what's on
Sunday 17 May - Ascension service 9:00am
Sunday 24 May - Pentecost service 8:30am
Wednesday 27 May - Young at Heart (10:30am)
Sunday 24 May - Pentecost service 8:30am
Wednesday 27 May - Young at Heart (10:30am)
fifth sunday of easter (3 may)
This 5th Sunday of Easter we hear Jesus in John 14 declare, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” Forget the stale label of “farewell discourse”, this is the arrival discourse. Jesus is not waving goodbye from heaven; he is charging straight toward us through the cross, the empty tomb, and the living word of preaching. Your troubled heart, captive to the law and its endless demands, is precisely the target of his comfort. Stop polishing your record and start believing the One who has already prepared the place.
Too many of us still chase Augustine’s restless heart of desire, forever trying to want the right things harder. Jesus will have none of it. The heart is not a shop of longings; it is the seat of trust. When faith latches onto the law it trembles. When it clings to the crucified and risen Christ it rests. “I am the way, the truth, and the life” is no moral map for you to walk; it is Jesus himself walking the only road that matters, through death and out the other side, then turning around to fetch you.
That is why preachers are given “greater works” than Jesus himself. We do not imitate the cross; we hand over its victory in plain speech. Every Sunday we stand before the dead, those in the pews who do not yet know they are, and we speak the promise that raises them. No longer must you wonder if you will make the grade. The mansion is built, the rooms are many, and the door stands open.
And here is the promise he keeps on making: “I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” Peace be with you.
We Pray For:
† Governments and industries, that they may use God's creation wisely.
† Those caught in sin, and for the freedom which forgiveness brings.
† Justice for the poor and a curbing of those who flaunt the law of God.
† All who suffer, that they may be strengthened by hope in God
† All who eagerly await the return of Christ and the coming of God's kingdom
† That God would make his name known to all nations through Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit.
Too many of us still chase Augustine’s restless heart of desire, forever trying to want the right things harder. Jesus will have none of it. The heart is not a shop of longings; it is the seat of trust. When faith latches onto the law it trembles. When it clings to the crucified and risen Christ it rests. “I am the way, the truth, and the life” is no moral map for you to walk; it is Jesus himself walking the only road that matters, through death and out the other side, then turning around to fetch you.
That is why preachers are given “greater works” than Jesus himself. We do not imitate the cross; we hand over its victory in plain speech. Every Sunday we stand before the dead, those in the pews who do not yet know they are, and we speak the promise that raises them. No longer must you wonder if you will make the grade. The mansion is built, the rooms are many, and the door stands open.
And here is the promise he keeps on making: “I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” Peace be with you.
We Pray For:
† Governments and industries, that they may use God's creation wisely.
† Those caught in sin, and for the freedom which forgiveness brings.
† Justice for the poor and a curbing of those who flaunt the law of God.
† All who suffer, that they may be strengthened by hope in God
† All who eagerly await the return of Christ and the coming of God's kingdom
† That God would make his name known to all nations through Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit.
Love Is Received, Not Achieved (10 may)
As we gather on this Sixth Sunday of Easter, Jesus’ words in John 14 cut to the heart of our confused ideas about love: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” We’re quick to hear a conditional demand, sparking endless self-examination and guilt. But this is no mere law for us to stumble over. It is a promise of what flows when Christ’s love first reaches us.
True love is never generated from within our curved-in hearts or achieved by golden-rule effort. It arrives as pure gift through the preached gospel, the forgiveness of even our worst betrayals. The very disciples who would abandon their Lord received this love not by striving, but by hearing his risen word of pardon. Only then could they love as he commanded.
Into our restless consciences the Father sends another Helper, the Spirit of truth. Through simple proclamation, baptismal waters, and the Lord’s Supper, Jesus manifests himself to us. He does not leave us orphans. This same Spirit equips us to love not with sentiment, but by freely forgiving others as we have been forgiven.
Take heart, beloved: you are not left alone. Christ comes to you today in word and sacrament, declaring you forgiven and filling you with his love. He will never leave you as orphans; he comes to you, and in him you truly live and love.
True love is never generated from within our curved-in hearts or achieved by golden-rule effort. It arrives as pure gift through the preached gospel, the forgiveness of even our worst betrayals. The very disciples who would abandon their Lord received this love not by striving, but by hearing his risen word of pardon. Only then could they love as he commanded.
Into our restless consciences the Father sends another Helper, the Spirit of truth. Through simple proclamation, baptismal waters, and the Lord’s Supper, Jesus manifests himself to us. He does not leave us orphans. This same Spirit equips us to love not with sentiment, but by freely forgiving others as we have been forgiven.
Take heart, beloved: you are not left alone. Christ comes to you today in word and sacrament, declaring you forgiven and filling you with his love. He will never leave you as orphans; he comes to you, and in him you truly live and love.
seventh sunday of easter (17 may)
Many of us grow tired of the endless calls for unity in the church. Whether it’s squabbles over the colour of the paint in the hall or deeper denominational divisions, the pressure weighs heavily: we must make everyone one. On this Seventh Sunday of Easter, Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17 is frequently twisted into exactly that a new law demanding that we achieve visible unity.
