old beloved daughter of an influential and powerful religious official. The woman with the haemorrhage refused to believe she was a nothing, and when she audaciously told her whole story to Jesus, he listened and gave her back her life. As for the father of the dying girl, he had audaciosuly asked for help from Jesus, when he would have known that Jesus was a ritually unclean person because of the way he mixed with tax collectors and sinners. What have we been told about ourselves that diminishes our worth and separates us from the life-giving community of God?
Mark 5: 21-43

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Pentecost 5 – In the gospel narrative, Jesus had arrived on the other shore of Lake Galilee and was talking to the crowds surrounding him, when an official from the synagogue pushed his way though to ask Jesus to go with him to his house and lay his hands on his terminally ill 12 year old daughter. On their way to the house, a woman with a chronic bleeding problem, a problem that had been with her for 12 years, made her way to Jesus to touch his clothing and be healed, so great was her faith in what he could do. She reached him, touched his cloak, and was healed. Because of the purity laws the poor woman had been regarded as a filthy outcast, and anybody who came into accidental contact with her or with anything that she had touched would have been obliged to undergo ritual purification. Jesus commended the woman for her faith; she had been very brave to pick her way though the crowd to reach him. He put her at ease, and she could look forward to a new life of freedom. Before the sermon we had been told about a similar women's hygiene situation across present-day sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, where 2-3 million girls and women are living with obstetric fistula, a terrible condition that leaves the victims subject to the humiliation and ridicule of having bodies that keep leaking fluids. Only about 1 in 50 women receive treatment. By the time Jesus and the man arrived at the man's house, the little girl had died, but Jesus declared that she was only asleep. He went inside with a few others and called out to her, and she woke up, got out of bed, and started walking around. Like the woman with the bleeding problem, the synagogue official had shown great courage in approaching Jesus in view of Jesus' public criticism of certain synagogue practices and teachings. Jesus is the listener and healer, one who brings confession, belonging, inclusion and welcome.
Mark 5: 21-43

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  10:25 Size:  3.6 MB Uploaded:  20-Jun
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Pentecost 4 – Mark's gospel was written some time between about 66CE, with a rebellion against the Roman occupiers brewing up, and 70CE, when the Romans finally overran, ransacked and destroyed Jerusalem and its temple, with great loss of life. Christians were terrified for their lives, because the world as they had known it had come to an end. Mark's picture of a small boat caught in an apocalyptic storm was a symbol of the political chaos of the time; and Christians could take courage in spite of the chaos, because they knew that Jesus was with them in the boat. When the symbol of the cross had to be disguised for safety, the boat's mast served as a cross. The symbol of the boat is built into many older churches, where the roofing timbers have been left uncovered to be the hull of an upturned wooden boat, and the ridge beam of the church's roof is the boat's keel. The depiction of a boat is included in the logo of the World Council of Churches. See if you can spend a few moments of quiet reflection as you find your place in the boat – name the chaos around you, and find hope in Jesus who is there with you.
Mark 4: 35-41

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  24:37 Size:  8.5 MB Uploaded:  20-Jun
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Pentecost 4 – After a day of using parables to teach people on the Jewish side of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus told his disciples that he'd like to go over to the other side of the lake; so in the evening they set out in their boat for the opposite shore, accompanied by a few other boats. By going across, they were going to be crossing an ethnic and cultural boundary between the Jewish and the non-Jewish. Part of the way across they encountered a fierce windstorm that threatened to sink them; and through it all, with the disciples in fear of their lives, Jesus was having a snooze in the boat's stern. When they woke him up to ask whether he cared that they were all going to drown, he ordered the storm to calm down and it did so immediately. Throughout the Old Testament, God is often portrayed as the God who has ultimate control over all things, and in stopping the storm, Jesus was demonstrating that he had the power of God. Who indeed was this, that even the sea and the wind obeyed him? In this short passage, Mark is telling his readers that the same Jesus will be there to help them in their particular storms of life, beyond the boundaries of their comfort, safety and arrogance. There is a need for the church to cross boundaries, that all may experience the liberating power of the gospel.
Mark 4: 35-41

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  16:52 Size:  5.8 MB Uploaded:  13-Jun
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Pentecost 3 – For a farmer there can be a perennial question of whether to plant, when to plant, or indeed whether to plant at all. The decision can depend on factors like drought, flood, bushfire and mouse plague. There can be no solid guarantee of the outcome. What will be the future of that precious seed grain? The kingdom of God, meaning God's presence or reign, depends essentially on the gracious work of God among us. We can plan, but we must realise that ultimately the results are in the hands of God, the giver of all life. We must trust God with the seeds of what we plant in the living of our lives. As followers of Jesus, we are called to invest in the business of planting seeds of hope and grace in the soil of our lives, of our communities and of our spheres of influence, and in the time and place which we occupy. We might find ourselves in places that are unexpected and abandoned, planting seeds of hope in another way of living,. May God give us the courage and wisdom needed to let us plant seeds, in the trust that although we cannot always see what is happening, the seeds we plant will never be wasted.
Mark 4: 26-34

