Heaven, Hell and God’s love
9 February 2013
Heaven, Hell and God’s love Presented over a two-day seminar, these workshops open up the theme of the place of the resurrection of Jesus in the life of Christians, considering what society teaches and understands about death and what happens after death. The seminar looks at the teaching of scripture and…
Sex, money, power and Jesus
8 February 2013
It is said that the majority of newspapers and magazines sell with stories about sex, power and money – and the corruptions that these cause. The headline on the Sydney Morning Herald today certainly bears this out. Both readings today – Hebrews 13:1-8 and Mark 6:14-29 – certainly also focus on the effects of these,…
Coming to Mount Zion
7 February 2013
New Creation, Season of Growth, Teaching
In Hebrews 12 we arrive at what can be argued as the climax of the letter/document with a description of two mountains. The first, although unnamed, clearly refers to Mount Sinai and the place of the reception of the great covenant by Moses. The frightening scene is related powerfully – complete with a blazing fire,…
Changed by black fire
27 January 2013
Bible, Season of Growth, Teaching, Year C
The scene that is described in the first reading, from Nehemiah 8 is certainly most extraordinary. Hearing that after almost a century since King Cyrus had allowed the people of God to return from Exile to the promised land, Ezra the priest and Nehemiah the civic official in the Persian court organise to return with…
Timely weddings
20 January 2013
‘Nuptial imagery rings through the bible like peals of wedding bells’ (Bishop Tom Wright) Today we have the fourth of the great epiphanies – when the true identity of Jesus is revealed. Although it may be tempting to imagine the scene of the wedding at Cana as a contrast between the stale water of Judaism…
Baptisms and pillows
13 January 2013
Christmas, Discipleship, Epiphany, Seasons, Teaching
Gathering to celebrate the Eucharist on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the liturgy provides fantastic images to reflect upon. From the prophet Isaiah who reminds us that the Lord will not crush the bruised reed, to the Lord Jesus who after he comes up out of the water receives the gift of…
Many epiphanies
6 January 2013
When I caught up with some friends during the week to celebrate a mutual friend’s birthday, the conversation turned to the Feast of the Epiphany and the celebration of Christmas. Mainly this was because one of the guys was a deacon in the Coptic Orthodox church, and he was gently berating me and the other…
Holy family saints
30 December 2012
When you drive around in Sydney’s south-west, with all the road-works around, you are bombarded by an increasing array of signs – some permanent, some portable, some flashing and variable. Road signs can help you to know what the speed limit is, or if there is a sharp corner looming, or a change in the…
Belief in ‘god’ at midnight
25 December 2012
The early church began to realise after the events of the death and resurrection, that this is the God who was revealed in the baby born in Bethlehem. God has come in the child born in the manger. God has come in Jesus of Nazareth; if we want to know what God is like, we…
Belief in ‘god’
25 December 2012
Bible, Christmas, Seasons, Teaching
We are told by surveys and the media that more and more Australians no longer believe in ‘god’. Yet, if you asked them what the ‘god’ that they don’t believe in is like, I would have to say that I don’t believe in that ‘god’ either. For most people, god is a being who is…
Grace impels us to go in haste
22 December 2012
Advent, Season of Growth, Seasons, Year C
The liturgy through the season of Advent provides events and characters to meditate upon. We are joined by Hebrew Testament prophets in our journey who express the hopes and longings of the generations of people for the Messiah to come. In the weekday Masses, Isaiah provides the main voice, but in our Sunday Masses, we…
Rejoice in the day of the Lord
15 December 2012
Advent, Season of Growth, Seasons, Year C
As a society we so often accept poor substitutes rather than the fullness of life experience that is offered to us. When we journey through the season of Advent, it can at times feel like a poor substitute for the season of Lent. The reality is very different – because the character of the season…
Arise and look to the east
9 December 2012
Advent, Season of Growth, Seasons, Year C
The readings today reminded me of being in Brisbane at the start of last year, when the devastating flood waters that had claimed too many lives in the Lockyer Valley moved downstream towards the city. Authorities did not want any more lives to be lost, so did all that they could to ensure that the…
Days of darkness
3 December 2012
Advent, Season of Growth, Seasons, Year C
We begin the new liturgical year (Year C) in much the same tone as we concluded Year B – with a focus on the destruction of Jerusalem. So it seems appropriate to reflect on the events that would have so marked the lives of any Christians living in the forty-year period between the wonderful events…
King for the world
25 November 2012
The sense of royalty that we have is very muted. We live in Australia in a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II as our head of state. Yet, the role of the Queen (or her representatives in the Governors and Governor General) within our lives is very limited, and severely restricted under the constitution and…
