Saturday, 24 July 2021

Sound Recordings

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


Rev Dr Greg Elsden Timing:  26:09 Size:  9.0 MB Uploaded:  18-Jul
SUN 18-JUL-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 8 times ] Download   [ 9 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  [ 27 times ] Download   [ 63 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  [ 24 times ] Download   [ 32 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
SUN 04-JUL-2021 - 11 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 31 times ] Download   [ 27 times ]
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
SUN 04-JUN-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 32 times ] Download   [ 49 times ]
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
SUN 27-JUN-2021 - 11 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 35 times ] Download   [ 44 times ]
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

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  20:13 Size:  7.0 MB Uploaded:  27-Jun
SUN 27-JUN-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 39 times ] Download   [ 62 times ]
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
SUN 20-JUN-2021 - 11 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 52 times ] Download   [ 57 times ]
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
SUN 20-JUN-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 52 times ] Download   [ 112 times ]
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
SUN 13-JUN-2021 - 11 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 61 times ] Download   [ 92 times ]
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

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  16:17 Size:  5.6 MB Uploaded:  13-Jun
SUN 13-JUN-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 72 times ] Download   [ 63 times ]
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
SUN 06-JUN-2021 - 11 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 76 times ] Download   [ 123 times ]
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
SUN 06-JUN-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 76 times ] Download   [ 82 times ]
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
SUN 30-MAY-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 91 times ] Download   [ 512 times ]
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
SUN 30-MAY-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 88 times ] Download   [ 101 times ]
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
SUN 23-MAY-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 107 times ] Download   [ 139 times ]
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
SUN 23-MAY-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 102 times ] Download   [ 331 times ]
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
SUN 16-MAY-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 118 times ] Download   [ 136 times ]
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
SUN 16-MAY-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 131 times ] Download   [ 869 times ]
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
SUN 09-MAY-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 140 times ] Download   [ 157 times ]
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
SUN 09-MAY-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 152 times ] Download   [ 420 times ]
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
SUN 02-MAY-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 154 times ] Download   [ 198 times ]
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
SUN 25-APR-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 155 times ] Download   [ 213 times ]
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

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  13:48 Size:  4.8 MB Uploaded:  25-Apr
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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

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  13:06 Size:  4.5 MB Uploaded:  11-Apr
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Easter 2 – John's account of what happened on the day of Jesus' resurrection tells of people struggling to make sense of things that didn't make sense. Mary and the two disciples found the tomb inexplicably empty; and then the riddle of the missing corpse turned into the riddle of the risen Jesus. After a long and confusing weekend the disciples had taken refuge behind locked doors, when they sensed someone else with them in the room. The stranger identified himself unmistakably as Jesus, the wounded one. At the apex of his resurrection victory, he was sporting his open wounds without shame or apology. Maybe we don't need to worry quite so much about having a glossy presentation; Christianity has the power to embrace real bodies afflicted with real scars, real pain and real suffering. In his resurrection Jesus honoured the human body, be it bruised, broken, wounded or disabled – the real live body in which we live. We all carry wounds of one type or another. We are invited to a journey for the healing of the experiences that have wounded us, to acknowledge our woundedness, and to have our woundedness acknowledged by others. We are invited to form communities of trust and compassion where our stories of woundedness and pain are listened to, and where we feel honoured and cared for in our telling of them. May it be so.
John 20: 19-31

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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  [ 205 times ] Download   [ 210 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
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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

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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

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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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

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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
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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
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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

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  14:43 Size:  5.1 MB Uploaded:  1-Feb
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Epiphany 4 – The first public appearance of Jesus in Mark's gospel tells of Jesus' visit to the synagogue in Capernaum, where he spoke about the nature of the loving, caring God whom he claimed as Father. When one of the men present was apparently suffering from demon possession, Jesus reinforced his lesson about God's love by liberating the man from his affliction. Demons can refer to any condition that controls our life and inhibits freedom, and Jesus was prepared to face anything that diminished the lives of those he loved. We are invited to consider the demons that hold us captive; and may we live expecting to experience for ourselves the loving, life-changing actions of Jesus.
Mark 1: 21-28

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Epiphany 4 – In Mark's account, Jesus was in a synagogue one Sabbath, doing some serious teaching, when a man with what was described as an "unclean spirit" shouted out that he knew exactly who Jesus was and what he represented, and he wanted Jesus to go away. To everyone's amazement, Jesus healed the man of his "demon possession" with just a few words. Today we would recognise the man's unclean spirit as a symptom of a mental or psychosomatic illness, an affliction that will often exclude us from community. Such illnesses are part of a continuum of inner struggles that we all face in the darker parts of our life journey; and Jesus paid attention to people at risk of exclusion. As a community of Christ, let us seek to understand those living with mental health challenges, and seek to ensure that ignorance and stigmatised responses have no place in our community. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of hope – a safe space and a spiritual home, for all who seek the hope, love and peace of Jesus Christ.
Mark 1: 21-28

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Epiphany 3 – The story of Jonah is surprisingly relevant for today. God called Jonah to travel to the city of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, situated on the banks of the River Tigris and next to Mosul in modern-day Iraq. For the Jewish people it was the heartland of enemy territory. Jonah didn't want to go, and he did his best to get as far away from Nineveh as he could by going in the opposite direction; but, so the story goes, he was thrown overboard during a storm, a large fish swallowed him, and three days later he was safely vomited up onto an Assyrian beach. He made his way to Nineveh; he delivered the message that Nineveh would be overthrown in another 40 days; and surprisingly, they listened and the calamity was averted. But it didn't take the Assyrian Empire long to return to its old ways, and Jonah was very angry with God, to think that God could change his mind because of a temporary show of cheap repentance. God's love is for all, even for enemies like the Assyrian Empire – when there is repentance. God never gives up hope on anyone, even the least likely.
Jonah 3: 1-10