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Pentecost 3 – The sermon discusses some of the messages that can be found in the parable of the mustard seed, the second of two short parables in the reading from Mark. The mustard plant mentioned in the parable would have been the common variety, a rambling bushy-like tree growing to a height of two or three metres, showing bright yellow flowers before it produces seeds. Despite the description in the parable, this type of plant does not have branches for a bird to make a nest; but it does bring to mind a vision in the book of Daniel of a mighty tree that stretches all the way to heaven, and also a vision in the book of Ezekiel of a mighty cedar reaching to heaven, with many birds nesting in it and offering shelter to many people. The parable uses a picture of a common garden plant to describe the reign of God. The brilliance of the yellow flowers can be seen as representing the reign of God in the midst of gloom. Jesus is teaching that the kingdom of God is something that can be cultivated here and now on earth, and that in the right soil it ripens, expands and sprouts over time. In Israel at the time of the parable the mustard plant was an invasive weed – the kingdom of God can grow like a weed, and people who don't want it to grow will try to tear it out. Once the kingdom of God begins to grow, the empires of the world will not be able to stop it.
Mark 4: 26-34

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  15:58 Size:  5.5 MB Uploaded:  7-Jun
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Pentecost 2 – When the Israelites escaped from Egypt, a covenant was established between them and God with a promise that they would thrive as a nation for as long as they dealt with each other according to God's standards of justice and compassion. But they came to grief when they couldn't keep it up. In due course the prophet Samuel was approached by a delegation of elders from the failing confedration of twelve tribes; and they asked him to let them be like other nations and have a king to rule over them. Samuel didn't like the idea at all; but when he asked God for advice, God told him to let them have their king, and to warn them of the likely consequences. The Israelites got their king, and from then on the standard of governance deteriorated from reign to reign until the kingdom collapsed utterly in defeat and exile. Modern monarchs and Heads of State may be largely ceremonial, but there are still those that take, take, and take to enrich themselves and their supporters to the impoverishment of the nation. In the Uniting Church, we pledge ourselves to hope and work for a nation whose goals are not guided by self-interest alone, but by concern for the welfare of all persons everywhere – the family of the One God – the God made known in Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One who gave His life for others. In the spirit of His self-giving love we seek to go forward.
1 Samuel 8: 4-11

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  23:59 Size:  8.3 MB Uploaded:  6-Jun
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Pentecost 2 – "... an inclusive circle, a longer table" – In the portion of Mark's gospel set aside for this Sunday, Jesus and his disciples were trying to have a meal in someone's house when a crowd found them and made the meal impossible. So they gave up and faced the crowd. While he was dealing with some topics like demon possession, unforgivable blasphemy and home invasion, (confronting topics to be dealt with, perhaps, in future sermons), someone came along to tell him that his family, comprising his mother and brothers, were asking after him; and he responded by saying that his family was made up of anybody who followed God's will. Rather than asking, "What was Jesus saying?", it would be better to ask, "What was Mark saying to his readers?" Many of Mark's readers would have been ejected from their families and from Jewish society when they became followers of Jesus, no longer restricted by "Jews only" rules, and they were seeking relationships where they might find new roots. They were seeking a new, accepting and inclusive family. We, as followers of Christ, need to be a community constantly on the lookout to be inviting to those who are not part of "us" – not to turn them into people like us, but that we might experience the grace of God in our openness and acceptance. May God encourage us to do risky things, welcoming strangers to become part of family.
Mark 3: 20-35

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  23:30 Size:  8.1 MB Uploaded:  31-May
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Trinity Sunday – Talking about the three persons or modes of being of the Godhead, with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit together constituting a single God, can present a considerable challenge. Can you describe God and the Trinity in terms of the three states of water – ice, liquid and steam? Is God like an egg – yolk, white and shell? No images can come close to describing the Trinity, let alone explaining it. God cannot be grasped by the mind; if he could be, he would not be God at all. God is infinte and incomprehensible. But we know that we have a relationship with God. God gives and receives; he speaks and listens; he has presence and intimacy; we experience his grace. God is relationship; and we have the teaching and example of Jesus, the Son of God among us.
John 3: 1-17

