Outbook Christmas was a book published in 1981, written by Dr Norm Habel, illustrated by Pro Hart. Most of our Christmas art and verse has been inherited from English and European sources, but the Christian message is universal and other cultures commonly portray the characters and events surrounding Christ's birth in line with local custom. The ideas and images of the book reflect the search of many Australians to express their faith in language consistent with the Australian experience.
Lead by Pastor Geoff Burger at our 10am Worship Service, several members of St John's performed monologues reflecting on the Christmas story in an Australian context. The audio recording includes several songs and hymns. It concludes with a blessing by the author, Dr Norm Habel. (The recording goes for 46 minutes.)
The Bible Readings pdf is from our Lessons and Carols 8.30am Worship Service.
Mark begins his Gospel with the Words: The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Then he tells us how Jesus brings in a new Kingdom and calls us to repent and welcome this Kingdom. Mark tells us the Good News of the great victory Jesus will win, and the life changing transformation this has for all people for this life and for the life to come.
We have often made the Good News too narrow. We might picture it as describing a personal relationship we can have with Jesus. We might see it as little more than believing in Jesus so that when we die we will go to heaven. We might even reduce it to good advice. But it is much, much more. The Good News is the message of a great victory won by Jesus which transforms our whole life on earth and in heaven. It is the Good news which is for all people and for all aspects of life. What Jesus did brings JOY TO THE WORLD. Please don’t limit the Good News this Advent and Christmas.
As we commence Advent and the pre-Christmas period, what kind of Christmas do you hope for? What kind of Christmas should I wish you? One of the carols we will probably hear this Christmas is “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” It’s a very nice carol in many ways. Some of the words are:
“Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
Next year all our troubles, will be out of sight
Once again, as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Will be near to us once more
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now.”
A Merry Christmas?? A Little Christmas?? Should that be our goal?
“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did to me.” (NIV) Today is the last Sunday of the church year. We are looking forward towards Christ’s coming and as his people representing him on earth, we ask…how shall we live as we wait his return? Matthew 25: 35-40 focuses on the parable Jesus told about the separation of the sheep and the goats on Judgement Day. This parable refers to Jesus's prophecy in the New Testament (Matthew 25:32) that the sheep (the compassionate) will sit on God's right hand (and find salvation), and the goats (the hard-hearted) will sit on the left (and be condemned.) Justice will be served. But is this the point of the story Jesus told? What message was Jesus trying to tell us in this dramatic parable?
Pam Martin (Lay Reader) at the 8.30am Worship Service
Bishop Andrew Brook (Guest Preacher) at the 10.00am Worship Service (Confirmation)
Apology: there is no audio recording available of these sermons
Jesus’ parable today clearly is directed at Christian disciples for the way they are responding between the time Jesus ascended into heaven and when he comes again on the last day. Thus it sounds very harsh for the case of the one servant who finally gets cast into outer darkness. This servant had misjudged the nature of his master when he was unwilling to take any risk to perform his master’s business. For this he was judged as worthless. He lost even what he had.
On the other hand, those who accepted their responsibilities and were risk-takers are finally rewarded and invited into the joy of the master. It would be easy to dwell on and even wallow in the guilt and negativity the conduct and fate of the last servant engenders. However, there is primarily and especially the encouragement which needs to be taken from the servants who were risk-takers and the joy of the master they entered into for their faithfulness. While we note the worthlessness of doing nothing, we are much better served taking encouragement from those who faithfully and joyfully did their duty.
Jesus knew this when he told his disciples the parable of the 10 bridesmaids, waiting to go into the wedding feast. Jesus would soon be crucified, the disciples would be persecuted, and Jesus could be a long time in returning to overcome evil once and for all, and restore creation to the way God intended it in the beginning.
To us, 2000 years on, it might seem that Jesus is running late. That his return is taking forever. It is easy to be dispirited on the one hand, and complacent on the other. Jesus’ return will be in God’s time and therefore will be the right time. In the meantime, God has given us everything we need to be ready.
All Saints Day. ALL the saints? Can you even begin to imagine such a large number of people? How is it possible to comprehend how they can all be there together and relating to one another? Maybe today gives us the opportunity to catch just a glimmer of the wonder of what it means to be placed by God among those saints - and the interact with them.
What is the hardest thing for you to do or not to do as a Christian? Maybe it is to love your enemies, or to be my witnesses, or to pray without ceasing, or to be quick to listen. Let me suggest that the hardest thing might be to be still. On this Reformation Sunday we are reminded that the very centre of our faith is to be still. Be still and know that I am God … Come and see what the Lord has done. To help us to do this we will unpack these four points.
1. Don’t look at Yourself.
2. Look at the Lord and get to know the Lord.
3. Look at the Lord and what the Lord has done for you.
4. Look at the Lord and “Thank, Praise, Serve and Obey Him.”
Tax can be a tricky issue. And debates around tax have been going for millennia. In Jesus’ day, the big question was around whether or not the Tribute tax to Caesar should be paid. In today’s message, we hear how two groups who are diametrically opposed to each other join forces to attempt to trap Jesus on this issue. And with the crowds gathering around him to hear how he responds, we come to see how Jesus is masterful under pressure. His response is not only one that knocks away his opponents but is full of instructions for how we are to live out our faith today and pay tribute to the only person who can give us all we need.