tastigr Pentecost Season, Pentecost A, Pentecost Year A

Just Who is the Outsider?

Who is the Outsider?

In what may seem like a puzzling passage this week, there is a simple

message: God’s mercy is inclusive by reaching across every line to bring

people in. Our lectionary is a shorter version, but we would miss the

significance of the Canaanite woman. That movement in Matthew’s

narrative is what many will find most meaningful, even with the discomfort

of what preceded it.

Some people find talking about what comes out of the body to be

unhelpful and just not polite to talk about in Church. But this did not stop

Jesus from using this language.

This context is the background to the Canaanite woman’s story; Jesus

helps people’s needs by healing, listening, blessing and teaching. Then

he takes five loaves and two fish, blesses them and distributes them

(twelve baskets of food).

The fulfilment of the twelve tribes of Israel, the promise that a community

will gather all people to itself, is reinforced by the reading of Isaiah. All

nations will look to Jerusalem. This is part of the mission to gather the

twelve tribes of Israel. This is a fulfilment of the ministry to the lost sheep

of the country.

That walking-on-water experience demonstrates Jesus’ authority over

nature and shows more about the symbolism than the event itself. Peter’s

invitation shows us that we are too often distracted by Jesus’ presence.

The storm is in place, but the message is clear: stay focused on Jesus in

life’s storms and keep going, because more challenges await Peter next.

And so we suddenly interrupt this overarching arc of inclusion and

passion with a story about clean and unclean inclusion and exclusion.

The earthy transition is so important because it does frame what is

coming. The Pharisees could easily justify, at a time when we’ve lived

through COVID, insisting on the twenty-second washing of hands rule. In

their minds, they saw the absence of commitment to the Levitical code as

a sign that Jesus was not from God. If he were from God, he would keep

the laws and precepts. And Jesus points out that the focus is still not on

the divine.

It is not only a matter of ancient history. In Church life now, tradition or

settled procedure has all been tested without questioning its purpose. For

example, one Church might be so focused on keeping old traditions.

When rules are so much more about following them, the love, mercy, and

inclusion of the people Jesus calls to life will be missed.

When challenged by the Pharisees and scribes, Jesus’ response is harsh.

“What goes into the mouth goes into the stomach and eventually into the

sewer.” The Bible version that I’m most familiar with is the New Revised

Standard. Jesus’ argument is quite earthy. Food goes in, digestion takes

place, and waste comes out. It’s not the waste that uncleanliness comes

from, though; it’s the heart that is the issue. Then more worried about

rules for rules’ sake, but the long list that is given about adultery and all

the other vices comes from the heart.

If what comes out of the heart is represented by what comes out of the

mouth, that is very pointed back at the Pharisees. They are more

concerned with controlling people through precepts and regulations and

have lost sight of why those rules were in place. Some rules were also

applied and seem to be more important than the reasons they were put in

place.

Now Jesus goes to Tyre and Sidon. And so we lose the previous teaching

and interaction between the disciples, Jesus, and the Pharisees. Their

hearts are not in the right place. They still question what standards they

want to hold. Jesus dismisses this particular notion of clean or unclean or,

if you like, what is in and what is out. And right in front of Jesus is a

Canaanite woman calling out to Jesus to save her daughter.

The literary movement is almost like this.

What files?

Not that.

Then who belongs?

Watch this.

From the vantage point of Isaiah 56, this may be a crucial moment in

Jesus’ life, in which a woman outside the community demonstrates the

faith he wants from the Pharisees and disciples, to the best of his ability.

Isaiah calls for justice and right. Foreigners who do join the Lord are sent

to the holy Mountain; 56 says, “My house will be a house of prayer for all

people.” The prophecy also mentions gathering others in addition to

those already there.

In the 67th Psalm, we read, God, be gracious to us and bless us that your

saving power may work among all nations. It’s not Israel alone. All nations.

God’s message must be sent to all the corners of the Earth. Your saving

power among all nations is achieved so that you may overflow.

When the storm challenged Peter, he said three words: Lord, save me.

Jesus says to the Canaanite woman: “I’ve come to gather the lost tribes of

Israel, and it’s no point in throwing their goodness to the dogs.” That’s

quite horrific.

Dogs were not pets; they were livestock. They’re outsiders.

But the woman challenges him, and even the dog eats the crumbs under

the table. So in her prayer she says, “Lord, help me.” Jesus looks at her

and admires her faith. This woman, unlike the Pharisees who were

concerned with rules, had raised her eyes to Jesus. Her daughter was

cured.

This passage shows how Jesus’s compassion goes beyond boundaries

and rules, particularly the depth of his care. So, in feminist theology, which

addresses women’s faith and their struggle for equality as followers of

faith, this is one of the moments of compassion. In this scene, an outsider

(a woman) reaches out to Jesus, and he gives genuine compassion. She

knows who he is; she knows he has the power to make change.

Let’s look again at what’s happening here. Peter:

Lord, save me;

the woman: Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David.

One prayer offered inside

the boat. One comes outside of Israel. Peter, a disciple called by Jesus, is

destined to be the rock on which the Church will be based; sinks. This

woman is a Canaanite woman. Matthew has marked her as belonging to

the ancient outside enemy category, yet she helps Peter.

The answers will be vitally important. Peter hears you with little faith, but

the woman here is a great woman of your faith. The rock has little faith.

The outsider still has great faith, but neither of these two was abandoned.

These are the cracks in the whole sequence of Matthew chapter 15. This

is about faith and compassion. Faith might be found where we least

expect it.

The woman, who calls out, challenges the idea that mercy is only for

Israel. In the process of filling the crumbs after the feeding, there is much

to share with the woman and daughter from Cana. In sharing, there is

much mercy and love from the heart of God for us to receive. God be

gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon the earth

that your way may be known on earth and your saving power among all

nations. The Psalm is clear.

Food does not make us unclean. Foreigners don’t put you beyond mercy.

Israel is rejected because the Gentiles are gathered. Gentiles have no

superiority because they have been gathered by mercy. God’s house is

our house of prayer for all people. And again we go back to the Psalm.

Let the people praise you, O God; let all the people praise you.

This isn’t just about inclusion; it’s a scandal of mercy and sharing. Jesus’

hand goes beyond borders, in an artificial landscape of greed, ideology

and prejudice.

In ‘The Merchant of Venice,’ Portia says:

‘The quality of mercy is not strain’d.

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

upon the place beneath.

It is twice blest:

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.

As members of Christ’s body, we are called to act in his Spirit—to stray

from what’s in order and to follow the call. We’re going to share

generously, but we’re going to know that we should respect everyone’s

dignity, regardless of background, walk of life or creed. All beings made in

God’s image are entitled to honour and respect, male and female and all

in between. All creation gives glory to God, without exception.

The woman who first calls Jesus the Son of David. David’s grandmother

was a gentile. Is there a genuine question regarding Jesus’ lineage and

outsider status? Could Jesus himself be an outsider as well, who has a

human lineage to those on the margins? Matthew points out that Jesus

connects to outsiders. Jesus’ compassion extends to those who don’t

belong. Inclusion, mercy and belonging are at the heart of Jesus’ story,

crossing boundaries from within.

Lord, save me. Lord, have mercy. These are the prayers Jesus speaks.

This week, can we find ways to love, show mercy, and practice inclusion

daily? We can open our hearts to someone who feels left out, help a

neighbour, or repair a broken relationship. When we listen deeply,

volunteer, or invite someone new, we have a way to share, give thanks,

and extend kindness in small or large ways.

God gives an increase, and our God will bless us. God will bless us, and

all the earth shall rejoice.

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tastigr Pentecost Season, Matthew 14.22-36, Pentecost A, Season of Pentecost, Pentecost 11A

Take Me

I still vividly remember, as a little girl, accompanying my mother to my grandmother’s shop, just two miles down the road. My mother would hold her old wicker basket in her right hand, while my right hand nestled safely in her left. At that age, I didn’t think much about that arrangement, especially as we navigated a narrow path with thick hedges and uneven fences pressing in on us. Looking back, it’s clear that my mother was at the edge of the path, guiding me along while I remained on the inside, her hand offering both direction and protection.