Tarlee Leondaris Timing:  14:40 Size:  5.1 MB Uploaded:  30-May
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Reconciliation Sunday and Trinity Sunday – Tarlee Leondaris is the Covenanting Officer for the South Australian Uniting Church Synod, and she's proud to be an Aboriginal woman. In her address she dealt with both Reconciliation and Trinity Sunday. Reconciliation is more than a word, it requires action, and it's about forming connections between Australia's First and Second peoples. Tarlee told us how her mother had been a child of the stolen generations, taken as a baby without consent and adopted into a loving family of Methodist missionaries. Her adoptive parents thought they were doing the right thing by adopting an Aboriginal child, but they lacked the knowledge we now have about the damage caused by forcible removal and adoption. It was an ideal family, but she knew she was something different. When she tried to move into mainstream society she encountered degrading remarks about being Aboriginal, and she experienced identity crisis and intergenerational trauma. Was she really Aboriginal, when she hadn't grown up with country and culture? But Aboriginality is a part of her, despite her upbrininging, it's in the DNA handed down from her ancestors. The Creator chose her and others to carry on the ancient blood line. In the Gospel passage, Jesus revealed that his Kingdom will come to the whole world, and it doesn't pertain to a particular race. Aboriginal people have known the Creator Spirit long before the arrival of the Second Peoples. There is a desparate need for improvement of relations between First and Second peoples, and nobody is beyond the touch of God's Spirit.
John 3: 1-17

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  20:55 Size:  7.2 MB Uploaded:  23-May
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Day of Pentecost – When the Holy Spirit came to the disciples of Jesus following his resurrection and ascension, they discovered that the Spirit had given them the ability to converse with foreigners in their own native languages, even though the disciples' first language would probably have been Galilean Aramaic. The Spirit had empowered the disciples to listen, to learn and to speak across linguistic and cultural gaps. If we don't learn the art of speaking and listening with respect and humility, across the borders that separate us, then surely we run the risk of destroying this wonderful planet with its diversity of life, and that includes our own lives. Words can become so toxic. There are countries with cultural and political gridlocks so fiercely maintained, that there is little or no capacity or desire to bridge the deep divide. May people who have been in disagreement with each other begin to actually hear each other for the first time, and be transformed by hearing what the others are saying.
Acts 2: 1-21

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  17:00 Size:  5.9 MB Uploaded:  23-May
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Day of Pentecost – After his crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus had told his followers to wait in Jerusalem for the arrival of the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit did arrive, during the annual Pentecost harvest festival, it happened with a flourish, accompanied by hurricane-like noises and flames appearing above people's heads. In the Christian church, Pentecost is celebrated every year as the time for declaring that God is here among us, to make all things new and bring together those who were previously incapable of understanding each other – people on opposite sides in the conflicts and cultures and religions that divide us. But looking back over the previous year since Pentecost 2020, it is difficult to see what is new, when what we see is so much fear, despair and death brought on by the Covid pandemic. It makes us incapable of recognising risen and renewed life and oblivious of the fire that God sent down to do a new thing. Paul says in his letter to the Romans that the whole creation groans and suffers, and that God's spirit grieves for us with sighs too deep for words. We are all struggling together, all over the world. But God is still with us. We see God's continuing care for us in the hands of all of those who care for us in the pandemic. Whatever happens, God is still with us.
Acts 2: 1-2, 3, 5-8; Romans 8: 22-27

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  16:58 Size:  5.9 MB Uploaded:  16-May
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Easter 7 – The gospel passage contains a prayer that Jesus addressed to his Father a few days before his crucifixion, a prayer in which he was talking about the people that his Father had given him. The words and ideas as recorded are jumbled, intertwined and confusing, and they don't make easy reading. He was committed to forgiveness and reconciliation, and he talked about resprectfully accepting others with whom we cannot agree. He showed divine purpose, power and action, along with humility, responsiveness and receptivity. The unity of the disciples was to be the litmus test of Christian witness – and the signs of our lack of unity are very obvious. We have the power to love or not to love, and the power to be one or to be divided. We may not always be in step with each other and agreeing, but we can show love by being respectful towards those with whom we disagree.
John 17: 6-19

Dr M. Lake, Dr J. Raftery, Rev Dr G. Elsden Timing:  23:11 Size:  8.0 MB Uploaded:  16-May
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Easter 7 – 'The Bible and you ...' – This 'sermon' was a discussion around the topic of "The Bible and you ...", with three participants – Dr Meredith Luke, a historian of religion, society and culture, and frequently heard on ABC Radio; Dr Judith Raftery, historian, author, and a senior lecturer in Public Health; and the Rev Dr Greg Elsdon, the Minister of the Word at Pilgrim Church and for many years a theological college lecturer. It was observed how all Christians can agree that the Bible is the word of the living God, but there are often different ways of understanding the meaning of a given text. The Bible is a difficult book. Back in the 1950s it was found that biblical literacy was very poor. Even among preachers of long standing there can be a lack of awareness of the stories in the Bible, let alone what they mean. An uninterpreted text is both useless and dangerous; and when you misquote a text taken out of its original context, you can make that text mean whatever you want it to mean. In reading and using the Bible, we are urged to be humble, to be wary of certitude, and to be encouraged for the Bible to speak to us, to be gospel for us, and to be a living word for us. We always have to be ready for it to surprise us, to say something new, and to move us from where we are.

