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Learning from our indigenous brothers and sisters

Picture by Sammy Ray Jones depicting massacre at Murdering Creek in 1869

We will again be having a Day of Mourning service in the lead-up to Australia Day, as suggested by the UCA Assembly. President Deidre Palmer writes, ‘the service encourages us to pause to remember the violence and dispossession inflicted on our First Peoples, and to lament that as a Church and as Second Peoples, we were and remain complicit. It is an opportunity for us to listen and learn of the hurt that has been passed down through generations of First Peoples and the ongoing disadvantage and injustice they still experience. Importantly it is an invitation to us to follow in Christ’s way of justice, healing and reconciliation, building relationships of truth and healing in our own communities and in our nation’.

Will you join me in continuing to pray for justice and healing in our nation?

From the Minister,

The heart of baptism

This week we jump from stories of Christmas and the birth of Jesus to the account of his baptism by John. This account is quite brief and doesn’t address the questions we may have about baptism (e.g. why was it necessary for Jesus to be baptised? what is the ongoing significance of our baptism?). When this reading is placed alongside the reading from Isaiah 42:1-9, however, we begin to see some common threads.

First, baptism is about being named and affirmed by God. In Isaiah the people are named as God’s servant in whom God delights. Jesus is named at his baptism as God’s Son with whom God is well pleased. Similarly for us, we are named and affirmed as God’s children at our baptism.

Second, baptism is about being empowered or equipped for ministry and for our vocation in the world. God’s Spirit is placed on the servant in Isaiah and descends on Jesus at his baptism in the form of a dove. Similarly for us, at our baptism we invoke God’s Spirit to bless and equip us for living a godly life (in the baptism liturgy this is marked by the several responses that begin ‘With God’s help…’).

Following these commitments by God towards us, the third thread is our commitment to God, or our purpose in the world. For the servant in Isaiah it is to bring justice and light to the nations. For Jesus it is to announce and establish the kingdom of God. As followers of Jesus, our baptism calls us to join Christ’s ministry in the world. This involves loving our neighbour as ourselves, striving for justice and peace, respecting the dignity of and seeking Christ in every person, and proclaiming the good news of God in Christ by word and example.

These commitments are ongoing and apply to every Christian, irrespective of our age or stage of life. This is a high calling that is only possible with God’s help and direction. So this week, and every week, let us remember our baptism and be thankful.

From the Minister,

The Christmas road less travelled

This week is Epiphany when we hear the ‘other’ Christmas story from Matthew’s Gospel. It’s much darker, grittier and more dangerous than the family friendly Christmas story from Luke’s Gospel. Wise men from the east (non Jews) come seeking Jesus to worship him, while the Jewish rulers in Jerusalem either ignore the one born to be king or plot to kill him.

How are we to hear this story? Is it a story of God calling the stranger into the fold of blessing? Is it a story of evil that tries to squash any threat to the status quo? Is it a story of resilience in the midst of adversity as the family flee as refugees? Is it a story of God’s grace, or a story of grief as the innocent children are murdered, apparently forgotten by God?

The Christmas story as told by Matthew contains all these elements and more. It shows that those in power will fight to hang onto their power. It also shows that God’s blessing is not restricted to any one group or culture. Perhaps Matthew is telling us in stark terms that the gospel is always heard in a contested space. The question for us is whether we are helping or hindering the spread of this message of good news.

From the Minister,

What is the significance of the Christmas story for you?

Christmas is here! For many of us this means a time to gather with family and friends and share a sumptuous meal. For others, this day brings sadness as we remember those no longer with us, or loneliness as we have no place to go. For those newly arrived in Australia, from various religious backgrounds, Christmas Day is a confusing experience as a secular country stops for a religious festival.

The four Gospel accounts of the life of Jesus are equally split in how they present the story and significance of Jesus’ birth. The earliest Gospel, Mark, makes no mention of it at all. Matthew and Luke in their own way address this omission. Both these Gospels stress God’s pivotal role in events, with Matthew telling the story from Joseph’s perspective and Luke from Mary’s perspective. The final Gospel of John takes the story way back to creation to stress the divine nature of Jesus.

For those of us who profess to be followers of Jesus, it’s difficult to free the Christmas story from its cultural and materialistic wrappings. At its heart, though, the story speaks of God acting to bring light and love into a darkened world through the person of Jesus. His birth marks a new beginning, offering new possibilities. How has this story shaped your life? What is its significance for you?

From the Minister, ,

Joseph’s role in the Christmas story

The main human players in the Christmas story are Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Yet Joseph is often a secondary character, off to the side as it were, as if we are uncertain what to do with him. After the birth stories, Joseph disappears entirely from the narrative, while Mary has several more appearances.

In Matthew’s version of the Christmas story, though, Joseph has a more major role than Mary. He is the one who has to respond to Mary’s unexpected news about her pregnancy, he is the one who organises their escape to Egypt and he is the one who brings the family back to Nazareth. He is also the one who names the child Jesus. How much of this is historically accurate we don’t know, but Joseph is presented as someone who is upright in character, who stays calm and who is practical.