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  16:14 Size:  5.6 MB Uploaded:  24-Jan
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Epiphany 3 – Epiphany is a season for listening to God's calling voice, and deciding on how to respond to the voice of God. The gospel story tells of four fishermen, two pairs of brothers, who were called to leave their families and skilled occupations to follow Jesus. Jesus wanted to teach them new skills relating not to fish but to humankind; skills such as grace, generosity, forgiveness, reconciliation, and equality between all people. In the sermon Greg refers to a reproduction of a painting by the Danish artist Michael Peter Ancher (1849-1927), showing four hardy, weather-beaten fishermen standing behind a beached boat, their faces full of wonder as they watch something happening in front of them. Was it meant to represent the four fishermen in the Gospel account, watching Jesus coming along to see them? When Jesus spoke with people about the different way of life, he often used words like, "If you hang on to your life, you'll lose it; but if you let go of your life, you'll save it." The disciples couldn't have found it easy, because the gospel accounts tell of their constant bewilderment at what Jesus was teaching them. Was this the sort of thing they'd signed up for? May we be able to recognise God's calling voice and respond to it, revisiting the sense of God's call in our life and the life of our congregation.
Jonah 3: 1-5, 10; Mark 1: 14-20

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Epiphany 2 – On this particular Sunday there was a special observance by the Uniting Church in Australia, to recognise the dispossession and marginalisation of Aboriginal people. The colonisation of Australia got off to a very bad start some 233 years ago, and we have a long way to go before we overcome that bad beginning. Can anything come out of the darkness and brokenness we see everywhere today? However inconvenient and embarrassing it might be, the historical impact of the wrongs inflicted on the Aborigines must be seen and acknowledged. As Christians, we believe in the presence of a God who never stops speaking to us; who wants to reveal himself in love, healing, mercy and hope; and whose capacity to resurrect and restore is limitless. In the Old Testament reading, God opened the eyes of the boy Samuel to see and deal with the systemic corruption taking place in the Temple, when his guardian, the elderly priest Eli, couldn't or wouldn't do anything about it. In the New Testament reading, when Philip invited Nathaniel to go and see Jesus, Jesus immediately recognised Nathaniel as a straight and honest man. God knows each of us intimately. Can we ask God for new and refreshed insight into our indigenous brothers and sisters, instead of accepting their situation as an intractible mess? Perhaps we can't solve the big issues, but we could, perhaps, lend a hand to those who are seeking to do so.
1 Samuel 3: 1-10; John 1: 43-51

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  15:22 Size:  5.3 MB Uploaded:  10-Jan
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Baptism of Jesus – Epiphany, twelve days after Christmas, is the traditional time for taking down Christmas trees and dismantling nativity scenes; and it is supposed to be a time of light, illumination and revelation, a time to see more clearly. But this year, Epiphany began in quite a different and shocking way. We had good reason to contemplate the actions of an anxious leader with a manic claim to power – meaning, of course, King Herod. He had no hesitation using his absolute authority to maintain power. And this year we have seen how religious language and symbols can be so easily co-opted as a weapon of earthly political power. We are tired – tired of the pandemic; of political lies that deliver partial truths; of movements promoting nationalism; of isolation, exclusion, inequity, fear, and prejudice; of the overwhelming reality of global climate change. We need a prophetic vision. The magi had a hope that sustained them for a long journey. The scriptures tell of a new world beginning with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We need to be deeply alert to the life and work of Jesus as told in the scriptures. For a start: know and seek truth; serve the needy and the poor; and love our neighbours.
Genesis 1: 1-5; Mark 1: 4-11

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  20:33 Size:  7.1 MB Uploaded:  10-Jan
SUN 10-JAN-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 308 times ] Download   [ 741 times ]
Baptism of Jesus – The gospel passage is about a real person, a carpenter called Jesus of Nazareth from the backblocks of Galilee. He had a cousin, John, who was preaching baptism for the forgiveness of sins; and Jesus persuaded John to baptise him as well. When Jesus was emerging from the river Jordan, he heard a divine voice telling him, "You are my son, the beloved. With you I am well pleased.", and he saw the Spirit, like a dove, coming down. It was an experience that utterly captivated him and set him on his journey for the rest of his life. This was the language of Epiphany – lightening, appearing and revealing. God invites us to experience his majesty in ordinary things like water, doves, voices and the sky. We are probably all waiting to hear, from the centre of the universe, the affirmation that "You are my beloved daughter / son. You delight me." There are parents who carry tattoos of their children's names, inked into their skins. In the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 49:16) it is written that God has inscribed, tattooed, the name of every one of us on the palm of his hand. God knows us by name; we belong to God; we are in God; and we are loved by God. It is a gift to every one of God's children.
Genesis 1: 1-5; Mark 1: 4-11

Rev Vikki Waller Timing:  14:41 Size:  5.1 MB Uploaded:  3-Jan
SUN 03-JAN-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 316 times ] Download   [ 1147 times ]
Epiphany – The year 2020 was going to be a year of new opportunities; but when we reached March and April we drowned in Covid news, with infection rates, lockdowns, riots, unemployment and even toilet paper shortages. We've lived through it, and we pray that 2021 will not only be back to normal, but better than normal. The first Epiphany saw the Magi arriving in Bethlehem and declaring the universality of Christ's kingdom. It was not just another birth in a minor nation, but an event of cosmic importance – a revelation, an epiphany. And how does that message sit with our present era? Australia is a multi-religious country, and we are used to Hindu temples, mosques of Islam, Scientology consulting rooms, and Buddhist temples. There is considerable pressure for Christianity to drop its claims about Jesus Christ as Saviour of the world. We need less religious intolerance, and less patronising arrogance. They are not a part of the gospel of Christ. Listen to other religions, seek the good in them and not the nastiness. Talk with the good people and look for the highest, not the lowest. Perhaps God has particular messages for us from other religions, especially in the great faiths that have withstood the tests of ages. But we must be true to our own faith. We have been filled with Christ's Holy Spirit. This is the time that the Lord has appointed us to be salt and light; this is the time the Lord has made way for us to live the abundant life.
Matthew 2: 1-12

