First Sunday After Christmas – Christmas 1

Collect: May we grow in thanksgiving and praise as you speak to us once
more. Call to mind your wonderful works and the heritage of faith and trust
that in ours. Encounter us now to all your glory, that the word of Christ may
dwell in us richly, that we may begin to understand and have the wisdom to
follow where you would lead, Amen
From the desk of the minister: “Jesus in the temple”
On Wednesday, we celebrated the coming of the Holy Baby of Bethlehem, the
precious gift for the whole world. God had finally given his own Son to be one
of us so that we can be transformed to new life in Christ. In the Gospel reading
for Christmas – John 1:12, we are reminded of the importance of his coming.
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave
the right to become children of God.” The choice is ours, we can reject or we
can receive. Now we move on to a new chapter in the life of Jesus according to
our lectionary for this week. Jesus is twelve and he has to fulfil the requirement
of the law. Hundreds of people would attend the Feast of the Passover, and every
family will have its own lamb to be sacrificed in the Temple. This must be the
first Passover of Jesus. Joseph and Mary took him with them. When the
Celebration finished, people started to go back and Joseph and Mary thought that
Jesus would have journeyed together with relatives to Nazareth. But when they
arrived Jesus was not there, so they hurried back to look for Jesus. They found
him in the temple in the midst of the religious leaders asking questions.
Everyone was amazed at his understanding. Mary said to him, “Son, why have
you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching
for you.” Jesus said, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
Jesus went back with them and he grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour
with God and man. It is great lesson for us of how to bring up our children and
grandchildren. The house of the Lord is the place where they can learn and grow
up with wisdom to be favoured by God and man. Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Third Sunday of Advent

Collect: God of our weakness and our strength, move our hearts to praise
you, to trust and rejoice in your saving grace. God of our hungers and our
contentment, lead us toward the generosity you intend, and away from undue
concern about self and possessions. God of peace, be with us to calm the
wars within and resolve the differences among us. May our lives embody
good news in all we say and do, Amen.

From the desk of the minister: “Finding Peace in a Troubled World”

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus. This is the final encouragement of St. Paul to his
beloved community in Philippi. Writing the amazing words from jail despite all
the troubles he faced was an extra-ordinary commitment by Paul to this
community. He was not thinking about himself and his fate. His staying in prison
was beyond his control and may be at the of end his life but yet, He showed his
love to these people by the words of hope. “Despite,” he said, “whatever the
circumstances of life may be, there is available for us God’s all sufficient
grace.” Paul opens our reading today with the word of Joy – “Rejoice in the
Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”
Paul is reminding his favourite congregation that Joy is the gladness of the heart
that comes as a result of faith in Jesus Christ. Pauls wants them to be a Joyous
community and also a community who does not worry about anything and in
prayer can be the answer to counter their troubles. But most of all, Paul says –
the peace I am reminding you is the ultimate peace – the kind of peace that goes
beyond our wildest imaginations. This is the peace that I want you to take into
your heart. It only comes from within, and Jesus is the only person who can offer
that kind of peace for you.
The spirit of Christmas is coming and we can feel and see the busyness of so
many people in different things. Making sure they have what they need for
Christmas. But most things are not really important if we do have it or not have it,
nothing much will affect our physical life. Finding peace in this troubled world is
our priority in life. May the candle of Joy bring joy to us in our journey towards
Christmas. Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Second Sunday of Advent

Collect: How glad we are, O God, for the great things you have done for us.
We listen now for your word of promise and for the instruction we need.
Unite us in remembrance with all your saints. Link us with one another in
gospel partnership, that love may abound more and more and our wisdom
increase. Make us instruments of your saving grace, Amen.

From the desk of the minister: “Getting ready for Christmas”
I think we are all in the same boat at this time of the year. People are now
starting to do their Christmas shopping. Some have already finished by
now, they are well-prepared by it doing early. Whatever stages we are in
now whether we have started or not, or whether we have finished, we
sometimes overlook the most important preparation of all.
We have to remember, that preparing for Christmas is more than the usual
shopping list or the gifts sent to our friends and families. It is the repentance
of hearts that John is challenging us today.
When John says: “Prepare the way of the lord, make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made
low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made
smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” John is saying it to
us that we need an internal change, there are mountains to be levelled
within us. We all knew about it. There are valleys within us that needed to
be levelled. There are crooked roads within us that need to be straightened
up. Today, the second Sunday of Advent, we are reminded of the best
preparation for Christmas. As we continue our journey during Advent, we
hear the voice of John the Baptist in the wilderness calling for us to change.
May we abound more and more in love, with all the knowledge and
discernment that God is bringing forth in us through the fruits of
righteousness. May we go forth to be his servants to live out the good
news of Jesus Christ at all times. May you all have a wonderful
preparation as we approach Christmas of 2024.
Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Pentecost 27

Christ the King

Collect: Almighty and Everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things
in your well-beloved Son, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords: mercifully
grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be
freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever, Amen.

From the desk of the minister: Jesus the King of Truth

The gospel reading for today is a familiar reading during Easter Season. Today
is the last Sunday of the Christian year and I do believe the lectionary people
bring it again to highlight the kingship of Jesus. John’s Gospel is emphasizing
the reign and the kingship of Jesus.
John wrote in our passage for today two important things. First, Jesus is clear in
his response to Pilate, that he is a king not of this world. His kingdom is beyond
this world. The next important point that John is emphasizing that Jesus was a
real king. He was born king and he came into the world to testify to the
truth. He came to show the truth to the world. If there are people who really
care about the truth, they listen to Jesus’ teaching. If someone really cares about
Jesus’ voice, that person values the truth.
We live in a world where truth is a complicated word. The politicians have their
own truth when they debate in the parliament. Lawyers can argue their own
truth according to the rules of the law. Business people can define truth in their
own terms. But today according to the gospel of John, truth is Jesus Christ.
If we have a truth that is different from the truth of Jesus Christ, then that truth
is not valid. Pilot washed his hands to show others that he is innocent, but the
truth was not achieved. We Christians are reminded to stand on the truth of
Jesus Christ. John reminds us, “The truth will set us free.” “When the Spirit
of truth comes, he will guide into all truth.” Let us finish the Christian Year
with the affirmation that Jesus is the King of Truth. He is the Alpha and the
Omega, the beginning and the end. Thanks be to God for gift of water to
refresh his creation. Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Pentecost 25

Collect: O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might
destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of
eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is
pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be
made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, Amen.

