The story of the Presentation is not quite as the Rector once imagined it. And that previous imagining was a result of cultural conditioning more than anything else. So how can we take the challenge of reading Scripture and allowing it to critique our culture rather than just reading into our Bibles what we want. Simeon and Anna give us some pointers in today's reading...

The Venerable Alastair McCollum

Rector, St John the Divine Victoria

The Rev'd Patrick Sibley

Deacon

The season of "Ordinary Time" after Epiphany and leading up to Lent offers us the extra-ordinary chance to reflect on the in-breaking of God in our daily lives, bringing holiness to our ordinary.

The Reverend Gillian Hoyer

Assistant Curate

When we divide the world into worthy and unworthy, into those who are properly Christian and those who aren’t, we ignore Jesus calling to follow and we listen to other voices which threaten to draw us away from the values which are at the heart of Christian faith. Who’s voices are we privileging – and can we hear Christ in them?

The Venerable Alastair McCollum

Rector, St John the Divine Victoria

Legends from the early church are interesting and entertaining. This morning, as we mark Epiphany Sunday, we recall the legend of Emperor Constantine's mother, Helena, finding the bones and skulls of the Three Wise Men, and preserving them as treasured sacred relics. We consider how God transforms the Magi, and in our own time, each of us, from "seekers" of Christ into "stars" who reflect the Light of Christ for other seekers to see and to follow.

The Rev. Canon Kevin Arndt

Priest Associate, St John the Divine Victoria

The Christmas story we celebrate is a mishmash of traditions and Gospel narratives – much of it mythic in it’s expression. But the purpose of these narratives are not to give a literal account of events around the birth of Jesus, but to challenge us to think about who Jesus was and is, and to seek for deeper meaning in the signs of Scripture. Why is this particular set of images, ideas, and poetic imaginings so important to defining us, as individual followers of Jesus and as a spiritual community.

The Ven. Alastair McCollum

Rector

What is a saint? Is it all heavenly cities, choirs, angels, harps, and thrones? The Rector guides us on a visualisation of the worship of heaven such as laid out in Revelation and popular imagination – and then goes from there to consider the defining quality of Sainthood.

The Ven. Alastair McCollum

Rector

A sermonlet, only a short thought, about Baptism and the importance of our spiritual journey given as part of the celebration of baptism for St John’s member Justin Routledge

The Ven. Alastair McCollum

Rector

What is a saint? Is it all heavenly cities, choirs, angels, harps, and thrones? The Rector guides us on a visualisation of the worship of heaven such as laid out in Revelation and popular imagination – and then goes from there to consider the defining quality of Sainthood.

The Ven. Alastair McCollum

Rector

The gospel of Luke tells the story of the Annunciation - the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary to ask her to bear God's son into the world. Mary knows that this is a dangerous and subversive call, yet still says yes, giving her consent to bear God. In doing so, she is proclaiming the greatness of the Mighty One who turns the world upside down and reminding us that listening to and believing women has always been a foundational part of our our faith.

The Reverend Gillian Hoyer

Assistant Curate