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  23:48 Size:  8.2 MB Uploaded:  3-Jan
SUN 03-JAN-2021 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 310 times ] Download   [ 576 times ]
Epiphany – Traditionally observed twelve days after Christmas, the feast of the Epiphany celebrates the coming of light into the ordinariness of human events. The certain wise men in the story, traditionally three of them, who were following their dreams of finding a new-born king, would have been unclean pagans in Jewish eyes; but in spite of that, it was God who led them on their long, slow journey from the east. What they found was a baby boy, born in curious circumstances and put to bed in a feed box. God's love traverses cultural and geographical barriers to become good news for all people. When Jesus was born into the world, Palestine was occupied by a brutal foreign power, and the majority of the population were poor and hungry. Last year, in 2020, we celebrated Epiphany with large areas of Australia in flames; since March 2020 the world has been struggling with a highly contagious pandemic; and we are experiencing unprecedented weather events. The list goes on. Where is God's light in the darkness? Our mission is to hold up the Christ-child in the eyes of the world, in a ceaseless celebration of the feast of the Epiphany. There is a lot of darkness in the world, examples being superstition, fear, pride in half-truths, entrenched evil in the systems that seek to rule the world, and apathy. Greg concludes his sermon with a reading of "Blessing of the Magi" by the artist and author Jan Richardson. May God give us courage, a sense of anticipation, and a sense of joy, that we're travelling together as we walk into this season of Epiphany.
Isaiah 60: 1-6; Matthew 2: 1-12

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  13:10 Size:  4.6 MB Uploaded:  28-Dec
SUN 27-DEC-2020 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 317 times ] Download   [ 569 times ]
Christmas 1 – There is a dissonance between the Christmas rhetoric of joy and peace, and the reality of broken promises, broken relationships and the pressure to compete for attention, quite forgetting the magnificence of the Christmas proclamation. The birth of Jesus didn't just happen once upon a time in a faraway place; it is an invitation to all people, valid at all times and in all places, for each and any of us to be adopted into God's family as a child and heir of God, and to participate in the family life of God. God is not a harsh and stern judge, he is a compassionate parent. In our world of sound bites and spin doctors it can be very difficult to discern what is real and what is true, and the idea of God interacting with mankind can seem like a delusional phantasy. In the scripture passage, Luke recalls how Simeon held the baby Jesus and praised him as the light of the gentiles, destined to reveal good news to the whole world. The world was to experience community, collaboration and compassion, as opposed to consumption, competition and individualism. By God's grace and God's unrelenting compassion, may the new year 2021 bring us both the courage and the humility that we need to accept, each day, the privilege and reponsibility of being members of God's family.
Luke 2: 22-40

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  11:27 Size:  4.0 MB Uploaded:  27-Dec
FRI 25-DEC-2020 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 311 times ] Download   [ 418 times ]
Christmas Day – In Luke's account, Caesar Augustus had ordered an empire-wide census in which every inhabitant of the Roman Empire would be counted in his home town; and although Joseph and his fiancée Mary were residents of the village of Nazareth in Galilee, for census purposes their home town was Bethlehem, more than 100 km away, because of its connection with Joseph's direct ancestor King David. For Mary and Joseph, the journey to Bethlehem was going to be very disruptive. Mary was close to giving birth; she was going to be deprived of the village women to help with the birthing process; and there would be nobody she knew to support her – they were facing uncertainty, disappointment and fear. The coming of Christ into the world was not like a romantic picture on a Hallmark Christmas card. Think back to the experiences of year 2020 and the effects on your life of the Covid pandemic. For us, Christmas is normally comfortable and predictable; but this year there have been many disappointments. People have stayed at a distance from each other for safety, there have been empty churches, and we have resorted to worship services, sometimes hastily improvised, that we've streamed over the internet. What new insights might you have, in view of this biblical narrative? But for all that, in the turmoil of 2020 there has been a new connection to community and to each other, a responding to the needs of others with kindness, generosity and compassion – a glimmer of the Light that has come into the world. Joy to the world, God is breaking into our lives afresh.
Luke 2: 1-20

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  10:58 Size:  3.8 MB Uploaded:  28-Dec
THU 24-DEC-2020 - 11.00 PM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 324 times ] Download   [ 492 times ]
Christmas Eve – The introduction of John's gospel has a wonderful message that leaves us on the edge of mystery with much to be grasped. We are told that Life and Light have come among us to shine in the darkness of our human experience, of our global history, and of our lives; and the darkness has not overcome the light. Rather than a glaring searchlight, it is a gentle life-giving light, revealing the parts of darkness that taint and destroy our human life. This testimony from long ago has often been echoed in music and words. In this messy world of ours, the heart-beat of God has become human flesh and human life, full of grace and truth. The sacredness of human life, the holiness of our existence and the worth of our experience are affirmed, amongst us and within us – not of ideal life, but of life as it is. The sermon concludes with a beautiful poem inspired by the mystery of God. May this be a Christmas when we are touched, hopefully in most surprising ways, with something of the grandeur, the mystery and the grace of God.
John 1: 1-14

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  9:02 Size:  3.1 MB Uploaded:  26-Dec
THU 24-DEC-2020 - 9.00 PM Reflection  .mp3  Listen  [ 321 times ] Download   [ 447 times ]
Christmas Eve 'Candlelight Service' – In our dreams we can imagine a better world that offers peace in the midst of brokenness, joy that carries us through our days, and love that withstands fears. While dreaming may not be mindless, it can seem fragile and naive, something to be dismissed as fanciful when we're dispirited. In the Nativity we see something of God's dream for the human family, with God showing us an alternate reality in which he comes close to us and brings heaven down to earth to occupy human hearts. It involves a theology in which God is near to each of us down here on earth, approachable in person, not high up above us in an institutional hierarchy. Jesus dwelt in the grittiness of life, quite unlike the romanticised illustrations we see on Christmas cards. Somewhere deep in our hearts there is a dream of a better world. May we realise that dream, and join in with the work that God is doing in the world.

