As Jesus notices a simple act of generosity from a poor widow, we see that God’s sense of abundance is not measured in common human values. This is good news for all of us but especially those who feel they have nothing to give.

Sermon Sunday November 8th, 2009 (pdf)
St. David’s Uniting Church, Oakleigh
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

Jesus gives two commandments that are deceptively simple in appearance but difficult to live out. We explore the first one in particular as means to following Jesus on the way towards God’s love.

Sermon Sunday November 1st, 2009 (pdf)

The gospel story for today seems a painful reminder that we live with persistent grief and loss. Bartimaeus is blind, Jesus stops and restores his sight. What then happens to many of us who cry out by the roadside longing to be healed from our own afflictions?

We look closely at this encounter and realise there is much more than meets the eye. In Bartimaeus we find strength and hope. In Jesus we find a way to move forward and find new meaning and hope amidst the reality of life.

Sermon Sunday October 25th, 2009 (pdf)
St. David’s Uniting Church, Oakleigh
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

Perhaps James and John would have breathed a sigh of relief in hindsight after Jesus rejected their lobbying to be in places of greatness with him. Their desire to be at Jesus’ right and left at the time of greatness would have had them hanging like common criminals on crosses either side of Jesus. Such is the upside-down nature of the kingdom of God. Such is Jesus’ message that the first shall be last, and the last first.

Jesus invites us to consider a different path – one that cares for others and seeks to build community. Rather than ‘lord it over’ others, he invites us to become the servant of others in the process of building the kingdom of God.

Sermon Sunday October 18th, 2008 (pdf)
St. David’s Uniting Church, Oakleigh
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

Today we launch our Mission & Planning book and engage in fresh ways as people of faith in this community. We have tracked a vibrant journey as disciples of Christ over the last year as part of our mission process. We are invited to be ‘light to the world’, to be people who find that the gifts God gives us are for sharing with others.

Sermon Sunday October 4th, 2009 (pdf)
St. David’s Uniting Church, Oakleigh
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

The apostle Paul shares an image of community as a body made up of a variety of parts. Each part plays a vital and complimentary role in the whole. We explore how this relates to our own community – despite being too young or too old, despite chronic illness, despite being active but having little direction – despite all of these things each of us remains important and has a part to play in being the body of Christ.

Sermon Sunday September 27th, 2009 (pdf)
St. David’s Uniting Church, Oakleigh
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

The Uniting Church has as its slogan ‘Unity in Diversity’. Community is a difficult thing to embrace and maintain because of its diversity. We explore some of the apostle Paul’s reflections on community and consider how we are the ‘body of Christ’ together.

Sermon Sunday September 20th, 2009 (pdf)
St. David’s Uniting Church, Oakleigh
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

Jesus asks the disciples a pointed and difficult question about his identity:

Who do you say that I am?

Peter jumps straight in and gets the answer right – except that his expectations of Jesus as Messiah were very different to Jesus own sense of call. So Peter gets in the way and the challenge Jesus gives him provokes us to think also about what we expect from the Messiah.

We reflect on the difficult path that others have taken in answer to this question but also discover that we are not called to be bleeding martyrs but rather energetic and willing co-creators alongside Jesus towards God’s way.

Sermon – Sunday 13th September, 2009 (pdf)
St. David’s Uniting Church, Oakleigh
Rev. Arnie Wierenga

This week we find an astounding encounter in Mark’s gospel between Jesus and a foreign woman. There are many nuances in the story but on the surface Jesus calls and treats the woman like a dog. The encounter is not what we expect of Jesus but if we look deep both Jesus and the woman are concerned about issues of justice. While they begin at loggerheads they find the feisty encounter produces a new and unforeseen reality – healing is found, the gospel is shared, good news is no longer the sole domain of Jewish people but God’s abundance is for all.

Sermon – 6th September, 2009 (pdf)

As people of faith we echo what is proclaimed in psalm 84. In that psalm we find a song that sings out the story of God’s place and home and how that travels with the pilgrim through difficult places. The dwelling place of God is not restricted to sacred spaces or magnificent buildings but rather travels with those whose heart is for God.

Sermon, Sunday August 23rd, 2009 (pdf)