The Affair of the Sausages
The year is 1522 and the location is Zurich, Switzerland. A Pastor, Ulrich Zwingli, has contracted a printer, Christoph Froschauer, to publish a collection of his sermons on the epistles of St. Paul. Printing in the sixteenth century was an arduous affair and Froschauer had his workers busily engaged well beyond their normal working hours […]
Hearing God’s Word
I began my formal training to become a Minister of the Word at the beginning of year 2001. We became members of Hope Valley Uniting Church because we lived just down the road in Valley View. We joined a Bible Study group which kicked off with a study on the book of 2 Timothy, a […]
Uluru
The massive sandstone monolith in central Australia, known as Uluru or Ayers Rock, is sacred to the Aboriginal people and is one of the nation’s most recognisable natural landmarks. One of its amazing features is the way in which it appears to change colour at different times of the day and year, most notably at […]
Yes, to us, but, more importantly, in us
Having just finished reading through the prophet Isaiah at the end of last week, I turned back to the New Testament to be re-acquainted with Paul’s letters to the churches. Like for many of you, Paul’s letters have been constant companions. Always challenging, the letters continue to inspire and inform my thinking and preaching. Yesterday, […]
Please Close The Gate
When travelling through farming districts, it is common to be reminded, by a sign fixed to a gate, “Please close the gate”. Failure to do so, could allow valuable stock to wander away. On the first day of the New Year, it is a day for gate-shutting. Where, for instance, a decision has been made, […]
The New Year, 2021
Francis Brienen, a British minister and author in the Reformed Church. has written the following inspirational prayer for the New Year. Make it your earnest prayer for 2021. God of all time,who makes all things new,we bring before you the year now ending.For life full and good,for opportunities recognised and taken,for love known and shared,we […]
The Grace of God
Theologians point out that there is a sharp distinction between the use of the word ‘grace’ in the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, it can be used to designate kindness and graciousness in general, with no particular tie or personal relationship between the individuals involved. It is also used to signify a […]
From the Grandparents-to-be
They say it’s the most wonderful time of the year, and in so many ways it is. We have fmaily, gifts, food, carols and way too much shopping. And of course there is the Baby. It’s all about a celebration of His amazing birth. Kathryn and I want to wish you all the blessings of […]
Be Careful What We Hear… and Say
[James 3:3-6, 9-10, 17-18] When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. […]
Go Full Christmas!
It’s just not like Christmas!…. I’ve heard that phrase quite a bit recently. It kind of goes together with another phrase we’ve often heard in this year of the virus – i.e. “life is just not normal anymore”. Many of the “normal” Christmas and end of year events have been cancelled, deemed too difficult or impossible […]