Sermons

St Andrew’s Indooroopilly October 17, 2021 Richard Browning Job 38:1-7, (34-41); Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c; Mark 10:35-45 This text here is a recollection from notes used this morning. It is a close, but not exact recollection.  Prayer O Lord, your works a many, in Wisdom you have made them all. I stand before you now and seek to be the servant of your Word and those who hear. Amen. Introduction Have you ever played the game: ‘You don’t know what you are asking?’ A traveller arrives in a land where snow falls and a quick thirty mins of the skis … Read more

Mark 10.17-31 Sunday 10th October 2021 ©Suzanne Grimmett Nobody can argue that pleasure doesn’t feel good- that, after all, is pretty much the definition of the word. But how does getting what we want or what makes us feel good stand up in terms of lasting value? Today in the Gospel we encounter a rich man who likes what he has and has what he likes. He is also keen to have a bit of what Jesus has, approaching him with some pretty obsequious flattery requesting assurance of eternal life. ‘Good teacher’ is apparently a pretty rare form of address … Read more

Mark 10.2-16 ©Suzanne Grimmett If fish were to tell the story of life they would find it impossible to describe outside the experience of water. If birds were to try to explain the world, they could not help but draw on the perspective from the skies. If an echidna were to ask the questions of meaning and purpose, they would be naturally earthy and grounded questions. How we narrate our stories and frame our questions is determined by where we focus our attention and what we have known. Jesus today is confronted by Pharisees who seek to test him. Thanks … Read more

SERMON26 September 2021Michael and All AngelsEzekiel 1.4-12 | Psalm 138 | Revelation 12.7-12a | John 1.45-51©Lauren Martin Today as a church, we celebrate the feast day of Saint Michael and all angels. Today in our readings we heard things such as the memorable depiction of some rather bizarre four-faced angels, who are also known as cherubs. We are told of a vision of a heavenly war where Michael and the army of the angels of heaven defeat the dragon (Satan) and his angels. Do you think of angels as part of your understanding of God or are they something of … Read more

SERMON Proverbs 31.10-31 Psalm 1 James 3.1-12 Mark 9.30-37  Welcoming the little ones home                                      ©Suzanne Grimmett You have a story growing inside you, but it is a story with a definite beginning, and you probably have a birth certificate to prove it. This may be how we document our existence to the relevant authorities, but it doesn’t tell us who we are and why the person we were ten years ago and the person we are now are still the same. And while the facts of your birth may help you identify the soil in which you were planted … Read more

16th SUNDAY after Pentecost  12 September 2021 The Church of Saint Andrew, the Apostle, Indooroopilly Anglican Readings: Wisdom 7.26-8.1; Psalm 19; Mark 8.27-38 Rev’d Richard Browning Note: this homily here is a fuller version from which four sermons were drawn, WayPoint on Friday night, 6pm Eucharist on Saturday and the two Sunday morning services. Variations took place at each of these services. Some extra notes are added here to aid going deeper.  Introduction: A story of four days in the woods: two tarps, one axe, a box of matches, a sleeping bag and a billy; three frozen nights and no … Read more

 Where are her daughters?                                                             ©Suzanne Grimmett Many years ago I had an experience that made me realise some of my own blinkered view of the world. I came into adulthood as an educated white woman in a teaching career. I had not even noticed that in the public square I was used to being habitually treated with respect. There were a few exceptions, but generally it was just the way the world was. It was only after a day when I found myself running late for an appointment in the city that I was rudely awakened to the fact … Read more

14th Sunday After Pentecost Song of Songs 2.8-13 Psalm  45. 1-2, 6-9 James 1.17-27 Mark 7.1-8, 14-23                                                                                                              ©Lauren Martin In our gospel reading today, we heard a passage, that is forever labeled in my mind as ‘the donut passage.’ This is thanks to the comment of one of my fellow theology students several years ago. In this passage we hear Jesus announce that all food is clean. In doing this he appears to dispel the Jewish dietary laws of the time, essentially saying that food enters one end of our bodies, does its thing in the middle and comes … Read more

SERMON Sunday 22 August 2021 1 Kings 8.22-30, 8.41-43 Psalm 84 Ephesians 6.10-20 John 6.56-69 Following the energy of Spirit                                     ©Suzanne Grimmett I don’t know of you have ever had that experience of being at a party or picnic or conference and been part of a group conversation which had become heavy or difficult, and you excuse yourself and head off somewhere else, maybe to think, maybe to relax, maybe to find a new conversation partner. After a considerable time you come back to the group, and discover that the same conversation is still going on. I feel a … Read more

Sunday 15 August Feast of Mary, Mother of our Lord Isaiah 61.10 – 62.3 The Song of Mary Galatians 4.4-7 Luke 2.1-7   Giving birth to God                                               ©Suzanne Grimmett                                                               There is a tradition in the Church of making New Year’s resolutions on the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. This may seem strange firstly because we are in the middle of the calendar year, and secondly because there doesn’t at first glance seem to be any direct link between Mary and personal resolutions.  However, in the Roman calendar, Mary is celebrated on the 1st of … Read more

1 Kings 19:4-8 | Ps 34:1-8 | Eph 4:17-5:2 | John 6:35, 41-51 Jeni Nix What do you think of when you hear the word ‘bread’? A crunchy, crusty loaf fresh from the early morning trip to the bakery? That piece of toast you always enjoy under your lashings of butter and honey? The mouth-watering smell of home-cooking sourdough that you learnt to make during lockdown? Or maybe now you’re fondly remembering Aunty Gwen’s egg and lettuce sandwiches from family picnics, or dreaming of tonight’s heart-warming serving of hot bread-and-butter-pudding for dessert, fresh from the oven… For many of us, … Read more

2 Samuel 11.26-12.13a John 6.24-35 ©Suzanne Grimmett How, at this time, is God present to you? We have so many metaphors for this experience of presence, and we have heard some of them in the readings today; Bread from heaven.. the Word made flesh..Jesus as food that nourishes. Jesus, who speaks to us so often in metaphor or enacted parable, declares himself not to be simply a teacher whose words help us lead a better life, but the veritable food which we are to ingest and without which we cannot have life. This is the Word taken internally, transforming us … Read more