Colourful Dreamer

This sermon can be listened to here Gate Pa – 1 st  Sunday in Advent- Year A - 2019 Readings: Psalm -                       Psalm: 122   First Reading -           Isaiah 2:1-5       Second Reading -      Romans 13:11-14   Gospel -                     Matthew 4:36-44     What I want to say: I want to use Advent as preparing for Christ in history, mystery and majesty to read Matthew 24, rather than a “left behind” approach. What does it mean then to live in Christ of mystery while preparing for Christ in majesty, while celebrating Christ in history? Maybe Jewish understanding of Tikkun Olam ( (יקון עולם) as one way of approaching this using video - “Tikkun Olam” wit...

This week marks the beginning of Advent, when we begin our journey towards Christmas. Advent is a time of preparation, and we usually think this is about preparing for the coming of Christ at Christmas. But like a good steak knife ad, there is more. Advent is preparing for and celebrating the coming of Christ in history (Christmas) mystery (now) and in majesty (when God’s will be finally done on earth as in heaven).  That is why we have the gospel reading from Matthew ( 24:36-44 ). It invites us to look forward to when the reign of Christ is fully established, and all God is working for comes to be. It also reminds us that in our worship and in our lives, we are the means by which Christ is present in mystery in this world today. Biblical scholar Bill Loader suggests that it is unhelpful to read this passage as “an exhortation not to misbehave in case you get 'caught with your pants down', as they say, when Jesus comes.” Instead he says “It is about developing an awar...

This sermon can be listened to here Gate Pa –  Christ the King Sunday and/or Aotearoa Sunday - Year C - 2019  Readings: Psalm -              The Song of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79)   First Reading -  Jeremiah 23:1-6 Second Reading - Col 1:11-20 Gospel -            Luke 23:33-43 What I want to say: Christ the King Sunday reminds us that our primary allegiance is to Christ, not the church; not to our country; not to our tikanga. And yet Christ the king too often has been used as a support to our real primary allegiance – one or all of the above. If Christ’s kingship was first, what would that look like? How does Christ the king help us respond to some of the big issues of our time, including climate change, nationalism and white supremacy? What I want to happen: As we approach advent – where do we look for such a reign? The Se...