St Paul's Box Hill Podcasts

The resurrected Jesus told his disciples to preach repentance to all the world. Repentance means turning back to God. We can learn much from today's readings. [Organ/Choir - Easter 3]

Thomas gets a bad rap, being known for ever as Doubting Thomas when in fact he changed his tune. In fact, we can learn a few things from Thomas about dealing with our own doubts. [Organ - Easter 2]

Mark's Gospel breaks off short, and we're not sure why. But what if this was exactly his intention, to leave the story open-ended, so we (and Christians throughout history) could write ourselves into this story of new beginnings? [Organ/Choir Easter Day]

A beautiful, blended service bringing out the story from Mark's Gospel. The address focuses on three final temptations of Christ. [Band/Organ/Choir - Good Friday]

Life in Christ comes through his sacrificial death. The life of a disciple means dying to self and selfish habits, so that we can bring a harvest of good works to God. [Organ/Choir - Lent 5]

When a Jewish leader asked for explanations, Jesus pointed him to Moses and his brass serpent, lifted up for the people of Israel to be healed. In the same way, Jesus was lifted up for all people to be healed, and our relationship with our Creator God restored. [Organ/Choir - Lent 4]

Turning over the tables that keep us and others from worshipping God in spirit and in truth [Organ/Choir - Lent 3].

As we walk towards Easter, what does the talk about "taking up our Cross" and "dying to self" mean from day to day? It means realizing that human agendas and God's agendas by nature are not aligned. We need to put ours aside as a regular discipline, seek and listen for God's will, and then work to further his agenda in place of our own. [Organ/Choir - Lent 2]

Today's cantata (BWV 93 "Wer nur den lieben Gott" (Who only lets dear God rule)) teaches us about placing our trust in God’s strong hand, through the life and work of his Son Jesus. In Mark’s high speed journey through the life of Jesus, his baptism, his testing in the wilderness, and his work announcing the Kingdom of God all give us reasons to place our trust in Jesus. Today we start with his baptism. [Organ/Choir and cantata - Lent 1]

Life has its ups and downs. As we progress along the Christian journey, we find that the ups and downs are still there, but along an upward path. [Organ/choir - Transfiguration]

To spread the Gospel, Paul did not attack, berate, judge, belittle or preach at the people he spoke to. Instead, he adapted to their environment, drilled down into their present situation, and allowed the light of the Gospel into that world view. Can we learn from this? [Organ/Choir - Epiphany 5]

When Jesus was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum, the people were amazed at the authority of his teaching. [Organ/Choir - Epiphany 4]

Next month, it is 67 years since we founded this congregation named after a feisty, intelligent, passionate, combative, truth-seeking and truth-telling apostle called Paul. We stand in the same good news. How does it play out in daily life? [Organ - The Conversion of St Paul]

We have love-hate relationships with our bodies. But our bodies are the creation of a good and loving God too, not just our souls. Karl Barth said we are “ensouled bodies and embodied souls.” What does this mean? [Organ - Epiphany 2]

Social media provided a touch of light in the dark hours several days before Christmas. Many people used the hashtag #illridewithyou to express solidarity and compassion for those feeling threatened after a crazed gunman raised the spectre of terror in Sydney. On reflection, this echoes a part of what God is offering us all at Christmas. [ Organ/Choir - Christmas Day ]

Most of us are very used to road signs, and most of the time we follow or obey them. They are not beautiful, but functional. In a similar way, John the Baptist wasn't particularly attractive, with his wild clothes, peculiar Paleo diet, and unwashed desert lifestyle. But he clearly pointed to the coming Messiah, and the crowds therefore flocked to him. What they heard was a call to repent -- to turn around and go back the other way, to God. And in this Christmas season, how well are we functioning as living signs like John, that point to the coming Messiah? [ Organ/Choir - Advent 3 ]

Preparing for our own homecoming requires some preparations. First, in repenting, we need to let go our own baggage, starting with the false idea that we can save ourselves. We need to leave the broad path that society offers, and follow Christ's narrow way. There must be nothing we put ahead of Christ. He forgives us, so that we might become righteous, a new creation. In that new life, we can expect more, having great expectations in our Christian walk. [ Organ/Choir - Advent 2 ]

Like Lent, Advent is a time of preparation. Focusing on Christ, the Incarnate One, and his return, is a bit like preparing our house for an important visitor. In fact, we can use the metaphor of house cleaning to help do some stocktaking of where we are up to in our journey, and what is important to us now. But there is one huge difference between Christ and any other important visitor. Jesus doesn't judge us on our preparations. Instead, he is the one who cleans up our messes, and make us presentable. [ Organ/Choir - Advent 1 - Advent preparations ]

How can we better love our neighbours, and build up Christian community? The key is the self-sacrificial love of God that we model. Other things can follow. [ Organ/Choir - Pentecost 13 - Building community. ]

The Cross has become something of a fashion statement, an item of jewellery. And the world generally thinks of 'love' and something soft and romatic. But the Cross is a symbol of discipleship, of following Jesus. And we who follow are called to show the same kind of self-giving, suffering love that he demonstrated in dying for us. [ Organ/Choir - Pentecost 12 - Bach Cantata BWV 22 "Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe" (Jesus took under Him the twelve)]