Tag: reflection
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The Scandal of Christmas
Dec 25, 2025Luke 2:1-20 What if Christmas isn’t about escaping the world, but learning how to stay? This reflection explores a God who chooses fragile, finite flesh over power and prestige, and a peace that arrives not by force, but by presence. In a world marked by unpeace, Christmas invites us to remain and believe—with…
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Beauty will Save the World
Jan 19, 2025John 2:1-11 In a world full of chaos, war, and corruption, God reveals glory through the soft, unexpected, and beautiful—like Mary’s faith and Jesus’ first miracle at Cana. Beauty isn’t just decoration; it transforms hearts, reveals God’s presence, and invites us to participate in a world made new. So open your eyes… seek…
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Turn Around
Jan 12, 2025Isaiah 43:1-7 and Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 The New Year is not just a time to look towards the future, but also a time to turn around. Isaiah and Luke guide us into a way of being and becoming that guide us deeper into who we are and who God is calling us to…
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The Samaritan in our Census
(painting by Banksy) Last week the results of the 2021 census revealed many things about our Australian culture. Australia has increased by over 2 million people since the last census in 2016, mostly due to immigration. This means Australia is becoming more diverse with more people speaking different languages and practicing different cultures. The silent…
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Reclaiming the Reptilian
Sometimes the world feels like it is against me. I admit I contribute to this rivalry: intensifying the fight more than I might need to. But I can’t help it, or it feels like I can’t. Or I haven’t yet mastered the tools of disarming my reptilian brain. Like a wild animal, my hair stands…
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Choosing to Trust
“May my mind come alive todayto the invisible geographythat invites me to new frontiersto break the dead shell of yesterdaysto risk being disturbed and changed.May I have the courage todayto live that life that I would love.To postpone my dream no longerbut do, at last, what I came here forand waste my heart on fear…
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A Good Friday Poem
Forget the formulathe frequency at which we fumble to find a way to figure out our freedom. I know it’s hard to hear for we have been hoodwinked and harpooned into fearand guiltand shamefinding ourselves to blamefor far too long. Maybe it wasbecausethe cross looked like an invitationfor a calculationa plus signwe thought there was…
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The Wisdom of the Serpent
“The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” Then the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died.…
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Ash Wednesday Meditation
https://fromthelastpew.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ash-wednesday.mp3 An Ash Wednesday Meditation, to explore the matter of our bodies, the dust of stars, as we begin this Lenten Season. 16 minutes.
by Rev Alisha 