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  18:43 Size:  6.5 MB Uploaded:  20-Dec
SUN 20-DEC-2020 - 11 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 321 times ] Download   [ 615 times ]
Advent 4 – Luke's account of the birth of Christ is not to be read as a literal description. A casual reader might dismiss it as a piece of naive, superstitious mythology; but the message, which is at the core of our Christian faith, is that God has come to us and for us. We are not abandoned or alone. Where the reading says that Mary was "greatly troubled", a better translation would say that she was confused and deeply disturbed at what the angel told her, and with good reason. God's favour was going to turn Mary into an unmarried mother, subject to scandal, ostracism and death by stoning – to be favoured by God can be no benign thing. Her consent, "May it be to me as you have said", was a very cautious, ambivalent "Yes". And when the angel departed from her, it is suggested that her mountain-top experience had faded away and her experience with God had evaporated. Meister Eckhart, a mediaeval theologian, taught that God chose humanity, not the town of Bethlehem, to give birth to life. What is it that we know about Jesus that we long to be present in our lives and in the lives of the communities that sustain us?
Luke 1: 26-38

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  14:35 Size:  5.0 MB Uploaded:  20-Dec
SUN 20-DEC-2020 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 310 times ] Download   [ 695 times ]
Advent 4 – "Those who dream ... are not alone" – Over this Christmas period, the City of London is in lockdown because of a particularly nasty variant of the COVID virus – and it's the time of year when you look forward to the comfort and encouragement that comes from sharing with family and friends. Being confined to home results in loneliness, loss of support and disorientation. When the going gets tough we need to lean on each other for mutual support, and we become fully ourselves by sharing ourselves with others. In the gospel account, Mary knew from the ancient scriptures that the Messiah would be coming, although nobody could say exactly when or how. She was alone when she learned that she herself had been chosen by God to give birth to the long-awaited Messiah; but who could she talk to? The angel had told her that her relative Elizabeth was pregnant; and with great determination, Mary set out on a 100 km walk from Nazareth to the hill country of Judea, to be with Elizabeth. The two women were overjoyed to see each other; Mary's song, the Magnificat, came tumbling out; and Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months until the birth of Elizabeth's baby, John the Baptiser. The two women cherished each other's company; they shared a sacred space; and they offered blessings to each other. It was a safe place for Mary, where she was loved and accepted. What qualities do you value in a trusted friend? Do you have special friends whom you support? Do you have special friends who support you?
Luke 1: 26-45 ('The Message' version)

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  14:56 Size:  5.2 MB Uploaded:  14-Dec
SUN 13-DEC-2020 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 316 times ] Download   [ 2628 times ]
Advent 3 – When John the Baptist turned up out of the wilderness with his particular message, people were wondering whether they were witnessing the return of the prophet Elijah, as predicted some 400 years previously in the last few verses of the Old Testament (Malachi 4:5). Over the intervening 400 years there had been a succession of invasions, with only 100 years of continuous peace and prosperity; the nation was currently under Roman domination; and the regular appearances of false messiahs kept ending in disaster. John assured his questioners that he was not another messiah; he was very reticent; he pointed away from his own ministry because he knew that Jesus' ministry was more important. John was not himself the light that shines in the darkness, but he had came to testify to Jesus as the Light of the World. Do we act as mirrors of Christ, to reflect Christ's light into the dark recesses of the world?
Isaiah 61: 1-4, 8-11; John 1: 6-8, 19-28

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  25:29 Size:  8.8 MB Uploaded:  13-Dec
SUN 13-DEC-2020 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 316 times ] Download   [ 1129 times ]
Advent 3 – "Those who dream ... sow joy" – The Magnificat, also known as the Canticle of Mary, has occupied a central part in Christian worship since the earliest times. Luke's gospel tells us that Mary and her older relative Elizabeth both found themselves pregnant in miraculous circumstances; and during a visit to her older relative to share their life-transforming experiences, Mary burst into a song expressing her joy at the tremendous blessing that God was bestowing on her as a young woman in dubious circumstances, and on generations to come. But what she was singing was more that a reassurance of God's grace – it was a declaration of war and insurrection against the systems that keep people in places of isolation, poverty or hunger. The Magnificat has been viewed as dangerous by people in power. Some countries – such as India, Guatemala, and Argentina – have outright banned the Magnificat from being recited in liturgy, or used or referred to in public. The joy referred to in the Magnificat is much more than frivolous or shallow happiness. As followers of Jesus, we are called to plant seeds of joy in unlikely places, as though in dark rich soil, and to tend and nurture the joy as it grows. What are the small actions that help us to cultivate joy?
Isaiah 61: 1-4, 8-11; Luke 1: 46-55

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  17:00 Size:  5.9 MB Uploaded:  6-Dec
SUN 06-DEC-2020 - 11 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 325 times ] Download   [ 1094 times ]
Advent 2 – Every movement that seeks to bring about change has had its forerunners, often unseen figures and unseen heroes who have tackled the groundwork for the changes to come. Barack Obama, the first African American president, stood on the shoulders of others, including Senator John Lewis, a champion for peace, justice and equality, and Martin Luther King Jr., who was committed to the non-violence he had learned from Mahatma Ghandi. This sermon offers a number of examples of people who have been forerunners to things that became much bigger as a result of their initiatives and efforts. John the Baptist was the forerunner for Jesus, in anticipation of the One who would bring salvation. Every movement needs people functioning as the advance team, preparing the way for something beyond the present state of affairs – how might we better see these people, support them, and appreciate them? At the conclusion of the sermon, you will be invited to spend some time reflecting on the people who have been forerunners in your life, and reflecting on your own dreams and visions that you may have had but have never fulfilled.
(The same sermon was also preached at the 9.30 am service.)
Isaiah 40: 1-11; Mark 1: 1-8