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  15:58 Size:  5.5 MB Uploaded:  9-May
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Easter 6 – When Jesus issued a commandment for us to love one another the way he loved us, did it mean that we have to do it because Jesus said so? No, we are not being ordered to love. We are being encouraged and invited to abide in God's love, to live in it and stay connected with it, and if we do that we'll find ourselves empowered to share that love with others. We were reminded that it was Mothers Day, and that each of us has started life abiding in our mother's womb. The love of Jesus is not to be seen simply as an example to follow, but as the source and sacred place from which our love originates. We are invited to drink our fill from the source which is Christ. What we take in from Christ, we can give out to the world.
John 15:9-17

Rev Steve Thompson Timing:  30:56 Size:  10.7 MB Uploaded:  9-May
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Easter 6 – Rev Steve Thompson was reflecting on his life as the one and only chaplain in the Flinders Private Hospital, a small hospital in the southern suburbs of Adelaide. There's no chapel, just a small "Sacred Space" with room for about three chairs. He describes the hospital as his parish; each ward is like a village; each room is like a home; and as a chaplain he gets to know everybody in his village, just like an old parish priest. He has learned that he is paid as much to be there, as to be doing. He is allowed to be the calm, still place in the middle of the frantic activity of a hospital. Just sitting at a busy nursing station has people gravitating towards him to talk. Perhaps he'll drop in on a patient and ask, "How's things?". He's learned to walk slowly; he says that as he listens, he may hear the depth of your soul. People will talk about past hurts, and he is willing to have and enable difficult conversations. For him, being a chaplain is about sharing our humanity as unique creatures and creations of God, learning how to be fully human. After all, Christ is fully human as well as fully divine.
1 John 5: 1-6; John 15: 9-17

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  18:48 Size:  6.5 MB Uploaded:  2-May
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Easter 5 – In his gospel John was reflecting on what Jesus had come to mean to him and his community, and he remembers the self-assuredness with which Jesus spoke of himself. John recalled seven definite "I am" statements from Jesus, in which Jesus clearly portrays himself as the one in whom God's sacred history of Israel is now present. "I Am" is the sacred name of a sacred God, and Jesus was identifying himself as the presence of God. With "I am the true vine", he was making reference to the ancient image of Israel as God's vineyard, the place where God does his special work to produce life-giving fruit. Jesus is the true vine, the place where God is found and experienced. When we are told that the vine will be pruned, it should not be seen as a threat of judgement and punishment; rather, pruning is a means for maintaining the life and fruitfulness of the plant. Any vigneron can tell you that vines have to be pruned to stay healthy and fruitful. We too need pruning, to liberate us from useless and fruitless pursuits that can lead to a cycle of sin and death. What might it mean, to bide and abide in the rich soil of God's vineyard, in such rich love as makes the poor heart glad?
John 15: 1-8

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  18:24 Size:  6.4 MB Uploaded:  26-Apr
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Easter 4 – Anzac Day – Wherever there is a monument or a plaque commemorating those who have lost there lives as a result of armed conflict, you will probably find the words, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends". The words are almost synonymous with Anzac Day, and they seem appropriate for the dignity of the occasion. But what was the provenance of those words – are they actually appropriate? They can be found in John's gospel, Chapter 15, and in their original setting they have nothing at all to do with war. They are about the death of Jesus, who was explaining to his disciples what he was doing. It's about the humility of Jesus, and it wasn't intended to legitimise violence in the name of religion, or provide a strategy for justifying a nation's war effort. Christian faith does have much to say to those who grieve and mourn, and it protests about lives being lost in such a manner and on such a horrendous scale. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus exhorts his followers to love not only their neighbours, but their enemies as well. Paul teaches that it is God who takes the initiative in making friends out of enemies. Reconciliation means ongoing friendships between people who were enemies. Former enemies are not only to be loved, but lived with as well. A suggested memorial inscription: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life in seeking reconciliation with others." May it be so.
John 10: 11-18