Then came kindergarten. As we walked in a line, we were expected to hold the hand of the person next to us. This practice continued until around the third grade, when we crossed the road to the ‘big’ school. By then, holding hands had become ‘infantile.’ Later on, holding hands took on a different meaning altogether. It became a commitment, a way of saying, “You are mine,” “I feel safe with you,” “I am with you,” and “I belong to you.” Perhaps you can recall a time when holding hands held a different significance for you.

In moments of healing, there’s a time when it feels right to hold a patient’s hand—offering comfort and strength—where touch conveys a clear message of safety, compassion, and whatever version of ‘love’ we embrace at that moment. It reminds me of a brief yet profound lesson from Jesus in one of the shortest sermons Peter ever delivered: “Lord, save me.” In that moment, Jesus reached out to Peter, but how did we arrive at this scene?

Picture Peter out on the Sea of Galilee, showing a level of curiosity that mirrored Jesus’ own compassion during his ministry. After hearing about the beheading of John the Baptist, Jesus heads to the shore of the lake, where a crowd has gathered. Faced with their sorrow and grief, he heals the sick, teaches them, and listens to their stories. Rather than dismiss them when they’re hungry, he instructs his disciples to feed them. He gives thanks to the Creator, breaks the bread and fish, and shares it, providing more than enough for everyone present. The true essence lies not just in the spectacle, but in the bread itself, with everyone receiving from the same hands—his hands—blessing, breaking, and sharing.

Later, Jesus sends his disciples ahead, disperses the crowd, and retreats to a quiet place for prayer. Then a storm strikes, tossing the disciples about in their boat. They spot a figure walking across the churning waters and fear they are seeing a ghost. Yet Jesus calls out to them, reassuringly: “Take heart; it is I. Don’t be afraid.” I can’t help but think that wouldn’t have immediately calmed my nerves. But one person on the boat needs to test this reality—Simon, whom Jesus calls Peter. He replies, “If it’s really you, let me come to you.” Jesus simply says, “Come.” And so, Peter steps out.

When the wind and waves continue to buffet him, and Peter starts to lose confidence, distracted from Jesus. The very rock upon which the Church would be built begins to sink. “Lord, save me,” he cries. Immediately, Jesus reaches out and takes his hand. I can almost picture the moment with a chuckle as Jesus gently teases him, “Oh, you of little faith!” His compassion shines through, just as it did when he was grieved by John’s death, teaching and healing the crowd, and feeding the hungry.

In that moment, Jesus takes Peter back to the boat, and the storm calms. The disciples then realise that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. At the core of everything is God’s love and the promise of His presence. God’s intervention is always at work, but we must remember that, like with Elijah, God often speaks not in the dramatic or the spectacular, but in the quiet moments when we listen closely. Not through earthquakes, winds, or fires, but in the stillness that makes us aware of the Lord’s presence.

The hands of Jesus will reappear in our narrative. The same hands that heal and teach will be bound and flogged; the hands that are lifted on the cross will later be shown to the disciples, bearing scars, yet those very hands will break bread and fish, raised in blessing. The Lord has endured the greatest suffering that love can bring, yet he has still brought about restoration, wholeness, and peace. That hand is reaching out for you and for me, urging us to extend the same compassion to others.

Hands convey so much. They guide us. When someone is unsteady—physically, mentally, or emotionally—a partner is there to help. Hands steady, reassure, welcome, bless, and pray. Paul reminds us that salvation comes to those who call on the name of the Lord. Peter didn’t develop Paul’s theology from reading Romans; rather, he expressed a faith that had already taken root in his cry for help. Faith doesn’t begin with certainty or accomplishment. It starts with reaching out to the One whose hand is already extending toward us.

Elijah learned that it’s not about the grand display but the quiet, reassuring presence that reminds us we are never alone—even when we become distracted and look away. Sometimes, all we can do is echo Peter’s words: “Lord, save me.” We may not need a new miracle, and the circumstances may not change, but the comfort lies in knowing we’re not alone as we face whatever comes our way. “I will not leave you orphaned,” the Lord assures us.

When the Lord asks us to follow His example, it’s a clear sign that He means it. Love has the power to transform everything—even if it doesn’t change our circumstances. Through love, we can do so much. As members of the Body of Christ, we are called to show love and support to those who are uncertain. Hold them close. Love them fiercely. Be present with them. This is not just about rescue; it’s about salvation—exactly what the incarnate Word came to teach us.

In moments of doubt, we raise our own unsteady hands—perhaps holding them together in prayer—and allow ourselves to be still. In that stillness, the Lord speaks to us: “What are you doing here?” We remember Paul’s words: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” And to our friends, Paul reminds us that while our feet are beautiful, the compassion we receive from God is meant to be shared with others. So, extend your hands. Steady. Prayerful. Helpful. And always hold onto this promise: “Take heart. It is I,” says the Lord. “Do not be afraid.”

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tastigr Pentecost Season, Saints and Feasts, Uncategorized

Lessons from Saint James: Embracing Everyday Pilgrimage

July arrives with a cool breeze and days celebrated as holy. It is July, and the calendar is full of names: James, Mary Magdalene, Thomas, Benedict, Mary and Martha, Ignatius, etc. Some feast days shine brightly; others are almost unnoticed. But all these saints together form a small constellation around Christ and give us a glimpse into what discipleship might look like today. 

The Gospels recall the bold request of his mother Salome and Jesus’ gentle but searching response: “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” James and John answered, “We can.” Jesus did not offer status; he gave a share in his life and in his suffering. James became a leader in Jerusalem, giving gifts to the poor, healing divisions, and in the end giving his life for Christ. 

Around James, the early Church was learning that the risen Lord is not a ghost or vague notion. “Ghosts do not eat,” the Gospels tell us. The risen Christ eats and walks the road and meets people in their fear, joy and weariness. Faith is in real bodies, in real places, on real tables.

The long story of James is etched in legend from the western edge of Europe to Compostela and the Camino. Pilgrims still walk that road and pray with their feet, with quiet longings and deep questions in their hearts. 

But pilgrimage is not only in miles. 

It is driven by desire: the slow, patient way people want to trust God more deeply, to go where Christ leads them. Most of us aren’t going to cross Spain with a pack on our back, but we all are pilgrims. 

Holy ground waits for us in hospital corridors, kitchen sinks, long late-night conversations, in the small faithful work we do every day. 

The God who meets travellers on the road to Compostela meets us on the ordinary paths we travel. And if we remember James and all the saints this month, we might hear that simple invitation: “Follow me.” 

May we be given courage for the cup before us, trust for the road we don’t know, and eyes to see the grace already woven in our daily life.

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tastigr Pentecost Season, Uncategorized, Year A 2026

Teach me your ways, O Lord

What if everything you thought you knew about fearing God needed to change? This week’s reflection is written as Dennis journeyed with his dying father. He offers a profound reexamination of “the fear of the Lord,” revealing that it is not about terror, but about reverent trust in the God who brings life from death. 

Drawing on the parable of the weeds, Jesus presents surprising freedom: your calling isn’t to separate wheat from weeds, but to keep sowing, tending, and loving. Instead of obsessing over who is worthy or who falls short, you are invited to trust that the ultimate sorting belongs to God alone. 

This message turns anxiety into awe and judgment into grace, freeing you from the burden of control and opening your heart to compassion. When you embrace this perspective, you find yourself able to show patience and kindness even in the midst of imperfection, both in yourself and in others. 

Experience this beautifully human, deeply hopeful word—a reminder that we are all growing together, and that love is at the heart of it all. Watch or listen today, and let this teaching inspire new courage and generosity as you live out your faith.

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tastigr Pentecost Season, Year A 2026

Tell us the old, old stories…

What if the most powerful thing you could offer a searching soul isn’t an argument, but a story? Drawing from Matthew 13’s parable of the sower, Isaiah 55, and Psalm 65, there is a quiet but devastating shift: when sharing the gospel becomes a test of who’s resisting us, we’ve moved from sowing to searching for opposition.

