The Epiphany of the Lord - Matthew 2:1-12

Christmastide - John 1:1-18 - Weaving the Word.

In this time of Christmas tide we have decided to revisit a stunning sermon from 3 years ago. I invite you to take this moment: breathe, relax and immerse yourself in the poetics of palawa woman Alison Overeem as she reflects upon the Gospel of John, weaving stories into the flight of butterflies.

Alison Overeem is a proud palawa woman from South-East Tasmania who is driven by culture, family, empowerment and creating safe spaces to build hope and healing. Alison is passionate about raising awareness of Aboriginal culture and history and the rights of women in society. As a result, Alison was a past member of the Tasmanian Women’s Council. While working in aged care at the age of 16, Alison studied for a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) and graduated in 1989.

Alison established the Aboriginal Children’s Centre at West Moonah in 1989. As Director of the Aboriginal Children’s Centre from 1989 to 2013, she helped design a state-of-the-art, award-winning, culturally inclusive children’s centre at Risdon Cove. Alison believes she was fortunate to be at the forefront of developing a multifunctional Aboriginal service, the first of its kind in Tasmania. It was, in fact, a precursor to the Child and Family Centres rolled out across Tasmania in recent years.

In 2013, Alison was appointed as the Leprena Manager, Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC Tasmania). Alison has been instrumental in broadening Leprena’s engagement, networking and connections. Leprena’s mission is to be the lead provider of cultural and spiritual learning and immersion, uniting First and Second Peoples through Tasmanian Aboriginal culture, and the National UAICC story, across the nation. Leprena promotes a shared learning and unlearning between First and Second Peoples and provides projects and programs in a culturally and spiritually safe space by facilitating gatherings centred on cultural, emotional and social wellness. Leprena also provides training to church communities, not-for-profits, government and non-government organisations and educational groups.

Alison is also heavily involved with multiple advocacy, policy and strategic planning committees. She is a member of the UAICC National Executive, Uniting Care board of Australia, Uniting Church Assembly Standing Committee, Advocate for the Walking Together circle for the National UCA Assembly, co-chair of the UCA Vic Tas Walking Together committee and various others.  

Alison has made numerous contributions to publications and resources nationally around culturally inclusive practice models of service delivery for Aboriginal communities. She has also been involved in advocacy and policies impacting social justice movements and climate change.

Alison has a Bachelor of Education and an Advanced Diploma in Management.

Fourth Sunday of Advent - Luke 1:39-45 - Leaping with Joy: Celebrating Divine Energies Embodied.

Rena MacLeod is a biblical scholar who researches and writes in the areas of violent biblical narratives, mimetic theory, and feminist theory. Her research draws out the shared space between women’s contemporary experience of men’s violence, and those experiences reflected in biblical texts of female victimhood. Integral to this scholarship, is also analysing the roles and representations of women’s courage, strength, and empowerment. Rena is especially interested in how these biblical representations of women’s experiences may be read as destabilising the discourses and myths that sustain structures of gendered violence. Ultimately grounded in a biblical liberation framework, Rena’s research seeks to foster flourishing personhood and a society free from the dynamics of violent behaviour.

Third Sunday of Advent - Luke 3:10-18

Robyn Whitaker is Associate Professor of New Testament at Pilgrim Theological College in the University of Divinity, and Director of The Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy.  She is also an ordained Uniting Church minister. Robyn specialises in the Book of Revelation and the Synoptic Gospels, writing for both academic and popular audiences. Her recent books include Revelation for Normal People and Even the Devil Quotes Scripture: Reading the Bible on its Own Terms. Robyn lives in Melbourne with her husband and their two dogs. While she only preaches occasionally these days, she co-hosts a podcast for preachers called By the Well that discusses the lectionary readings each week.

Second Sunday of Advent -Luke 3:1-6

Keren Terpstra is the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, Sale in the Anglican Diocese of Gippsland. Before coming to Sale, Keren had appointments in Melbourne, and before that in Brisbane, where she trained and was ordained.

