Loftus Uniting Church

29/05/2026

This week the church celebrates Trinity Sunday, based around Matthew 28: 16-23. This is commonly known as the Great Commission, which is also Jesus’ last words in Matthew’s gospel. The actions of the ever increasing numbers of disciples obeying this commission since the time of Christ has transformed the world, creating civilization as we know it, in terms of human rights, law and democracy. Indeed Christianity is stronger now outside the western world than in it.

Yet I wonder, in this current era, as increasingly confused and harsh as it is becoming, whether the ability to spread the good news has changed. Secular thinkers such as historian Tom Holland and cultural commentator Douglas Murray worry about the loss of Christian values in our society that were once taken for granted. Today, how should we seek to transform the Post-Christian world with the love of Christ as He commanded when people seem so much more resistant to the message, seeming more interested in themselves ?

Tim Keller, the well known New York preacher and author, who died a few years ago, published a book addressing this issue shortly before his death. It was titled “Forgive - why should I and how can I?” Today many people no longer think it is right to forgive. In the age; complaints about the colonial era the church’s message of forgiveness is viewed as both a mask for power, and a convenient “get-out-of-jail-free” card” waved by abusers. Forgive and forget right?

The challenge for us is how to spread the news that the one who was being killed on the cross, called for forgiveness and offered his peace to those who were killing him. We all have been gladly offered the gift of the “peace of God”, which came at an infinite cost to him. Let us receive it and pass it along to others in the same way. But it means thinking of other people’s needs before ours.

We know we can do this because we have a relationship with the triune God. What is the significance of the trinity? It is that the creator of the universe is a God of Love, who exists in an ever lasting relationship of loving self sacrifice. He created us so that we might spread the delight that He has in himself. This was shown in his ultimate sacrifice on the cross so we might be able to live with him in relationship. In doing so we can offer that same service to all those who come to accept what Jesus did on the cross for us.

As Tim Keller has put it, we are invited into the dance of reality in which the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are continually glorifying each other. (Mark 1:9-11). At his baptism the Father covers the son with words of love while the Spirit covers him with power.

How to do this? Why not try each day to pray and act out the prayer Christ taught us: may His kingdom come on earth through our lives as we forgive those who trespass against us as we reach out to them in love. As we become like Jesus in the way we live out each day in that dynamic dance, celebrating how we have been baptised in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We are now part of the divine community of the Triune God.

The picture this week is Christ at the centre of the Stations of the Cross display at Woronora Cemetery. The pool represents Jesus' exchange with the woman at the well in John 4:13-15: “the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” That is the work of the triune God in action. Have you experienced it?

26/05/2026

22/05/2026

How confident are you about the future? Do you want to be in control? What do you see hovering in the background that may lead to significant issues? Is it increasing living costs, changes in tax regime, increasing Government debt, more social unrest caused by a more divided society or the cost of housing?
That is similar to the events outlined in John 20 where the disciples are locked down, recovering from the shock and visceral impact of the crucifixion, in fear of what might happen to them if they go out.

In John 20: 19-23 John tells us about Jesus coming to his disciples on the night of his resurrection and ascension. John links these events with the gift of the Holy Spirit- they are all connected. Note how Jesus provides this gift - he breathes into or kisses the disciples. This gift is an act of love; from Jesus who still bears the marks of his body broken for us; administered in a sign of love (a kiss) so that we are empowered to share that love to the world around us - despite our brokenness. We are empowered to go out into the world to continue the work of Jesus.

How did they go out into the world? See Acts 2:1-11, they received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, the Church’s birthday, the day celebrating Moses receiving the 10 commandments on Mount Sinai amidst earthquakes and clouds. It also celebrated the harvest. In the same way the disciples received the power of the Holy Spirit amidst fire and wind. We are clearly not in control, Jesus has ascended to the Father so we might spread the Good News of his love for us transforming our lives.