The pastoral insight is tender and searching—there is more hope in the young woman’s whispered “That is harsh” than in any rehearsed tract, because the Holy Spirit often speaks first through hesitation.

The homily opens with a vivid scene straight from the Hermitage doorstep—two street missionaries, one teaching the other, until a single sharp question—“What is your problem with the *** Church?”—reveals how quickly urgency can crowd out gentleness

For those of us who feel ill-equipped to evangelise, the message is freeing: you don’t need polished words or winning arguments. Your stories—of kindness in hard times, of beauty noticed at day’s end—are seeds God waters long after you’ve forgotten planting them.

So go today, friends. Carry your story like rain, trust the harvest to God’s hands, and come home rejoicing.

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tastigr Pentecost Season, Year A 2026

The Heavier Side of the Yoke

What if the weight you’re carrying was never meant to be carried alone? In a world obsessed with spectacle and strength, we are invited into a breathtaking truth: Jesus enters not on a warhorse, but a donkey—gentle, humble, and already carrying the heavier side of your yoke. Like Henri Nouwen, who discovered profound love among those the world overlooks at L’Arche, we’re called to do ordinary things with extraordinary tenderness. Mercy isn’t weakness—it’s the very shape of God’s kingdom.

Are the greatest teachers of love the ones the world most often overlooks? Drawing on the founding of L’Arche—a community for people with disabilities now spanning 37 countries—and the life of Henri Nouwen to illuminate a profound truth: God’s kingdom is not built on spectacle or power, but on tender, ordinary faithfulness.

Walking through Zechariah, the Psalms, Matthew, and Romans, a portrait of a humble King who enters Jerusalem appears, not on a warhorse but on a donkey—gentle, unhurried, and close to the broken. Paul’s cry, “Who will rescue me?” finds its answer not in striving harder, but in Christ’s quiet invitation: “Come to me.” Jesus does not promise to remove every burden; He promises to carry the heavier side of the yoke alongside us. This is grace. Our mission as a church is not confined within these walls—we are called outward, as missionaries of mercy, meeting people with compassion rather than judgment. Each small act done with tenderness becomes the visible hand of God.

So the question before us today is urgent and simple: the gentle King is calling. Will you come?

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tastigr Pentecost Season, Saints and Feasts, Uncategorized

Transforming Doubts into Divine Strength

You are Peter: Reflection for the Patronal Festival

What if the very cracks in your faith are not just flaws but the very foundation on which God forges something extraordinary?

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus confronts His disciples with a life-changing question: “Who do you say I am?” In a moment of boldness, Simon jumps to answer, and in that instant, he transforms into Peter, the Rock, a symbol of unwavering faith.

Peter’s journey mirrors ours—each one of us, named by grace, embraced despite our flaws, called to be radiant bridges of love that connect hearts. Just like the Canaanite woman, whose passionate plea stirred the heart of Jesus, we too can approach Him with genuine and trembling faith.

This week’s text passionately explores the profound idea that our personal struggles and doubts in faith can, in fact, lay the groundwork for exhilarating spiritual growth. It references a pivotal moment in the Gospel of Matthew, in which Jesus boldly questions His disciples about His identity. Simon Peter, with all his impulsiveness and flaws, is astonishingly granted a new identity as “the Rock” by Jesus, a powerful symbol of transformation through grace.

This incredible revelation illustrates that, despite our imperfections, we are deeply valued and divinely called to make a positive impact on the world. The poignant mention of the Canaanite woman highlights the awe-inspiring power of sincere faith; her heartfelt plea exemplifies the profound act of approaching God with vulnerability. Overall, the message conveys the exhilarating freedom and unyielding strength found in being authentically known and divinely chosen by God.

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tastigr Pentecost Season, Year A 2026

Remain where you are

What if the hardest rivers you face are actually invitations to build something remarkable?

The image is a striking one of Tasmania’s Batman Bridge—rising boldly over deep, shifting waters, a testament to human ingenuity—to illuminate today’s readings from Jeremiah, Paul, and Matthew.

Like Jeremiah, who remained faithful despite mockery and weariness, we are called not to map the future with precision but to stay steadfast at our post, embracing the challenges ahead. Faith doesn’t erase the river; rather, it compels us to build bridges across pain, division, and uncertainty, transforming obstacles into opportunities for connection and understanding.

These rivers we encounter may seem daunting, yet they serve a profound purpose, urging us to rise above them.

Don’t miss this powerful message—watch or listen now and discover the bridge-builder God is calling you to become, equipped with courage and resilience to create pathways of hope where there was once only struggle.

image from http://www.bigrigs.com.au

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tastigr Pentecost Season, Uncategorized, Year A 2026

Finding God in Unexpected Encounters

What are the chances that a stranger’s voice could change everything? Dennis discovered this through two unexpected encounters—Ryan from London at Melbourne’s St Paul’s Cathedral and Jake from Yorkshire outside a local pharmacy—where unplanned conversations about faith, pilgrimage, and belonging became holy ground.

Forest pathways glowing with blue and gold magical runes under rays of light
Mystical forest trails illuminated by glowing blue and gold runes

Like Philip meeting the Ethiopian eunuch on an ordinary road, these “chance” meetings revealed how God weaves connection through simple openness to others.

Dennis reminds us that relationships, not rituals, transform lives and that every conversation holds potential for grace.

Don’t miss this beautiful reflection on finding God in unexpected places—listen now and discover the sacred hiding in your own ordinary moments.

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tastigr Year A 2026

Sacred Stewardship: Embracing the Trinity in Creation

What if the secret to understanding the Trinity lies not in complex theological diagrams, but in the whispers of ancient ferns by a copper-colored river? Imagine being invited into a profound encounter with God’s triune nature through vivid experiences at Fern Glade on Pallawa Country, where platypuses dive into dark waters and hear the ancient call of Isaiah: “Have you not known? Have you not heard?” Drawing from Psalm 8 and Matthew 28, we see that creation isn’t a completed work; rather, it is God’s ongoing presence—the Trinity actively sustaining, renewing, and breathing life into every moment.

This unique perspective transforms stewardship from a mere environmental duty into a sacred participation in God’s very life. Recycling becomes a form of prayer, and protecting native species turns into an act of worship. Whether you are walking among the rainforests of the Gold Coast or waiting for Tasmanian penguins in the darkness, the Father’s gathering love, the Spirit’s sustaining breath, and Christ’s abiding presence are not just theological concepts; they are lived realities experienced in the wonder of creation.

This Trinity Sunday, step outside and choose one act of care—plant something native, pick up litter, or simply take a moment to appreciate the beauty around you. Let creation teach you what centuries of doctrine have emphasised: we don’t just believe in the Trinity; we inhabit it.

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tastigr Easter Season, Easter Season, Easter Season 2026, Year A 2026

From Dust to Breath

Preparing the Ground for Those Still to Come

What if the very dust beneath your feet holds the secret to resurrection? Retracing our journey from Ash Wednesday’s honest mortality to Pentecost’s living breath, revealing that resurrection isn’t just a future promise but a present reality that transforms ordinary lives. Like the little penguins returning nightly to Australian shores, we’re called to move from darkness toward community, preparing sacred ground for future generations. This isn’t about escaping the world but dwelling within it with reverence, learning to breathe together as ancestors of promise.

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tastigr Easter Season, Easter Season 2026, Year A 2026

The Ascended Christ and the Politics of Divine Care

As we enter this week, the main purpose is to show Christlike care in practical ways. Take a specific action: connect with someone who feels alone, offer help to a neighbour, or listen with patience and kindness. Make your care a visible sign of His presence: practical, attentive, and full of love.

Let the Ascension of Christ propel us into action. We are called as a Church to remain in the world with courage and compassion, embodying Christ’s love and care for the vulnerable. Let us wait with purpose, serve with faithfulness, and boldly demonstrate Christlike care to all we encounter.