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Easter 4 – Some time after the resurrection, Peter and John were arrested for proclaiming Jesus risen from the dead, and for encouraging thousands of people to join the new Jesus movement. Taken before the Sanhedrin, which was the ultimate authority for all judicial and theological matters, they were asked to explain who or what had given them the authority to act like that. Peter boldly told them that they were preaching in the name of the risen Jesus, and that Jesus had set the Holy Spirit loose with his rising. In the eyes of the Sanhedrin these two were untrained and unqualified preachers, peasants and not scholars, and they were told to stop it. Religious people have often mistaken their own power and authority for the power of God. But God is always surprising us with the things he does in the world, and what he does can go beyond the limitations of our theologies and understandings. Like Peter and John, we are sent to share the good news of Jesus.
Acts 4: 5-12

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Easter Day – Mark's gospel ends abruptly with three terrified women fleeing from the tomb where Jesus had been laid, unable to tell anyone what had happened. They had undeniably encountered something, but whatever it was, they couldn't explain it and they couldn't have imagined it. That's the end of Mark's story; but over time, later writers added different endings to make the story more complete. What if Mark had deliberately left the story hanging there? Did he leave it incomplete because it's incomplete without our own stories to complete it? Does this story of risen life shape your life today, giving it meaning? Cultures continue telling stories of the past, telling and retelling them, and new chapters are written. What is it that's important to us, and how do we carry that forward? Jesus chose to act out his own authentic story, about self-giving love, compassion and justice, inclusive communities, and forgiveness and reconciliation. Jesus' triumph over death and sin isn't actually what Mark's gospel is about. The story isn't over at the empty tomb; rather, that's where the story has just started. It's all about setting us up to live resurrection lives and continue the story of God's redemption of the world. Live your story of faith with integrity, and recognise how you are one part of the continual unfolding of God's story, God's dream of the world.
Mark 16: 1-8

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  20:22 Size:  7.0 MB Uploaded:  4-Apr
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Easter Day – Story beginnings and endings are important, and in a carefully crafted story a lot of inferences can be drawn from the opening and closing scenes. But Mark's story of Jesus ends with a thud. He tells us that a few days after the crucifixion three women set out to tend to the body of the recently deceased Jesus, and they found the tomb already opened, with a young white-clad man inside telling them that Jesus was alive and heading towards Galilee. Would they please advise his disciples to travel to Galilee themselves, to meet up with the risen Jesus? The terrified women fled from the tomb, and they couldn't tell anyone what had happened. That's how Mark's story finishes – there's no follow-up. Throughout Mark's story, Jesus had been making it clear to his followers that if they stayed with him they would encounter opposition and rejection, but they simply didn't get it. He told them several times that his death would not be the end of the story but the beginning, and that after three days he would rise again. Jesus' resurrection is God's affirmation of Jesus' way of life, a life that involved costly sacrifice in the service of others. It is suggested that Mark wanted us, his readers, to experience the risen Christ for ourselves, to walk through life with Jesus, and to write the story of his resurrection in our own lives and our lives with others. We cannot remain mere spectators.
Isaiah 25: 6-9; Mark 16: 1-8

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  7:40 Size:  2.7 MB Uploaded:  2-Apr
FRI 02-APR-2021 - 9.30 AM Good Friday Reflection  .mp3  Listen  [ 303 times ] Download   [ 360 times ]
Good Friday – Good Friday would seem to be all about death and all that goes with it, things like lies, duplicity, self-serving, cowardice and manipulation. An oft-quoted scripture verse tells us that "God sent his Son to die for us ...". Did God require that Jesus should suffer in our place, to make God more able to love us? The answer is No. The death of Jesus by public execution was not the requirement of a loving God, but the consequence of the way Jesus lived. The opposition he faced from the authorities was a result of the life he lived in God. Good Friday is all about a life of integrity not bound by expediency; a life of love and compassion untainted by hatred; of genuine humility; of truth and justice untainted by lies. Jesus died as a consequence of his chosen way of life. Good Friday is a solemn day to remember how Jesus confronted evil and injustice, and how he gave his life in love and service for others, even his enemies. It is a solemn day in the way it mirrors back on us our part in a broken world. Jesus invites the world into new life.