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  21:25 Size:  7.4 MB Uploaded:  29-Nov
SUN 29-NOV-2020 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 365 times ] Download   [ 2035 times ]
Advent 1 – According to Mark's gospel, Jesus spent some time up on the Mount of Olives during the week leading to his arrest, telling his disciples about the terrible events that would take place in the last days ahead of his return in glory. It would be a time of darkness – no sun, no moon, no stars. In the liturgical calendar we have come to the season of Advent, a time traditionally set aside for confession and repentance. Confession is an honest admission of what we really are and where we are on life's journey; and repentance is looking around for a more helpful path than the one we have been following. When we welcome the 'here' of our human existence, including our suffering and struggles, we are most likely to experience the nearness and presence of God. We need to look around and say "hello" to what we actually are, not to what we would prefer to be. "Woke" is a recently invented word, an adjective to describe awareness of the important, active issues of life; and the opposite of woke is denial. We need to guard against numbness, denial and despair, and recognise the fear of admitting to fear. Don't stand guard over topics you don't want mentioned. Things worth waiting for often happen in the dark; and we are called to keep awake, always aware of the dawning of a new day.
Note: Dr Elsdon used the same sermon topic for the 9.30 AM church service.
Mark 13: 24-37

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  15:19 Size:  5.3 MB Uploaded:  22-Nov
SUN 22-NOV-2020 - 11.00 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 317 times ] Download   [ 725 times ]
Reign of Christ – In his Hallelujah Chorus from "The Messiah", Handel tries to describe the reign of Christ with words such as "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!"; "The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ"; "He shall reign for forever and ever"; and "King of Kings, and Lord of Lords". The reign of Christ the King is unlike any other reign or dominion, because it is not maintained by unbridled power and control, but by compassion, justice, forgiveness and reconciliation. It is not held together by pomp and ceremony, but by hospitality and generosity. The Lord of all asks us to respond to the desperately needy, be they hungry, sick, imprisoned or lonely, to identify with them and accompany them. Remember also the dispossessed and forgotten, victims of violence, and people held in detention centres. These are more than statistics, they are people of Jesus. The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats is not necesarily about the end of time, but about the presence of God in our history. In the grounds of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, Republic of Ireland, there is a sculpture of a vagrant lying under a blanket with his feet uncovered. The feet have wounds from which large nails have been extracted. It is an image of Christ among us.
Matthew 25: 31-46

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  15:00 Size:  5.2 MB Uploaded:  22-Nov
SUN 22-NOV-2020 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 323 times ] Download   [ 713 times ]
Reign of Christ – The Parable of the Sheep and Goats tells us that in the last times when Jesus returns, we are going to be divided into two groups the way a shepherd would have separated sheep from goats. The righteous among us, the "sheep", will be assembled on the right; and the unrighteous, the "goats", will be assembled on the left. At the original telling of the parable there wouldn't have been much to choose between the appearance of sheep and goats mixed together in a flock – they all had the same sort of wooly coats, and they were all about the same size and shape. But although they looked the same, their true natures were revealed by their actions. Sheep would respond to their shepherd by willingly following him as their leader; while goats would have their own ideas and would give the shepherd or goatherd a hard time as he tried to keep up with them across the countryside. The parable tells us that we are going to be classified as righteous "sheep" or unrighteous "goats" according to the love we have shown to others in need. What matters is not what we profess to believe, but what we do for others. Jesus has assured us that whatever we do for someone in need, we are doing it for Jesus himself. Jesus comes to us incognito; and extending hospitality generously and broadly allows us to experience Jesus.
Matthew 25: 31-46

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  15:11 Size:  5.2 MB Uploaded:  15-Nov
SUN 15-NOV-2020 - 11 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 338 times ] Download   [ 578 times ]
Pentecost 24 – In his first letter to the Christians in Thessaloniki, Paul used some military imagery as a protection for a spiritual battle, telling the church to "put on the armour of faith and love", and to "wear the helmet with the confidence of salvation". It is a spiritual kind of armour that prepares and protects for a different kind of battle – to help people live as followers of Jesus, to resist pressure exerted to make you conform to the wants of the powerful, and to stand against abuse. November 11th has recently passed; it is the date observed as Remembrance Day (Veterans Day in much of the US), and it is also the feast day for St Martin of Tours, patron saint of soldiers, beggars and weavers. St Martin left his post in the Roman army some time before 361 AD to become a "soldier of Christ" as a monk and later a bishop. One notable incident saw him approaching the gates of Amiens on horseback, in bitterly cold weather, when he saw a shivering, half naked man begging for help; whereupon Martin drew his sword and cut his military cloak in two. The poor man was covered with half the cloak. There is a lot to be said about his remarkable life. He wore the armour of faith and love, and the helmet of salvation. His life was lived with humility and caring compassion, and with strength and detemination. As we anticipate the Advent season, may the life of St Martin offer some signposts along the way.
1 Thessalonians 5: 1-13

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon and Dr Judith Raftery Timing:  16:29 Size:  5.7 MB Uploaded:  15-Nov
SUN 15-NOV-2020 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 393 times ] Download   [ 819 times ]
Pentecost 24 – Enough is Enough – In the Parable of the Talents from Matthew's gospel, the "talents" referred to were high-valued units of currency, equivalent to thousands of dollars, in this context a measure not of God-given ability but of material wealth. In the story, three slaves were entrusted with large sums of money, and they were expected to use the money as venture capital during the master's absence. On the master's return, the two slaves entrusted with larger sums both reported a 100% profit on their investments, and were promoted on the spot; while the slave who had been entrusted with the smallest sum of money, and had refused to have anything to do with the master's business affairs, was sacked on the spot. When we are told of the master admitting to being harsh and dishonest, it is a clear indication that he was not meant to represent God, the God of mercy and compassion promoted by Jesus and the prophets. In the context of that period, we have a picture of a wealthy, privileged landowner exploiting the poor through exorbitant interest rates and unaffordable rents, driving the poor and landless even further into destitution. In Matthew's gospel, this parable is one of a block of parables placed just ahead of the arrest, trial and execution of Jesus. The slave thrown into outer darkness was not worthless; he was a heroic whistle-blower who refused to condone the way the poor were being exploited by the wealthy, and he had said that "Enough is enough." It can be concluded that the slave thrown into the outer darkness represented Jesus, who was himself facing the outer darkness of death by crucifixion.
Matthew 25: 14-30

