Jesus at work Advent Epiphany Studies 2011-12

Details: Written by: Dale; Category: Studies for Groups and Individuals; Created: 24 November 2011

Jesus at work

Advent and Epiphany Studies in Luke’s Gospel

November to January 2011-12

Our aim is to see how Jesus interacts with people in their work environment (and some in the ordinary course of their life), to

"Jesus at Work" is available as a downloadable pdf file, ready to be printed as a small booklet. Click here to view, right click to save to your computer

see how Luke tells the stories and what God might have to say to us in our situations

Week ending

20 November The expert who didn't know everything

Christ King Luke 5.1-11

27 November The soldier who knew enough

Advent Luke 7.1-10

4 December The woman who said nothing

Advent 2 Luke 7.36-50

11 December The sister who didn't do housework

Advent 3 Luke 10.38-42

Where do little prayers come from? 27 Nov 11

Details: Written by: Dale; Category: Weekly Reflections; Created: 23 November 2011

Where do little prayers come from?

Such a little prayer and such a big project. We were reading about Nehemiah. King Artaxerxes’ cup-bearer, or drinks-waiter we could say. Although part of his job was to make sure that the King didn’t get poisoned. That’s the scary part of the job. One day the King asked what was troubling him. Suddenly he had a chance to tell the King what was on his mind.

So he “prayed to the God of heaven”. A short hurried prayer. And the King listened. And gave him permission ( and letters, and soldiers and food) to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild its walls.

And when he got there the others who had arrived before him worked with him. An amazing cooperative effort. Different families rebuilt different parts of the wall. Admittedly some built the wall in front of where their house was. But they did build. Some built large segments – one family built 500 metres of wall!

And not without opposition and harassment. But Nehemiah persisted. And succeeded. All resulting from a little prayer.

5. The Expert who didn't know everything. Luke 5.1-11

Details: Written by: Dale; Category: Luke; Created: 20 November 2011

{podcast id=204}

The Expert who didn't know everything. Luke 5.1-11

Sermon preached at Christ the King Willetton on Sunday 20 November 2011

Bible Readings: Ezekiel 34.11-16; Ephesians 1.15-23; Luke 5.1-11

How Jesus went fishing for people and called them to fish too

Ordination to what? 20 Nov 11

Details: Written by: Dale; Category: Weekly Reflections; Created: 17 November 2011

Ordination to what?

In two weeks Nicholas will be ordained as a priest. He will join the group of elders or presbyters (the origin of the word “priest”) in the church who share with the bishop the ministry of Word and Sacrament.

Part of the old service included this exhortation:

You have heard, my brothers, in your private examination, in the sermon, and in the readings from holy scripture, how great is the dignity and importance of this office to which you are called. And now .again l exhort you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you remember the dignity of the high office and charge to which you are called: that is to say, to be messengers, watchmen, and stewards of the Lord; to teach and forewarn, to feed and provide for the Lord's family; to seek for Christ's sheep who are scattered abroad, and for his children who are surrounded by temptation in this world, that they may be saved through Christ for ever. Have always therefore printed in your mind how great a treasure is committed to your care. For they are the-sheep of Christ, whom he bought with his death and for whom he shed his blood. The church and congregation whom you must serve is his bride and his body. ...

Any light here? 13 Nov 11

Details: Written by: Dale; Category: Weekly Reflections; Created: 09 November 2011

Any light here?

Will legalising prostitution reduce the amount of prostitution? Will legalising it make it better for women? Will it reduce the exploitation and oppression of women in the sex-industry. Will it reduce the criminal element? All good questions.

Perhaps the aim is merely to control it and to remove it from the suburbs. How will the new law reduce the prevalence of prostitution in the suburbs? Presumably by police action. But is there not a law against that already?

Controlling, regulating, supervising, put it under the watchful eye of a bureaucracy as well as the police ... might still allow scope for bribery, corruption and the criminal gangs.

Is it worth letting our MPs know our opinion on this? For what reasons have they not adopted the Swedish model of making the use of prostitutes illegal, rather than making prostitution legal?

8. God's believing people Romans 4.13-25

Details: Written by: Dale; Category: Romans 2011-13; Created: 06 November 2011

{podcast id=268}

God's believing people Romans 4.13-25

Sermon preached at Christ the King Willetton on 6 November 2011

Bible Readings: Genesis 22.1-19; Psalm 16; Roamsn 4.16-25; John 6.35-40

Why faith like Abraham's is all that is necessary for God to credit to us all that he requires to accept us as his people.

What should we do? 30 Oct 11

Details: Written by: Dale; Category: Weekly Reflections; Created: 26 October 2011

What should we do?

It was quite an exciting weekend at Willetton last week. The multi-cuisine feast was a gourmet’s delight. Once again there were a lot of people present who are not normally in church on Sundays.

And on Sunday at Willetton we also had quite a lot of people who are not normally in church with us. Some were visitors from other churches, and some were visitors from no church.

Is this a good thing? Having people come to events or church services who don’t normally go to church? Coming to meals is OK I suppose. But what about church? Do we really want lots of people coming who are not used to church and don’t know what to do?