The mystery who is God?

20 June, 2011
God hovers over the waters and creates light -- a 12th-century mosaic in the Palatine Chapel, Palermo, southern Italy

God hovers over the waters and creates light -- a 12th-century mosaic in the Palatine Chapel, Palermo, southern Italy

delivered by Rev. Pam Kerr
Sunday 19 June 2011

Genesis 1:1-2:4a
Psalm 8
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Matthew 28:16-20

Today is Trinity Sunday: how do we explain this mystery, which the church calls the doctrine of the Trinity? What does it mean in our lives? Does it make any difference to our faith?

I want us to start by reflecting on our own experience of God. How do you imagine God? Do you think about/pray to God, or Jesus or the Holy Spirit? Share with neighbour.

Of the four readings set in the lectionary for today, two (the blessing at the end of 2 Corinthians and the command at the end of Matthew’s gospel to baptise in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) explicitly mention the trinity. In fact, they might encourage us …

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By olivia | Posted in sermons |

Language of liberation

17 June, 2011
'Pentecost' by Giotto (1320-25)

'Pentecost' by Giotto (1320-25)

delivered 12 June 2011
by Rev. Hon. Prof. Brian Howe

‘How is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” (Acts 2:6-11 RSV)

The theme of the Canberra Assembly of the World Council of Churches in 1991, 20 years ago this year, was: ‘Come, Holy Spirit: Renew the Whole Creation’.

‘When the life giving power of the spirit poured into the faithful, they saw a vision of a new world:
‘where there sons and daughters shall prophecy
where their young men shall see visions
and their old men shall dream dreams
and where their women and slaves shall prophecy.’ ( Acts 2:17-18)

The rush of wild wind and fire for life from God called them out from their culture of silence, violence and death and called them into speech, the language of their own. They no longer …

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By olivia | Posted in sermons |

What does Sunny Chen believe?

13 June, 2011


CARLTON CONVERSATIONS @ THE CLARE
What I Believe … & Why?”conversation series 2011
SUNNY CHEN
CHAPLAIN QUEEN’S COLLEGE
(UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE)

Thursday July 21st 2011
6pm for 6:30pm – 8pm

Conversation & Dinner – $15 Students/Concession & $25 Adults
BOOK by calling 9347 8171 or 0423 407 499 (email direct: australia-dreaming@carlton-uca.org

“I believe in a God who transforms people.  And I believe that the essence of the Christian faith is best expressed through transformed lives, instead of mere religious dogma.  In our society, which sees faith as largely irrelevant, I believe that there is a thirst for transformation that lies deep within many”.

Come along to The Clare in Carlton & talk with Sunny Chen about his beliefs and why …

Sunny is a Uniting Church Minister. He became Chaplain of Queen’s College (University of Melbourne) in 2009.   Previously he was a secondary school teacher in Hong Kong before his theological training in the United States. Since he arrived in Melbourne eleven years ago, Sunny had been a youth worker and a parish minister of several Uniting Church congregations, including Mulgrave & Wheelers Hill Uniting Church.

Come and hear Sunny in conversation at …

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By rose | Posted in local events, parish events, parish news |

The Ascension and the power of God

6 June, 2011

by Rev. Dr Wesley Campbell
delivered 5 June 2011

Ephesians 1:15-23
Psalm 47
Luke 24:44-53
Acts 1:1-11

Last Thursday, forty days after Easter, we celebrated Ascension Day (as we do today this Sunday). Here we follow Luke’s calendar. He recalls the importance of forty in the biblical story: forty days and nights for the Noah flood; forty years when the Hebrews wandered in desert wastes; Jesus’ fast for forth days and nights in the wilderness (a long time).

And now, forty days after Easter, Luke records the ascension of Jesus twice. At the end of his first volume, the Gospel, Luke gives an account of the Ascension: it concludes the earthly ministry of Jesus. Then, to begin his second volume – the Acts of the Apostles – Luke gives a second account of Jesus’ ascension. Here the story of the church begins. With the ‘ascension’ Jesus goes ‘up’ to God.

Luke, along with the rest of the New Testament wants us to hear that Jesus has power over life and death.

The earliest Christians knew how odd that sounded. After all the Roman Caesar rule, the Roman Empire stretched in very direction; and Jesus had been executed in the name of that Empire.

Now, the tiny Christian movement declares that – not the Emperor but Jesus – has …

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By olivia | Posted in sermons |

Film 5 June: The Garden at the End of the World

27 May, 2011

Afghan widow from the film 'The Garden at the End of the World'By popular demand, the Church of All Nations will host a second screening of Gary Caganoff’s award-winning documentary The Garden at the End of the World. This time it will be a matinee at 2pm on Sunday 5 June.  Details here: Garden_at_End_World_flyer_June [1.3MB pdf].

The film features the work of Afghan NGO Mahboba’s Promise.  Rev. Simon Moyle has recently returned from visiting Mahboba’s Promise in Kabul.  Simon will be present at the screening in discussion with the filmmaker himself, Gary Caganoff.