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  22:39 Size:  7.8 MB Uploaded:  9-Nov
SUN 08-NOV-2020 - 11 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 364 times ] Download   [ 1771 times ]
Pentecost 23 – Parables must not be taken literally, because they have many layers of meaning. In this parable, ten young women were standing by at a bride's home, waiting for the bridegroom to arrive so they could escort the bride and groom back to the groom's parents' home for the wedding and celebrations. But the groom was very late in arriving, and the women couldn't stay awake. When he at last arrived and the women were woken up from their sleep, five of them discovered that their lanterns had run out of oil; and as for the five who'd had the foresight to take along some spare oil, they refused to share it. This seems wrong, and it's more than disruptive and disturbing: it's contrary to what we know of Jesus and the reign of God. Jesus teaches us to share what we have with those who need it. This parable finishes with a warning, "Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." Where do we observe God's presence and notice God's arrival? God is found in unexpected places and unexpected circumstances; when something beyond us touches us, could it be evidence of God among us? Listen to the messages within us: "God is not elsewhere."
Matthew 25: 1-13

Phil Hofmann Timing:  24:29 Size:  8.4 MB Uploaded:  8-Nov
SUN 08-NOV-2020 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 332 times ] Download   [ 918 times ]
Pentecost 23 – Alert to the moment – During his three year stay in Israel/Palestine, Phil was lucky enough to be in the village formerly known as Cana of Galilee when he witnessed an elaborate and joyous street procession, in which a bridegroom and his attendant were making their circuitous way on horseback to the bride's home, from where the bride would be taken to the groom's home to be married during a wedding feast that had already been going strong for several days. This Middle Eastern wedding custom is virtually unchanged since the time of Jesus. In Matthew's account of the parable of the five wise and five foolish bridesmaids, that particular groom must have chosen a very long and circuitous route to his bride's home, because the bridesmaids had all fallen asleep by the time he arrived towards midnight. When they were woken up, five of the bridesmaids found they had run out of lamp oil while the other five had planned ahead and had some oil in reserve; and the bridesmaids who had been wise enough to plan ahead refused to help their unfortunately foolish companions. Like most parables, this one has many possible meanings, and it's open-ended. Is it a lesson about the return of the Messiah and the Great Wedding Feast in the last days? Is it an exhortation to maintain acts of faith, with oil representing good deeds? Is it a warning to stay awake and not miss out on life's opportunities? The season of Advent is approaching with its challenges, and we must not miss the key moments when they come. At the school where our preacher Phil is the chaplain, one of the students has prepared a meditation based on her experience as a victim of cystic fibrosis, and for her, breathing is the single most important thing you can do. In ancient Hebrew, the sound of breathing is the unpronouceable name of God. Breath is Spirit. Breath is the beginning and the ending.
Matthew 25: 1-13

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  13:43 Size:  4.7 MB Uploaded:  1-Nov
SUN 01-NOV-2020 - 11 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 360 times ] Download   [ 710 times ]
Pentecost 22 – Beatitudes are to be found in many parts of the Hebrew scriptures as well as in the New Testament teachings attributed to Jesus. Beatitudes were a common way of declaring the value of practices and attitudes considered to be of importance, and they offered hearty congratulations to anyone who followed them and lived by them. For example "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" can be interpreted as, "Congratulations for not desiring to control and manipulate others for your own benefit." The Beatitudes are not to be taken as soothing messages for sentimental greeting cards; they are meant to startle us into taking up a challenge to alter the way we live. They are declarations of God's intention for humanity, with images of life as it could be. But unfortunately, many Christians ignore the Beatitudes and follow a religion of legalism and stern judgementalism – which is not in accord with the words recorded by the prophet Micah, some 800 years before the Common Era: "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly before your God." (Micah 6:8)
Matthew 5: 1-12

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  11:49 Size:  4.1 MB Uploaded:  1-Nov
SUN 01-NOV-2020 - 9.30 AM Sermon  .mp3  Listen  [ 357 times ] Download   [ 656 times ]
Pentecost 22 – When Paul was run out of Thessaloniki, fake news had been circulating in the city and beyond to diminish his reputation, his message and his influence; so he sent a letter back to the fledgling church to assure them that his conduct had in fact been pure, upright and blameless, with very high ethical and moral standards. They knew it was true, because they had known him personally. The adjective 'post-truth' was the Oxford Dictionaries' Word of the Year for 2016, and it remains one of the defining words of our time. We are living in a 'post-truth' society in which objective facts have less influence than emotional appeal. Fake news is not fake just because it misrepresents reality, but also because it violates neighbourliness by wilfully aiming to set neighbour against neighbour. The work of the church is to tell the truth about neighbour and our neighbour-loving God, and to give value to the neighbour in restoration, emancipation and reconciliation. Flannery O'Connor, an American novelist, has a lovely way of expressing the church's call: You shall know the truth – and the truth will make you odd. The church is now summoned to embrace its oddness in the world by its truth-telling and truth-doing, and by being in the public domain to say, "I beg to differ."
1 Thessalonians 2: 9-13