From the desk of the minister: “Heartfelt Giving”
Here in our gospel reading for today, Jesus pointed out a poor widow who had
quietly contributed two very small bronze coins. Her gift demonstrated her
implicit trust in God’s ability to supply all her needs. The widow’s mites were
worth far more than everything the rich had donated (Mk 12:41-44) Even when
you can’t afford it, trust God and give. Our God is Jehovah-jireh (see below).
God provides for his faithful people, that was the perspective of this poor widow.
When you give just for the sake of giving, God knows it and that is what happens
in this passage. The wealthy gave a lot but in the wrong motivation, they give to
impress others, they give to show off, they give just a small amount from their
wealth. Jesus regards the offering of the rich people as unimportant, because they
do it for man’s sake.
But Jesus looks and holds up as a positive example of the poor woman’s small
offering, because she gave it all, trusting that God will provide for her needs.
In one of his parables, Jesus talked about a wealthy and successful farmer who
had laid up enough to retire. He was quite proud of his accomplishments.
Little did he know, however, that he would die that very night (Lk 12:16-21).
Never trust earthly wealth to provide you security into the next life.

The kingdom of God is worth more than all your accumulated wealth here
on earth. Jesus is always reminding us that the world’s vast wealth is
nothing compared to the value of your soul.

Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Jehovah-jireh – In the Book of Genesis, Jehovah-jireh was the location of the
binding of Isaac, where Yahweh told Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a burnt
offering. God provided a ram to sacrifice in place of Isaac, and Abraham named
the place Jehovah-jireh, meaning, “The Lord will provide”.

Love in Action

Love in Action

This week, Mark Millard will reflect on Mark 12:28-34,
where Jesus reminds us of the greatest commandment:
to love God and to love our neighbours
This call to love urges us to live out our faith through action.
As we consider what it means to embody love,
Mark invites you to celebrate the many ways our community
expresses it – through outreach, fellowship,
and simple acts of kindness.
Each moment we choose love creates ripples of compassion
that can transform lives. Mark will challenge you this week
to think of practical ways to show your love – perhaps by
reaching out to uplift a friend, volunteering your time,
or simply offering a listening ear.
Our spiritual lives are deeply relational,
and in loving one another,
we fulfil Christ’s invitation to serve others
and shine light into our world.
May we embrace the joy of loving God
with all our hearts and let that love overflow
into our relationships with each other.
Together, let’s be a beacon of hope and grace,
reflecting the heart of Christ in a world that needs it

Pentecost 23

Collect: Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith,
hope and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love
what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, Amen.

From the desk of the minister:
“The healing hand of Jesus let him become a disciple.”
Discipleship means following Jesus. Although we all have limitations and
weaknesses that hinder our faithfulness, it is the nature of Jesus to heal our
limitations, to give us what we need to be faithful disciples, and to enable us to
follow him. We are not only to love Jesus, we are to follow him.
It is quite clear that Jesus and his disciples are on the moving towards Jerusalem
for his final days on earth but the disciples just don’t get it. Today, we meet the
second blind man in Mark’s Gospel. It is important to note that we meet him at
the end of an extended session of instructions for the disciples that begin with the
healing of the first blind man in Mark 8:22-26. Throughout Mark’s Gospel, there
are many of these healing stories. Jesus is on the road, on the way through
Jericho to Jerusalem and here this blind man Bartimaeus only chance of healing.
The news had been coming about this man Jesus. When Jesus approaches,
Bartimaeus calls out: “Jesus Son of David, have mercy on me!” the people stop
him but he did not care as he keeps calling out in desperation and faith. Jesus
turns to him and says, “take heart”. Jesus asks him the very same question that
he asked James and John earlier, “What is it you want me to do for you?”
“I want to see”. It is important to know that when Jesus calls him, he casts off
his coat maybe his only possession to keep him warmth, he was sure that this
man will offer more to him and there is no need for his past.
When Jesus tells him to go, he follows Jesus on the way. A phrase which is, in
this gospel, a code word for the cross. The disciples don’t come off that well in
Mark’s gospel. They never seem to get the point! Here we meet the most
perceptive and insightful of all Jesus’ disciples in Mark, and though he is blind,
he sees. He is the real picture of a true follower of Jesus. He did not want to
go home and share his story with his family, he wants to follow Jesus along
the way to the cross.

Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Pentecost 22
Collect: Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your
glory among nations: Preserve the works of your mercy, that your church
throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession
of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, Amen.

From the desk of the minister:
“Jesus’ way is counter to the world’s way”

We have just finished the story of the rich man who came to Jesus to seek how
he can inherit the eternal life. When Jesus said to him, “go and sell all your
wealth and give the money to the poor then come and follow me.”
He went away so sad because he was so rich. Sometimes we misunderstand Jesus
and confuse with his peculiar way of salvation. Yet he keeps working with us,
keeps teaching us, and for those who are willing to stay with his teaching,
he promises a place for them in his kingdom.
Today’s gospel lesson shows that the disciples still don’t get it.
Mark says that today, Jesus and his disciples are passing through Galilee and
Jesus doesn’t want anyone to know that they are there because he is in the middle
of teaching his disciples.
What he is teaching them, over and over again, is that he will not be the Messiah
they were expecting; he will not be the one who comes in and sets everything
right, defeats evil and injustice on our terms, and ends in glory.
No … Jesus will be betrayed, rejected, killed, and rise again. Jesus’ identity as
that suffering Messiah will be crucial for their identity as his disciples.
That is what he is teaching them. And none of them get it.
They have been expecting a triumphant, all powerful Messiah. What they get in
Jesus is a suffering servant. They have signed on with Jesus for glory; Jesus talks
to them of the way of the cross. It is hard for them to understand. Jesus keeps
working with them, telling different stories, using various illustrations, but still
they don’t get it.
How about us today?
Do we really understand that the mission of God is counter to the world’s view?
Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Pentecost 21

Collect: Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us,
that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our
Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.

From the desk of the minister: “What is the one thing to give up”
This is a familiar gospel to us, “a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked
him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?” “Why do you
call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone.”
This man told Jesus of all his good works and his obedience to the 10
commandments. Jesus looked straight at him with love and said, “You need only
one thing. Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you
will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me.” Jesus knows
everything about this young man. He is a good rich man and may be favoured
by the community, but goodness to him is something to be achieved. Jesus
knows that one thing really mattered to him and he cannot be parted from it.
His wealth really blocked his way to God and that is why Jesus said to him,
“Go and sell your wealth, give it to the poor and then come and follow me”.
Goodness is a relative term when applied to people. But compared to God,
“there is no one who does good except God.” The New Testament is filled
with admonitions to do good and be good. In Luke 6 Jesus said “a good man
brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man
brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.”
Today, we are reminded from this story about the one thing that blocked this
young man from being a true follower of Christ. Jesus does not say that rich
people find it impossible to be graced with eternal life. He does say we may find
it extremely difficult to loosen ourselves up, to free ourselves from loving our
wealth more than loving God.
What do you lack? What do I lack?
What one thing will we not give up for God’s sake?
Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Pentecost 20

