Central Church Port Kembla

Adam Gowen, our Wiradjuri friend, shares some thoughts on Genesis 1 drawing from his Indigneous heritage and learning.

Luke looks at the story of Zacchaeus through the lens of a spirituality of descent. Drawing on the insights of Meister Eckhart and others, Luke helps us to see the ways in which our culture and our egos celebrate achieving, success, and the insatiable thirst for more. All the ways we spend ‘climbing our trees’. He suggests that Jesus is always calling us down from our trees, and outlines what a sp...

This week we read the encounter Jesus had with Zacchaeus through the lens of 12-step recovery programs, and specifically steps 8 and 9 which have to do with making amends.

In this episode Oran looks at the story of Zacchaeus through a narrative framework to discover more to this passage than just a Sunday School story.

Caro does a brief explanation of what the apophatic tradition is in theology and spirituality and then looks at how an apophatic reading of this text gives us space to face the unknown, the silence, the seeming absence and the mystery of God.

Becca shares how we can read this passage through the lens of mental health, drawing from her own experiences as well as John Swinton's book Finding Jesus in the storm: the spiritual lives of Christians with mental health challenges, she suggests how we can find hope that Jesus is still in our boat during any storms we're currently facing and beyond.

For the first sermon in our series on reading scripture through different lenses, Oran looks at the passage of Jesus calming the storm from a political view point.

This week Caro outlines what we’ll be focusing on as a church in our preaching this year.

In this episode Oran looks at the story of doubting Thomas and explores the role doubt has to play in our faith journey.

This week we look at the Cross through the lens of the scapegoat mechanism. Caro attempts to explain the imagery of the scapegoat in the Old Testament, unpack a little of Rene Girard's scapegoat theory as it related to human society, and then help us gaze at Jesus on the Cross and how he might be exposing and healing our compulsive need to pass blame.

What is the cross all about? There are many, many things we can see God doing through the cross. This week Caro lays out the idea of the reconciliation of all things that we see in 2 Corinthians 5:19, Colossians 1 and Ephesians 1.

This week Oran explores the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree. What is the meaning behind the only violent act of Christ recorded in the gospels, and how is it relevant to us today?

Caro shares the plan for our Church in 2021…COVID dependent of course. Listen to what our new rhythms of gathering will become.

Drawing from the book of Acts, Carolyn shares what it looks like to be the people of God in a changing world.

Oran shares his recent personal experience with fear and vulnerability.

Final wrap up - Sermon on the Mount by Central Church Port Kembla

Caro unpacks the beatitude ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled’ and we look at the power dynamics present in issues of justice and injustice.

Caro shares the prayer of St. Brendan and how it has been providing connection and meaning in her life and she invites us to find ourselves in the words of this ancient prayer. Prayer of St Brendan Help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown. Give me the faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with you. Christ of the mysteries, I trust You to be stronger than each storm with...

Caro has a conversation with Becca about the writing of a Psalm that took all our community’s words describing our relationship with God during isolation and lockdown. We chat about people’s diverse experiences of the spiritual life and how the Psalms give us space to feel every emotion available in our human experience and bring it before God.

Caro talks about the desert father saying: “Go into your cell and your cell will teach you everything.” And how we can mine the lockdown season of COVID-19 for all its treasure. Here is the list of questions Caro throws out: Spirituality • Where, when and how did you most often experience the presence of God? • What parts of your character did you feel God developing during this time? • Describe y...

Oran unpack the idea of this COVID-19 time as liminal space and then dives into how we can wait in this in between space well.

To celebrate Mother’s Day, Becca guides us through a time of reflection in prayer connecting with the maternal images of God present in the scriptures. Music by Karl Verkade karlverkade.bandcamp.com/track/bridge…extended-mix Intro and outro music by Chris De Souza desouzamusic.bandcamp.com/track/right-single

The Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.” Music by Karl Verkade Song: Bridge in E Major (extended mix) https://karlverkade.bandcamp.com/track/bridge-in-e-major-extended-mix Intro and outro music by Chris De Souza Song: Right https://desouzamusic.bandcamp.com/track/right-single

A Guided Meditation for encountering God’s love when you feel you lack control of your situation. Becca leads a gentle guided meditation for when we’re feeling the stress and anxiety of lacking control over our situations. She helps you engage your body, mind and spirit resting in the present moment of God’s love. This one is not a jogging or driving or washing up episode 😊 Music in the backgroun...

Cheryl leads us through a guided prayer reflection using Psalm 91. In this episode you’ll want to be sitting somewhere still where you can engage with God yourself, as Cheryl will lead you to ask Jesus some questions and let Him speak to you. This one is not a jogging or car or washing up episode 😊