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  18:08 Size:  6.3 MB Uploaded:  28-Mar
SUN 28-MAR-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 315 times ] Download   [ 445 times ]
Palm Sunday – When Jesus chose a donkey as his conveyance for entering Jerusalem, it was a deliberate act of religious and political irony, an anti-imperial demonstration, a lampoon with a parade of misfits. The prophet Zechariah had predicted that a non-violent king would enter Jerusalem on a donkey, and here he was. While Jesus approached on his donkey from the east, the Governor, Pontius Pilate, would have been approaching from his estate in the west, accompanied by a most impressive array of Imperial power and influence. What did Jesus actually achieve, by arriving the way he did? It certainly hastened his execution, and somehow God was present in his death. Our faith is centred on the crucifixion of a man who dedicated his life to serving others. Unflinchingly, and with great courage, grace and compassion, Jesus had embedded himself in the service of others; and in this sermon, Greg offers us some helpful but troubling clues to the meaning of his death.
Mark 11: 1-11

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  14:50 Size:  5.1 MB Uploaded:  28-Mar
SUN 28-MAR-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 282 times ] Download   [ 446 times ]
Palm Sunday – There is no report of Jesus saying anything during his 3 km ride into the Holy City of Jerusalem, despite the excited crowds waving cloaks and branches and shouting Hosannahs. Jesus was the Messiah foretold by the Prophets, the liberation and transformation, and the symbolism of his entry spoke louder than words. His journey into Jerusalem, astride a donkey and accompanied by a peasant procession, would have been in stark contrast to the arrival of Pontius Pilate on a warhorse at the head of a column of Imperial armed cavalry. Jesus proclaimed the coming of the reign of God, and its values were diametrically opposed to those of the Roman system. Jesus has given us a vision of transformed relationships and a transformed world, a vision of self-giving love for the whole world. With this sort of vision to inspire them, many groups of people are engaged today in non-violent protests against a variety of injustices. It is peaceful resistance. Take a sit to take a stand. What are you prepared to sit with, to pray for, to pay attention to? What are the values of the reign of God that invite you to take a seat, and stay for a time?
Mark 11: 1-11

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  17:05 Size:  5.9 MB Uploaded:  22-Mar
SUN 21-MAR-2021 - 10.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 286 times ] Download   [ 511 times ]
Lent 5 – 10 AM Combined Service – Harmony Day in Australia is celebrated each year on March 21, coinciding with the UN International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It is intended to celebrate the cohesive and inclusive nature of Australia and promote a tolerant and culturally diverse society. The sermon introduces the notion of intersectionality, the study or awareness of overlapping or intersecting social identities (race, class, gender, etc), especially as related to oppression or discrimination. Can you imagine an intersectional church, a church which is inclusive of all sorts of people regardless of race, age, sexual identity and orientation, family background, and more? No privileged classes, no marginalisation, no discrimination and denigration aimed at the 'undesirables'? The message of Harmony Day is that Everyone Belongs. We are invited to join in our faith journey towards discipleship in Christ with mutual respect, understanding and love. Jesus is the centre of our faith, community is the centre of out lives, and reconciliation is the centre of our work. Together may we work for a world where we embrace our differences and stand strong, united in our shared humanity, embraced by the love of God. Together, may we continue to embody reconciliation, love and peace.
John 12: 20-33

Rev Dr Ian Price Timing:  18:06 Size:  6.3 MB Uploaded:  14-Mar
SUN 14-MAR-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 326 times ] Download   [ 410 times ]
Lent 4 – There is a lot of discussion nowadays about opting into or opting out of various movements, to become either a winner or a loser depending on your point of view. From the scriptures, John Chapter 3 is often used as a proof text for determining whether someone is saved or unsaved – but in the sermon it is pointed out that the only possible response is to opt out, because with God's encompassing love and grace we are already 'in'. God already accepts and loves us. Let us be people of love, let us act with love, think with love, and have compassion in our hearts for all people. When John's gospel was put together, the Romans had destroyed the temple and Christians were being persecuted and kicked out of the synagogues because of a belief that their heretical claims had brought down God's punishment. The Christian community was being torn apart, and John was asking them to understand the centrality of who Jesus was. Our preacher told us two stories of interactions with people who were in serious trouble, one of the malefactors being a criminal on death row, and the other a young hooligan who had ruined a beautiful Black Lives Matter mural. Each encounter showed the transforming power of sharing God's love. There is more in us than the worst thing we have ever done; and the values that we hold are much more important than the things we do, or the goals that we achieve.
John 3: 14-21

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  15:25 Size:  5.3 MB Uploaded:  7-Mar
SUN 07-MAR-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 341 times ] Download   [ 680 times ]
Lent 3 – From time to time there are news reports of a public figure doing something stupid and outrageoous, without seeming to consider the consequences. Didn't Jesus realise what he was doing, when he forcibly cleared traders and their stock out of the temple in Jerusalem? Didn't he see it was going to end in tears? The writer of John's gospel wanted it to be seen that Jesus was opposed to the exploitation of temple pilgrims for commercial gain, and that the presence of the God of Israel can never be limited to sacred sites. The worship we offer to God has value in the eyes of God, and for our own being, when it grows out of, and celebrates, our lived experiences of God – in the whole of life, not just in special, supposedly sacred moments. Do we build a house for God so we can choose when we go to see him, instead of having God stay with us in our own house? What happens to the people who never show up in our special "House of God"? May the challenge of this story, and the questions about a special house for God, remain with us throughout this Lenten journey.
John 2: 13-22