Collect: Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear
than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve:
Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of
which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which
we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of
Jesus Christ our Saviour; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

From the desk of the minister: “Unexplainable Suffering”
When we look at Chapter one of the Book of Job, there is no doubt in our mind
that Job was a blameless and upright man. He feared God and shunned evil.
We are told about his children and his wealth, no one can ever match his riches.
But not long after, everything is destroyed; his children, his wealth and only one
servant escaped to tell all the troubles that happened to Job. He got up and tore
his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord
gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
Despite what happened, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
As we open chapter 2, we may be surprised that Job is once again, under God’s
sovereignty, experiencing suffering at the hands of Satan. We might be tempted
to think that Job has already suffered enough. It is obvious from chapter one that
Job’s suffering has proven that there is such thing as innocent suffering, and that
Job cares more about God’s glory than he does his own personal comfort.
So why would God allow another wave of suffering in Job’s life?
We don’t know at all, but God has the authority to do anything with his creation.
It is really unexplainable to see this man suffering from his crown to the soles of
his feet. The wife came in and said, “Are you still maintaining your integrity?
Curse God and die!” Job replied,
“You are talking like a foolish woman.
Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
In all this, Job did not sin in what he had said!

Grace & Peace Rev Maile

Pentecost 19
For or Against – Are you with me or against me?

It’s grand finals time and the passions will be running high,
if not wild. And this is just the fans. There will be no middle ground,
there will be a winner, there will a loser; and the reporters and the
commentators will post their opinions and the players will be heroes
for some, and villains for others. For the victors will be the spoils,
and for the loser abject dejection and invisibility.
At our best, we will celebrate all the players, all the teams,
they may not be on the same teams, in the same clubs, they may
appear to be against one another, but, they are all for the same game.
At our worst, we will criticise, vilify, abuse whoever may be a
suitable scapegoat if our side, our team, our club didn’t win.
This may even mean turning against one’s own.
This is how for or against can play out.
At these grand finals there will also be people whose teams are not
in the grand finals and they are neither for nor against,
they will wear their colours, they may even share their colours
and they will cheer and celebrate every play;
and they will applaud every player that rises up from the ground.
Now, who will shake their hands, embrace the broken, congratulate
the triumphant; who will honour the game, who will not be against
anything and in so being for all?
Jesus, with these brief words defines for us;

“Being not against means being for.”
May we have eyes to see and ears to hear and mouths to proclaim
without prejudice what are the works of God.

Grace and peace, Rev James Stevenson

Pentecost 18
Collect: Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things,
but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things
that are passing away, to hold fast to those things that shall endure;
through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, Amen.

From the desk of the minister: “Greatness in the Kingdom”
The gospel for today is the second passion prediction of Jesus about his death.
Jesus told his disciples about his death but they fail to understand, too afraid to
ask him. Why were they afraid to ask him? It is because they see Jesus dying as a
form of failure. How come he is going to die when he has all the powers on earth
to heal, to do miracles, to bring back life, to change lives. The disciples cannot
comprehend Jesus dying, and it would be a form of failure for them. They have
followed Jesus with a different agenda, they wanted him to be the One to liberate
them from the foreign power of the Romans. But like last week, Jesus’ kingdom
is a different kingdom.
John Calvin, said “The apostles had imagined that the state of Christ’s
kingdom would be prosperous and delightful, and that, as soon as he made
himself known, He would be universally received with the highest
approbation. They never thought it possible that the priests and scribes, and
other rulers of the church would oppose Him.”
Jesus knew about their quarrel on the road about who is the greatest. When he
asked them, they didn’t say anything. I like the method of Jesus, who is the
greatest teacher of all, He sat down, called the twelve disciples and said to them,
“Whoever wants to be the first must place himself last of all and be the
servant of all”. Jesus is giving the definition of greatness and it means that
everyone can be great because everybody can serve. Martin Luther King said –
“You don’t have to have a degree to serve.
You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve.
You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of relativity to serve…
you only need a heart full of grace.
A soul generated by love, and you can serve and become a servant.”
Grace & Peace. Maile

Pentecost 17
Collect: O God, because without you we are not able to please you,
mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our
hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, Amen.

From the desk of the minister: “God’s Kingdom is different”
This is one of the readings that we have for Easter. Jesus and his disciples are on
the road to Caesarea Philippi and he wants to confirm who he is to his own inner
circle. Jesus time on earth was growing short. It was crucial for his disciples to
finally recognise him for who he is. They had been with him for a long period of
time now. They had observed his ministry along the way, how he performed
miracles of healing, how he taught as no one before him had taught, how his
enemies sought to silence him, how he raised the dead, how he constantly
expressed love to those around him but also to the outsiders like our story from
last week about the gentile woman. The disciples were following Him long
enough to understand who he is.
Jesus begins with a more general question: “Who do men say that I am?”
Their reply was an honest one. “Some say you are John the Baptist, others say
Elijah, and still others proclaim you are one of the prophets.”
Jesus was not satisfied with the answer to his general question.
“But who do you say that I am?” Peter, as usual the spoke-person of the
twelve, replies with boldness, “You are the Messiah” We assume that Jesus
said to Peter, Wow! Peter you did it!
But Jesus started to talk about his final days on earth and even to die on the
cross. Troubles start to emerge from the disciples because they thought that
Jesus’ Kingdom was an earthly kingdom. Jesus’ Kingdom is a different
kingdom, unlike any other in the world’s history, the only revolution that will
truly succeed. God will reclaim the world not through violence, but through
suffering, death, through the scandal of a crucifixion. The weapons will not be
armour and sword, but self-denial and suffering.
“Who do you say that I am?” We all have our personal answer for that
question, for this is a reminder to us as we continue our journey of faith.
Grace & Peace Rev Maile

Pentecost 16
Collect: Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts;
for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength,
as you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, Amen.

From the desk of the minister: “The Living faith”
We were talking last Sunday about the encouragement of James to his audience.
He said to them about the importance of HEARING the word and doing it.
It is no good to be merely listening and not obeying what the word is offering
them. Well, this coming Sunday, James is offering another encouragement about
the important of FAITH. Faith is acting in what you believe. There is no good in
having faith then failing to live it out.
The living faith is what Jesus wants from his followers.
James is offering a very good example of what Christians should do.
“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but
no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without
clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep ward
and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
James 2:14-15
We need to live out our faith!
Here is the story of a man who got his chariot stuck in the mud, he hopped down
to pray to God to let his chariot be removed from the mud. He prayed for a very
long time and nothing happened. Someone came along and said to him, you better
pray and push, for if you pray without doing some work …this chariot may never
be out of the mud.
James reminds us today, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action,
is dead. This is our call as Christians; we have to act in what we believe.
Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Pentecost 15
Collect: Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things:
Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion;
nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, Amen.