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  16:45 Size:  5.8 MB Uploaded:  26-Oct
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Pentecost 21 – When Paul preached Christianity in Thessaloniki, he was in trouble with the Roman authorities for promoting an unauthorised religion whose deity was alleged to be superior to Caesar, and the Jewish leaders were so angry with him and and his message that they attacked him personally. He was arrested, flogged, imprisoned, and run out of town. In the first letter that he later wrote to the fledgling church in Thessaloniki, Paul rejected the story that he was a professional religious entertainer travelling from city to city to extract money from the converts who believed him. No, he was convinced that in spite of the opposition and persecution, his message was changing lives. A liar continues to lie, but an honest person stands out as authentic and worthy of God – and Paul had passed the test. He had given himself selflessly to serve the Thessalonian church, and lives were changed. In Western countries there is a breakdown of public trust, with widespread reporting of corruption, self-interest, scandals and outright lies. What we need is a world that's forthright and honest, with trustworthy discourse that bears the weight of truth. God grant us the courage to live lives of compassion, kindness, conviction and integrity, and demand the kind of leadership that enables society to flourish.
1 Thessalonians 2: 1-8

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  19:37 Size:  6.8 MB Uploaded:  25-Oct
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Pentecost 21 – The essence of the Jewish faith that has been handed down to us, is for us to love God with heart and soul, and to love neighbours as we love ourselves. Although love involves feelings and emotions, that is only a part of it – love is about our choices and actions, the way we make decisions to do what is right, the way we conduct relationships and participate in community. Jesus did not tell us to believe the right things and follow particular religious rules – he simply told us to love. But how? Loving is not easy, it's complex and challenging, and it requires courage and deep humility. It means acknowleging another's human dignity, and trying not to make another's lot worse. The sermon has an account of how a person of small stature acted with courage and love in the way she rebuked an impressively large man for his offensive racial remark, and then wished a blessing on his children. We have been conditioned to see others as different from us, and loving is difficult when we have been taught to protect ourselves by keeping others in their place. Jesus has declared the sanctity of all of life. We are God's family, and the essence of the faith handed down to us is to love God with all we've got, and to love our neighbours, the other members of God's family, the way we love ourselves.
1 Thessalonians 2: 1-8; Matthew 22: 34-40

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  15:29 Size:  5.3 MB Uploaded:  19-Oct
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Pentecost 20 – A party of anti-Roman Pharisees and pro-Roman Herodiams decided to work together in their efforts to get rid of Jesus by discrediting him in the eyes of a crowd of onlookers. So they concocted a trick question – was it legal to pay taxes to the Roman emperor, or not? It was a question with many layers of meaning, both political and religious, and any Yes or No answer was going to make him appear to be aligned with one party or the other. But he wriggled out of giving a yes/no answer when he asked to see a Roman coin. Roman taxes had to be paid with Roman coins, stamped with the emperor's image and title. Because in Roman eyes the emperor had been declared to be one of the gods, a financial transaction using Roman coinage was also seen as a religious activity. In his reply, Jesus was telling his questioners to give to Caesar, the emperor, that which was in the image of Caesar, and to God that which was in the image of God. We are the ones who have been created in the image of God, even if some of us are a bit tarnished and distorted. We are the image bearers of our creator, and what we render to Caesar should always take second place to what we render to God.
Matthew 22: 15-22

Rev Sandy Boyce Timing:  19:04 Size:  6.6 MB Uploaded:  18-Oct
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Pentecost 20 – While Paul was on his first missionary journey he stayed for a while in the Greek city of Thessaloniki, 300 km north of Athens, and while there he visited a Jewish synagogue three times to tell his countrymen about the good news of Jesus Christ. He was not well received by the Jewish leaders, who were so enraged by him and his message that they ran him out of town and followed him south as far as Athens and Corinth. Paul was left afaid and discouraged – until news came that his preaching to the Thessalonians had borne fruit, that new believers had formed a church, and that the young Thessalonian church was going strong. It was exciting news, and Paul dashed off a letter to them. They had been impressed by the integrity of Paul and his colleagues; they were confident they were being told the truth, and that is was God who was being promoted, not a private agenda. They were showing the nature of true faith – hard work, patience and service. The portion of Paul's letter on which this sermon is based has become very precious for one of Sandy's friends, a German woman who has been working with refugees in this same city of Thessaloniki. Let us continue to be the kind of commumity that is known for its service, labour, love, perserverance, and steadfasness of hope in Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1: 1-10

Rev Dr Greg Elsdon Timing:  19:15 Size:  6.6 MB Uploaded:  5-Oct
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Pentecost 18 – In our Western culture, a person's status and worthiness can often depend on achievements such as academic success, a good annual income, and the ability to accumulate stuff, in the hope that they will bring a sense of satisfaction and well-being. In first-century Philippi life was understood quite differently, and a person's worthiness and status could largely depend on the 'badge of office' for position in a hierarchy. In the letter to the Philippians, Paul related how he had formerly acquired some impressive 'badges of office' as a scholar and lawyer in the Jewish hierarchy, and had been spending time 'ticking the boxes' on lists of religious laws and punishments. But since his encounter with Jesus his understanding of God was very different. Sticking to the letter of the religious law leads to community suspicion, despair, hatred, retribution and envy; but Paul was saying that he had found the secret for forgiveness and reconciliation - it is not found by earning enough good behaviour badges, it comes to us as a gift. On account of Christ's faithfulness with us, we are not going to be assessed and judged on the basis of our status badges. In what do we place our confidence, our sense of identity and our well being? It is in the faithfulness of Christ. (In Chapter 3 Verse 9, the phrase habitually translated as "faith in Christ" is more accurately translated as "the faithfulness of Christ".) Christ is faithful with us, and we are not ranked in order of worthiness - regardless of our flaws, God holds us equally in Jesus.
Philippians 3: 4b-14

