Anglo-Saxon, 8th century, reputed to be the earliest Christian poem in English. Translated by Richard Hamer, 1970. Line numbers refer to the preceding line. The Dream of the Rood Hear while I tell about the best of dreamsWhich came to me the middle of one nightWhile humankind were sleeping in their beds.It was as though I …
Films with Lenten and Easter themes
Inspired by a friend's social media post, I created a list of 30+ films with Lenten/Easter themes. How many of these have you seen? Can you recommend other relevant film titles? The Flowers of St. Francis (1950)The Robe (1953)The Wrong Man (1956)Ben-Hur (1959)The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964)A Man for All Seasons (1966)The Shoes …
Sermon for World Day of Prayer
St Stephen’s Uniting Church, Sydney, Friday 7 March 2025 Sermon by Rev Tinirau Soatini, read by Rev Dr Rod Benson Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ‘Kia Ora-na’, as we say it in the Cook Islands: which means, ‘To live on’ or ‘Continue being alive.’ To a Cook Islander, ‘to …
One kneeling, one looking down
Les Murray My half-buried timbers chained in corduroylead out into the sandwhich bare feet wincing Crutch and Crotchspurn for the summer surf’s embroideryand insects stay up on the land. A storm engrossing half the skyin broccoli and seething draband standing on one foot over the countryburrs like a lit torch. Lightningturns air to elixir at …
A grain of wheat
John 12:23-24; Luke 9:23 Sprouted shoots of barley and wheat. Walk into almost any church, and you will see one of two realities – either the predictable machinations of moralistic therapeutic deism and passive consumer religion, or the beauty, mystery and enthusiasm of a gathered community of Jesus followers, experimentally living out their faith. One reality …
iDigress 