The fourth Sunday in the Easter season has been traditionally known as Good Shepherd Sunday. The image of Jesus as the Good shepherd provides a model of leadership that all who follow Jesus are encouraged to adopt as their own. Leadership in recent years, at all levels and across many institutions including the Church, has…
Jesus began his ministry walking along the sea of Galilea where he meets Simon and Andrew, fishermen who joined his team of disciples. Then he meets James and John working in the same waters. They also follow him giving up their profession, family, and communities. Jesus inspired them. Today they return along with Peter and…
Christ is Risen. He is Risen Indeed. Alleluia, Alleluia! I want to begin my message this week by expressing my thanks to everyone who assisted in our Easter Worship. I am aware of the efforts many people made to ensure our churches were cleaned, flowers provided, music and welcoming also key ingredients. We have all…
‘Who are you looking for?’ She is standing in the entrance to the tomb. She replies with exasperation, with tears running from her eyes: ‘Where have you taken him?’ I suspect a few minutes of silence followed. Then Jesus, who Mary had recognised as the gardener, says to her ‘Mary’, and according to John’s Gospel,…
On Palm Sunday we begin the most holy season of the Christian year. This week is a defining moment that will change the face of history. Jesus is dangerous to the status quo, the rule of the religious and political leaders who have joined together to preserve the power of the Temple and to ensure…
Last Sunday I attended the final service at Holy Trinity Port Melbourne for Fr Noel Whale on, in his words, his ‘final retirement’. At the age of 80+, Noel went to the parish 11 years ago to help rebuild and establish it in the community. He spoke about the Church as both building and people…
Michael DeJonge’s informative opinion piece at ABC Religion and Ethics in 2019 is just as relevant today.
This week’s Gospel, often referred to as the Lost Son or the Prodigal Son, is one of three parables to be found in Luke 15. Facing criticism from the self-righteous Pharisees and Scribes, Jesus tells these three parables to challenge their understanding of the observance of the law. The first parable is the story of…
At the time Jesus travelled to Jerusalem the city was in ferment. This Jesus was causing havoc in many ways but notably among the religious and political leaders of the day. Crowds were attracted to him, while others were suspicious and even confused about his teachings and healings. The knives were out, as we say….
Andrew Hamilton writes in Eureka Street: Taken together the events of recent years suggest that we face a crisis, a time in which the working assumptions that have guided our personal and collective lives no longer hold. If we do not change we face increasing threats to the world that we shall hand on to…