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Pentecost 19 – The Parable of the Wedding Feast in Matthew's gospel is violent reading. It tells of a tyrannical, narcissistic king who sent out invitations for a lavish feast celebrating his son's wedding. When the invitations were ignored and some of the couriers were murdered, the king ordered his army to destroy the city where the murderers lived. Then he decreed that everybody was going to attend the feast, and that everyone was going to be dressed uniformly in wedding robes that he himself was going to supply. When the guests had gathered, one of them was seen without a wedding gown; and when he was challenged and remained silent, the errant guest was bound head and foot and tossed out into the dark. In the sermon we are asked not to equate the king in the parable with God. The God of Jesus is not a God of violence, coercion and punishment, he is a God of love, forgiveness and acceptance. This parable in Matthew's gospel is placed during the week before Christ's betrayal and crucifixion; and when the parable's non-conforming wedding guest is thrown out into the darkness, it could be seen as a preview of the way Jesus was going to stand silently in front of Pillate, before his descent into the darkness of death. To what and to whom do we show allegiance? To what and to whom do we need to show dissent? May these questions prompt us to enliven spiritual conversations and orient our lives in the reign of God.
Matthew 22: 1-14

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Pentecost 17 – Thanks to the Internet, we now have a greater capacity than ever before to communicate with each other. However, Internet communication can be manipulated to determine what we may and may not see and hear, and the algorithms are designed to reinforce a particular one-sided, adverserial view of the world. A result is a reduction in the ability of people with different points of view to hear each other with respect and understanding, and it can lead to conflict. A few thousand years ago, Paul was a prisoner in chains when he wrote a letter to the small church in Philippi, and in the letter he directly addressed a conflict between two of the women in the church. He urged them to be of the same mind, meaning that he wanted them to engage together with courageous, humbling service, which is what it means to be of the same mind as Christ. When we communicate with each other, we must give serious consideration to the way our speech and actions impact on the life of others.
Philippians 2: 1-13

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Pentecost 16 – Seasons of Creation, Week 3: Earth – In the 'Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard', Jesus was telling an unlikely story about a wealthy landowner who paid a full day's wages to every one of the labourers he had hired to do some work in his vineyard, whether they had been hired early in the morning for a whole day's work, or later in the day for a few hour's work, or had been engaged so late in the day that they were on site for only an hour. When the wages were being handed out, the latecomers were put at the head of the queue to make sure they were paid first, and despite the grumbling, the ones who had being working in the sun for the whole day were refused a bonus. It just didn't seem fair. What is it that leads us so naturally to jealousy and resentment? In the rural Palestine of that era, day labourers would have had a precarious existence, constantly threatened by unemployment and destitution; and the vineyards of our world will only thrive when everyone has a place of dignity and a purpose. In the kingdom of God, reward is not based on what is deserved, but purely on God's love and generosity. Do you feel angry because God is generous in places where you wouldn't expect it? The sermon concludes with thoughts about the wonderful world that God has given us, and the pressing need for us to look after it much more effectively.
NOTE: A large part of this sermon was also used for the 11 o'clock church service.
Matthew 20: 1-16

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Pentecost 15 – The sermon begins by expressing some curiosity about the story of the Red Sea parting to reveal a dry path for the Israelites to walk to freedom, and then closing over to drown the pursuing Egyptians. The violence against the Egyptians was God's alone. What does it mean, for God to harden his heart against the Pharaoh and the charioteers? Where does it fit into our concept of God as love? The account of the crossing of the Red Sea is commonly read as an allegory for baptism, with an expectation that the newly baptised will put to death all manner of vices – vices which parallel the way that the Pharaohs treated the Israelites, and which also parallel the vices of some of our contemporary politicians. But the Christian life should lead us to be better than that. What is needed is kindness, 'the ultimate soft skill in a hard world', sparked from empathy and compassion, The reality is that the world is hard, and kindness is not easy. Galatians 5:22 reminds us that the fruit of God's spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. May those gifts be reflected in our lives, both personal and communal.
Exodus 14: 19-31

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Pentecost 15 – Season of Creation, Week 2: Wind and Air – The prophet Elijah had to flee for his life because of his forthright criticism of the way the people of Israel were worshipping a Canaanite weather god called Baal, and disregarding the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God told Elijah to make his way to Horeb, a mountain in the middle of a wilderness, and wait for him there; and when he arrived at the mountain, Elijah was tired, depressed, despondent, overwhelmed, alone, uncertain, and discouraged. It's a list that well might describe how many of us are feeling today, in a world of pandemic, scarcity, fear, greed, violence, economic meltdown, climate crisis, and democratic institutions in jeopardy. During his prophetic ministry, Elijah and his audience had experienced some dramatic manifestations of the power and presence of God; but this time, up on the mountain, God did not make himself known in hurricane, earthquake or lightning. When it was all over and there was peace and silence, God made himself known to Elijah as a small voice. God is in the quiet, gentle influences that are ever around us; yet, during this COVID-19 time of trial, the gift of time and silence has for many people been overwhelmed by fear, anxiety and loneliness. It could be the grace of the moment many have felt in the depth of despair when, suddenly, anguish ceases and a perfect stillness means the crisis is over.
1 Kings 19: 9-13

Rev Vikki Waller Timing:  14:44 Size:  5.1 MB Uploaded:  6-Sep
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Pentecost 14 – The gospel passage is the classic text for church discipline. If someone in the church offends you, try to sort it out in private; if that doesn't work, try again with a few witnesses present; if there's still no resolution, get the whole congregation involved; and as a last resort, treat the offender the same as you'd treat a social outcast. The Jesus way of treating a social outcast is not to throw him out and ignore him, but to welcome and befriend him and go partying with him. It has little in common with judicial punishment and the law, which use force in an effort to make the miscreant see reason. In his letter to the Romans, Paul puts law in its place: if we love one another, we are already fulfilling the law. The good news is that God is not interested in punishment. But loving the 'wrong' sort of people, the Jesus way, can be regarded as an undermining of the authority of law, and it can get you into trouble. That was certainly the case for Jesus. He was accused of disregarding the Law and stirring up trouble in the lower classes with his subversive teaching; he was found guilty as charged and put to death by crucifixion; and such was God's approval of what Jesus had achieved, that he was raised from death on the third day.
Romans 13: 8-14; Matthew 18: 15-20

StJohn