Tag: empire

Revelation | So much better than you think!

Revelation can be read to judge and exclude … but what if it’s not like that at all? Listen here. A reflection on Revelation 6:1-8:1 given to the Vietnamese Evangelical Church of Australia (English language service) on 28 July 2024.

A couple years ago, I met a young woman on a train. I was quietly reading my Bible, trying to be discreet, but she noticed and began asking questions. Gradually our conversation unfolded, and what I learned was this: She was South Sudanese. Her family had fled that long and terrible war, and eventually found asylum in Australia.

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God’s bigger picture or, How to read your Bible

As followers of Jesus, we must always interpret scripture through his lens. A response to God’s Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts, given to West Preston Baptist Church on 12 May 2024. You can also watch it here.

So I was out walking with my fifteen-year-old one dark night, when this guy got out of a car parked in the shadows and made a beeline for us. Naturally I thought, ‘A weirdo, oh help!’ Then a voice said, ‘Ali? Ali, is that you?’ and I realised it was your minister.

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Malachi | Wholehearted worship, overflowing life

Who pays for a Big Build, and what does it really cost? Or, what you worship changes everything. (Listen to a very bad recording here, or watch here.)

I am delighted to be here at the invitation of your pastor. Trí tells me that you are a group of enthusiastic people who are strong in faith. He also tells me that you love to be with one another, and that you love to meet for worship and for Bible study. This is all wonderful for me to hear, because I am passionate about faith and the Bible and God’s promise of life to those who engage with it all wholeheartedly.

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Mark | The jester’s joke

Jesus’ ‘triumphal’ entry into Jerusalem is a parody, and that itself is the message. A reflection given to the good folk at Coburg Uniting Church on 17 March 2024. You can listen to a recording of it here.

It is wonderful to be here today, worshipping among you for the first time. Now, I am a Baptist minister and this is a Uniting Church, but in my experience everyone is connected. And, I tend to find, people in churches gossip. So I hope you don’t mind me mentioning this, especially on our first meeting, but when I told someone that I was preaching here, they had an opinion about this church.

Continue reading “Mark | The jester’s joke” →

Esther | Esther, empire and the hiddenness of God

Esther shows that when insecure fools are in charge, even the most disempowered person may trigger a radical policy reversal. (Listen.)

Esther is not a love story; it’s a story about powerful men. Esther is not a love story; it’s a story of faithfulness and courage. Esther is not a love story; it’s a story about the hiddenness of God. And yet ‘love story’, even ‘beauty pageant’, is the interpretation of Esther that many of us were taught. So today, we’re going to blow that reading out of the water: then we’ll look more closely at what it’s really about. Continue reading “Esther | Esther, empire and the hiddenness of God” →

Exodus | Ten words, three strategies, and a never-ending flow of life

God gives the gift of freedom and Ten Words – three strategies – to help us resist the lies of empire. (Listen.)

Just imagine: You have been set free. Free from unreasonable expectations, casual contracts, and ever-increasing KPI’s. Free from the busywork of middle management and trivializing performance reviews. Free from the gnawing feeling that, no matter how many hours you put in, you will never know enough or do enough or be enough or have enough. Free from seeking other people’s approval; free from the need to be seen as helpful, powerful, successful, special, right, reliable, calm, happy or wise. Continue reading “Exodus | Ten words, three strategies, and a never-ending flow of life” →

Palm Sunday | Caught between two parades

There were, and always will be, two parades: one embodying the power of empire, the other, vulnerability and self-sacrifice. (Listen.)

There were two parades. The first poured in through the west gate. The governor was visiting from his coastal palace at Caesarea Maritima. The cavalry rode before him: armed men on horseback, helmets gleaming. Foot soldiers marched in strict formation, leather armour creaking. Statues of golden eagles glinted atop long poles. Swords rattled; bridles clanked; trumpets blared; drums beat. The governor himself was borne by a great stallion, glossy, muscular, powerful. The governor’s head was held high, his eyes averted from the mass of humanity in the streets. Continue reading “Palm Sunday | Caught between two parades” →

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