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit so we might live as his followers under the power of the Spirit. There are 2 images of the Holy Spirit
Wind - As in a hurricane it can be incredibly powerful, but we can’t control. Rather we need to yield to its power. Have you allowed the Holy Spirit to take control of your life? Have you allowed the spirit to transform your life so that it is a witness of divine love?

Fire - This is a symbol of purity. Fire is used to forge metals into works of art. Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to purify your life? Are you able to proclaim your faith with fiery language as the apostles did on the first Pentecost and all the great evangelists since then? Do you lead a life that draws people to you?
What has been your experience of God’s Spirit working in your life? Was it a supernatural event?

As Ignatius of Latakia - a recent Greek Orthodox patriarch - (adapted by Hugh Eadie) has spelt out the power of the Holy Spirit

WITHOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT, God is far away,
Christ stays in the past,
the Gospel is a dead letter,
the Church is simply an organisation,
authority a matter of domination,
mission a matter of propaganda,
the liturgical services no more than a reminder of the past,
Christian living a slave morality.

BUT WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, God is with us,
the universe is resurrected
and groans with the birth pangs of the kingdom,
the risen Christ is here,
the Gospel is the power of life,
the Church is the organism, the Body of the living Christ,
authority is service,
mission is Pentecost,
the liturgy is both memorial and anticipation,
human action is God at work in this world.

Today’s picture, taken in Woronora Cemetery, encapsulates this wonderful reassurance: the cross which is empty because Jesus has risen: the dove representing the Holy Spirit (see Jesus Baptism) and the Olive Leaf represents hope and renewal and peace (see story of Noah in Genesis 8).
This is what the coming of the Holy Spirit means to us as we allow Jesus to breathe new life into our broken lives continuously. It gives us the assurance to go out into a broken and dangerous world with confidence to act in love as part of the new creation.

15/05/2026

When was the last time you thought about the ascension of Christ? When was the last time you attended a service focusing on it? Am I right in thinking this doesn’t get much attention today? Wasn't this the climax of Christ’s ministry: it is Luke’s dividing point between his story of Jesus and that of his church? The climax and completion of his life and ministry. In Acts 2 in his Pentecost speech In Peter’s Pentecost speech, the climax of what God has done in Jesus is not the resurrection, but Jesus being ‘exalted to the right hand of God’ (Acts 2.33). In support of this Peter cites Psalm 110.

What did it mean for Jesus to ascend? Clearly it was not an up up and away experience if you read Acts 1:1-11 The angels ask the apostles: why are you standing there looking up toward heaven? Rather he was going to sit at the right hand of God, to rule with authority.

Where do you think Jesus is today? If he is not in some other space in this world then he must be in some other, higher dimension, that covers this world. After all, don't we experience Jesus in our lives in this world?

Have you had an experience of Jesus in your life? I am amazed, by the number of people I have spoken to who have experienced this. A number of people have heard a voice giving them encouragement when they have experienced the death of a close member of their family that has completely shaken their world. I recall the time when as a teenager I was on holiday in Katoomba. I was sitting in a park contemplating the beauty of God’s creation when I was suddenly overwhelmed by this incredible ecstatic feeling; of shalom, of God’s peace. It was transforming. This is what some have described as a beatific vision.Have you spoken to other people about your experience? To me it was like suddenly seeing the world in another dimension.

That is what some commentators have likened heaven to - a different dimension over and above our current world. Consider a circle, now think of it being transformed into a sphere. A sphere incorporates an infinite number of circles, and incorporates an added third dimension. It is a higher dimensional system. In such a way Christ can now impinge on all of us, all space and time, in a dimension that includes ours. He can send the Holy Spirit to empower our lives so we may be his witnesses, while he rules over the entire universe. We can experience life in a new and wonderful and fulfilling way.

The Kingdom of God is where heaven and earth come together; as we pray thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus died so we might become members of that kingdom. So we might experience that dimension in our lives.

