A sermon by Rod Benson As Michael Collins orbited the moon, and as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin prepared to step out of the lunar module of Apollo 11 onto the surface of the moon on 20 July 1969, Aldrin unstowed a small plastic container of wine and some bread. He had brought them to …
Being Australian, being Christian
A sermon by Rod Benson Matthew 22:15-22 “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, oi, oi!” Brothers and sisters of the Australian soil, I greet you. On Tuesday Australia celebrates its birthday, in recognition of that defining event of national history, the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales, on 26 …
Stop the boat!
Matthew 8:18-22 When things are going well, life gives you crowds. Early in Jesus’ public ministry, crowds often accompanied him – out of curiosity, out of boredom, out of intrigue, out of a real thirst for knowledge or spirituality or change (e.g. Mt 5:1; 7:28; 8:1, 18). But as they discovered what it meant to …
A pastoral response to same sex marriage
A sermon preached at Toongabbie Baptist Church, Sydney, 28 September 2014 Genesis 1:27-2:1; Romans 12:18-21 In an episode of The Simpsons, Springfield’s mayor calls for ideas to promote tourism, and Lisa Simpson suggests allowing same-sex marriages. The idea is approved and Springfield becomes the place to be for same-sex nuptials. When Rev Lovejoy refuses to …
A biblical view of death
A sermon by Rod Benson Writing on mortality in the journal First Things, graduate philosophy student Anna Mathie relates what she describes as “the most exquisitely sorrowful moment in a book filled with exquisitely beautiful sorrow” (the book is J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings). In the story, Aragorn is at death’s door, and …
iDigress 