Posts
Stay up to date with the latest from our blog.
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Small Drops of Hope
Small Drops of Hope shows us that true forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration don’t happen in big gestures or dramatic statements—but in small acts of mercy over time (like drops of water creating ripples). The…
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The Tears of Creation: Grief and Action in Crisis
With such great suffering, as in recent natural disasters such as the collapse of a glacier in the Himalayas, this Sermon urges the Church to adopt a threefold attitude: ring the bell, carry the…
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Facing the Right Way
It is a bit difficult to think of writing about parched waters and overflowing sanctuaries in the light of the Nepalese humanitarian and geographical disaster. This reflection was written prior to the 26th August,…
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Who do people say that I am?
When I was making my list of saints for Revealed in Life, a certain theme started to emerge—stories concerning identity, the self, and our relationship with the Lord. The saints whom I am going…
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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…
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Take Me
This week we explore the ongoing compassion of Jesus and how it plays out from the feeding of the 5000 to the sinking of Peter on the Lake. No matter what storms we face,…
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Feeding the Multitude
Apologies for the tardy upload. Sermon preached by Mrs Alison Goetz, Diocesan Lay Reader My drivel, from a rather dark and quiet space… Also, update on “Revealed in Lives not Letters
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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“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…
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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…
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Arriving at the Pace of Faith:
Letting the New Light Dawn upon Us LENTEN STUDY
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Holy Innocents, Batman? We need to talk!
Shanna Hetrick’s brilliant sermon now attached below. 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,…
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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…
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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…
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People of the Dawn
Advent is holy interruption: Light interrputing darknessGrace interrupting sinPeace interrupting fearGod interrupting historyChrist interrupting expectations. And Matthew’s genealogy proclaims the same truth.God works in the interruptions. Are you feeling the weight of darkness in…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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My grace is sufficient
Dennis, inspired by N.T. Wright, shares the cautionary tale of Daedalus and Icarus to highlight the dangers of pride. Through Paul’s experiences and visions, he emphasizes the sufficiency of God’s grace in overcoming weaknesses.…
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Indeed, very good questions
Having sent out the twelve, Jesus’ disciples are noticed by Herod Antipas, causing a recounting of John the Baptist’s death and Herod’s questionable, if not incestuous, relationship with his brother’s wife and their daughter.
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Swing wide the hem of your garment
This sermon ncourages community restoration and the healing power of faith in his sermon “Swing wide the hem of your garment” from the series “Pilgrimage to Heaven.” Through anecdotes and Open Space Technology, Dennis…
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Totally at Sea – for the first time!
This sermon explores the significance of the Sea of Galilee, Jonah’s biblical story, disciples’ challenges, and the pilgrimage concept. It emphasises the importance of faith, understanding, and connecting with God’s presence, especially during difficult…
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The Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of GodIn the readings in Mark’s Gospel, we hear short (at first) parables in which Jesus begins to answer the question, “What is the kingdom of God like?”In some respects, this reminds…
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Eyes, Hands, Feet. 9th June, 2024
Christ has no eyes but our eyes. Christ has no hands but our hands. Christ has no feet but our feet. We are the Body of Christ, for his Spirit is with us.
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Embracing the Mystery of the Trinity: Finding Unity in Complexity
The article “Living in the Love of the Triune God” delves into the intricate concept of the Trinity and its theological controversies. Dennis addresses fears of misinterpretation and emphasizes the Trinity’s enduring ability to…
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Embracing Universal Divine Love at Pentecost: Truth and Reconciliation
The sermon “Truth and Love, Can We Handle It?” delves into the themes of unity, diversity, and universal love depicted in the Pentecost experience. It emphasizes the need for expressing divine love through language…
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The Power and Responsibility of Testimony
The sermon “The Power and Responsibility of Testimony” delves into the significance of witnessing in the Christian faith, drawing from the context of 1 John 5:9-13. It emphasizes that testimony goes beyond storytelling to…
Breaking Open 