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  15:27 Size:  5.3 MB Uploaded:  28-Feb
SUN 28-FEB-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 344 times ] Download   [ 1288 times ]
Lent 2 – In the context of the day's gospel reading, Jesus had asked his disciples who people said he was, and Peter had said straight out that Jesus was God's anointed one, the Christ, the Messiah. There was a popular expectation that when the Messiah came there was going to be a divine military overthrow of the Romans and the establishment in Palestine of God's perfect kingdom on earth. But Jesus said No; there was not going to be a divine coup d'état; instead, the Messiah was destined for a cruel death by crucifixion. To which Peter responded, "What sort of Messiah is this?" Then came the Transfiguration event up on the mountain, when Jesus was affirmed as God's beloved Son in the presence of Peter and two other disciples. The church embodies the reign of God, when its existence is for others by helping and serving, not by dominating, and by carrying one another's burdens and sharing in community. Discipleship is not a comfortable way of life, but a life-changing, life-threatening commitment to Jesus. The church is not an idea or a set of beliefs, but a commitment to a person, Jesus Christ, and a pledge to follow the way of Jesus and take our place in the reign of God, here and now.
Mark 8: 31-38

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  22:46 Size:  7.8 MB Uploaded:  28-Feb
SUN 28-FEB-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 323 times ] Download   [ 539 times ]
Lent 2 – In our dealings with one other we are called upon, again and again and again, to listen – but listening attentively, accurately and responsibily is a very difficult thing to do. We can often find ourselves listening with distraction, or listening with the aim of putting together a snappy response to gain ground in an unedifying argument. This sermon was based on two readings from Mark's gospel. In the first reading, Jesus was carefully telling his friends about the inevitable consequences of heading to Jerusalem; and although Peter was hearing with his ears, he was not listening or understanding. In the second gospel reading, Jesus was up on a mountain with Peter and two other disciples when a voice from the cloud told the disciples to listen to Jesus and take notice of what he said. Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force, and it demands our complete attention. Being listened to by another makes all the difference. We all have an inner critic telling us what we should and could be doing; and by practising spiritiual wisdom we can defend against that inner critic. Practise listening to the still small voice of wisdom, and acknowledge that we are in the presence of the God who is life. We are called to listen again, and again, and again.
Mark 8: 31-38; 9: 1-8

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  13:13 Size:  4.6 MB Uploaded:  21-Feb
SUN 21-FEB-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 375 times ] Download   [ 1030 times ]
Lent 1 – Lent is a time of fasting, when you give up, for example, chocolate or TV. In the last year we have had to give up a lot, because of all the slowdown, postponement, deprivation, limitation and loss. We've given up so much ever since Lent last year. Doesn't it make giving up for Lent this year seem a bit redundant? So this year, instead of giving up something else for Lent, perhaps we could instead take up something that's life-giving, or gently take down something that detracts from all that's joy. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the silence of the desert for 40 days, away from the challenges of noise, demands and distractions. In silence we might get to know ourselves better, to see how we really are and not how we imagine ourselves to be, and give us an idea of the real changes we need to make. During his time in the desert, Jesus was served by angels; who have been the angels caring for you during the Covid desert experience? Commit to calling to mind what you're grateful for every day. Even with the pressures of Covid, God is offering love and compassion each day. May we have the courage to to open ourselves to rejoicing in the giftedness of this marvellous and precious life with which we are blessed.
Mark 1: 9-15

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  24:46 Size:  8.5 MB Uploaded:  21-Feb
SUN 21-FEB-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 350 times ] Download   [ 523 times ]
Lent 1 – “Again and again God meets us“ – Lent is customarily connected with fasting and giving up of all manner of pleasurable activities for forty days, as a self-inflicted punishment or penance to make up for the indulgences of the rest of the year. But Lent is not primarily about giving things up to please God. Lent is a season for taking stock and making space for things that are creative and enriching, for others as well as for ourselves. Jesus emerged from forty days of isolation, temptation and testing in the wilderness, to boldly proclaim the inbreaking of the new reality, that our identity is first and foremost the object of God's desire. Lent is a time for testing our decisions about how we will order our lives – not for power and influence, but in service and suffering for others. We find ourselves tested and tempted by many distractions that try to tell us who we are and what we should be doing to our own advantage; and God approaches us again and again to affirm us as his beloved, equip us, and send us out into the world to do God's will.
Genesis 9: 8-17; Mark 1: 9-15

