Category Archives: This Sunday

Who do you listen to? The modern super-connected world hurls a tidal wave of different voices at us day after day, bombarding us with a multitude of news, opinions and stories. How do we choose what to listen to when we are faced with such an enormous selection?

This week is the last in our series on Nehemiah and we are thinking about Holy Worship. The work is completed, the community gather, the word is read, praise to God is given, and they commit themselves again to being the people of God.

How can we be examples of people that do not exploit, that are wise with resources and seek to show God’s love in how we treat both friend and stranger?

We look at the news and can be disheartened by the sorrow, conflict and difficulties around us. There are times when all we can do is grieve for those situations around us. Are we motivated to grieve? Do we think about fasting and praying? Nehemiah did just this – what can we learn from him?

We encourage daily reading of the scriptures on our own, as well as in hearing God’s word preached, so that we are more familiar with God’s ways of acting in his world, his plan and purpose for his people, the fulfilment of promises made and those to come, and how we can follow his ways for the flourishing of ourselves and our whole society.

This year, we at St. Luke’s and St. George’s are dedicating ourselves to listen to God’s guidance for the future of our work together with sharing the good news of Jesus in word and action. We want to see what God is stirring our hearts to do. I wonder what God will do in 2024 – what might he be stirring in us as individuals and as churches?

Like John, witnessing to the Light, let us also be people (not just this season) who share the good news of Jesus who came in poverty, to bring transformation for all – the greatest gift given – let’s embrace this gift and pass it on.

We can look at the current state of the world and our own lives and feel hopeless, but that is not the story of advent. Advent is a time of hope.

Advent is a time of looking forward. For most people these days it is a count down to Christmas, perhaps using an Advent calendar or just longing for all the busyness and preparation to be over and for time to relax. For Christians, however, Advent is more than just the lead up to Christmas. It is an opportunity to reflect on our lives from the perspective of eternity.

How does God guide us? If we truly love God and are serious about being disciples of Christ, then we should always want to act and make decisions in line with what God wants.