Author Archives: CraigT
Lectionary Commentary – Sunday/Ordinary 19B; Proper 14B (Sunday between August 7 and August 13)
The following links are to the Revised Common Lectionary commentary pages of Howard Wallace and Bill Loader, and are suggested as preparation for hearing the readings in worship for the Sunday indicated above.
Series I: 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 and Psalm 130
Series II: 1 Kings 19.4-8 and Psalm 34.1-8
MtE Update – August 3 2018
- This Sunday we formally welcome of couple of members as transfers to the congregation!
- Late-ish notice but… on Wednesday August 15 we will begin an experimental online discussion group, looking weekly at a chapter of a book. The book will be Northrop Frye’s The Great Code; for more on the book, see some of the reviews here. It is a challenging but very rewarding read! The quickest and cheapest way to obtain a copy is probably here (typically arrives in 7-10 days); electronic versions do not seem to be available. The experimental and online aspects of this group are that we will ‘meet’ via Skype or a similar video-conferencing vehicle — more details to come, and not as hard as it might sound (we think!). This means not having to travel in the evening for the group. The group will ‘meet’ online at 7.45pm on Wednesday August 15, 7.45pm. Let Craig know if you are interested in joining, and we’ll send the details on how to participate!
- A monthly series of sermons on the the Ten Commandments will commence on Sunday August 26. Some more details are given here, including some suggested background reading to the Commandments for the series.
- You might be interested in this brief account by the composer of the music setting for the Eucharist, ‘the Mass for the Fallen’, which we regularly use in worship at MtE (YouTube video link).
- For those interested in some background commentary to the readings for this Sunday August 5, see the links here (we’ll hear Ps 78 and the gospel reading this week, in addition to our focus text from 1 John – 1 John 4.13.-16 (cf. here), a reflection on the church’s faith in God as Trinity).
Other things potentially of interest
Old News
- For those interested in the question of indigenous sovereinty in Australia, two lectures at RMIT Uni
- A Jazz fundraiser for Refugees, August 4
The Great Code – An Online Discussion Group
Wednesday August 15 we will begin an experimental online discussion group, looking weekly at a chapter of a book. The book will be Northrop Frye’s The Great Code; for more on the book, see some of the reviews here. The quickest and cheapest way to obtain a copy is probably here (typically arrives in 7-10 days); electronic versions do not seem to be available.
The experimental and online aspects of this group are that we will ‘meet’ via Skype or a similar video-conferencing vehicle — more details to come, and not as hard as it might sound (we think!). This means not having to travel in the evening for the group.
The group will ‘meet’ online at 7.45pm on Wednesday August 15, 7.45pm. Let Craig know if you are interested in joining; details on how to set up to participate in the group are here.
Lectionary Commentary – Sunday/Ordinary 18B; Proper 13B (Sunday between July 31 and August 6)
The following links are to the Revised Common Lectionary commentary pages of Howard Wallace and Bill Loader, and are suggested as preparation for hearing the readings in worship for the Sunday indicated above.
Series I: 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a and Psalm 51:1-12 see also By the Well podcast on this text
Series II: Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15 (see here) and Psalm 78:23-29 (see here)
The Ten Commandments 2018-2019
Ten Commandments
An Old Prescription in a Culture without Purpose
The Ten Commandments series – Now completed!
Together with other Western cultures, we inhabit a world dedicated to a flight from truth. Some characteristic marks of cultures in decline are these: an ideology of relativism with regard to all claims for truth; inward self-protection from a questioning of the status quo; a secular religion which worships choice above everything; the cultivation of detachment from ultimate claims.
Why then bother with commandments from a world long gone?
From August 2018 to October 2019, Rev Bruce Barber presented a series of sermons on the 10 Commandments; the the full suite of sermons is gathered below:
INTRO: The Ten Commandments – Old Prescriptions in a Culture without purpose
- The First Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me”
- The Second Commandment: “You shall not make for yourselves any carved image”
- The Third Commandment: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain”
- The Fourth Commandment: “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy”
- The Fifth Commandment – “Honour your father and mother”
- The Sixth Commandment – “You shall not kill”
- The Seventh Commandment – “You shall not commit adultery”
- The Eighth Commandment – ‘You shall not steal’
- The Ninth Commandment – ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour’
- The Tenth Commandment – You shall not covet
MtE Update – July 26 2018
- This Sunday we will welcome in worship a number of students from the Uniting Church Studies course at the Centre for Theology and Ministry.
- The latest Presbytery eNews (July 24) is here.
- A Jazz fundraiser for Refugees, August 4
- For those interested in some background commentary to the readings for this Sunday July 29, see the links here. Our focus text will be a continuation in our series on 1 John – 1 John 4.7-12.
-
Old News
- For those interested in the question of indigenous sovereinty in Australia, two lectures at RMIT Uni
Lectionary Commentary – Sunday/Ordinary 17B; Proper 12B (Sunday between July 24 and July 30)
The following links are to the Revised Common Lectionary commentary pages of Howard Wallace and Bill Loader, and are suggested as preparation for hearing the readings in worship for the Sunday indicated above.
Series I: 2 Samuel 11:1-15 see also By the Well podcast on this text and Psalm 14
Series II: 2 Kings 4.42-44 (no link) and Psalm 145.10-18
Ephesians 3:14-21 see also By the Well podcast on this text
John 6:1-21 see also By the Well podcast on this text
2018-10-26 – Religion in University: 2018 Symposium – Melbourne
MtE Update – July 19 2018
- A week ago, the UCA Assembly came to a resolution on the nature of marriage and the celebration of marriages by UCA celebrants; the unconfirmed minute of the resolution can be found here. A pastoral statement from the UCA President in relation to this matter is available here.
- A brochure and invitation to protest changes to the government support of asylum seekers in Australia.
- For those interested in the question of indigenous sovereinty in Australia, two lectures at RMIT Uni…
