As we focus on Hebrews 13 this week, we are reminded that genuine love and welcome to strangers is central to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We celebrate stories of faith and give thanks to God for shared ministry together where ‘angels’ have been welcomed in God’s love.

Sermon Sunday August 29th, 2010 (pdf)
St. David’s Uniting Church, Oakleigh
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

Jesus encounters a woman who has been bent over double for eighteen years. As he restores her in front of the law makers we catch an insight into laws the bind and prevent God’s love and restoration being fully known. Jesus helps us to see afresh the things of God.

Sermon Sunday August 22nd, 2010 (pdf)
St. David’s Uniting Church, Oakleigh
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

The stories we tell of God with us are vital and life-giving. Stories can be framed in many different ways and sometimes the things we see and the stories we tell negate what God is doing with us.

We reflect on stories told and how subtle differences in the vision and the telling impact on our faith community.

… and we are invited anew to be refreshed through God being with us.

Sermon Sunday August 15th, 2010 (pdf)
St. David’s Uniting Church, Oakleigh
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

As we hear a story of an overtly wealthy and selfish person this week, it is easy to stand from a distance in judgement. In reality, greed is rarely expressed so clearly which is a problem for us. How much is too much? How can we know when our motivations are noble?

Reflecting on the stories that come before this one in the gospel of Luke, we find some directions for inspired living.

Sermon Sunday August 1st, 2010 (pdf)
St. David’s Uniting Church, Oakleigh
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

The disciples ask and Jesus offers a time of teaching about prayer. We reflect on the big picture and emphasis of the ‘Jesus Prayer’ and how that affects the way we pray and what we pray for.

Sermon Sunday July 25th, 2010 (pdf)
St. David’s Uniting Church, Oakleigh
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

This week we reflect on Jesus’ visit to the home of Mary and Martha. Taken in isolation, Martha gets a rap for being busy and distracted even though the things she is busy with are good things to do. Mary gets accolades from Jesus and yet always sitting at the feet of Jesus does not really seem like an answer either.

 We consider the role of action and reflection together, inspired by the pairing of this story with the story of the ‘Good Samaritan’ immediately before in Luke’s gospel.

Sermon Sunday July 18th, 2010 (pdf)
St. David’s Uniting Church, Oakleigh
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

This week we hear Jesus share the parable we commonly know as the ‘Good Samaritan’. Even though such a familiar story might lose its punch, we are provoked to reflect on what it means to care for others in the midst of complex lives and situations.

Sermon Sunday July 11th, 2010 (pdf)
St. David’s Uniting Church, Oakleigh
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

We reflect this week on an amazing story of a general, two kings at war and the voice of a prophet. It is a situation that brings an unlikely healing for the general, but apart from those already mentioned, there is a long list of others who made the restoration of God possible.

Sermon Sunday July 4th, 2010 (pdf)
St. David’s Uniting Church, Oakleigh
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

This week we celebrate ‘Simply Sharing’ and reflect on the call of Christ to ‘extend hospitality to strangers’. We think about barriers to noticing strangers and ways to extend ourselves to live as Christ calls.

Sermon Sunday June 27th, 2010 (pdf)
St. David’s Uniting Church, Oakleigh
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

Who we are and the baggage we carry with us impacts on how we live. We reflect on the idea that unity with others demands that we deal within. We are reminded that Jesus is the true vine and that pruning the old wood from our lives is often difficult or painful.

Sermon Sunday June 20th, 2010 (pdf)
St. David’s Uniting Church, Oakleigh
Rev. Arnie Wierenga