  • Ascension’s Meaning: Not an escape, but a call to remain and be witnesses to the ends of the earth.
  • Salvation’s Nature: Not a single moment or decision, but a call to step deeper into the world with Christ’s heart and attention.
  • God’s Care: Not domination or indifference, but a sovereignty that leans towards the vulnerable, exemplified by being a father to orphans and a protector of widows.
  • Christ’s Ascension and Reign: Christ’s ascension is not about distance but about reigning through presence in acts of care, sustenance, and restoration.
  • The Church’s Call to Humility and Care: The Church is called to humility, to endure challenges with faith, and to care for others as Christ does.
  • Waiting as Purposeful Attentiveness: Waiting is not passive but a posture of the heart, involving prayer, service, and support, recognising the Spirit’s faithful, though not always dramatic, work.
  • Christ’s Presence: The Ascended Christ remains with us, guiding and supporting us through trust and grace.
  • Our call to action is clear: Instead of escaping the world, we are summoned to love it as Christ does. We are to show care and create connections with others in practical, intentional ways.
    This week, step forward with confidence. Find ways to embody Christ’s love—connect with someone who feels isolated, serve a neighbour, or extend kindness. May your care, rooted in Christ, shine as a living witness of His presence.
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tastigr Easter Season, Easter Season 2026, Year A 2026

Transforming Pain into Hope: A Mother’s Day Reflection


What if the deepest ache on Mother’s Day is not about missing cards or flowers, but about feeling fundamentally alone?

It is important to face this tender reality by weaving together Paul’s encounter with the “unknown god” in Athens and Jesus’ promise never to leave us orphaned. While our culture celebrates idealised motherhood, there is something more profound: God’s nurturing presence, which gives us breath, sustains our being, and refuses to abandon us even in our darkest moments.

This perspective cuts through both saccharine sentiment and painful silence, offering instead the radical truth that we belong to a community where life is protected, dignity is honoured, and voices are heard.

This is not abstract theology, but resurrection life lived out in practical ways: becoming people who listen deeply, speak truthfully, and nurture faithfully.

As we face situations in which some have been silenced or harmed, we are called to embody the hope that transforms wounds into testimony.

We are not just celebrating mothers today; we are being challenged to mother one another in the truest sense, creating space where growth is possible and no one is left behind, because we are held in the very life of God.

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tastigr Easter Season, Easter Season, Easter Season 2026, Uncategorized, Year A 2026

Understanding Intimacy with God in John 14

It would be too easy to simply dwell on the first six verses of the Gospel of John chapter 14. Often used at funerals as an assurance of the next life, it is rather more than having a place saved in heaven. It is more about the intimacy we have in God.

“In” is the word that has been chosen, deliberately, not with, but an intimacy that is abiding in us, and us in God.

Stephen reveals the ongoing, perpetual, and eternal intimacy between the Son and the Father. Peter encourages us to be just in our doings because we are chosen to be in God.

Jesus then provides a path that leads the Way to the Father, the Truth in the Son, and the gift of Life from the very breath of God (pneuma).

And what follows with Philip is the ultimate call to intimacy in Christ. Jesus reveals the intimacy that is promised and exists in God’s abiding presence. Soon to face the moment of trial, he prays for peace as the supper ends, and they go into the night. Within three days, they will once again be in the room with the reality of the resurrection, the Risen Lord who greets them just as he assures them now, “Peace be with you.”

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tastigr Easter Season, Easter Season 2026, Uncategorized, Year A 2026

From Blindness to Hearing: A Spiritual Journey

Before anything else was spoken… there was a Word.

Not a distant word.
Not an abstract idea.
But a living voice—breathing life into creation, calling light out of darkness, shaping water and land, and naming all that is.

And into that creation, humanity was not left unnamed.

We were called.
Known.
Given identity not by what we achieve, but by the One who speaks us into being. And even when we wandered—
even when we turned away from that voice—
God did not fall silent.

Again and again, through the story of Scripture, the voice returns.

  • Calling Noah into the unknown.
  • Calling Moses from the fire.
  • Calling Samuel in the night.
  • A voice that unsettles.
  • A voice that must be learned.
  • A voice sometimes heard only in the quiet.

And then, in the fullness of time, that voice takes flesh.

And still… it calls.

  • By the lakeside.
  • At the well.
  • In the quiet of a garden.

“Mary.”

One word. A name.
And in that moment, grief turns to recognition, and death gives way to life.

Over these past weeks, we have been walking a path that now comes full circle.

In Lent, we stood with Psalm 23 alongside John 9:1–41—
a story of sight restored, and of blindness revealed. We learned to follow the Shepherd… by what we could see.

But now, in Easter, we return to that same psalm—
this time alongside John 10:1–10. And something has shifted. The Shepherd is no longer recognised simply by sight—
but by voice. “The sheep hear his voice… and he calls them by name.”

So the journey deepens. From seeing…
to hearing. From recognising… to responding.

Today, as we gather around water—
as we remember creation, and baptism, and the life that flows from God we are invited to listen again.

Because the Good Shepherd does not simply lead from a distance.

He calls.

  • Calls each one of us by name.
  • Calls us out of fear.
  • Calls us out of what confines us.
  • Calls us into the life of resurrection.

Water, in Scripture, is never still for long.

  • It flows.
  • It cleanses.
  • It carries.
  • It sends.

And so too, the voice of God.

  • It does not leave us where we are.
  • It draws us forward—into light, into life, into community.

So before we go any further… before we reflect, or respond, or even begin to understand— we begin here:

Listening.

Listening for the voice that knows us.
Listening for the voice that names us.
Listening for the voice that calls us into life.

And perhaps the simplest prayer we can offer today is this:

Call us by name, O Lord,
and give us grace to hear your voice.

.

Break Open the Word April 26th, 2026 Easter 4A
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tastigr Easter Season, Easter Season, Easter Season 2026, Year A 2026

Room to Wonder: no door can keep him out.

Have you ever stood at the water’s edge, watching the light dance across the surface, only to discover that stepping in changes everything? This image illuminates the Easter story, where the disciples huddle behind locked doors—fearful, uncertain, with Thomas demanding proof before believing. Yet Jesus appears among them anyway, bearing the wounds that become not barriers but invitations to encounter. 

Resurrection isn’t merely something we observe from the sidelines but a reality we’re called to step into completely, like moving from the safety of the jetty into the surrounding waters. The pastor emphasises that our church creates “Room to Wonder”—a space where honest questions and authentic doubts are welcomed without pretence. 

Drawing from Acts, the early Christians didn’t just believe in resurrection; they organised their entire lives around it, creating a community so compelling that others were naturally drawn in. This Easter season challenges us to move beyond intellectual acceptance to full immersion in resurrection life. Will you remain safely watching from the edge, or will you accept Christ’s invitation to step fully into the transformative reality that has already broken through every locked door of fear and doubt?

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tastigr Easter Season, Easter Season, Easter Season 2026

Triduum

Do the most profound moments of our lives occur in triumph? Or do they happen in the quiet space between loss and hope? The three-day series shared the transformative journey starting from Maundy Thursday’s intimate last supper. It continued through Good Friday’s sacrificial love and onto Easter’s gentle resurrection. This journey reveals how Christ’s love moves us from darkness into light. Through vivid imagery, we are shown that Jesus washes feet. He pours out blood and water. He leaves behind empty grave clothes. Faith isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about trusting enough to enter the mystery. The sermon culminated in Paul’s baptism. This event demonstrates how Easter becomes personal when we step into the water ourselves. It happens not because we’re perfect, but because grace welcomes us exactly as we are. As reminded, resurrection doesn’t erase our wounds and questions. It transforms them. It makes space for wonder, community, and new beginnings. This Easter morning encourages us to listen for our name in the garden. We should trust that the same love that conquered death actively shapes our ordinary days into extraordinary hope.

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tastigr Lent A 2026, Year A 2026

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday does not ask us to explain what is happening.

It asks us to notice.

To notice the road.
To notice the shift.
To notice what Christ is walking toward.

Like these days of still, settled weather,
there is no sudden storm to force our attention.

Instead, we are invited to stay.

To stay with the tension.
To listen more closely.
To walk more deliberately.

