St Michael's talks & sermons

Bishop Justin brings the first of his two-part sermon on the Good News. This week: the good news of the cross.

The lectionary sets readings from 1 John for the weeks after Easter. Before this sermon, Tim played the first few minutes of the Bible Project overview of 1 John, and then dives into 3 issues that arose for him from Chapters 1 & 2. - who is this God John is passionate about? - what does it mean to walk in the light? - how do we get into the light?

The Law is a massive theme across the whole bible. How do we understand it, from its place in the Torah's wilderness narratives, right through to Jesus, and Paul's apparent reevaluation of it. These are the questions Rebecca guides us through in this helpful overview of the theme of Law. Readings: Exodus 19.3-6, Ex 20.1-17 Deuteronomy 4.5-14 Galatians 3.23-4.7

Who is God? One Jewish answer to this question, repeated throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, is: "God is the God who liberated us from slavery in Egypt". In this sermon, Dr Philip Fountain recounts the way that Jewish people recall the Exodus in ritual and story. He reminds us that this story has empowered liberation struggles throughout the world. And he closes by reaffirming that Jesus c...

Scripture starts in a garden and ends in a city. So what's the problem with building a tower as part of a city, as in the Tower of Babel? In this sermon, Matthew traces all sorts of interesting clues in the Babel story that the people are critiqued for imposing an "anti-pattern" on reality; a pattern that looks attractive, but it ultimately too rigid and imperial for God's purpos...

For those who heard the Genesis stories as Sunday School kids, it's easy to overlook how profound they are. In this sermon, Matt Packer explores one aspect of the very profound story of Cain & Abel - the role played by imitative desire. Beginning with a summary of the theory of Mimesis, Matt helps us to see that we are by nature creatures who imitate others, often out of jealousy and envy....

Mostly, this series takes the scriptures at face value, without asking the historical or scientific questions. This sermon is an exception, as Jonathan Boston takes a theistic evolutionary perspective on the account in Genesis 3. He then asks how a committed Christian should understand the doctrine of the Fall, and how that should shape our life in today's world. Fittingly, the sermon was prea...

Tim continues our series on the archetypal stories of the Old Testament with a look at human vocation in Genesis 2. What can we learn from taking seriously the patterns of life in The Garden of Eden for life today? Texts: Genesis 2 John 20.10-18 Note: Tim assumes people have watched the following Bible Project video : https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/priests-of-eden/

In a world of perceived chaos and crisis, how do we find meaning and hope? This new series looks to the archetypal narratives of the Old Testament to find the repatterning to which St Paul calls us in Romans 12.1-2. In this opening sermon, Matthew Bartlett explores the rich patterning of Genesis 1, and how it points us to the central place that humanity holds in God's creative intention. How c...

What does God call us to give to the life of the church? And why? In this sermon, Sam exhorts us to see all we have as gift from God, such that it's easier both to give and to receive. And might that not encourage us to give a whole lot more ? Readings Numbers 3.40-51 2 Corinthians 8.1-15 John 12.1-8

If worship is about offering our whole lives to God (Romans 12.1-2), what's so special about worship services? Can't we just worship Monday to Friday, and get a sleep-in on Sunday? Readings: Revelation 4 Revelation 5 Mark 12.28-34

In Episode IV of this series on The Church, Tim goes off lectionary to outline the kind of behaviour Paul expects of Christian communities. If a church is too big to tease the vicar, does it mean it's too big? Readings Romans 12.1-16 Matthew 12:46-50

Anglicans in Aotearoa & Polynesia celebrate Te Pouhere Sunday, the Sunday when we remember the unique 3-Tikanga Constitution of our Anglican Church. Alan Cameron today explores what being people of the Treaty of Waitangi might mean for the Christian church here.

The series on The Church continues, with this Trinity Sunday exploration of The Trinity & the Church. How does the doctrine of the Trinity empower and encourage us to live and witness as church? Readings: 2 Corinthians 13.-11-14 Psalm 86.8-13 Matthew 28.16-20

This is the first sermon in a series on The Church, taking its cue from 3 Sundays in the New Zealand lectionary, with 3 bonus sermons on other aspects of Being the Church.. This week, Jessie Black discusses Pentecost as the Birthday of the Church, and probes how to retain hope when our hopes for God to do great things through the church are disappointed. Readings Acts 2.1-21 1 Corinthians 12.3-13...

Readings for Sixth Sunday of Easter 1 Peter 3.13-22 Acts 17.22-31 John 14.15-21 In this sermon, Rev. Dr. Tim McKenzie follows Paul to Athens, and wonders how his preaching methodology here helps build bridges for the gospel into Athenian culture. Or does it? Tim notes that the people of Athens were a tough crowd; it's one of Paul's least successful preaching gigs in Acts. Might his invocat...

Tim preaches from the lectionary readings about Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life, with some reference to the Coronation of Charles III along the way. How do we hold Jesus as the centre, without putting toll gates on the Way, setting exams for the Truth, and rationing out the Way? Acts 7.55-60 John 14.1-14

Fasting! The Lenten discipline we all want to avoid, or perhaps reduce to avoiding chocolate. But what is the logic behind this ancient discipline? Tim guides us through fasting in this new series on the 7 Habits of Occasionally Effective Christians... Readings 2 Samuel 12.15-23 Acts 13.1-3 Matthew 6.16-18

Why do Christians prize forgiveness so highly? Is is even possible, when we've been sorely wronged? What would it mean to forgive others for God's sake ? Deborah Wilson expounds the logic - and power - of Christian forgiveness. Readings Matthew 18.21-35

Professor Jonathan Boston continues the Lenten series on the Habits of Occasionally Effective Christians. This week - charitable giving, or as it used to be called, "almsgiving". How do we give intelligently and faithfully in a world so different from the world Jesus encountered in 1st C Palestine? Readings 2 Corinthians 9.6-15 Matthew 6.1-4

Geoff Troughton unpacks the 6th Habit of Occasionally Effective Christians, the discipline of study. What does it mean to love God with all our minds, as well as our hearts and souls. And what does this have to do with Palm Sunday? Readings Psalm 118 Deuteronomy 4.6-9 Matthew 21.1-17

The texts for the day were Psalm 46, Ephesians 6.17-20 and Matthew 6.5-8 . Rebecca speaks about prayer as a way of dwelling in Christ and seeing God's presence everywhere, particularly in the wilderness times in our lives. She mentions Tim Mackie's talk Paradise Now .

In the telling of the Christmas story before the sermon, we read the recipe for Christmas.  Ingredient 10 appeared to be missing, but it was written in invisible ink.  When we heated it over the Christ candle, we discovered that the missing ingredient was God's love.  Listen on...

Jeremiah 31:27-34 • 2 Timothy 3:14–4:5 • Luke 18:1-8 Māmari reflects on Colin McCahon's painting Storm Warning , karakia, and prayer/inoi.

We hear a lot about the cost of discipleship, and rightly so.  Following Jesus is about taking up our crosses to follow.  But, is it all about cost?  In this sermon, Matthew reflects on both the costs and the treasure, the joy and the reward.  And he notes that Pascal's Wager rather withers under the promise of eternal life. Psalm 139 Jeremiah 18.1-11 Luke 14.25-33