Shining lights in darkness
20 November 2012
The final Sundays in the liturgical year always feature readings that are drawn from the more apocalyptic readings in the scriptures. Drawing from the mini-Apocalypse of Mark 13, our Gospel this Sunday has often confused people. Indeed Mark suggests that people may well misunderstand it, when he adds the note to the reader in verse…
Arise, go and live
11 November 2012
Both the first reading and Gospel feature widows – one of the most vulnerable groups in Israel and the ancient world. When there is no social safety net, widows relied on other family members and the wider community to provide the sustenance that they could not earn themselves. There lot was even worse when times…
Suffering, service and mission
20 October 2012
As the liturgical year draws to a close, our readings bring us ever closer to the events of holy week and the suffering and death of Jesus. Immediately after today’s Gospel from Mark 10:35-45 we find Jesus and the disciples travelling through Jericho in the final stage of their pilgrimage to Jerusalem (next Sunday) and…
Life of the age to come
14 October 2012
This week we have commemorated the tenth anniversary of the tragic Bali bombings which commentators at the time and since have called Australia’s experience of 11 September 2001. Certainly those events that ushered in the so-called ‘age of terror’ have changed the way that we travel and our sense of security. In the universal church,…
Marriage in the kingdom
7 October 2012
Discipleship, Season of Growth, Teaching, Year B
A line in the first reading (from Genesis 2) caught my attention today: “The man gave names to all the cattle…” I wondered how many species of cattle there are that they are worthy of a special mention? Mainly, the line caught my attention because it reminded me of growing up on our farm, and…
Heaven, hell and God’s love
6 October 2012
This workshop was presented during the Ignite Conference 2012 – Awaken. It is in part a response to the book written by Rob Bell, called ‘Love Wins’ which was published in 2011. This is the description of the workshop: Rob Bell challenged the Church to rethink heaven and hell in his book Love Wins. This seminar…
New Media Workshop
5 October 2012
The internet and social media are replacing TV, print and telephones as the primary communication tools. This workshop will look at basic communications theory and the current technical landscape before considering practical guidelines for how to use the resources that we have to provide a welcoming and informative presence. Tools will be provided for assessing…
Prayer after Communion
4 October 2012
Option A By the power of this sacrifice, O Lord, accompany with your loving favour what in your providence you have instituted, so as to make of one heart in love those you have already joined in this holy union (and replenished with the one Bread and the one Chalice). Through Christ our Lord. Option…
Preface
4 October 2012
V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Lift up your hearts. R. We lift them up to the Lord. V. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. R. It is right and just. Preface: A. The dignity of the marriage covenant. It is truly right and just, our…
Prayer over the offerings
4 October 2012
Option A Receive, we pray, O Lord, the offering made on the occasion of this sealing of the sacred bond of Marriage, and, just as your goodness is its origin, may your providence guide its course. Through Christ our Lord. Option B Receive in your kindness, Lord, the offerings we bring in gladness before you,…
Solemn Blessing
4 October 2012
Option A May God the eternal Father keep you of one heart in love for one another, that the peace of Christ may dwell in you and abide always in your home. All: Amen. May you be blessed in your children, have solace in your friends and enjoy true peace with everyone. All: Amen. May…
Prayer of the Faithful
4 October 2012
It may be appropriate to adapt the following prayers to the particular circumstances of the couple and their commitment to the Lord. The following prayers may be seen as models. Prayers may be chosen from more than one collection. Prayers are read by one or more guests. o Option A God the Father, source of…
Nuptial Blessing
4 October 2012
Option A Dear brothers and sisters, let us humbly pray to the Lord that on these his servants, now married in Christ, he may mercifully pour out the blessing of his grace and make of one heart in love by the Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood those he has joined by a holy covenant. And all…
Blessing and Giving of Rings
4 October 2012
The Blessing and Giving of Rings Option A 66. The Priest says: May the Lord bless + these rings, which you will give to each other as a sign of love and fidelity. R. Amen. He sprinkles the rings, if appropriate, and gives them to the bride and bridegroom. Option B 229. Bless, O Lord, these…
Giving of Consent
4 October 2012
Option A The bridegroom says: I, N., take you, N., to be my wife. I promise to be faithful to you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love you and to honour you all the days of my life. The bride says: I, N., take you, N., to be my husband. I promise to be…