St Michael's talks & sermons

The texts for the day were Psalm 46, Ephesians 6.17-20 and Matthew 6.5-8. Rebecca speaks about prayer as a way of dwelling in Christ and seeing God's presence everywhere, particularly in the wilderness times in our lives. She mentions Tim Mackie's talk Paradise Now.

In the telling of the Christmas story before the sermon, we read the recipe for Christmas.  Ingredient 10 appeared to be missing, but it was written in invisible ink.  When we heated it over the Christ candle, we discovered that the missing ingredient was God's love.  Listen on...

Jeremiah 31:27-34 • 2 Timothy 3:14–4:5 • Luke 18:1-8 Māmari reflects on Colin McCahon's painting Storm Warning, karakia, and prayer/inoi.

We hear a lot about the cost of discipleship, and rightly so.  Following Jesus is about taking up our crosses to follow.  But, is it all about cost?  In this sermon, Matthew reflects on both the costs and the treasure, the joy and the reward.  And he notes that Pascal's Wager rather withers under the promise of eternal life. Psalm 139 Jeremiah 18.1-11 Luke 14.25-33

Tim explores what the Kingdom looks like in the practice of hospitality.  What is hospitality, and what isn't it?  And what about hospitality is conducive to the spread of the good news? Tim references a John Mark Comer sermon that explores some of these issues really well - see https://bridgetown.church/teaching/preaching-the-gospel/part-3-practice-hospitality/ Year C, Ordinary 22 Luke 7.1, 7-14 Hebrews 13.1-8, 16-16 Jeremiah 2.4-13

Tim McKenzie ditches his weather forecasting career to ask what it means that Jesus came to bring division, not peace.  The readings were the lectionary readings for the day: Isaiah 5.1-7 Luke 12.49-56

Galatians 6 Luke 12.32-40 Sam Jackson wraps up our Galatians series by asking us if we really are carrying one another's burdens, and encouraging us with the reminder that God specialises in using broken vessels.

In Galatians 4, Paul explores the idea of captivity to the "elemental principles/powers of the world".  For some, that's captivity to the Law.  For others, it's captivity to "gods who are not gods".  In either case, Paul urges the Galatian converts to stay free.  What might that mean for 21st Century people?

In our 3rd installment of the Galatians series, Matthew Bartlett explains why the cross is the way past cultural imperialism.  And why Paul is therefore so adamant that converts to the Jesus movement aren't obliged to follow Torah.  . Galatians 3.1-14 Galatians 3.21-28 Luke 23.32-34, 44-47 With help from Fleming Rutledge and Lamin Sanneh.

Galatians 2, with Māmari Stephens

Galatians is Paul's loudest, fiercest, most polemical letter.  Rev. Dr. Tim McKenzie gives us a short overview of the letter, and highlights three things to look out for as we read it. Earlier in the service, we had watched the most excellent Bible Project overview of Galatians, and Tim refers to that a couple of times in the sermon. 

Tim McKenzie opens the Why Be a Christian series by sketching four stories that people live by, out of the many available.  Why do these  stories appeal to people?  And how do they stack up against the Christian story, the truest story of all? Note: this sermon was rerecorded after the fact, as the original recording failed Romans 1.1-6 Luke 6.39-49

This is the final episode in our 2022 series, Faith, Crisis & Freedom.  Bronwyn Wood, Senior Lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington, takes us on a rich tour of the data around children's educational achievement, and what Covid has done to their learning.  And she offers some thoughtful analysis of where we're going wrong in  New Zealand particularly, and what we might do to get back on track. 

This talk comes from the St Michael's Faith, Crisis & Freedom series (2022).  Dr Andrew Shepherd, lecturer in Theology & Public Issues at Otago University, probes the Western cultural mood, as humanity stares down the barrel of environmental devastation.  After summarising some of the "Cli-Fi" literature written in the past decades, he offers a close reading of Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel, and asks where we can find resources of imagination to address the environmental crisis. Note: the sound quality is not up to our usual standard on this episode.  Our apologies for this.

How do I know God?  Why all this Trinity stuff? Christians often feel befuddled by the doctrine of the Trinity.  Rev. Dr. Tim McKenzie suggests that our challenge is to know the God indicated by the doctrine, rather than focusing on knowing the doctrine for its own sake. Psalm 8 Romans 5.1-5 John 16.12-15

It's Pentecost Sunday! Rebecca Packer unpacks the rich biblical imagery for the Holy Spirit and asks, "what does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit"?