What should the ascension mean for us today? If we can see clearly the ascended Christ, through the Spirit, it can transform our lives so we can bring heaven into this world. We can see how Christ now sits in authority over all the world, indeed all the Universe. We can pray as Paul does in Ephesians 1 to see the risen Christ working in our lives, so we can carry out the eternal mission he has planned for us.

“17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”

08/05/2026

What are your thoughts on Mother’s Day? A time to recognise what your mother did for you or an over sentimentalisation of the value of motherhood driven by commercial interests? Motherhood is all about love: an interest in the needs of others and in particular of our children. What was your mother prepared to sacrifice in your interests? How much more did Jesus Christ sacrifice for his love of us in dying on the cross? What does that mean for us post Easter?
Look at 1 Peter 3: 13-22. Peter was written at a time when the first Christians suffered significantly at the hands of the Romans. To be a Christian today is to face suffering, the degree depending on the country you are living in. That can be a blessing because we experience the deep love and support of Jesus in times of trouble. That can strengthen our faith. When did you most appreciate the love of your mother? Wasn’t it when you were facing difficulties? Similarly that is when we most experience the power of the Holy Spirit in our life. Peter says we should always be ready to answer why you can be joyful in your hope for the future, despite the abuse of others. Note how Peter exhorts us to do this in a kind and respectful way. Is that how your mother encouraged you to behave in public so that you might honour your family?
As we think of the sacrifices mothers have made for us we can rejoice that Jesus died once and once only for our sins so we can be made alive in his spirit for eternity. Not just us now, but those who in the past sinned against God, such as in the time of Noah. In talking about water and the flood Peter was not thinking of the world being washed clean but rather turning all of your life over to be used by the Holy Spirit.
Why? Because we are now living in the Kingdom, in His domain, where he now has authority. How does this work? As Jesus says in John 14.15-21:
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
As we allow Him to live in us, through the Holy Spirit, we have the power to live out his love for others. This means willing the good for others in all we do. We can do this joyfully as we display what it means to have him alive in us.

01/05/2026

What is the life you are motivated to lead post Easter? Now you are walking in the light of the resurrection? How does your life post Easter relate to 1 Peter 2: 2-10?

How do you feel you are growing in your faith? Are you craving to grow in the strength of your faith as you have tasted how good is the overwhelming love of God as it strengthens your life both now but as you look to the future (see Psalm 34:8) Peter draws on numerous references from the Old Testament as he looks at Jesus as a Living Stone (Psalm 118.22 and Isaiah 28.16). The Christian community is being built by living stones.

The Jews looked to the Temple as the place where God and man come together. Christ likened his body to the temple in John 2 as he predicted his resurrection. Peter extends this to saying that as people of faith appear as a living spiritual house inviting others to come and dwell and being built together to reach out to society.

The accompanying picture shows the cornerstone of the old Jerusalem Temple. This is the large stone that aligns and holds in place all the other stones in the structure. Christ’s death on the cross provides that foundation for our lives. More than that it allows us to work together with our fellow believers to bring his kingdom into this world as we are built into a spiritual temple. Peter links this to Exodus 19, where we are a chosen people, a royal Priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, all by way of Christ’s resurrection. We are now where God’s glory dwells through his amazing grace as the people of God. We have been called to be representatives of the risen Lord, to be his people, rather than stumbling on the temptations of building up our own lives for our selves, as is celebrated by our society. Peter quotes from Hosea 2:23 that we are now the people of God so we are now motivated to live such good lives that those observing us glorify God.

Is that how you see yourself today as you reflect again on the Easter story as you recall the words of Isaac Newton’s hymn.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.
That grace extends from Old Testament times through the resurrection to our lives today as the glory of God dwells within us so we can bring it to those around us, as we collectively grow as the people of God.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance

24/04/2026

Have your feelings towards Anzac Day changed over the years? When I was young I knew many who had fought in the two world wars. Most families knew relatives who had been wounded or killed. That is no longer the case although the numbers watching the marches have been increasing. I still remain amazed at how my grandfather mentally was able to cope with the horrors of Gallipoli and the Somme, where he was wounded. His attitude was you did what you had to do to survive. The mental and physical scars they continued to bear was a sign of the sacrifices they were prepared to make for their families and their community.

