Topic: Culture

Children are a sign of the Kingdom, and our capacity to welcome them is a measure of our capacity to welcome the culture of God.

Jesus confronts us with our cannibalistic behaviour in order that we might follow him into a saving communion with God and one another.

Glimpses of the transformed world that God makes possible transfix us and leave us hungering for more.

Jesus calls us to move beyond hostile identity politics, whether shaped by Sabbath keeping or #Outrage, and to welcome a new culture of love, forgiveness and welcome.

Jesus resisted the temptation to force his will on the world, and he pioneered a pathway for us to similarly refuse the exploitation of power.

The culture of God is emerging in our present world, confronting us with a choice – do we cling to our allegiance to the cultures that have raised us or let go of them and embrace the culture of God.

God calls us to faithful expressions of the Culture of God which usually look unimpressive and unruly when judged by the world’s usual standards of success.

As we gather with the saints of all times to worship the crucified victim, we are immersed in a culture that is so at odds with the values of this world that those who truly embrace it just appear odd for now, but strangely and alluringly familiar too.

We are invited to work towards visions of God’s reign, knowing we will never be entirely successful, but sustained by imagining the possibilities.

The Ten Commandments are not about creating a system of law and punishment. They are a window into the stories and the lifestyle of the culture of God.

Extravagant expressions of love are a sign of the culture of God, and Jesus models generous giving and receiving of them, regardless of the scandal they cause.

A sermon on 1 Corinthians 7: 29-31 by Michael Hardin… read more