Joseph is a good example of a support person, the quiet behind the scenes person who gets things done and who serves in a no fuss way. So often in history, it is women who fulfil such a role, but here it is Joseph. What might we learn from his example, his trust in God and his practical action?

From the Minister,

An alternative vision

This third Sunday in Advent is often called Joy Sunday, when we remember the song that is sung by Mary (called the Magnificat). Despite her challenging personal circumstances, Mary sings of God’s blessing and God’s alternative vision for the world that will come through her child, Jesus.

One of the interesting aspects of Mary’s song is that it is expressed in the past tense, as though God has already accomplished the overthrow of the rich and powerful and has already raised up the poor and fed the hungry. When we look at the world we realise that this alternative vision has not yet arrived. This may cause us to doubt and question like John the Baptist does in our second reading this week. Or we may rejoice with Mary and commit ourselves to help make this vision a reality.

In the words of an old Benedictine prayer, may God give us enough foolishness to believe that we really can make a difference in this world, so that we are able, with God’s grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.

From the Minister, ,

Daring to say ‘yes’ to God

Clearly there were rumours circulating regarding the legitimacy of Jesus that both Matthew and Luke address in their own way. Matthew begins his story about Jesus with a stylised genealogy. Scattered among the more than 40 men are four women – Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and the wife of Uriah (i.e. Bathsheba). Each of these strong women have a somewhat dubious sexual history – forced upon them by men wielding privilege and power. These women help to introduce Mary, the wife of Joseph, of whom Jesus the Messiah was born (Matt 1:16).

The story of Mary’s encounter with the angel Gabriel in Luke 1:26-38 takes on new reverberations in light of the #metoo movement, as women report on unwanted sexual advances made against them. Did God take unfair advantage of Mary by overpowering her (Luke 1:35)? What would have happened if Mary had said ‘no’?

The result of Mary’s co-operation with God’s demand is that she holds the exalted title of Theotokos (God-bearer) and may be regarded as both a prophet (e.g. Luke 1:47-55) and model disciple (e.g. Acts 1:14). Although God may not ask of us something as dramatic as God called Mary to, the question remains whether we dare to follow Mary’s example and say ‘yes’ to God.

For a brief overview of the book of Matthew download

Welcome to the world of Matthew

Or download a Bible study with leaders notes that explores these 5 women.

Advent 1 Study – Adults Only Christmas Story

From the Minister,

The hope and challenge of Advent

Welcome to the season of Advent, a time of waiting and preparing for the coming of Jesus. This first Sunday is often called Hope Sunday or sometimes Prophets’ Sunday. It is a day to remember the ancient words of the prophets pointing to the hope of transformation and justice, a hope born out of trust in God’s faithfulness to make things right.

Advent begins by acknowledging that there is much in our world that needs transformation, whether we think of violence and wars, poverty and inequality, the gathering climate emergency, or the growing number of displaced people looking for a safe home. Jesus told us not to be alarmed by such situations but rather to stay awake and to keep sharing the good news through our words and actions.

The challenge for us and every generation is that Jesus left no timelines or detailed plans for us to follow. So we have to read our context and respond as we are able. How does the season of Advent fill us with fresh enthusiasm and hope as we contemplate being agents of change in the world?

From the Minister, ,

The king in God’s upside down kingdom

This Sunday is called Christ the King Sunday. The image of Christ as a king, seated on a throne, always seems slightly jarring. Yet the later writings of the NT often portray Christ as ruling at God’s right hand and, in the book of Revelation, as a figure of unimaginable power and glory.

What do we learn from this image? First we need to get our heads around the fact that Jesus is a King. That is what the title ‘Christ’ implies in Greek, which is a translation of the Hebrew ‘Messiah’, Anointed One or King. A better question is how did a crucified pretender king come to be known and worshipped as a king, and as a rival to Caesar.

Second, what sort of king is Jesus and what sort of kingdom does he reign in? Our discipleship has most likely taught us to regard Jesus as a servant king who establishes God’s upside down kingdom through his ministry of teaching and serving. Yet early Christian hymns such as the one found in the Colossians reading suggest a far wider role as co-Creator and as the reconciling agent between God and humanity, no less than the human face of the invisible God. Again, a better question is how will we approach this king – both in worship and in our everyday life.

From the Minister, ,

Responding to critics

Life throws up various challenges – at a personal, community, national and even global level. How we respond to these challenges is a mark of our maturity and also our compassion. I remember clearly the response of President George Bush in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in the US – it was all about revenge, violence and instigating a war on terror. I also remember clearly the response of NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern following the mass shootings in a mosque in Christchurch – that was focused on compassion and kindness. Only one of these leaders professes to be a Christian and only one of the responses is Christian. Yet words and actions do not always line up.

In this week’s Gospel reading, Jesus is confronted by some of his critics during the week leading up to his passion. The Sadducees were responsible for the running of the temple in Jerusalem and their opposition to Jesus is based on what they perceive as his threat to their power. They wish to entrap and eliminate Jesus, an approach similar to that of President Bush as described above. The response of Jesus is both wise and compassionate, more similar to the response of Prime Minister Ardern.

When we are confronted by critics and challenging situations, how do we respond? Do we follow the violent ways of the world or the ways of God’s upside down kingdom?

From the Minister,