Given the horror of the fighting soldiers had to endure it is no surprise that funerals started including Psalm 23.When things seem dark, where do you go to for help? Where do you find real hope? Where things seem a little brighter? This week we continue to think about the impact Jesus' resurrection should have on our lives. He died so that we can live, not just hanging in there but living an abundant life, a life rich with hope?

Read John 10:1-10 which sets out the wonderful image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd: one in which he offers us abundant life where we are guided, fed and watered and kept secure forever. That’s what happens when we enter into a lasting relationship with the one who loved us so much that he died for us. The one who created us and offers a home in his new creation: the life spelt out in Psalm 23.

How were the survivors of those world wars feeling as they remembered their suffering? Where did they go for comfort, for hope in looking ahead? I think it was best expressed by the army chaplain Edward Shillito in WW1 as he applied the lessons of Jesus' death and resurrection to our lives as we celebrate resurrection hope as the disciples did.

“Jesus of the Scars” by Edward Shillito
If we have never sought, we seek Thee now;
Thine eyes burn through the dark, our only stars;
We must have sight of thorn-pricks on Thy brow,
We must have Thee, O Jesus of the Scars.
The heavens frighten us; they are too calm;
In all the universe we have no place.
Our wounds are hurting us; where is the balm?
Lord Jesus, by Thy Scars, we claim Thy grace.
If, when the doors are shut, Thou drawest near,
Only reveal those hands, that side of Thine;
We know to-day what wounds are, have no fear,
Show us Thy Scars, we know the countersign.
The other gods were strong; but Thou wast weak;
They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne;
But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak,
And not a god has wounds, but Thou alone.
In contrast to the gods of other religions, the Christian God—Yahweh in Christ—bled and died for his people and suffers still, bearing all humanity’s hurts until the day when hurts will be no more. But even then, his scars will remain as a badge of honor, a reminder of his sacrifice on our behalf.
Graham Kendrick was reminded of this poem when his oldest sister died. He wrote a song, which he titled Jesus of the Scars to capture Christian hope in the face of tragedies; thinking of Thomas as he examined the healed scars of Jesus and saw the abundant life we have in Christ because of them.
Jesus Of The Scars. Graham Kendrick feat. Natasha Petrovic w/ mental wellbeing charity Kintsugi Hope
Why not try starting each day reciting Psalm 23 as you aim to lead the transformed life of an Easter person? Notice how the Psalm starts by referring to God as “he” but ends with the intimate preparation of a table for me and anoints my head with oil as my cup, my life runneth over.

17/04/2026

What do you think of the accompanying painting by the same artist as the one of Thomas last week by Caraveggio of the two disciples meeting Jesus on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). The painting captures the astonishment of the moment that they suddenly recognise Jesus just as he vanishes. They suddenly realise that he is alive and hence their lives are changed forever. As a result their journey is now changed.
Do you see life as a journey beginning at birth and heading to ?? Life as a journey is the theme of Luke’s gospel, indeed Chapters 9 to 19 of the gospel set out Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem to die on the cross. His teaching is set out as life on the road; Jesus teaches his followers as they experience daily life together. Isn’t this how the presence of Jesus in our daily lives helps us to grow in our understanding of his kingdom that we now inhabit.
Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem to introduce his kingdom. In the story the disciples are traveling in the wrong direction; from Jerusalem and the resurrection to back home. They were confused and despondent and didn’t really know where they were going as they shared with the stranger on the road as they walked and talked for 7 miles. Joel Green in his commentary has pointed out how this story is carefully constructed using inverted parallelism.
14-15 Journey away from Jerusalem
16-18 They can’t make sense of what has happened
19-21 They don’t recognise Jesus
22-23a What had happened leading to empty tomb
23b Jesus is alive
25-27 Jesus interpretation of things had happened
28-30They recognize Jesus
31-32 Things are now clear
33-35 Journey back to Jerusalem
This suggests that for Luke the key to the story is that Jesus is alive and comes to join them on the road; rather than theological interpretations etc. Is this how you are experiencing Easter in 2026? As you seek to walk in Jesus’ kingdom each day rather than dealing with the world being presented to you through the media.
Is your heart burning within you as you feel his presence in your life, as you allow his love to flow through your life into the world around you?