She is a passionate Trekkie, loses herself in Chinese dramas, engages in imaginative worlds by writing fanfiction and playing PS4, enjoys walking around the lakes in town, loves quilting and sewing and handcrafts, is a composer and organist, and is learning to play the harp – in her spare time!

First Sunday of Advent - Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

Gillian writes: I am the Chaplain and Head of Religious and Values Education at St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School in Brisbane, a position I have held for the past 10 years. Prior to that I have been a parish priest, worked in a cathedral, assisted a Primate and most importantly, been mum to 4 amazing children. 

I am an Anglican priest with tertiary qualifications in Japanese, Law and Theology. I am a lifelong Anglican with a keen interest in the future shape of the church and in women’s issues within the church and beyond. I think working as a school chaplain is the best job in the church, because it brings me into contact with such a variety of people, many of whom have no or little knowledge of the church or Christianity, but who are keenly interested in living a meaningful life.

I am also a vowed member of the Society of the Sacred Advent, an Anglican religious order of women, and I am committed to the ongoing contribution of religious orders to the life of the Anglican Church and its schools. I am curious about what religious life might look like in the 21st century, and what treasures it still has to offer.

My other interests include gardening, baking, quilting, and my little border terriers who make life so much richer.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe - John 18:33-37

The Right Rev’d Sarah Plowman is Assistant Bishop in the Anglican Church Southern Queensland. She has spent most of her life in SE Qld, growing up on the Sunshine Coast. She began her career as a Physics and Maths teacher, during which time she explored a vocational call into youth ministry. After serving in parish and Diocesan roles in youth ministry, she returned to schools as a lay chaplain, and pursued a call to ordained ministry. Since her ordination to the priesthood in 2005, she has served as chaplain at three Anglican schools, loving the energy and dynamism of the educational environment.

In 2020, she transitioned out of school ministry, taking on the challenging role of the Director of Discernment and Formation, based at St Francis Theological College. In this role she was able to explore and develop the nature of vocation, and encourage Anglicans in their journey to ordained ministry. In June 2024, she was consecrated as a bishop in the Anglican church and is now an Assistant Bishop in the ACSQ with responsibility for the Northern Region of the diocese.

She is married to Darius, with two daughters and two step-daughters, all in their late teens. She loves hiking, camping and running, as well as tending and growing her garden which is full of native plants, birds, insects and lizards!

Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time - Psalm 91

Dr Robyn Ober is a Mamu/Djirribal woman from Far North Queensland. She is a Lead Researcher at Batchelor Institute in the Northern Territory spanning three decades. She is well renowned for her expertise of both-ways pedagogy, working to combine Indigenous and non-Indigenous ways of knowing, being and learning in teaching practice and research. She serves in key leadership and ministry at Darwin Hillsong church and often speaks at Christian events and gatherings in the Northern Territory and beyond. Over the past four decades she and her family have supported her parents in pioneering new churches and building Indigenous leadership in Christian ministry across northern Australian in remote and rural Aboriginal communities.

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 12: 38-44 - How can we be more generous with what we have?

Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 12:28-34

Di writes: I am a Buandik First Nations woman. I am Reverend Canon Auntie Di Langham, Director of Reconciliation in Newcastle Anglican. I am mother of four, grandmother of 14 and great grandmother of 7. My ministry has included Juvenile Justice Chaplin and 20 years as a gaol chaplain. I am secretary of National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Anglican Council. I am invited to speak at many churches and groups. I like to challenge people in their faith and get them to go on a spiritual journey that sometimes may be uncomfortable. I believe that  it is in this discomfort we grow.

Belinda writes: I am a proud Buandik woman. Auntie Di is my mother. I am currently working at Nikinpa Aboriginal family and community centre. I am an artist. I use gum leaves as the backgrounds of my art. I belong to Nikinpa Women's art group who create healing leaves for those who have Iost loved ones or reconnecting with culture. I attend Campfire Church. I like to write creatively.