From the desk of the minister: Hearing and Doing
The reading from James today is a warning for us Christians.
James said, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.
Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says
is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at
himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”
We can believe something, but without acting on it, we will end up in self deception. We can hear a sermon and read the bible, or have conversations with
Christian friends but if we do not act upon the word, we are not worthy to be
called Christians. If you say to yourself, you are a follower of Christ but won’t
actually do what the bible says, then those who observe you may feel it’s not
worth following your lead.
Going to church is not a social meeting or because you want to impress someone.
There are lots of people using Christian stickers on their car, but do they really
mean what they put there, or just for the sake of letting others know that they are
Christians. James in his writing today is urging his listeners to be doers of the
word, and not merely hearers. God probably won’t ask you about all your
collection of spiritual quotes or even your T-shirts, but he will be interested in
whether trust in His plan led you to obedience.
God’s word changes lives.
Changed lives require obedience. Obedience requires action.
We need to go deeper in God’s word. The Pharisees criticised Jesus’ disciples
about eating without washing their hands. Jesus goes deeper, so that nothing
outside a person can defile them that goes into them. Rather, it is what comes out
of a person that defiles them.
Jesus is reminding us that genuine purity is in our inner life, not merely
ceremonial sanctity. Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Pentecost 14
Collect: Grant, O merciful God, that your church, being gathered together
in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples,
to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, Amen.

From the desk of the minister: The Words of Life
So he asked the twelve disciples, “And you, would you also like to leave?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words
that give eternal life. And now we believe and know that you are the Holy
One who has come from God.”
We have come across in chapter 6 of John’s Gospel for 5 weeks now and today is
the last reading from John, before we go back to Mark’s Gospel. But as I reflect
in all the readings from Chapter 6, it is all about the Bread of Life. Jesus had tried
his best to explain to his audience about the significance of this Bread. This is the
bread that nourishes our soul into eternity.
In our reading today, Jesus is telling the crowd – “It is the Spirit who gives life;
the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they
are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.”
He said to them you must eat my flesh and drink my blood to have spiritual life.
Many of these followers rejected this shocking teaching.
But in reality, Jesus’ teachings were spiritual and not to be interpreted literally,
but these half-hearted people were unwilling to dig deeper to unpack what Jesus
was saying. They weren’t committed followers. To me, the climax of chapter 6
was the question to the disciples, and Peter answered – “Lord, to whom would
we go? You have the words that give eternal life. And now we believe and
know that you are the Holy One who has come from God.” Peter’s answer
really showed their allegiance to Christ. There is no one who can offer life eternal
but Christ alone!
How do you react when you encounter a hard teaching in the Bible? Are you
quick to dig deeper, comparing it with other scriptures on the subject, or do you
reject it like these shallow followers of Christ? Today, we witness together with
the disciples – The Words of Life come from Jesus the Son of God.
Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Pentecost 13
Collect: Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin,
and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of
his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life;
through Jesus Christ you Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now for ever and ever, Amen.
From the desk of the minister:
Watch your step and be careful how you live your life
We lived in Narrandera for 7 years and every time we travel the highway to
Sydney or Melbourne, we always watched the Crows eating dead animals on the
road. Crows are an obvious bird that lives by eating dead animals on the road,
but there are birds or animals who also survive on dead animals. There are some
birds that ignore the smelly flesh of dead animals and they look for the colourful
blossoms of the plants. The vultures live on what was, they live on the past, they
fill themselves with what is dead and gone. But some birds live on what is and
seek new life. They fill themselves with freshness and life. Each bird finds what
it is looking for. We all do the same thing as human beings. We look for what we
want. This is the essence of Paul’s teaching in chapter 5; In life, there are two
birds. The one bird looks for foolishness and stupidity, the other looks for
wisdom. The crows seek to fill themselves with the rotting flesh of drunkenness
and debauchery, the Galas and other birds will look for the fresh seeds, and the
freshness of the spirit. In the desert of this world, you have your scavengers who
are angry and ungrateful, but you also have those who hum a grateful hymn of
thanksgiving. In our reading from the Epistle, Paul outlines the proper behaviours
for good living. He encourages his readers to be careful how they live.
You must be wise, be sober, and be thankful. It is a very short list but if we can
orient our daily lives around these three, we will be living a life honouring our
loving God and others. King Solomon asks God for one thing and that one thing
is wisdom. Let us continue to be a people who watch our every step and be
careful how we live our life. Let the wisdom of God be our guide so that our daily
life will be an example to others along the way. Some people don’t want to hear a
sermon, they would rather see it. Let us watch and make sure that we are doing
the right thing, in step with God, our forgiving Lord. Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Pentecost 12
Collect: Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things
that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live
according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, Amen.
From the desk of the minister:
Be kind to one another because life is too short
The story from the OT today is the story of David and Absalom. The rebellious
son was against his Father’s army, but the command from King David to his
commanders was clear – “Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake.”
Absalom was riding his mule under the oak tree and his hair got caught in the
branches. He was left hanging in the air and he was killed by the soldiers.
When the news reached out to the king, he was heart- broken. He went to his
room and wept. “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom!
If only I had died instead of you – O Absalom, my son, my son!”
In spite of all their differences, David was still the boy’s father,
and his heart was broken.
The tragedy of the story of David and Absalom is that death arrived before
reconciliation did. It is a haunting reminder that no matter how badly
relationships may be broken; there is always the potential for grace to prevail
while the parties remain alive. Once death comes, there is then no chance for
reconciliation. I always remind my congregation wherever I go about the
importance of living life according to God’s way and direction.
If there is a need for reconciliation in a broken relationship –
DO NOT DELAY, DO IT STRAIGHTAWAY!
I have seen so many situations where the family feud went too far and there was
no chance of reconciliation at all. The forgiveness that could have been offered
was withheld and would nevermore be present in the relationship.
David’s heart was broken because what ‘could have been’ and ‘should have been’
would never be between himself – the king – and his rebellious son.
His cry is the cry of a devastated, heartbroken father who had lost the opportunity
to make things right between himself and his son. It was too late for David.
I do hope it won’t be too late for all of us.
Be kind to one another because life is too short! Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Pentecost 11
Collect: Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church;
and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and
govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, Amen.
From the desk of the minister: Jesus, the soul bread
Last week we talked about the feeding of the 5000. Jesus performed a miracle
from 5 small barley breads and 2 fish from a little boy. The people were all fed
and satisfied. As we continue our journey in Chapter 6, the people have been
looking and chasing Jesus around, but Jesus said to them, you have followed me
because you are looking for more free meals. But I am telling you, there are better
things in me that you should focus upon.
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never
go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
Jesus wanted the people to go deeper and believe that God has sent him into the
world. Jesus intends the miracle to point toward himself as God’s gift of life.
So he offers the people a different type of bread, the soul bread that satisfies not
physically but far more completely.
When Jesus says, “I am the bread of life” he promises a spiritual sustenance to
those who believe in him so they will never hunger or thirst for truth. Jesus uses
the language of daily physical need to show us how integral our relationship with
God is. Jesus offers to meet our constant need for God’s presence in our lives.
Just as bread and water sustain us physically,
Jesus – the Bread of Life – offers divine sustenance for our soul.
The question is always asks for us, will we accept the invitation from Jesus to
partake from the bread of life? Will we go deeper than just seeking the physical
bread? Believing is not always easy; but when we do, our Saviour promises to
satisfy us and give us life abundant. As we continue our journey of faith, do we
affirm our allegiance to the bread that will last? All we need to do is come to him
and say, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus feeds us so that we will be
empowered to face the future and overcome all temptations.
As we celebrate Holy Communion today, we are reminded of the significance
of this meal for our spiritual sustenance. Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Pentecost 10
Collect: O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing
is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that,
with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal,
that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, Amen.