The crowd will not hold its voice.

The road will narrow.

And still Christ walks on.

So the invitation this week is a quiet one:

Not to rush ahead to Easter.
Not to turn away from the cost.

But to walk the road as it is given.

Step by step.

Awake.

Unguarded.

And, like Thomas,
with eyes open enough to see where it leads —
and courage enough to keep walking.

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tastigr Lent A 2026, Year A 2026

“Where there is sorrow, there is holy ground.”

God does not stand at the edge of our graves —
He calls life out of them.

Where humanity sees bones, tombs, and depths — God breathes Spirit and speaks life.

In the valley of dry bones, God promises that breath will come again. At Bethany, the Word made flesh calls life from a tomb. Lazarus emerges still wrapped in death. Jesus commands the community to unbind him. Resurrection life is not only given by Christ — it is also lived out together.

Lazarus hears the voice of Christ. He comes out of the tomb. Still, he is wrapped in the garments of death. Resurrection begins with Christ’s call, yet it is completed when the community helps remove the wrappings that death left behind.

The sign revealed at Bethany points toward the Cross.

Because something important happens instantly after Lazarus is raised:

“From that day on they planned to put him to death.” (John 11:53)

The raising of Lazarus sets the Cross in motion.

Life for Lazarus leads to death for Jesus.

God does not stand at the edge of our graves; he calls life out of them.

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Where humanity sees bones, tombs, and depths, God breathes Spirit and speaks life.

The readings today move through a single pattern: Breath, Voice, Life.

Resurrection is not something we experience; it is something we are called into.

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tastigr Lent A 2026, Year A 2026

Seeing the Shepherd

In the Gospel story, the disciples question Jesus about the cause of a man’s blindness, seeking to assign blame. Instead, Jesus shifts the conversation toward the possibilities of God’s work being revealed.

This narrative invites us to move from a mindset of blame to one of hope. Pain and hardship are no longer seen as punishments. Instead, they are seen as opportunities for God’s grace to manifest.

This transformation shapes our understanding of suffering and redemption. No longer an exacter of vengeance, the Good Shepherd seeks to find the lost and encourage reconciliation.

Jesus performs a miraculous act. He uses earth and spittle to heal the blind man. This illustrates the profound nature of God’s creative power. This miracle demonstrates the Creator’s ability to bring forth new life through simple, earthly materials.

It invites us to see God’s extraordinary work through the ordinary. We gain sight to recognise His hand in all creation.

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tastigr Lent A 2026, Year A 2026

The Ripple Effect

At Jacob’s well, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman. The barriers that usually keep people apart—history, suspicion, old wounds—fall away in the midday light. There is no condemnation here. Instead, Jesus offers living water, reaching into the dry places of the heart, offering hope that endures.

Midday. Heat presses down. Jesus, weary from the road, sits by the well. A woman approaches—one who carries the weight of being overlooked, dismissed, misunderstood. Jesus does not turn away. He listens. He brings her story into the light, not to shame, but to heal. He offers her more than water: a new beginning, a life that springs up from God’s own heart. She leaves her jar behind, her old burdens forgotten, and runs to share what she has seen.

Her story becomes ours. We, too, carry wounds and quiet shame. We, too, stand at the well, longing for something more. Jesus meets us there—not with rejection, but with grace. As we get this living water, fear loosens its grip. Our lives become wells of compassion, spilling over with hope for those around us.

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tastigr Year A 2026

Arriving at the Pace of Faith:

Letting the New Light Dawn upon Us

Ancient oil lamp on a stand illuminating salt spilling from a bushel

Have you ever noticed how light appears before we fully grasp its presence?

This week, we explore how faith emerges like dawn—not in dramatic bursts, but in quiet acts of faithfulness. Through Isaiah’s timeless wisdom, we discover that light breaks forth not when we chase it. It shows up in simple moments of sharing bread, opening doors, and caring for others.

Whether you’re seeking purpose in life’s rush or yearning for spiritual clarity, this message shows that God’s light is already here. It shows how it is waiting to be recognised in our everyday acts of love. Don’t miss this timely reminder of how faith unfolds at God’s perfect pace.

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LENTEN STUDY

tastigr Year A 2026

Finding Light in Waiting: Lessons from Simeon and Anna

Waiting for the Light invites us to linger with the Feast of the Presentation — a moment poised between endings and beginnings. Christmas has faded, Lent has not yet arrived, and we stand, like Simeon and Anna, holding promise without rushing toward conclusion. This reflection listens for what Scripture says when faith is shaped not by certainty, but by long, faithful waiting.

Drawing on the images of refining fire, humble offerings, and light entering the temple quietly, the piece explores wisdom gained over time — the kind that does not demand answers, but recognises God when God appears. Simeon’s release and Anna’s renewed proclamation remind us that some pilgrimages end gently, while others turn outward in unexpected ways.

In a season marked by fragility, uncertainty, and waiting — both personal and shared — this reflection offers space rather than solutions. The attached text is written to be read slowly, or even spoken aloud, allowing silence to settle where meaning continues to unfold. It asks not what comes next, but how we wait, and what light we are being entrusted to carry.

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tastigr Year A 2026

Called into Light: Made a People

There is an inherent cohesion running through the readings as set for Epiphany 3A.

In Isaiah 9, the prophecy begins, “here will be no gloom for those who were in anguish”, and then progresses to one of the most loved Isaiah verses, “The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light…” What is of import here is that the prophecy is not only located in the very place that Jesus calls his disciples and begins his Messianic mission, but is to extend beyond there.

Interestingly, there is still a gloom over these once-occupied and disputed territories. (worth looking at the 1947 resolution, and the consequential battles).

Nightly, I have conversed in the region, talking with people trying to survive while, all around them, the remains of buildings and infrastructure lie in ruins. War is one thing, but collateral damage against those considered foreigners in the land violates Leviticus 19:33–34, 24:22, and 25:35.

The command is love your neighbour as yourself, not be kind to strangers. On the principle of love of God, and love of neighbour as yourself hang all the laws and prophets.

Yet

Add to that Jesus’ own insistence that when he was in a stranger’s guise, did you offer hospitality (lest we forget the transgressions of Sodom and Gomorrah).

So, the Gospel passage today technically begins in Northern Israel, as the State of Palestine is disputed, but even in Jesus’ time, this area was on the margins and in the shadow of how the rest of the world treated it. It was in the margins that Jesus called the four and promised to teach them to fish for people. It was around the Galilee of the Nations (Matt 4) that the blind began to see, the deaf heard, at synagogues, the law of God was proclaimed, and the lame were liberated from their disabilities.

Then, here in Australia, we just had a day of national mourning for the unacceptable terrorism unleashed on Bondi Beach, targetting a people of faith in the name of ideology.

Where Jesus walked is in constant mourning, need, poverty and desperation. We dare not have a day for that? Or this coming Monday, mourning the disastrous effects of colonialism on this Great Southern Land?

More and more, we need to be people of light and unity. Paul addresses unity in Corinth not by shutting down factions, but by reminding those who confess Christ Jesus of the need to focus on mind, body, soul, and strength.

In the light. Beyond the Sea of Tiberius and the Galilee of the Nations.

Maybe I’m a Christian mystic with Piscean overtones of dreaming whilst trying not to drown in a sea of gloom. If I could bring the light of Christ and peace to any conflict in the world, I would.

Dreaming is strongly biblical. It is in synergy with our Traditional Custodians of the Land. From dreams, beginnings happen, realities are forged, and hope reigns within our faith and love. It has no reward other than simply being the best person, reflecting the image of God within us back into the community.

I wouldn’t demand a medal I wasn’t entitled to. If I did receive one, along with the 10 million euros, I know where it would be spent: on food, delivery, infrastructure, rehabilitation of innocent children, and a foundation for peace.

Oh, and of the medal itself? It would be straight down to the pool room with all the other good stuff.

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tastigr Year A 2026

Shaped by love and patience

The Scriptures do not ask us to crack them.
They ask us to dwell in them.

