Sacred Violence

Today we have two stories, that although different, are both equally horrifying. In the story of David and Goliath, we hear how David will cut off Goliath’s head and how they will leave the bodies of the Philistine army for animals to scavenge, ‘so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.’[1] The Psalm also contains this theme of sacred violence as proof of God’s favour. This Psalm attributed to David portrays his cause as righteous with his enemies, who conveniently also happen to be God’s enemies. How do we look at these texts?

Trinity Sunday

26 May 2024 St Andrew’s Indooroopilly Rev Richard Browning (NB: this text here is fuller than the one used on Sunday morning with a few end notes added) Isaiah 6.1-8 … Read more

“On a dark night”

                                                           ©Lauren Martin In Tales of the Hasidim there is a story: An old rabbi asked his pupils how they could tell when the night had ended and … Read more

EASTER II

St Andrew’s Anglican Church, Indooroopilly 7 April 2024 Preaching on 1 John 1:1-2:2 Rev’d Richard Browning At the school Easter service I led on Holy Tuesday we used a 5.5kg … Read more

Easter Vigil Homily

Matthew 28:1-18 ©Marian Free In the name of God, who in Jesus shows us how to be truly free – of our fears, our anxieties and our insecurities. Amen. Christ … Read more

“What an act of love!”

SERMON Maundy Thursday John 13.1-17, 31b-35 Sunday 24 March 2024      ©Lauren Martin During supper, our Lord and teacher takes the place of a servant – removing his outer … Read more

Sermon for Lent 4

John 3:14-21 ©Marian Free In the name of God, Earth-Maker, Pain-Bearer, Life-Giver. Amen. Snakes alive! Today’s gospel is so dense and so filled with complex ideas that it is easy … Read more

“After the Mountain”

Transfiguration Sunday 2 Kings 2.1-12 Psalm 50.1-6 2 Corinthians 4.3-12 Mark 9.2-9 Sunday 10 February 2024   ©Lauren Martin This Sunday we stand in the liminal space, the space of the … Read more

So let it be a tale

Advent 3 17 December 2023 Rev’d Richard Browning Readings: Isaiah 61.1-4, 8-11 The Song of Mary (Magnificat) 1 Thessalonians 5.12–28 John 1.6–8, 1.19–28 (These are the expanded notes behind the … Read more

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