From the desk of the minister: God of Abundance
The feeding of the 5000 is an event that shows that our Lord is so compassionate
about us – his children. The beginning of the story shows how desperate the
people are, they had been following Jesus along the way because they have seen
the signs he had performed by healing the sick. When Jesus saw the crowd, he
said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” Philip
answered him, “it would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough
bread for each one to have a bite!” Jesus just wanted to test Philip. Andrew
brought a little boy who has 5 barley loaves and two fish to Jesus. Jesus then took
the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to all and they had more than enough to
eat. After the meal, Jesus said to the disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left
over. Let nothing be wasted.” They gathered them and filled twelve baskets
with the pieces of the five loaves left over by those who had eaten.
We learn few things from this story; firstly the mother of the child prepared some
food for her child. We sometimes take for granted that we don’t need to prepare.
Well, we know that being prepared is always a good idea at all times. The lack of
faith from Philip, he had been with Jesus for a while, but his answer showed that
he did not trust Jesus. The little boy was willing to offer his food to Jesus. When
we give Jesus our small gifts, God will multiply it and give back more than we
give. Our God is a God of abundance and grace but when we have enough, God
does not want us to waste anything. We live in a country where so much waste
ends up at the dump. But we are reminded here to use wisely all the resources
that we have. There are people who are in need, and we as Christians are
supposed to help our neighbours. Our God is God of abundance but at the same
time, God wants us to be wise and not waste our resources because there are
always people in greater need in our society. Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Pentecost 9
Living by Faith not by Sight
2 Corinthians 4: 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,
but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but
what is unseen is eternal.
The experiences and circumstances of this present life are
visible to the Christian; but these are merely temporary and
fleeting.
As Christians we should not rely on our own understanding
or our own experiences to guide us in life. For us we should
trust in God’s promises, look towards Jesus for our hope and
follow His ways.
To live by faith, to read His word regularly where we learn
about God’s character, His promises and His ways. Prayer is
our way of communicating with God, seeking His guidance
and wisdom in our lives.
Trust in His promises even when we don’t understand why
things are happening the way they are.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your
own understanding: in all your ways acknowledge him, and
he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
Narelle Cramb

Pentecost 8

Collect: O Lord, mercifully receive the prayer of your people who call upon
you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought
to do, and also may have grace and power to faithfully to accomplish them;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever, Amen.
From the desk of the minister: Installation of the New President of Uniting Church
Rev Charissa Suli was installed last Thursday in Sydney as the 17th president of
the UCA. I think it would be important for us to know the background of the new
president of our church. Only three women have been president of the Uniting
Church. The outgoing president, Rev Sharon Hollis was the first ordained
female to become president. Rev Charissa Suli will be the first coloured
woman to become the president. This is a big move from the norm of our
church since the beginning in 1977. Every time the General Assembly discerned
who to become president, it was a delicate task of hearing the voice of God who
will be the one. Most of our presidents that were ordained were older matured
Christians in their 60s and 70s. The uniqueness of our new president, not only a
coloured person, but a young woman in her 40s. The Assembly in Brisbane 4
years ago decided that Rev Charrisa will be the President-Elect, and last Thursday
I was there together with Members of the Assembly and many people to witness
this new paradigm shift to install this young woman to be our leader for the next 4
years. Rev Charissa grew up in Dee Why NSW and she was a member of a Cecil
Gribble Tongan Congregation. Her parents brought her up in the faith early in life
and Charrisa was gifted with a beautiful voice and she has used it to best of her
ability. That wonderful gift has taken her to so many places singing to praise God.
She was working in the Assembly Office as a Youth Leader Consultant before
she went to Uniting Theological College and then to a few placements as minister
of the Word. She once said before her installation, “It will be a joyful and
painful journey but our diversity will be a resource for how we be the church
together.” We do pray and hope that the Theme of the Assembly will be truly
impacted in our churches as we journey together; “Threads of Love, Weaving
Christ’s Love Across Cultures and Boundaries.” Congratulations Rev Charrisa
Suli for being the new president of the UCA.

Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Pentecost 7
Collect: O Lord, from whom all goods proceeds: Grant that by your
inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful
guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, Amen.

From the desk of the minister: The rejection of Jesus in his hometown.
In Chapter 5 Jesus has been busy preaching the gospel, healing the sick and
casting out demons. He has been away from his own town for quite sometime.
Now it’s time to come home with his disciples. In the synagogue, he began to
teach and the people were amazed. They wondered, where did this man get these
things? They question themselves, wait a minute, we know this fellow, he is the
son of Mary, his brothers and sisters are amongst us. This new thing can’t be
happened from him. He is our simple carpenter man.
They try to bring him down to being just an ordinary person just like them.
They look at his roots – He is a carpenter, he was not a Rabbi, how come he is
coming with those powers? No, no! He is just a simple person. He was not a
person of high regard when he was here.

Jesus knew all about their attitudes and ill feelings about him.

He said, “a prophet is not without honour except in his own town, among his
relatives and in his own home.” As a result of their attitudes, Jesus did not do
much in Nazareth. It was their lack of faith that caused Jesus to move on to other
places. We learn a lesson from this episode – Jesus cannot force the message of
the good news on his own people. If they don’t want to hear it, move on to
another place.
We learn another point here; the people miss out on the gift of life that Jesus is
presenting. Jesus moves on to a place where they want to accept and listen to him.
We cannot judge a book by its cover. The people judged Jesus as they knew him,
but Jesus came back as a special God person to offer a better life after they
rejected it. May be the reason of his sending his disciples after this episode, to
show that if they trust and have faith on Him, they will be able to do what Jesus
had been doing in the previous chapter. We learned at the end of our scripture,
the disciples were successful in their mission.

Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Pentecost 6

David’s Lament for Saul and Jonathan
17 David sang this lament for Saul and his son Jonathan, 18 and ordered it to
be taught to the people of Judah. (It is recorded in The book of Jashar.)
2 Samuel 1.17-18
Why do leaders not weep anymore?
Our public/political response is to denounce carefully, to offer “our thoughts and
prayers”, a cool kind of compassion that evades true and costly empathy.
At the end of this financial year, we conclude a tragic period of the collapse, the
insolvency, the ruin of businesses large and small, industries hopeful and
speculative and the shattering of the hopes and dreams of so many being pushed
into a cruel and dispassionate poverty, a new kind of homelessness that denies
human rights for decent and adequate shelter.
At this moment in history it is the prophetic act of the Church (our) in calling out
the structures of exploitation and injustice and point scoring lip service.
And to our great surprise, it may not be the Church as we know. It will be the
Church of poets and singers, speakers and artists, they will be children and elders,
the disabled and those have been disturbed mentally.
At one level this takes great courage and personal cost but it is not an individual
response to be made alone, although it often begins with one person or a lone
voice. Lament is the collective action of the whole Church, the whole community,
even a whole nation. And that cost may well be our being ridiculed,
our being threatened, our being bullied.
But, there can be no gloating in lament, no call for revenge, only justice; even at
the demise of those we call enemies.
When we move to the Gospel (Mark 5.21-43) for today Jesus meets a woman
whose name is “bleeding” and a little girl whose name is ”Jairus’ daughter.”
In Jesus’ response in lament he renames them both “daughter”.
Lament is the beginning of resurrection. It is the howl of the heart, the
rage of the conscience and the yearning of the soul, Amen.
Grace and peace, Rev James Stevenson

Pentecost 5
Collect: O Lord, make us have perpetual love and reverence for your holy
Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom you have set upon
the sure foundation of your loving-kindness; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever,
Amen.
From the desk of the minister: Storms in Life Miracles
We know for sure that God is looking after his own creation. He is at work at
every moment, keeping the entire universe operating and caring for all his
creatures. Most of his powerful acts are not recognised by us human beings as we
take them for granted. However, from time to time God breaks through the barrier
of man’s blindness to allow us to see his power in action; this visible act is what
we call a miracle.
The disciples had been following Jesus since day one and they have seen a few of
the miracles that he performed. He cleansed the lepers, the blind had seen, he
casts out demons and they were amazed by his capacity to restore people back to
new life. Today, it was a different story for this is the first time for them to see
Jesus rebukes the storm. They disciples were very fortunate because Jesus was
there on the boat. His sleeping showed his humanity, but his stilling action
showed his divinity. They knew that he can stop this wild wind that they
experienced. As a result of the miracle, Christ was able to teach a valuable lesson
to his disciples. Man tends to show off his own power to frighten others and to
impress them with how great he is. Christ’s purpose for performing miracles was
not to impress, but to teach a lesson. They were surprised to find that Jesus had
power over the forces of nature. We are surprised when we actually see God do
something unexpected or something that seems impossible. Of course, this shows
our limited idea of what God can do and our lack of faith. There are few storms in
our lives; could we trust Jesus to overcome all our problems? Do we trust him
enough? Today, we pray to God to strengthen our faith so that we can encounter
life’s problems with courage and persistence.
Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Collect: Keep, O Lord, your household the church in your steadfast faith
and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness,
and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Saviour Jesus
Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
for ever, Amen
From the desk of the minister: “The Lord looks at the hearts”
Our thoughts are different with God’s because God’s is looking into the hearts.
The condition of the heart is more important to God than what we do for God
outwardly. Robert Louis Stevenson says, “You can give without loving, but you
can never love without giving.” We are reminding of the greatest Love of all.
“For God so loved the World that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
We live in a culture that puts a lot of emphasis on the physical appearance.
If you don’t believe that, just have a look at the advertisements on the television.
If you want to lose weight, then there is always a new diet and exercise program
to make it happen. Looking to get rid of the grey hair and wrinkles? There are
countless companies pushing their creams and hair products all the time.
The world is looking to the importance of the outward appearances of the people.
But according to our OT Reading for today –
The Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height,
for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at.
People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the hearts.”
There is nothing wrong with taking care of yourself, nothing wrong with trying to
look better and stay fit. But the question is where is your relationship with God
is? Are you maintaining your relationship or are you more concerns with your
looks and outward appearances. Don’t forget that God our Father in Heaven is far
more interested in the condition of our inner man than He is with the outer man.
Let us continue to focus on the most important thing in life,
our relationship with God and others.
Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Collect: O God, from all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the

Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, Amen

From the desk of the minister:

United we stand, divided we fall

United we stand, divided we fall was a phrase that first used by John Dickinson in America long ago to empower people for war. But nowadays it is used in many different kinds of mottos, most often to inspire unity and collaboration.

Its core concept lies in the idea that if individual members of a certain group work on their own instead of as a team, they are doomed to fail and will all be defeated. The phrase is also often used by sporting team to encourage team work.

On Wednesday night we saw one of the greatest wins by Queensland State of Origin team in Sydney, by far the biggest margin that ever happened in the Blues territory. The team worked together for the benefit of all.

United we stand, divided we fall. Every sporting team will have to do this in order to win. Jesus in our reading today elaborates on this. If a country divides itself into groups which fight each other, that country will fall apart. If a family divides itself into groups which fight each other, that family will fall apart.

The Religious Leaders plan to kill Jesus because of what he did. He healed on Sabbath and his disciples picked the corn on a Sabbath, they are looking for an opportunity to get rid of Jesus. But Jesus is on a mission, he continues to teach and heal people along the way. Jesus’ family seems to be affected by the reputation of Jesus and they came in to see and take Jesus home.

Eternal Relationship is more important than the physical & family relationship. The family unit is the most intimate relationship that we are supposed to have.

Jesus opens up a new paradigm shift here. “Look! Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does what God wants is my brother, my sister, my mother.” Those who are doing the will of God are my real family said Jesus.

We can see that there are many divisions in lots of families in this day and age,

however we are encouraged here – that united we stand, divided we fall.

Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

READING THE SIGNS

Have you ever driven along a country road in heavy fog? It can be quite beautiful, with trees and landscape shrouded in a soft white mist. However, foggy conditions can be quite hazardous, often obscuring vital road signs or signposts. On one occasion we were driving at night through thick fog on a remote unsealed country road. The fog was so thick that the driver had to open his door and drive by what he could see of the road, slowly inching our way along! It is very easy to lose one’s way in heavy fog.

