And the WHAT fell on WHO??

(Acts 1.12-17, 20-26) St Matthias, Apostle and Martyr 24 February 2019 – © Neil Millar In the Western church’s calendar, February 24 is designated as the feast day of St Matthias who, as you’ve just heard, was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot as apostle after Judas died. Of course, not everyone will be celebrating St … [Read more…]

The Abundance of the Heart

(Luke 6: 39-45) (Epiphany 6)17 February, 2019 – © Sarah Bachelard Becoming a disciple of Jesus means being inducted into a whole new way of seeing and being in the world; it means learning to live out of a different relationship to reality. Chapter 6 of Luke’s gospel sets out the key elements of this … [Read more…]

Close encounters of the ‘third kind’

(Isaiah 6.1-8; Luke 5.1-11) Epiphany 5 10 February 2019 – © Neil Millar The title of today’s sermon is no doubt recognised by some of you as the title of the 1977 American sci-fi classic: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, written and directed by Steven Spielberg. Have any of you seen the film? It … [Read more…]

Great expectations (or Faith for Grown ups)

(Luke 4.22-30) Epiphany 4 3 February 2019 – © Neil Millar God give us rain when we expect sun.Give us music when we expect trouble.Give us tears when we expect breakfast.Give us dreams when we expect a storm.Give us a stray dog when we expect congratulations.God play with us, turn us sideways and around. Amen … [Read more…]

Holy Dreaming

(Luke 4.14-21) Epiphany 3 / Australia Day 27 January 2019 – © Neil Millar ‘Poor bugger whitefella got no dreaming’ is the arresting title of a research thesis written by Mary-Anne Gale. This observation of an Aboriginal person may be casually dismissed by some, but the more I talk with indigenous brothers and sisters, the … [Read more…]

Quiet Day – Saturday 16th February 9.30am-3pm

Not knowing when the dawn will come I open every door Emily Dickinson. Quiet Day Saturday 16th February 9.30am-3pm Chambers Pavilion Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture 15 Blackall St Barton (Entry and parking first driveway on left after King’s Ave) https://stninians.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Quiet-Day-Flyer-Feb-2019-.pdf

In vino veritas

(John 2.1-11) (Epiphany 2) 20 January 2019 – © Neil Millar In vino veritas – in wine truth. The title of todays’ sermon was inspired by a cartoon by Michael Leunig (see bulletin). It may have you a little concerned about where I’m heading today, (after all, I did come from a denomination known for … [Read more…]

Solidarity and solitude

(Luke 3.15-22) The baptism of Jesus13 January 2019 – © Neil Millar Well, once again this Sunday we’ve taken a chronological leap in our recapitulation of the gospel story. Jesus is now thirty, and on the cusp of commencing his public ministry and mission. Prior to that commencement, Luke records two experiences that complete his … [Read more…]

Home by another way

(Matthew 2.1-12) Epiphany 6 January, 2019 – © Neil Millar I started the sermon last week by noting that liturgical time can be disorientating because it unfolds differently to chronological time (with which we’re more familiar). Last Sunday (only days after Christmas) we contemplated an event that occurred when Jesus was 12 years old. And … [Read more…]

A vocation to wisdom

(Luke 2.41-52) Christmas 1 30 December 2018 – © Neil Millar Liturgical time can be a strange thing, and at this time of the year it almost plays tricks on us. Barely has the dust settle on our Christmas gatherings and here we are reading about Jesus as a twelve-year old. It’s a big jump … [Read more…]