Remember the first lockdown? How did we get from teddy bears in people's windows to fiery protests at parliament? In this talk, Dr Philip Fountain considers the government's management of the Covid pandemic, and suggests that hidden religious themes in New Zealand political discourse can cast light on what happened. How do ideas of sovereignty, solidarity, sacrifice and the iconic enable a better understanding of our deeply contested national politics?

Why on earth, since Jesus prayed for the church to be one, i it so divided?  Is there any hope? Rev. Dr. Tim McKenzie preaches on the lectionary readings for Easter 7, 2022. Acts 16.16-34 Revelation 22.12-17, 20-21 John 17:20-26

How are we to face the future?  How can we do it with anticipation, but not anxiety?  Jessie shares from these scriptures on that theme: Acts 16.9-15 Revelation 21.10, 22-22.5 John 14.23-29

Easter 3, Acts 9.1-6, Revelation 5.11-14, John 21.1-19 Listen carefully, and you'll hear the epistle reader introduce "Revelation Chapter 5" as "Revolution Chapter 5".  Which is about right. Tim McKenzie preaches on Singing the Lamb's Song. The witness of history is that those who've been prepared to do this are truly revolutionaries.

Protestants often think of being a Christian as a question of believing things.  But is that the right place to start? Jesus puts a frighteningly terrifying emphasis on doing things.  In this sermon, Dr. Philip Fountain lets Jesus speak for himself, with devastating effect. Scripture: excerpts from Matthew 5, 6, & 7

Ruby Burgess outlines the breathtaking vision of a God who isn't just loving and compassionate, but who is love and compassion. Scripture Texts: Psalm 103, 1 Corinthians 13, and John 14.15-31

Another exciting episode in the series, "Why be a Christian in 2022?"  Matthew gives his telling of the Christian story, invites you to give yours, and offers his top 10 reasons for thinking the Christian story is more than just a fairytale...

Is Christmas just about joy?  Or is it about grief as well?  How do those go together?  And how does Angela Merkel's blessing to her successor, Olaf Scholz, help us approach the Christmas message in a world of trouble and joy?

Text: Luke 1:26–56  Cassandra Burton-Wood, lately chaplain at Victoria University of Wellington, delivers a final message about Mary the mother of Jesus, before leaving town for love and theological study. 

Texts: Acts 4.32-35; 1 John 1.1-2.2; John 20.19-31 The Rev Dr Tim McKenzie explores faith, doubt and the resurrection (with a special appearance by Tim Overton) Please forgive the mediocre audio quality in this episode!

Genesis 41:41–49; 1 Corinthians 7:17–24; Luke 19:1–10.  What does 'vocation' mean for Christians? Is it about landing your dream job? Or becoming a priest? The second in a series on faith & work.

Texts: Psalm 46, Romans 8.26-40 & Mark 1.35-39 Mel spoke on the four S's of contemplative prayer — silence, solitude, stillness and surrender.

Texts: 2 Samuel 7:18–29, Ephesians 5:18–21; Luke 11:8–13 Richard begins our series on prayer.

The texts for the day were Ezekiel 34.11-16, 20-24; Ephesians 1.15-23 and Matthew 25.31-46 Dr Ben Thirkell-White, until recently Associate Professor of International Relations, Victoria University of Wellington, now at the Reserve Bank, reflects on Christ the King Sunday and its political message for today. Christ the King is a recent feast — instituted by Pope Pius XI in the troubled period between the world wars. Ben draws comparisons with our contemporary situation, looking at the perhaps clashing models of kingship we find in the Bible.

The texts for the day were Revelation 7.9-17; 1 John 3.1-3;  Matthew 5.1-13

The texts for the day were Psalm 69; Isaiah 24:4–13; John 3:1–17

Psalm 13; Lamentations 3; Matthew 4:1–11 Tim introduces the Biblical genre of lament as one pattern for our conversations with God. 

Tim the vicar preached from Isaiah 58:1-9; 1 Corinthians 2:1-12; Matthew 5:13-20

Rev. Dr. Deborah Wilson, chaplain at Queen Margaret College, introduces St Matthew's depiction of Jesus as teacher — a new Moses who would in his own self fulfil the law. Texts: Isaiah 9:1–4, 1 Corinthians 1:10–18, Matthew 4:12–23

Māmari refers to Léon Cogniet's (1794–1880) painting 'Le Massacre des Innocents':

For the fourth Sunday in Advent, Tim preaches from 2 Peter 3 and Matthew 1.18-25

The Rev Jenny Dawkins, from All Saints Peckham, South London, visits and preaches for the first Sunday in Advent.  The texts were Isaiah 2:1–5, 2 Peter 1:1-11, 19–21 and Matthew 24:36–44.

A sermon preached at St Michael's Anglican Church, Kelburn, Wellington, New Zealand, 24 November 2019.