St. Margaret's Uniting Church, Mooroolbark

We reflect on the call of the first disciples in Mark’s gospel to follow Jesus. They seem to drop their nets and likelihoods and immediately follow him. We wonder about the things we might be called to drop immediately and how we ready ourselves to heed the call.

Sunday Jan 22nd, 2012 – Epiphany 3 (pdf)
St. Margaret’s Uniting Church, Mooroolbark
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

“The voice of the Lord was rare in those days.” This description of Eli’s world could well be ours as we are bombarded constantly with noise, fragments, distractions. We explore why Eli couldn’t hear and consider remedies for our own malaise.

Sunday January 15th, 2012 – Epiphany 2 (pdf)
St. Margaret’s Uniting Church, Mooroolbark
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

Jesus is baptised in the river Jordan and John’s preparation for the ‘one who is coming’ is now complete. We reflect on the voice from heaven stating God’s pleasure with Jesus and what that means for us.

Baptism of Jesus – Sunday January 8th, 2012 (pdf)
St. Margaret’s Uniting Church, Mooroolbark
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

It is a strange thing we celebrate today. Each of the gospels tells the story differently and we usually remember a story that combines lots of different stories and even adds in bits that aren’t there. Through this we explore why this day is worth celebrating.

Christmas Day reflection, 2011 (pdf)
St. Margaret’s Uniting Church, Mooroolbark
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

I can imagine Mary exclaiming ‘O my God!’, both in surprise at the news from Gabriel and then later as her willing response to be part of God’s radical plan to be birthed in the world. We reflect on how King David’s rational plan to build a house for God was overlooked in favour of Mary’s biological house-making, and wonder at the radical nature of what God does.

Sunday December 18, 2011 – Advent 4 (pdf)
St. Margaret’s Uniting Church, Mooroolbark
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

Mary sings for joy because the hand of God is upon her. The psalmist sings a song of joy, delighting in God’s dream. For some it might be easy to sing a song of joy because the promises of God seem very real. But hope and joy needs to be sung on behalf of others who are deep in sorrow, or in places where God’s love seems distant.

We look at dreaming God’s vision of hope and justice and the examples of Martin Luther King Jr., and Desmond Tutu.

Sunday December 11th, 2011 (pdf)
St. Margaret’s Uniting Church, Mooroolbark
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

We encounter two emphases of Advent this week – comfort and repentance. Comfort is about God’s love for us. The promises of God and hope for restoration are there and have always been. We are reminded that God keeps providing comfort in our hardships. But the call to repent is just as important. The ‘old path’ needs to be straightened lest we wallow in self pity. In the context of God’s comfort, preparing the way of the Lord is the work of Advent.

Sunday December 4th, 2011 – Advent 2 (pdf)
St. Margaret’s Uniting Church, Mooroolbark
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

As we begin Advent we hear the cry of the people of Judah. The exile has taken its toll and they no longer know either home or their God who was central to home. As we yearn for our own sense of home, the prophet Isaiah reminds us that home is found when God is again at its centre.

Sunday November 27th, 2011 – Advent 1 (pdf)

St. Margaret’s Uniting Church, Mooroolbark
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

The words of judgement from Jesus in Matthew 25 are confronting and disturbing. We look at what it means to consider the ‘least of these’ as Christ.

Sunday November 20th, 2011 – Reign of Christ (pdf)
St. Margaret’s Uniting Church, Mooroolbark
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

‘Better to be hungry than not’

We reflect on the things that drive ministry at St. Margaret’s, with the annual fete fresh in our minds. No matter what the expression of faith, it seems that vision, hunger and willing hands lead us to experience the abundance of God where crowds are fed.

Sunday November 13th, 2011 (pdf)
St. Margaret’s Uniting Church, Mooroolbark
Rev. Arnie Wierenga