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  18:00 Size:  6.2 MB Uploaded:  15-Feb
SUN 14-FEB-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 353 times ] Download   [ 1248 times ]
Transfiguration of Jesus – While Jesus, God's beloved son, was on a mountaintop revealing his majesty, down in the valley someone else's beloved son was in the agony of demon-possession. The victim was surrounded by an ever-growing crowd which included some of Jesus' disciples. The disciples had tried to cure the boy but had failed, in spite of doing what Jesus had taught them to do. When Jesus returned from the mountain, the father begged Jesus to cure his son; and when the father showed faith, the boy was cured with a word. It is a common human experience: that while we are feeling comfortable with God's presence, someone nearby is crying his or her eyes out because of God's absence – it's unbearable. In a prosperous country like Australia, could the privileged be dwelling in comfort on so many mountaintops, while others down in the valleys are suffering from hunger, violence, war and abuse? Here is a challenge. Can "glory" speak to "agony", and "agony" to "glory", denying neither and embracing both? During Lent, whatever it is that you hear, the invitation of the risen Christ is to listen to joy or agony, and to listen carefully.
Mark 9: 2-9, 14-29

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  15:06 Size:  5.2 MB Uploaded:  14-Feb
SUN 14-FEB-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 339 times ] Download   [ 2597 times ]
Transfiguration of Jesus – In the very familiar passage about the Transfiguration, Jesus was up on the mountain with three of his disciples when his clothes became dazzling white, the disciples saw him talking with Moses and Elijah, and the disembodied voice of God declared him to be God's beloved son and someone to be listened to. In the history of the Jewish people, Moses was the chosen one of God to whom had been revealed the laws and commandments for governing people in their everyday lives; and Elijah was an outstanding prophet, larger than life with his achievements. Jewish religion and culture were shaped and governed by the laws of Moses; and the powerful were often following the written laws to the letter, with no regard for the poor and disadvantaged. But that was not God's intention. Jesus made it clear that God was on the side of the poor and needy, and that faith and faithfulness are demonstrated in our relationships to the least and the last. In his letters, Paul made it clear that if a Christian convert wasn't Jewish, that person should not be required to obey irrelevant Jewish religious laws. Jesus called for a transformation of the heart, so there can be an outpouring of the fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, and so forth.
Mark 9: 2-9

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  13:00 Size:  4.5 MB Uploaded:  8-Feb
SUN 07-FEB-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 358 times ] Download   [ 545 times ]
Epiphany 5 – In the gospel passage, an elderly woman was bed-bound with a fever when Jesus and his new disciples visited her. The woman was the mother-in-law of Peter, one of the disciples; and her illness would have been a very serious matter, in the absence of anything like antibiotics and vaccines. Like most women in that society, her ministry consisted of service through housework, and she would have felt shamed by her inability to care for her guests. Jesus touched the woman, the fever left her, and she was liberated to serve them. In today's environment, a gendered response would say, "What? Liberated back to the kitchen?" But preparing and serving food for a family was, and is, as important and honourable a service as any other. The English word "deacon" is derived from the Greek "diakonos", meaning "servant"; and the work done by a deacon or servant is "diakonia", a biblical Greek word variously translated as "service", "serving", "providing for" or "attending to". That woman, Peter's mother-in-law, was not named; but could she have become one of the disciples of Jesus, one of the women who served and cared for Jesus and the disciples on their journeys? We know that the Spirit worked through the serving of those women.
Mark 1: 29-39

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  16:28 Size:  5.7 MB Uploaded:  7-Feb
SUN 07-FEB-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 336 times ] Download   [ 1232 times ]
Epiphany 5 – "Covenant Sunday 2021" – The gospel passage gives some insights into what can be involved when we commit to being followers of Jesus. According to Mark, early in Jesus' ministry there were a few eventful days during which he persuaded four fishermen to make the astonishingly irresponsible decision to leave their occupations and families and follow him to goodness knows where. After some incident-packed days Jesus and his new disciples visited the home of two of them, the brothers Peter and Andrew, where they found Peter's mother-in-law in bed, seriously ill with a fever. She would have been upset with the illness, and at being prevented from serving her guests. And she would almost certainly have been upset at the idea of her two boys walking out on her to be with this strange man Jesus. Sensing her unhappiness, Jesus went over to her and helped her up; the fever was cured, and she was free to serve them. That evening, after healing a lot of visitors, Jesus was left exhausted. He needed a time of quietness and reflection, the same as we do when we're overcome with responsibilities and anxieties; so the next morning he got up very early to find a secluded spot where he could pray to the God whom he called Father. When the disciples tracked him down Jesus was refreshed and connected, ready for the next town. We, too, need a time to pause and reconnect; a time to be mindful of the call that is on our life, and on the resources that God provides.
Mark 1: 29-39

StJohn