Skip to main content

Suffering, death and life

Lent Studies 2019 – Commencing week of 4 March

Four studies based on reflections by well known preacher Barbara Brown Taylor on aspects of finding God in the midst of pain and suffering.

These studies invite new ways to think about the Easter story.

Currently, one group will meet on Thursday mornings at CRoydon UC and one group will meet on Friday mornings at Croydon North UC. Other groups may gather at other times, if these times do not suit you.

Further details from Peter Mallen on 0420 818 379 or at    mallen.peter@gmail.com

What's on

Jesus’ third way for communities

While much of our culture (and especially our advertising) focuses on the individual, as a society we can also be quite tribal. This can be positive – as when people band together in times of natural disasters – or can be negative – as when we pick on one group (e.g. African youth). Jesus offers a third way, which is to treat everyone as we would like to be treated. This is a blueprint for a new community, a new humanity where there is no distinction any more between people, or between tribes, or even between friends and enemies.

Jesus’ call to love our enemies, though, seems a step too far… enemies are the people who hate you, say mean things about you, abuse you or take what is rightfully yours. Our natural response to enemies is either to want to fight them or flee from them. But Jesus commands that we do good to our enemies, pray for them and generously share with them. Sound difficult? You bet! It’s only possible with the transforming work of God’s Spirit in our lives to give us the desire and ability to live this way. It’s nothing less than learning to embody and live out the very character of God, day by day.

From the Minister,

God’s upside down kingdom

Sometimes it’s good not to take Jesus too seriously, especially when Jesus speaks about matters that impact directly on our lifestyle. Many of us have experience with this approach. For instance, we are adept at ignoring much of Jesus’ teaching about money and power, for otherwise it would require us to do a major rethink about our priorities and practices.

This week’s Gospel reading is a case in point. It’s Luke’s equivalent to the Sermon on the Mount. As in that famous sermon it begins with a series of blessings for unexpected people – the poor, the hungry, those who weep and those who are rejected for associating with Jesus. But Jesus then ups the ante by also pronouncing woe on the rich, the well fed, those who laugh about life and those who are praised. These are startling and provocative words. Is Jesus really advocating the benefits of poverty, hunger and mourning over the alternatives? Yet these recipients of blessing reflect Jesus’ wider ministry and his interactions with both rich and poor. They also reflect the character of the God revealed in the OT prophets, who seems to have a distinct bias towards the needs of the poor. Where do we stand in relation to Jesus’ upside down kingdom? What might need to change if we take Jesus’ words seriously?

From the Minister,

Jesus calls us to discipleship

Sometimes, completely out of the blue, our lives can be transformed in an instant. Something similar happened to Simon Peter one day as he was quietly minding his own business mending his fishing nets. Jesus comes along and wants to use his boat as a portable pulpit. When Jesus has finished teaching, he invites Peter to go fishing, and that’s when the unexpected happens as Peter hauls in an extraordinarily large catch of fish.

This is a turning point moment, a God moment. Peter recognizes the potential of this moment and like Moses and Isaiah and many others through history, suddenly recognizes his own shortcomings. But Jesus sees other qualities in Peter and invites Peter to join his ministry of bringing life to people. Peter overcomes his fears and hesitations and follows Jesus (see Luke 5:1-11).

We too are invited afresh each day whether we will choose to follow Jesus, putting aside our fears and shortcomings, and listening instead to the quiet voice inviting us to join with Jesus in bringing life to others.

From the Minister,