All proceeds will go to support Mahboba’s Promise in Afghanistan.  We warmly encourage all members of the Carlton community and beyond to attend this important and deeply affecting film.

By olivia | Posted in local events, parish events |

Osama, Obama and Emmaus

8 May, 2011

delivered by Rev Dr John Evans
Sunday 8 May, 2011

Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19
1 Peter 1:17-23
Luke 24:13-35

There are few events or movements in history which can be pinned down to happening on one day.  . . and then we remember the actual day. The 11th September, 2001 or as it has become known 9/11, is one of those days. That day may yet prove to be the beginning of something greater -  like the beginning of the end of the American Empire – but it will be also remembered for being a day of unspeakable horror and tragedy.  3,000 innocent civilians intentionally killed on one day, by any account or measure, is significant, is historic, was horrific.

Of course this last week we have had the sequel to 9/11 with the killing, one is perhaps tempted to say, assassination, of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of 9/11 attacks. It has been billed as a closure on that earlier event. The word justice has been used.  The perpetrator has been “brought to justice”. There has been said to be a ruling off on that act terror of killing innocent people in planes and in buildings.

However, if I were to put my finger on my unease over the events of this last week – this is how I would …

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By john | Posted in sermons |

A Community to Believe In

1 May, 2011

Delivered by Rev. Dr John Evans
Sunday 1 May 2011

Acts 2:14a, 22-32
Psalm 16
1 Peter 1:3-9
John 20:19-31

Within the life of the church we are now in the season of Easter. Indeed it is known as the great fifty days. It includes eight Sundays beginning with the Eater vigil, last Saturday night, and concludes on the day of Pentecost on 12 June. In this season we celebrate the resurrection of Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  In our readings through this period we hear again of the risen Christ and the witness to him by the apostles within and beyond a group we come to know as the Christian Church. In general, the  readings through this season seek to show that Christ is no longer dead but alive; that this has indeed transformed his followers, excited them, inspired them to share this news; but also, as our gospel reading today shows still, some doubted or had their questions, what this all meant.
Thomas, poor doubting Thomas, as he has become known, was not there with the other disciples in the chaos and confusion of that first Easter night. That night Christ came among them; calmed them down, offered to them the Holy Spirit and sent them out as, as he had been sent. An amazing evening! And not …

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By john | Posted in sermons |

Easter: Believe It and Live It

24 April, 2011

Easter Sunday 24 April, 2011
Delivered by Rev Dr John Evans

Acts 10:34-43
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Colossians 3:1-4
Matthew 28:1-10

We know the story. It is at the heart of the Christian faith. Christ, the one we recalled being crucified just several days ago, is no longer dead but alive.

This morning we have heard the narrative of this event from Matthew’s gospel. It is different from the  more familiar rendering of the story we usually hear from the gospel of John. You know the one in which Mary Magdalene mistakes the risen Christ to be the gardener, and then she goes and tells the disciples. Although Matthew’s account gets to the same point, with a few details as to what may have happened with the stone, this Jesus is no longer dead but alive. The story is carried by an encounter between Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” with a mysterious angel, a messenger of God at the empty tomb. This angel says

“Do not be afraid; I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead …

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By john | Posted in sermons |

Good Friday – We Can Be Better People

22 April, 2011

Good Friday, 2011 – 22 April, 2011
Delievered by Rev Dr John Evans

Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Psalm 22
Hebrews 10:16-25
John 18:1-19:42

Here is a thought. “We can be better than we are as Australians.” “We can be better people than we are, as you and I – full stop”.
This was a simple observation that was made by Kon Karapanagiotidis, a speaker at our recent  Carlton Conversation at the Clare. Kon is a passionate and dynamic Greek Australian who has founded the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre – operating over in West Melbourne. A centre that provides anything from food, employment, legal and medical advice, accommodation, training – for people who literally have nothing while they are assessed as being refugees to this land.   At various points in our conversation with him last Thursday week, the topic turned to why do Australian politicians, why do just ordinary, average Australians,  have such a fear of asylum seekers, boat people, refugees.…. or Muslims or indigenous Australians, gays, lesbians or any other minority group? As Kon said that night, Australians are basically good people, generous people, however, we can be better than we are when it comes to asylum seekers. Our fear of difference, our fear of the other, of the unfamiliar is manipulated. That very broad Australian sense of community and a fair go for …

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By john | Posted in sermons |

Jewish-Christian-Muslim conference, July 2011

17 April, 2011

welcome matThe inter-faith dialogue organisation Jewish Christian Muslim Association of Australia (JCMA) is holding a 3-day residential conference at Pallotti College in Millgrove outside Melbourne in July with the theme “Hospitality in our Three Faiths.”

Click here for Info & application form for JCMA conference 3-6 July 2011

Email JCMA for further details: registrations@jcma.org.au

By olivia | Posted in action, ecumenical, inter-faith |