It’s not about looking for hidden meaning, or illuminati seeking to gain advantage through knowledge held or revelations given.

It is simply this: when we look at the empty tomb, we do not see it; we experience it.

When we enter into scripture, we are asked to come, sit, listen, learn and breathe. In doing so, we dwell in them, not tame them for our own gain.

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Sunset over Lake Victoria through the window of St Barnabas Chapel, Raymond Island
tastigr Year A 2026

Living Together in the Light

This week’s homily will not be preached on Sunday, 11th January, but I spent considerable time reflecting on what the four verses of the Gospel of Matthew mean. Bit of a minefield, really.

Down here, we’ve had a week of unprecedented heat, with this little coastal hamlet reaching mid-40ºC several times. Add to that gale-force winds and power cuts, and it’s been, well, not the iced-over world some of my friends in the UK are experiencing! Visitors today from Aberdeen to St Peter’s most certainly were experiencing culture shock!

So… Living Together in the Light is also the working title for the Lenten Study, due to be available by the end of the month.

Please pray for the volunteer firebrigades. They are our friends, heroes, and backbone.

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tastigr Year A 2026

Arise! Shine! For your light has come!

The words of Isaiah are etched rather deeply into my mind, but for a rather cynical reason rather than joyful! At seminary, each Monday morning office began with those words, and more often than not, it was led by a monastic who possessed the most glorious “north of the Tweed” drawl! (If you know, you know!) Somehow, it seemed to mock the joy of being back for the week!

But we are called into Christ’s marvellous light, and in the context of an Australian summer, where the north wind is more than tossing the leaves, it is shredding the branches, and about to bring temperatures of in excess of 40ºC during the coming week. On the pleasant side, if the sky isn’t too illuminated by the future Full Moon, another geomagnetic storm is about to be unleashed on planet Earth, and the southern and northern lights (auroras) will be visible beyond the (Ant)arctic Circles.

Astrologers from the East had “seen the King’s” star, and, to borrow a joke from Ted the Sheep, began the first ever Star Trek to Jerusalem. Herod the Great, a Jewish convert and appointed puppet of Rome, was none too pleased to hear that one with a better claim on the throne had been born. And…what followed as a result was a minor genocide, the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt, and only returning when Herod had died. They settled in Nazareth, in the northern hills of Israel. History is once again rhyming, prophecy fulfilled, and all sorts of wonderful stories began.

We, too, are called to follow the ‘light’, not as much as a result of forbidden Astrology, but rather, the true light that comes into the world. The start of the new year (in terms of whatever calendar you prefer to follow) is often seen as a time for new beginnings. And we celebrate that new beginning often with fireworks, bursting forth into the night as bright shining stars. Millions flock to see the lights. For Christians, this is a time to pay our homage, and then, arise, shine, and let the light not only guide us from any wilderness, but to show the path to others that they, too, may come and pay homage to the child.

May this be a year of letting the divine spark of life in essence within us, the image of God in which we were created, shine as we share our countenance with all whom we meet.

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tastigr Christmastide 2025

Holy Innocents, Batman? We need to talk!

Shanna Hetrick’s brilliant sermon now attached below.

This week is not based on a sermon but on an essay on current events and how difficult it can be to accurately address the present issues.


The text reflects on the Feast of the Holy Innocents as a necessary disruption of comforting Christmas images, insisting that the Incarnation involves vulnerability, violence, and grief rather than just a soft-focus nativity.

Using the example of a new Lay Reader preaching on this challenging topic, it explores the moral courage required to address themes of terror, injustice, and the genocide of children in a way that avoids antisemitism while honestly engaging the historical and political context of the biblical narrative.

Drawing on scholarship (especially Daniel Harrington SJ), it presents Matthew’s Gospel as a deeply Jewish text whose harsh polemic has sometimes fuelled anti-Jewish readings, yet also holds strong potential for reconciliation and Christian–Jewish dialogue when read historically and theologically. The reflection urges careful, responsible interpretation, awareness of the reader’s experience, and vigilance against the risk of misusing Scripture.

It proposes concrete pastoral responses—prayer, outreach, education, and interfaith dialogue—to foster lament, solidarity, and moral vigilance. In closing, it challenges the community to resist Pilate-like detachment, remain with the complex story of the Holy Innocents, confront contemporary antisemitism and suffering, and choose uncomfortable truth over sentimental comfort as a path toward healing and genuine understanding.

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Threads and Echos

“It is the same thread given to us by the echo of Matthew’s community: in the face of turmoil and a sense of helplessness, we have an origin that provides us with a solid foundation to sew the thread into the future.

God intervened in history at a particular time for a peculiar people. In the midst of the mess that is our world, with the same story of children being deliberately targeted, we have an assurance that he will do so again. The four “p’s” are our guiding thread: prayer, preparation, patience and perseverance. We may never know where our thread will echo in the future, but it will.

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tastigr Christmastide 2025

The Light that embraces us all

A Christmas special!


On Christmas Eve, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the light that interrupts darkness and brings hope, peace, joy, and love. This light, embodied in a vulnerable child, is not just a memory but a present reality that shines into our lives, even in the darkest moments. We are called to reflect this light through kindness, courage, and compassion, sharing it with others and bringing hope to a world in need.

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tastigr Advent Year A

People of the Dawn: Signs of Newness in the Fidelity of Love

This study guide was put together prior to the terrorist activity afflicting the Jewish Community of Bondi North, Sydney, on 14th December. Chanukkah, a festival of joy, became a moment in history where ideology masquerading as faithfulness sought to bring as much pain as possible on a day when Christians were also celebrating the Joy of God’s presence. 

The Advent message remains one of light and hope. Today, we explore the interruption in light of the mourning of the people of faith in Bondi, and our sisters and brothers of all Abrahamic Faiths.

In a world often gripped by fear and uncertainty, we illuminate the profound mystery of Advent’s fourth candle – Love – weaving together the stories of King Ahaz, Joseph, and the “doubting” Thomas to reveal God’s transformative presence among us. 

Through Isaiah’s ancient prophecy of Emmanuel and Matthew’s account of Joseph’s faithful response to the divine dream, we witness love taking flesh in the most unexpected ways. 

These biblical narratives to our present moment, reminding us that God’s love isn’t a distant concept but a living reality that continues to manifest in our community, beautifully exemplified through the six-decade-long ministry of faithful servants like Fr Jim Reeves and Fr Michael Fox. 

By the serene waters of Gippsland Lakes, where horizon meets heart, we’re challenged to recognise that Advent love isn’t passive but incarnational – calling us, like Joseph and Thomas, to move beyond our doubts and fears to embrace God’s presence in tangible ways. 

As we approach the celebration of Christ’s birth, we’re urged to let this divine love take flesh in our own lives, transforming our service, compassion, and faith into living testimonies of Emmanuel – God with us.

We pray for those disturbed by acts of terror.

We pray for those whose lives have been taken by others who choose to kill as a sign of fidelity.

O Oriens,
Radiance of eternal Light,
Sun of righteousness,
come and shine on those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death.

Where hearts are heavy and hopes grow thin,
rise upon us.
Where nations strain toward peace,
dawn among us.
Where the weary wait for morning,
be our light.

As blessing once flowed from Aaron—
down beard and robe,
binding the tribes in one calling—
let your light now fall upon all peoples,
gathering what is scattered,
healing what is divided,
and warming the cold places of the world.

Turn our faces toward the coming day.
Teach us to walk as children of the dawn,
until night yields to joy
and all creation lives in your light.

Come, O Dayspring.
Do not delay. Amen.

We pray for the person whose ideals are fed by evil and false narratives

We pray for the peace that passes all understanding, in our hearts, mind, soul and strength, the very place we are asked to love our Creator and all people.

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tastigr Advent Year A

People of the Dawn: Signs of Joy in the Wilderness

Advent is the season when the Church stands in the half-light of dawn—between what has already been and what is yet to come. It is a time when we lean forward into God’s promises, listening for the quiet stirrings of joy in unexpected places.

