Learning to follow Jesus in 21st Century Australia
Sometimes in movies, TV shows or cartoons, a character in a story will have a sudden realization, idea or inspiration. These moments can often be represented by a lightbulb appearing over the character’s head. The lightbulb indicates that the character has worked something out, come up with a new solution to a problem, or realised... Continue Reading →
Christmas is a time of the year when a lot of families and extended families make the effort to gather together for a meal. These family gatherings can be a lot of fun as we catch up with relatives that we might not have seen for a while. We can share what we’ve been up... Continue Reading →
Over the Christmas season, people from all around the world will share in the joy of giving and receiving gifts. I’m sure that everyone is looking forward to gathering around the Christmas tree over the next few days to give the presents they have bought or made for family and friends, and to receive the... Continue Reading →
Australia was horrified last Sunday evening when news services reported a mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Two men opened fire on members of the Jewish community as they observed the start of Hanukkah, a festival which celebrates the victory of light over darkness. The darkness of sin and evil spread over Bondi that... Continue Reading →
As we move towards Christmas, we might be hearing a lot of Christmas songs and carols. They can be ancient carols through to modern songs, sung by choirs, rock bands or vocalists in a wide variety of musical styles. One musical group with a pretty large following that performs Christmas music is called Pentatonix. Pentatonix... Continue Reading →
In recent years, and especially since the COVID pandemic, there has been a dramatic rise in the amount of shopping people do online. The process of buying something from an online store is pretty simple. We can look around the internet for something we want to purchase. When we find what we want, we can... Continue Reading →
A few years ago, shortly after moving into the manse, I planted a frangipani tree in the backyard next to our neighbour’s fence. At first it grew well with some healthy leaves and even its first flower. I was looking forward to seeing more growth and flowers last year, but the frosts that hit the... Continue Reading →
Many of us might be able to understand what Jesus’ disciples were thinking in the opening verses of this week’s Gospel reading, Luke 21:5-19. They were walking with Jesus through the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, pointing out and marvelling at its ‘majestic stonework … and the memorial decorations on the walls’ (v5 NLT). Instead of... Continue Reading →
One game that is often played at church picnics or school sports days is a tug-of-war. Two teams of people engage in a competition of strength and persistence as they dig their feet into the ground beneath them, hold on tight to the rope in front of them, and pull with all their strength against... Continue Reading →
The year was about 556BC. It had been just over 30 years since the armies of the Babylonian Empire had invaded Judah, destroyed Jerusalem, and taken the Jewish people into exile. For thirty years, God’s people had lived in a foreign land under the oppression of a military dictatorship and dreamed of God restoring them... Continue Reading →
Pastor Eugene Online 