10/04/2026

John 20.19-31 is the reading for every 2nd Sunday after Easter. Why? In outlining how Jesus' followers reacted to his horrible death it challenges us to think about what is our reaction, focussing on Thomas. It opens with his followers reeling in confusion as they meet together in a confused manner hiding from the authorities.. Thomas is not there as they are clearly disorganised and in different places. Jesus appears amongst them granting them his peace.

What does Thomas make of all this as he hears the eye witness accounts? It appears to me that rather than being the ultimate rationalist he was angry that he wasn’t there when Jesus appeared. Unless he is directly involved he is not going to accept it. Yet when Jesus lovingly reaches out to him he doesn’t take any of the physical actions he threatened, but instead proclaims My Lord and my ‘God - one of the great statements of faith. How often are we like him when we rail against God because things have not gone as we think they should: the so-called victim mentality that is so common today. How many strong statements by unbelievers are not a result of logic but unhappiness with how the world is treating them?

I have been looking for illustrations that demonstrate the great Easter love of Jesus; that show us how we should respond to what Jesus has done for us? Have you heard the story of the Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde? It’s about a giant who drove the children out of his garden because he wanted it for himself. As a result the plants stopped flowering and the birds stopped visiting and it became permanently winter. Then the children managed to find a breach in the wall and he woke to find spring had finally come to all the garden except the far corner where a small boy was too small to climb up in a tree. The giant placed the boy in the branches which were immediately covered by blossoms. As he did so the boy reached out and hugged and kissed him. So moved was the giant that he knocked down the wall he had built and spent each day playing with the children after school. He kept asking about the small boy, but no one had seen him.

As the years went passed the giant became too old to run around with the children and instead sat on a chair on the porch. One day he noticed in the far corner of the garden a tree which had broken out in beautiful flowers and standing beneath it was the little boy he had loved all those years ago. He raced down to meet him but as he got close he noticed nail prints on his hands and his feet. He demanded to know who had dared wound him so he might take his sword and slay them. The boy responded no, for these are the wounds of love.

Who are you? asked the Giant and a strange awe fell on him and he knelt before the little child. The child smiled and said ,'You let me play once in your garden, to-day you shall come with me to my garden, which is Paradise.'And when the children ran in that afternoon, they found the Giant lying dead under the tree, all covered with white blossoms.

Returning to the reading What changes Thomas' view? Jesus comes to him, as he did with the others, addressing his particular area of need. Thomas’ reaction is to utter one of the great statements of faith “My Lord and my God”. Jesus is Lord, your Lord and my Lord, but Jesus is also God, the “I AM”, the dwelling of God in the flesh as John sets out in the beginning of his gospel.
The scars on his risen body are the signs that he is the Messiah, the dwelling of God in the flesh, offered as a sacrifice of love for those who abide in him.
Faith as Thomas experiences it is about our relationship with the Messiah, about our abiding in Him. It’s not about what we believe about the resurrection, it’s about what we experience as we feel the presence of the Lord in our lives, as we live with trust in Him and hope in the future because we are living with Him, in every moment of every day, as our Lord and our God.
What better symbol of this in these times of war than the disciples locked away in a room too scared to go out, when Jesus comes to them saying “Peace be with you”. They, like us, can go out empowered by the resurrection of our Lord and God so we can face anything in His name. Are you motivated to step out in his name today? Are you a person so transformed by the resurrected Christ?