Here in our southern land—where Advent arrives not with winter darkness but with long evenings, cicada-song, and warm winds—joy takes on its own texture. It appears in green shoots on burnt ground, in birdsong before dawn, in the neighbour who checks in unasked, and in the quiet strength we draw from community.

Gaudete Sunday—“Rejoice!”—is a pause in the season’s quiet waiting, a reminder that joy is not only ahead of us but already among us.

This study invites groups and individuals to listen deeply to the voices of Isaiah, the Psalms, James, and the Gospel. Each reading opens a different window onto joy: blossoms in the desert, God’s steadfast care for the vulnerable, the honesty of doubt, and the unmistakable signs of renewal that mark the kingdom of God. Together they reveal that joy is not a fleeting emotion but a posture shaped by trust, mercy, and expectation.

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tastigr Advent Year A, Uncategorized

People of the Dawn

Advent is holy interruption:

Light interrputing darkness
Grace interrupting sin
Peace interrupting fear
God interrupting history
Christ interrupting expectations.

And Matthew’s genealogy proclaims the same truth.
God works in the interruptions.

Are you feeling the weight of darkness in your life? Like those early morning birds on the lake who herald the coming dawn before anyone sees it, come with us into Advent’s transformative promise. Through vivid stories of nature’s dawn chorus and Paul’s urgent call to “wake from sleep,” this message reveals how we can live as people of dawn—even when light seems distant. Learn practical ways to shift from fear to faith, from exhaustion to hope, and from distraction to devotion. This is a timely reminder that God’s new day is already breaking—discover how to become a herald of hope in our weary world.

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tastigr Reflections for Year C 2024-25, Saints and Feasts, Uncategorized

The Reign of Christ: from Hope to Grace

Have you ever felt the world spinning out of control, yearning for something solid to hold onto? Today, we explore how Christ’s kingship offers not a distant authority but an intimate grace that holds our fragmenting world together. Through Jeremiah’s shepherd-king, Zechariah’s dawning light, and the paradox of a crucified King, we discover how hope transforms into grace at the cross. Whether you’re seeking direction or desperately in need of assurance, this timely message reveals how Christ’s reign brings healing to our fractured lives. In this transformative journey from hope to grace— discover how Love holds all things together.
 

As the congregation stands between the Year of Hope and the Year of Grace, we are challenged to embody this transformative grace in our community – to become agents of compassion, forgiveness, and light. 

The urgent call rings clear: in Christ’s reign, love overcomes fear, mercy triumphs over judgment, and grace conquers death itself. God reigns in forgiveness as we all receive, grace upon grace. 

 

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tastigr Reflections for Year C 2024-25, Uncategorized

Why follow when the world burns?

In a world that often feels like it’s burning, as we approach the end of the International Year of Hope, we once again view it through the lens of Job’s unwavering faith. Drawing parallels between ancient scripture and modern-day struggles, including a poignant conversation with Hassan in war-torn Gaza, he explores the profound mystery of following Christ amid devastation. Through the interconnected stories of Job’s defiant declaration, “I know my Redeemer lives,” and Hassan’s steadfast belief that “Peace will reign,” we can see how God’s glory manifests not in displays of power, but in the suffering love.

© Dennis Webster 2025

Southern Aurora over Lake Victoria, 12 November 2025

When confronted by the fiery prophecies of Malachi, the victorious praise of Psalm 98, and Jesus’s sobering words about endurance, it is apparent that endings often signal God’s new beginnings. The sermon crescendos with a compelling truth: we follow Jesus not because the path is safe, but because He has already walked it and awaits us.

In these turbulent times, the challenge is to embrace Job’s steadfastness, Paul’s dedication, and Christ’s enduring promise that by our endurance, we will gain our souls. His urgent call beckons us to work quietly, love deeply, and hope fiercely, knowing that our Redeemer lives and stands with us still.

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tastigr Reflections for Year C 2024-25

I Hear the Ancient Footsteps

This sermon, titled “I Hear the Ancient Footsteps,” integrates themes of Every Grain of Sand, the meteor moment, All Saints continuity, Remembrance, CFA/SES thanksgiving, and the significance of steps. It emphasises faith as defiance against meaninglessness, resurrection as real, and the end as not terror but Kingdom, communion, and Christ. The sermon encourages standing firm, like CFA & SES in crisis, and highlights the importance of our footsteps, walking with those who have gone before us and those who will come after.

The five-day devotional will be trekking the sermon from this weekend. It will explore the themes of faith, hope, and resilience in the face of life’s uncertainties. Each day will offer reflection, prayer, and a closer examination of the Scriptures shared during the sermon, guiding us on a journey toward understanding and embracing our steadfast God and His plans for us.

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tastigr Reflections for Year C 2024-25, Saints and Feasts, Uncategorized

I want to be forever young…

The sermon for All Saints’ Day celebrates the communion of saints, emphasising that saints are not distant figures but a living, breathing family spanning heaven and earth. It highlights that the communion of saints begins now, as we are adopted into God’s family and called to live out our inheritance with courage and gratitude. The sermon challenges the congregation to embody this inheritance through acts of love and service, inspired by the saints of Scripture, history, and their local community.

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tastigr Reflections for Year C 2024-25

Living as Agents of God’s Love

This week, we explore the theme of change and growth, drawing parallels between the evolution of music and the journey of faith. It highlights the need for lament, hope, and faithful love, as exemplified in the scriptures from Jeremiah, Luke, and 2 Timothy. The sermon encourages embracing change, trusting in God’s mercy, and living as agents of His love, even amidst technological advancements and shifting musical styles.

Ultimately, we are encouraged as the congregation to fully embrace change as an essential part of life and faith. It speaks to the importance of trusting in God’s unwavering mercy as we navigate our personal journeys and the world around us. Furthermore, we are challenged to live as active agents of His love, inspiring others through our actions, especially in an era marked by rapid technological advancements and continually shifting musical styles.

By doing so, we can cultivate a community rooted in love, hope, and faithfulness amidst the inevitable changes we encounter.

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tastigr Reflections for Year C 2024-25

Faith that Waits, Trusts, and Serves


Can faith as small as a mustard seed really transform your life? Through the lens of the devastating Australian bushfires, we share a powerful message about the resilience of faith. Just as charred landscapes burst forth with new life, our faith isn’t measured by quantity but by unwavering trust in God’s promises. Drawing from Habakkuk’s honest questioning and Jesus’ surprising response to the apostles, this message reveals how authentic faith waits, trusts, and serves—even in life’s darkest moments. Ready to discover how your smallest seed of faith can flourish into something remarkable? Don’t miss this transformative message about finding hope in the ashes.

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tastigr Reflections for Year C 2024-25

Self-Satisfaction is not a godly virtue

Have you ever caught yourself shrugging off others’ suffering with “that’s just how things are”? In this powerful message, we are challenged to overcome our complacency through Jesus’ parable of Lazarus and the rich man. Through vivid contrasts between a life of lavish feasting and desperate poverty, we discover that God’s heart breaks for those we often overlook. Drawing parallels to modern attitudes about wealth and poverty, Jesus reveals how self-satisfaction blinds us to our divine calling. Don’t miss this convicting exploration of true Christian compassion—discover how stepping out of comfort into Christ-like generosity leads to “the life that really is life.”

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tastigr Reflections for Year C 2024-25, Uncategorized

The Call for Restorative Justice

A Peek from behind the Fig Tree

Workbook and Texts below the summary.

God invites us to align our hearts with His, embodying mercy, justice, and restoration. Jesus’ healing of the bent-over woman exemplifies true Sabbath worship—acts of mercy. St Bartholomew’s life reminds us to be faithful witnesses, aligning our hearts with God’s through integrity, openness, and trust.