The journey of life often presents us with a similar challenge. It would be lovely if the road ahead was perfectly clear, unobscured and clearly signed. However, more often our track is obscured by all kinds of fog. It is not always clear and straightforward! Our choices in life are clouded by our own rationalisations, by a variety of prevailing philosophies, and a hundred different opinions from our do-good friends. Our life journey is rarely plain and clear; more often it is complex and perplexing.

Again, some people think that the Bible will have all the answers to our contemporary dilemmas, yet even here it is not always clear cut. We get ourselves into deep trouble by taking old Bible texts and transporting them straight into our present situation.

Much of the Bible’s wisdom is set in the context of its own cultural matrix, and interpretation is never straightforward. It requires careful and prayerful consideration. Nevertheless, the ancient wisdom does provide us with vital “signposts” for our present journey. The essential wisdom needs to be distilled from the ancient matrix in which it is set, and then translated into our contemporary context.

In many ways, the Bible provides us with an objective source of wisdom, outside of ourselves. It is outside of our time, place and culture. However, one cannot approach the Bible absolutely objectively, as every reader brings something of their own subjectivity (and probably bias) into any interpretation. No one can ever claim absolute objectivity. For this reason, one must always seek the wisdom of the ancient Scriptures in community with others. Note that in Acts 8:26-39 the Ethiopian was reading the Scriptures, but could not make any sense of them on his own.

32. This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,

and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

32. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.

Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”

His question is quite significant:

“How can I (understand) unless someone guides me?”

At this point, Philip sat down with him and interpreted its meaning to him.¹

We cannot always make proper sense of the ancient writings on our own. However, as we search the ancient wisdom corporately, sharing insights and understandings, the way becomes clearer to us. For this reason, it is important for us to participate in study groups where we can grow together in our understanding of the Scriptures. Reputable Bible commentaries can also help us in our search for understanding. Above all, we must seek the inner guidance which the Spirit of God can give us. The Spirit was promised to the first apostles to enlighten their understanding of truth (John 16:13). The same Spirit placed a seal of authority on the early apostolic writings, and continues to guide all who seek God’s truth.

We cannot find our way alone; theology is a communalexercise!

¹The recognised discipline of biblical interpretation

is known as “Hermeneutics” from the Greek word meaning “to interpret”

Trinity Sunday

Collect: Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever, Amen

From the desk of the minister: Born Again is the way back to God

The gospel reading for this Sunday is about this man Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrim, who came to Jesus by night. Maybe, he did not want anyone to know about this encounter with Jesus, but he was curious about something. He knew that Jesus was the teacher sent by God. He said to him, “No one could perform the miracles you are doing unless God were with him.” Jesus answered, “I am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again”. St. John calls our Lord’s wonderful works, a breaking through of the power from above, the visible signs of Divine reality. Nicodemus wants to share in the Vision of the Kingdom, but how can one become worthy of it?

Our Lord today warned him that the only way to it was by a new birth.

To Nicodemus this second birth seemed impossible; how can a grown man really have such a new beginning? He takes Christ’s words literally, in the physical sense. Jesus really emphasised to Nicodemus that there must be a new birth, and this can be through water and the Spirit. The Spirit is from above and is sent from the Father, when man looks upon himself rather than God, it is flesh from below. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that the Word became flesh, and it is through him that our new birth takes place. It is only through Him, and through belief in Him, we may have eternal life. Jesus was the source of life to those who look to him with faith and that is when the rebirth is made possible. “For God so loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.” The love of God is for everyone, but eternal life is reserved only to those who are born again and believes in HIM. Our faith is based on the Triune God, One God in three persons. God the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Grace & Peace, RevMaile

Pentecost Sunday
Collect: Almighty God, on this day you opened the way to eternal life to every
race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift
throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the
ends of the earth, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, Amen.

From the desk of the minister: The Spirit of God empowers us to live again
Today is a special day in our Christian Calendar. This is the day of Pentecost
where the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and empowered them to preach the
Word of God starting in Jerusalem. Pentecost was one of the three major feasts of
the year for the Jewish people. It was a harvest festival, marking the completion
of the barley harvest. It was a day of joy and thanksgiving and every male
Israelite was expected to appear at the temple to make special offerings to God.
We have heard the risen Christ tell his followers to remain in Jerusalem until he
sends the Holy Spirit upon them. That will enable them to be his witnesses in
Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Having promised that, he ascended into heaven, to rule over all at the right hand
of the Father. That promise was spoken during the forty days that the Lord was
with the apostles and disciples after his resurrection.

So the apostles and disciples have been waiting ten days for the fulfilment of
Christ’s promise. During that time, they have been at prayer, praying for the
fulfilment of the promise that their Lord has given them. The coming of the Spirit
is not a new thing, because the Spirit of God was there at the Creation, hovering
upon the earth. The new thing is this; they experience a new power to speak the
word of God. These unlearned Galileans were enabled to speak the languages of
all the visitors who were there on the day. It is only through the power of the
Holy Spirit that can change a dead person to become alive again. We can be
walking around but spiritually dead. Today, we are reminded from Ezekiel, about
the dry bones. There are times when our lives feel dry and lifeless, we can be
restored back to life by the work of the Holy Spirit within us and around us.
Let us continue our journey as new people guiding by the Spirit of God.
Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Easter 7
Collect: O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus
Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us
comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to
that place where our Saviour Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting, Amen.

From the desk of the minister: Sent into the world
This is a prayer of Jesus for his disciples. Jesus knew that his time on earth is
running out. He will be soon going back to his Father but his heart is with his
followers to make sure that they will be able to cope with the pressure of the
world. In 2 Corinthians 6:17-18, St. Paul is instructing the church in Corinth to
avoid partnership with unbelievers, while in our Gospel reading from John, Jesus
is emphasising that believers remain in the world, while not belonging to the
world. It’s a complicated proposition, but both admonitions are true.
We are often told as children not to befriend bad kids because they may influence
your good behaviours. But in a way, we are also told to be lights for Jesus among
the lost children at school. Hate is mentioned in v.14 because the world will hate
Jesus and his disciples. Why they are hated? Because of what they are doing is
against the world. In our reading today, Jesus is praying for his disciples to
continue on with the mission of God. The mission of God is in the world, you
remain in the world and God will protect you from the evil one.
We are reminded also that the message to the disciples, is also the message for all
believers. We are sent into the world to tell the good news to others.
Telling good news to others is not easy because you have to be firm in where you
stand in your faith. Are you talking to the lost and unbelievers whilst also
rejecting their lifestyle? There is always a warning here – the world won’t be very
appreciative of the fact that you’re living differently, but God will welcome you.
Ascension has happened on Thursday, but we are waiting to the coming of the
Holy Spirit to empower all those who are going out into the world to tell the Good
News of God. Are we reflecting deeply on what it means to be immersed in
the life of the world and yet engaged with the life of Christ?
Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Palm Sunday
Collect: Be known within our life today, O God who travels with us. Open
our hearts to receive you. Open our lips to sing your praises. Open our souls
to the depths of your love for us and for all people. For this is the day when
we remember your entry into the city, into the city of those who have gone
before us. Be with us as you were with them, O God, Amen.

