Worship Reflections by Rev Dr Con Apokis
2 December 2024
Reflection Rev Dr Con Apokis Introduction Illustration: The re-election of Trump Sorry to begin with a moan. I am so disappointed with you all – to return after our break in Japan back to MUC to find you let Trump get re-elected! What happened! How did you manage that?!? I know you think it is unfair to land that at your feet – who else is there to blame? The problem of hope is that it constantly needs to be…
20 October 2024
Baptism Illustration: What is the most important or defining moment of your life? I love cricket. In my last years I had gravitated to being the keeper. This one week I arrived five minutes late and got told I was now the captain. Now this was not good news because we had not won a game as a team in eighteen months. Last season we once scored 11 runs all out and on another occasion a team scored 518 with one…
13 October 2024
All I ask is the chance to prove that money can’t make me happy (Spike Milligan) Mark 10:17-31 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ 18Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall…
6 October 2024
Marriage: God’s Solution to Loneliness, Lust and Laundry (Mark 10:2-16) 2 Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’ 3He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ 4They said, ‘Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.’ 5But Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. 6But from the beginning of creation, “God made them male and female.” 7“For this reason a…
11 August 2024
If Jesus is the Bread of Life – What Happens If You Don’t Like Bread? (John 6:35, 41-51) 35 Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 41 Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ 42They were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we…
4 August 2024
How Does Jesus Feed You? (Mark 6:35-44) 30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the…
21 July 2024
Crowds to the Left, Vast Needs to Right (Mark 6:30-34 & 53-56) 30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there…
14 July 2024
How Dancing Leads to Spite (Mark 6:14-28) 14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, ‘John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.’ 15But others said, ‘It is Elijah.’ And others said, ‘It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.’ 16But when Herod heard of it, he said, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.’ 17 For Herod himself had sent men who arrested…
7 July 2024
Mark 6:1-13 (MUC Pentecost 7 July 2024) Theme Quote: I don’t know, I don’t care, and it doesn’t make any difference. (Jack Kerouac)Quote: Is it ignorance or apathy? Hey, I don’t know and I don’t care. (Jimmy Buffett) The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth 6 He left that place and came to his home town, and his disciples followed him. 2On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, ‘Where did this…
26 May 2024 Trinity Sunday
Trinity Sunday 26 May 2024 Rev Dr Con Apokis Readings: Isaiah 6:1-8, John 3:1-17 lntroducing the Theme Quote: Spanish proverb “Jealousy is thin because it bites but never eats”. I fear that I am about to annoy some of you – I not only love the Christian Trinitarian tradition and outlook – I believe in the God of Jesus through it. Quote: Anonymous – as we continue with you this will be one of my go to themes – “If you think you are leading but…
21 April 2024
Manningham Uniting Church 21st April 2024 Easter 4B Texts: Psalm 23, 1John 3:16-24, John 10:11-18 Theme: Jesus – the Glory of God lntroducing the Theme Lent is the season to divest yourself of all the things that would diminish your capacity to be a follower of Jesus. Easter is the season to encourage you in all the things that would enable your capacity to be a follower of Jesus. Last week I used a verse from Hebrews 1:3 to make sense…
14 April 2024
Manningham Uniting Church 14th April 2024 Easter 3B Texts: Acts 4: 32-35, Hebrews 1:3, John 20: 19-23 Theme: Where Art Thou? The theme was introduced by a video of ‘The Week with Charlie Pickering’ (Your Cancelled – Easter April 2024 – Series 10 Episode 9) demonstrating how naïve and uninformed people are to the meaning of Easter. Introduction Quote: “One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.” (Oscar Wilde)Quote: “There is one thing one has to…