  • God’s Heart: God desires mercy, justice, and restoration, inviting us to align our hearts with His.
  • True Worship: True worship involves breaking oppression, caring for the weak, and showing mercy, as exemplified by Jesus’ healing of the woman on the Sabbath.
  • God’s Kingdom: We belong to an unshakable kingdom, prompting us to worship with reverence and gratitude, rooted in trust.
  • Mercy’s Power: Jesus’s actions demonstrate that mercy surpasses rigid rules and brings restoration and freedom.
  • God’s Mercy in Action: The story of the woman bent over for eighteen years illustrates how God’s mercy lifts us up and restores our dignity.
  • Application to Our Lives: We are called to embrace God’s mercy, choosing compassion and freedom over fear and legalism, and to live as instruments of restoration in the world.
  • Bartholomew’s Character: Open, honest, and faithful follower of Christ.
  • God’s Promise: God will raise a prophet to speak God’s words, fulfilled in Jesus Christ and carried forward by disciples like Bartholomew.
  • God’s Presence: God is near to all who call upon Him, as seen in Jesus’ interaction with Nathanael.
  • Bartholomew’s Legacy: Bartholomew’s name is inscribed on the foundations of the New Jerusalem, symbolising the enduring impact of his witness.
  • Call to Faithful Living: The readings encourage us to follow the Way, the Truth, and the Life, even from a place of doubt, and to build our lives on Christ.
  • Bartholomew’s Example: Bartholomew’s life exemplifies integrity, openness, and faithful witness, inspiring us to align our hearts with God’s.
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tastigr Reflections for Year C 2024-25

Aligning with the Heart of God


What if your prayers held the power to change the world? How do we align our prayers with the heart of God as we embrace the Lord’s Prayer?

Through the compelling story of Abraham’s bold intercession in Genesis 18, we are reminded that God is always willing to listen and forgive, even in our darkest moments.

Drawing on the consistent theme explored in Luke 10, we are drawn into a conversation about the importance of hospitality in our spiritual lives, describing how engaging in prayer invites us to advocate for justice and mercy in a fractured world.

Breaking Open the Word for the Seventh Sunday of Pentecost

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tastigr Reflections for Year C 2024-25

Transformative Compassion begins with the Heart

What would you do if you found yourself alone on a desolate road, faced with the urge to help someone in need? In his powerful sermon, Dennis takes us on a journey through the vital call of transformative compassion, urging us to lead with our hearts in moments of decision. He illustrates this with a vivid scenario: encountering a stranded stranger in the outback, challenging us to confront our fears and prejudices.

Drawing on scripture, Dennis emphasises that compassion isn’t just a feeling but a crucial act of love that reflects God’s mercy, one that transcends boundaries and calls for self-sacrifice. He skillfully connects this message to our lives and the church’s mission, reminding us that genuine compassion emerges not from perfection but from humility and the understanding that we, too, are recipients of grace. As we explore the parable of the Good Samaritan,

Dennis invites us to embody this radical love, showing that true transformation begins within. The message resonates deeply: our faith is incomplete without this sacrificial compassion. Join us as we embrace this essential path to God’s heart—listen to Dennis’s sermon and discover the compelling call to “Go and do likewise!”

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tastigr Reflections for Year C 2024-25

Under the Branches of the Tree of Life 

A Journey of Healing and Harmony


Are you searching for a place of healing and hope? In his captivating sermon, Dennis invites us to gather “Under the Branches of the Tree of Life,” where we discover a powerful symbol of resilience and divine connection. Rooted in biblical texts, Dennis draws from the profound imagery of the Tree of Life, illustrating how it serves as a reminder of our mission as bearers of peace and healing in today’s world.

He emphasises the commissioning of the seventy by Jesus in Luke 10, exploring how their mission is echoed in our calling to mend relationships and cultivate a community filled with God’s love. With anecdotes of comfort from Isaiah and joyful declarations from Psalms, Dennis emphasises our shared responsibility in participating in God’s re-creation.

He challenges us to reflect: Are we willing to be branches, nurturing life and comfort in our neighbourhoods?

This stirring message not only affirms our identity as vessels of the Kingdom but also compels us to take action: to plant seeds of peace and healing in the lives around us.

Don’t miss the opportunity to engage with this transformative sermon – it might just spark the change you’ve been waiting for!

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tastigr Reflections for Year C 2024-25

St Peter: Feast of Title

This weekend, being the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul, or if you wish, just St Peter, we are keeping the feast with an Evensong on Saturday 3.30 pm and a Festive Eucharist on Sunday at 9.30 am.

There are two versions of the sermon…! I’ve kept the original ‘sandpit’ in with questions, but I am more inclined to go with the second, shorter and more lyrical story! Mind you, with two services, I could do both, but yeah, nah! (‘strine noted!)

(‘strine: local bogan dialect of Australia…as in the nation is ‘strine).

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tastigr Reflections for Year C 2024-25

Clothed, Called, and Commissioned: A Gospel for All

Restoration in Christ doesn’t just put us back together—it transforms us and places us within a vibrant, interconnected community. This restoration is not merely about mending what was broken; it’s about reshaping our identity and purpose. In Christ, we are no longer fragmented individuals, isolated by our past or our struggles. Instead, we become part of something greater—a family bound not by blood, but by grace and faith.

We are no longer strangers wandering aimlessly or spectators observing from the sidelines. We are adopted as heirs to God’s promises, woven into the rich tapestry of His family. This new identity carries with it a profound sense of belonging and purpose. The barriers that once divided us—be they cultural, social, or personal—are dismantled through Christ’s work of reconciliation.

The story of Christ’s love and redemption spreads not through grand spectacles or fleeting displays of power, but through the quiet, transformative power of reconciliation. As relationships are healed and communities are restored, the message of Christ’s grace becomes evident. It is in the day-to-day acts of kindness, forgiveness, and unity that the world witnesses the actual impact of his restoration. This is the beauty of Christ’s work: it not only restores but also redefines, drawing us into a community where love, grace, and reconciliation are the hallmarks of our shared journey.

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tastigr Reflections for Year C 2024-25

Dreams and Visions – the essence of Hope

Dennis emphasised the significance of dreams and visions as expressions of hope inspired by the Holy Spirit during Pentecost. He emphasised that the Spirit empowers everyone, regardless of their status, to envision a hopeful future despite a cynical world.

By drawing contrasts between the confusion of Babel and the unity experienced at Pentecost, Dennis illustrated how God’s message transcends language and division, underscoring its universal appeal. Ultimately, he called the Church to be a community of dreamers, actively engaging in the pursuit of reconciliation, justice, and hospitality, encouraging everyone to respond to God’s call with readiness and hope.

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tastigr Reflections for Year C 2024-25, Uncategorized

The Hope that Holds Us

Dennis emphasises the transformative power of hope, distinguishing it from mere optimism. He uses the examples of Paul and Silas, the unwavering justice of God in Psalm 97, and the inviting words of Revelation to illustrate the liberating, reigning, and unifying qualities of hope. Jesus’ prayer for unity among believers reinforces the importance of hope in our relationships and faith journeys.

Ultimately, Dennis encourages us to embrace the hope that holds us steadfast, even in our darkest moments.

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tastigr Reflections for Year C 2024-25

Finding Hope in Unexpected Places

Sermon and Study for 25th May, 2025

Please note: There are two Gospel possibilities for Easter 6C. I chose John 5, not John 14.

Dennis emphasises that hope often emerges in unexpected places, breaking through societal rules and traditions. He illustrates this with the story of a paralysed man who, after 38 years of waiting, encounters Jesus, who offers healing without adhering to the law. The sermon contrasts the man’s isolation at the pool with Lydia, who embodies grace and hospitality, welcoming Paul and becoming a beacon of hope. Dennis calls the congregation to extend Christ’s hospitality, embrace healing as a gift, and actively notice and support those around them.

Easter 6C BOTWDownload

tastigr Reflections for Year C 2024-25

From Joppa to the World: Taking the Voice of God to the Ends of the Earth

In the study, Dennis emphasises Joppa as a significant crossroads for hearing God’s voice and responding to his call. He compares the stories of Jonah and Peter, highlighting how both faced God’s mission, with Peter ultimately choosing obedience and crossing cultural boundaries. The message extends beyond individuals to all creation, reminding the congregation of their role in stewardship and affirming that love is the defining characteristic of their mission. Dennis urges the church to respond boldly to God’s call, embracing its mission of caring for one another and the earth.

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