From the desk of the minister: The journey towards the Cross
As we celebrate the Palm Sunday today, we are reminded of the very first Palm
Sunday 2000 years ago. Jesus rode the donkey into the city. Many people spread
their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they cut in the fields.
Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted –“Hosanna!” “Blessed
is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the coming kingdom
of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

They cheered Jesus as the One who will liberates them from their bondage to the
Romans. They don’t know that Jesus was on a different agenda.
Jesus came to liberate us from our sins.
Throughout his whole ministry, all through those fateful events that marked the
last few days of His ministry, one fact stands out supremely.
Love outshines evil.
Jesus has the necessary courage and patience to stay the course. Only then he
gives the cry, “It is finished.” “I have done what I came to do,” and his Spirit
breathes its last. It is a tragic, yet beautiful dying moment.

No unfinished business. Love completed. Life’s purpose fulfilled.
As we continue our journey towards the cross, we are reminded that Jesus was
not killed by the Romans nor the Jewish or any evil set up by anyone? The Love
of God is so huge for our sinful nature. He came deliberately to die on the cross
so that we can be forgiven and have new beginnings. Let today, Palm Sunday, be
the beginning of another journey towards the cross. To see the amazing power of
Love displayed to all his followers.

The greatest victory of all is the victory of
Jesus from death. Let us focus today what the cross can offer to us so that
the resurrection can be ours forever and ever. Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

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A teacher attempts to educate in a particular way, teaching a truth as the teacher understands it. A disciple’s single, overriding purpose is to emulate his teacher. If we listen to Jesus’ teachings, the absolute best we can do for ourselves is to be Christlike, disciples of Jesus. In the reading in Matthew 10:26-31 today, Jesus is explaining one of the passages of Our Good News Bible;

Whom To Fear

Through our Christian understanding there is no one to fear (but God). Should we fear the unknown? The unknown does not exist until there is a sense of realisation of its existence. We should have no fear of the dark for when the light comes on, we see the table, the chairs in our room just as when the light went off.

The most amazing discovery when Jesus found us and came into

our lives is that we don’t have to be afraid anymore, that Jesus gives us a power that overcomes fear. Many people have attested to this one feature of their transformation into a Christian life.

We don’t have to be afraid!

Say a small prayer to yourself at times of these stresses;

JESUS CHRIST IS MY LORD AND SAVIOUR, AMEN

This actually works, as the true Spirit of Jesus arrives and overcomes fear, the warmth of this love washes over us as we are contending with our own demons.

JESUS CHRIST IS MY LORD AND SAVIOUR, AMEN

All the unbelieving spirits that may abound are cast off through the love and power of the name of Jesus.

We don’t have to be afraid;

JESUS CHRIST IS MY LORD AND SAVIOUR, AMEN

Mark Chapter 4
THE OTHER SIDE
“That day when evening came, he said to his disciples,
“Let us go over to the other side.” 36Leaving the crowd
behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.”
Today, we are going ‘off-grid’, or at least off lectionary, as we set
sail for ‘The Other Side’. Please read through Mark four and five
and imagine just how confronting it was for Good Jewish Boys to
leave behind all the known and comfortable things about being
with Jesus on the Galilee shore – to cross over to the other side.
It’s a bit like, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!”
On the other side were people who did not believe the same
things, whose politics were different, whose language was weird
and whose morals were questionable….
And Jesus says to His disciples,
“Let us go over to the other side.”
We’ll talk about the storm, but it’s important to ask,
Who is in the boat?
“The crowd” is left behind. “His disciples” go with Him.
Are we the crowd, or His disciples?
Thank you Nambour, for your kind invitation to preach today.
Grace and blessings, Pastor Phil Smith

Pentecost 2
Collect: Almighty and merciful God, in your goodness keep us, we
pray, from all things that may hurt us, that we, being ready both in
mind and body, may accomplish with free hearts those things which
belong to your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever, Amen.

From the desk of the minister: Faith brings life
We have three faith stories in our Gospel reading for this week.
The first one was about this tax collector Matthew. Jesus called him from his
office, and he followed Jesus immediately. Matthew prepared a dinner and other
tax collectors and outcasts were there together with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat
with such scum?” When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t
need a doctor – sick people do.” “I have not come to call the righteous, but
sinners.” The faith of Matthew makes him respond to the call of Jesus. He knew
that he has done lot of wrongs; he needs to change his life. Faith brings life.
Second story, about this synagogue leader who came and knelt before Jesus
and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her,
and she will live.” Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.
Jesus entered the house and said to the people, “Go away. The girl is not dead
but asleep.” They laughed at him. He went in and took the girl by the hand,
and she got up. By the faith in Jesus, she was brought back to life.
The third story happened when a woman who had bleeding for 12 years came up
behind Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, “If I only
touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart,
daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.”
And the woman was healed at that moment through her faith.
Faith is acting in what we believe. We are all reminded that faith in Jesus Christ
will bring life, but we have to response to his call and all these people were
healed because they believed through their faith in the power of God through
Jesus Christ.

Grace & Peace, Rev Maile

Pentecost Sunday
Collect: Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life
to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy
Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the
preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever, Amen.
From the desk of the minister: Pentecost and Prayer
Today is a very significant day in our Christian Calendar. On this special day of
Pentecost, there was a sudden gush of wind, and tongues of fire appeared and
rested on the disciples, and they were able to speak in other languages as it says
in Acts 2:4 – All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak
in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. The people from different
countries were amazed when they heard their own languages spoken by the
disciples. In a way, Pentecost is a miracle of hearing and speaking. How come
these people were enabled to hear their own languages? It was only through the
Holy Spirit that can perform transformation in the lives of people. Jesus had
promised the disciples he would send the Holy Spirit to be with them and to help
them. We were told that the disciples and others went back to the Upper Room
and prayed together. They were with one heart, and no wonder, the Holy Spirit
came upon them. Prayer is an important part of who we are as followers of
Christ. We won’t be able to grow and be stronger in our faith unless we
communicate consistently with God in our prayers. The Assembly has organised
a praying-partners with our Church. 1. Indonesian Maroubra, 2. Griffith MultiCentred Congregation. The Uniting Church has called upon members to stand
together in prayer for 26 days. Starting today on Pentecost and finish on the
22nd June, the 46th birthday of the Uniting Church. I would like to encourage
our Pastoral Groups to work out ways of how to engage with this prayer chain.
Let us open our hearts to listen and pray for one another.
Grace & Peace, Rev Maile