St Michael's talks & sermons

Tim explores what the Kingdom looks like in the practice of hospitality.  What is hospitality, and what isn't it?  And what about hospitality is conducive to the spread of the good news? Tim references a John Mark Comer sermon that explores some of these issues really well - see https://bridgetown.church/teaching/preaching-the-gospel/part-3-practice-hospitality/ Year C, Ordinary 22 Luke...

Tim McKenzie ditches his weather forecasting career to ask what it means that Jesus came to bring division, not peace.  The readings were the lectionary readings for the day: Isaiah 5.1-7 Luke 12.49-56

Galatians 6 Luke 12.32-40 Sam Jackson wraps up our Galatians series by asking us if we really are carrying one another's burdens, and encouraging us with the reminder that God specialises in using broken vessels.

In Galatians 4, Paul explores the idea of captivity to the "elemental principles/powers of the world".  For some, that's captivity to the Law.  For others, it's captivity to "gods who are not gods".  In either case, Paul urges the Galatian converts to stay free.  What might that mean for 21st Century people?

In our 3rd installment of the Galatians series, Matthew Bartlett explains why the cross is the way past cultural imperialism.  And why Paul is therefore so adamant that converts to the Jesus movement aren't obliged to follow Torah.  . Galatians 3.1-14 Galatians 3.21-28 Luke 23.32-34, 44-47 With help from Fleming Rutledge and Lamin Sanneh.

Galatians 2, with Māmari Stephens

Galatians is Paul's loudest, fiercest, most polemical letter.  Rev. Dr. Tim McKenzie gives us a short overview of the letter, and highlights three things to look out for as we read it. Earlier in the service, we had watched the most excellent Bible Project overview of Galatians , and Tim refers to that a couple of times in the sermon. 

Tim McKenzie opens the Why Be a Christian series by sketching four stories that people live by, out of the many available.  Why do these  stories appeal to people?  And how do they stack up against the Christian story, the truest story of all? Note: this sermon was rerecorded after the fact, as the original recording failed Romans 1.1-6 Luke 6.39-49

This is the final episode in our 2022 series, Faith, Crisis & Freedom.  Bronwyn Wood, Senior Lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington, takes us on a rich tour of the data around children's educational achievement, and what Covid has done to their learning.  And she offers some thoughtful analysis of where we're going wrong in  New Zealand particularly, and what we might do...

This talk comes from the St Michael's Faith, Crisis & Freedom series (2022).  Dr Andrew Shepherd, lecturer in Theology & Public Issues at Otago University, probes the Western cultural mood, as humanity stares down the barrel of environmental devastation.  After summarising some of the "Cli-Fi" literature written in the past decades, he offers a close reading of Station Eleven by...

How do I know God?  Why all this Trinity stuff? Christians often feel befuddled by the doctrine of the Trinity.  Rev. Dr. Tim McKenzie suggests that our challenge is to know the God indicated by the doctrine, rather than focusing on knowing the doctrine for its own sake. Psalm 8 Romans 5.1-5 John 16.12-15

It's Pentecost Sunday! Rebecca Packer unpacks the rich biblical imagery for the Holy Spirit and asks, "what does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit"?

Remember the first lockdown? How did we get from teddy bears in people's windows to fiery protests at parliament? In this talk, Dr Philip Fountain considers the government's management of the Covid pandemic, and suggests that hidden religious themes in New Zealand political discourse can cast light on what happened. How do ideas of sovereignty, solidarity, sacrifice and the iconic enable a better...

Why on earth, since Jesus prayed for the church to be one, i it so divided?  Is there any hope? Rev. Dr. Tim McKenzie preaches on the lectionary readings for Easter 7, 2022. Acts 16.16-34 Revelation 22.12-17, 20-21 John 17:20-26

How are we to face the future?  How can we do it with anticipation, but not anxiety?  Jessie shares from these scriptures on that theme: Acts 16.9-15 Revelation 21.10, 22-22.5 John 14.23-29

Easter 3, Acts 9.1-6, Revelation 5.11-14, John 21.1-19 Listen carefully, and you'll hear the epistle reader introduce "Revelation Chapter 5" as "Revolution Chapter 5".  Which is about right. Tim McKenzie preaches on Singing the Lamb's Song. The witness of history is that those who've been prepared to do this are truly revolutionaries.

Protestants often think of being a Christian as a question of believing things.  But is that the right place to start? Jesus puts a frighteningly terrifying emphasis on doing things.  In this sermon, Dr. Philip Fountain lets Jesus speak for himself, with devastating effect. Scripture: excerpts from Matthew 5, 6, & 7

Ruby Burgess outlines the breathtaking vision of a God who isn't just loving and compassionate, but who is love and compassion. Scripture Texts: Psalm 103, 1 Corinthians 13, and John 14.15-31

Another exciting episode in the series, "Why be a Christian in 2022?"  Matthew gives his telling of the Christian story, invites you to give yours, and offers his top 10 reasons for thinking the Christian story is more than just a fairytale...

Is Christmas just about joy?  Or is it about grief as well?  How do those go together?  And how does Angela Merkel's blessing to her successor, Olaf Scholz, help us approach the Christmas message in a world of trouble and joy?

Text: Luke 1:26–56   Cassandra Burton-Wood, lately chaplain at Victoria University of Wellington, delivers a final message about Mary the mother of Jesus, before leaving town for love and theological study. 

Texts: Acts 4.32-35; 1 John 1.1-2.2; John 20.19-31 The Rev Dr Tim McKenzie explores faith, doubt and the resurrection (with a special appearance by Tim Overton) Please forgive the mediocre audio quality in this episode!

Genesis 41:41–49; 1 Corinthians 7:17–24; Luke 19:1–10 .  What does 'vocation' mean for Christians? Is it about landing your dream job? Or becoming a priest? The second in a series on faith & work.

Texts: Psalm 46 , Romans 8.26-40 & Mark 1.35-39 Mel spoke on the four S's of contemplative prayer — silence, solitude, stillness and surrender.

Texts: 2 Samuel 7:18–29 , Ephesians 5:18–21 ; Luke 11:8–13 Richard begins our series on prayer.