Sermons

A sermon on John 1: 1-18 by Audrey Kateena

We can’t take it for granted that Jesus will be where we want to go, for his ways often go contrary to ours and our business is to follow him.

A modern paraphrase of a homily for the Feast of the Nativity by Ephraim the Syrian (306-373CE) taken from his second Christmas hymn.

The visitation story is a powerful introduction to the gospel of God’s lavish and overwhelming love for us, and to God’s hospitality as we see it in Jesus.

The joyous message of Christmas demands a response from us all year round.

The mercy of God – like the dawn that breaks a long darkness, the song that breaks a long silence – gives light, life and hope to those shadowed by death.

Christ calls us to be alert for his salvific coming in the midst of the terrors of the here and now, not just in the past and future.

If we are to call Christ a King and still remain faithful to him, we must begin with the subversion of the very concept of kingship that Jesus points to when he is questioned by Pilate.

Being God’s people can be awkward.  Our actions of love and care stand against the me-first culture, and to seek justice, love, and a better world.

God calls us to beware of simple solutions that actually violate the laws of love and hospitality towards the strangers.

God’s kindness is exceptional, and we too are called to be courageous in exceptional kindness and loyalty.

After horrendous suffering and loss, the most courageous and ultimately transformative response is to reinvest in life and love with passion and hope.