Yet Jesus is not handing us an impossible task. He is not praying so that you and I must go out and fix the church’s divisions. That would only breed more frustration, guilt, and failure.
Instead, our Lord lifts His eyes to the Father and prays out loud so that His disciples and we can overhear. At the heart of His prayer stands a glorious gift, not a demand: “The words that you gave to me I have given to them.” These words are the promise of forgiveness, first spoken at His own baptism and now declared to you.
In this word of absolution the Church is already one — as one as the Father and the Son. You do not create this unity; you receive it. Here is true oneness with the Triune God and with every sinner who clings to the same gospel.
The promise: I forgive you all your sins. In this word you are one with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Yet Jesus is not handing us an impossible task. He is not praying so that you and I must go out and fix the church’s divisions. That would only breed more frustration, guilt, and failure.
Instead, our Lord lifts His eyes to the Father and prays out loud so that His disciples and we can overhear. At the heart of His prayer stands a glorious gift, not a demand: “The words that you gave to me I have given to them.” These words are the promise of forgiveness, first spoken at His own baptism and now declared to you.
In this word of absolution the Church is already one — as one as the Father and the Son. You do not create this unity; you receive it. Here is true oneness with the Triune God and with every sinner who clings to the same gospel.
The promise: I forgive you all your sins. In this word you are one with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
pentecost (24 may)
This Pentecost, let us be provocatively honest. Too often we have reduced the feast to tongues of fire, spiritual goosebumps, or a celebration of diversity. Yet the Holy Spirit did not descend to renew the old festival of the Law or to entertain us with signs. He came to bring that old Pentecost to an end and to birth something gloriously new.
Pentecost is the birthday of preachers. The Spirit filled the disciples and opened their mouths to proclaim one clear Word: Christ crucified and risen for you. The same Spirit enabled Peter to preach the Law that pierces the heart “You killed the Christ” and then the Gospel that heals: “Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”
To every weary, guilty or fearful soul among us today, take heart. You do not need to summon the Spirit’s power by your own effort. He is already at work, opening your ears to hear the living voice of Christ and empowering you to speak His Word. The rivers of living water are flowing from the heart of the risen Lord.
And here is His promise: the day of judgement has already arrived at the cross and the empty tomb. You are forgiven. Peace be with you. The Holy Spirit has been poured out so that you might live free, speak boldly, and drink deeply of the abundant life of Jesus Christ.
Pentecost is the birthday of preachers. The Spirit filled the disciples and opened their mouths to proclaim one clear Word: Christ crucified and risen for you. The same Spirit enabled Peter to preach the Law that pierces the heart “You killed the Christ” and then the Gospel that heals: “Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”
To every weary, guilty or fearful soul among us today, take heart. You do not need to summon the Spirit’s power by your own effort. He is already at work, opening your ears to hear the living voice of Christ and empowering you to speak His Word. The rivers of living water are flowing from the heart of the risen Lord.
And here is His promise: the day of judgement has already arrived at the cross and the empty tomb. You are forgiven. Peace be with you. The Holy Spirit has been poured out so that you might live free, speak boldly, and drink deeply of the abundant life of Jesus Christ.
trinity sunday (31 may)
Too many preachers tie themselves in knots on Trinity Sunday, reaching for eggs, shamrocks, or clever analogies that only leave people more confused. The Trinity is not a majestic puzzle for the brain to solve. It is the living name of God himself, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, given as a promise to sinners. Forget the abstractions. Preach the text.
Jesus stands on the mountain with his doubting disciples and declares all authority in heaven and on earth is his. Then he commands them to go and make disciples of all nations by baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This is discipleship: not moral self-improvement programs or frantic church-growth schemes, but receiving God’s own name in the water of baptism. That name delivers forgiveness, drowns the old Adam, and raises you to new life.
Beware the modern temptation to turn this into a “Great Commission” checklist for building bigger churches. True discipling is not about filling pews through clever strategies, it is about faithfully applying the Triune name to real people who doubt and struggle, just like those first eleven. The preacher’s task is to be a doorkeeper of the kingdom, opening the promise with the Office of the Keys rather than selling spiritual self-help.
And here is the promise for you today: the same Jesus who holds all authority is with you always, to the end of the age. In your baptism you bear the name of the Triune God. He is for you. He forgives you. He will never leave you. Amen.
Jesus stands on the mountain with his doubting disciples and declares all authority in heaven and on earth is his. Then he commands them to go and make disciples of all nations by baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This is discipleship: not moral self-improvement programs or frantic church-growth schemes, but receiving God’s own name in the water of baptism. That name delivers forgiveness, drowns the old Adam, and raises you to new life.
Beware the modern temptation to turn this into a “Great Commission” checklist for building bigger churches. True discipling is not about filling pews through clever strategies, it is about faithfully applying the Triune name to real people who doubt and struggle, just like those first eleven. The preacher’s task is to be a doorkeeper of the kingdom, opening the promise with the Office of the Keys rather than selling spiritual self-help.
And here is the promise for you today: the same Jesus who holds all authority is with you always, to the end of the age. In your baptism you bear the name of the Triune God. He is for you. He forgives you. He will never leave you. Amen.