Worship Reflections by Rev Swee Ann Koh
7 April 2024
Manningham Uniting Church 7th April 2024 Easter 2 B Theme: Exposing our Wounds Text: John 20:19 – 31 Introduction Now who wants to share some of the feelings that you have identified in the various characters in John 20:19-31. Congregation share… Let us pray. All we have are a few brief stories. There’s the one about the empty tomb. A stranger robed in white, a gardener perhaps. Folded grave-cloths. Weeping women. Fleeing men. Horrible wounds. Rumours. Confusion. Doubt. Joy. Love. Fear. And always the nagging question. Why?…
31 March 2024 Easter Sunday
Manningham Uniting Church 31st March 2023 Easter Sunday Text: Mark 16:1-8 Rev Swee Ann Koh Introduction Good morning. “Where you there when they laid him in the tomb?” That’s where we left our story on Good Friday. “Where you there when they laid him in the tomb? Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Where you there when they laid him in the tomb?” On Easter morning, when we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, I have to confess that it is hard to come up…
17 March 2024
Manningham Uniting Church Sunday, 17th March 2024 Fifth Sunday of Lent Fellowship@10 Texts: Jeremiah 31:31-34 & John 12:20-33 Theme: As if… Introduction Today is the fifth Sunday of Lent. When was the last time you made a promise? “I promise I’ll have that work done by tomorrow.” “I promise I’ll clean my room.” “I promise I’ll love you forever.” When was the last time you broke a promise? One of my pet annoyances is when a character on TV or in a movie says, “I promise…
3 March 2023
Theme: What Makes You Angry?Texts: Exodus 20:1–17; John 2:13-22 Introduction Good morning. This Sunday is the third Sunday in Lent. Just as the season of Lent helps Christians prepare for Easter, Jews travelled to Jerusalem early to purify themselves for Passover (John 11:55). Christians likewise practice meditation, prayer, and participate in worship throughout Lent. Connecting with the Jews in this way helps us avoid anti-Jewish readings and enables us to reflect on the audacity of Jesus’ actions and claims. John…
18 February 2024
First Sunday of Lent 18th February 2024Text: Mark 1:9-15Theme: Wilderness in Life Introduction Good morning. Wherever you are, whatever thoughts and emotions are sitting with you this morning, welcome. Today is the first Sunday of Lent, Year B of the lectionary reading cycle —which means that last year we read Matthew’s account of Jesus’ temptation by the devil, in the wilderness, and next year we will read Luke’s account of Jesus’ temptation by the devil in the wilderness. Each story…
4 February 2024
Manningham Uniting Church 4th February 2024 Together@10 Theme: Generosity Encouraged Texts: Mark 12:28-34 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 Introduction In the Uniting Church Basis of Union, the section on Gifts and Ministries states:“The Uniting Church… acknowledges with thanksgiving that the one Spirit has endowed the members of Christ’s Church with a diversity of gifts and that there is no gift without its corresponding service: all ministries have a part in the ministry of Christ.” In short, the Uniting Church believes in the priesthood of all believers. This morning’s commissioning service is…
28 January 2024
Manningham Uniting ChurchSummer Series on the Book of Ruth28th January 2024Text: Ruth Chapter 4Theme: Hope for an Uncertain Future Introduction Good morning. I hope you have enjoyed the Summer Series thus far. Enjoy is probably an inappropriate word. I hope you have found the series thus far to be engaging and challenging. I have personally learned so much from my research and preparation of the reflections. I have read the book of Ruth from multiple perspectives. This morning, we will focus on…
21 January 2024 Service of Mourning
Manningham Uniting ChurchSummer Series on the Book of Ruth21st January 2024Text: Ruth Chapter 3Theme: Hope for the Stereotyped Introduction Good morning. Since 2019 the Uniting Church has marked a Day of Mourning on the Sunday before 26 January to reflect on the dispossession of Australia’s First Peoples and the ongoing injustices faced by First Nations people in this land. We are invited to continue to reflect on the effects of invasion, colonisation and racism on First Peoples. Let us pray…God, may my words…
14 January 2024
Manningham Uniting ChurchSummer Series on the Book of Ruth14th January 2024 Text: Ruth Chapter 2 Theme: Hope for the Marginalised IntroductionLast Sunday we focused on Chapter One of the Book of Ruth.Let’s recap…Naomi, an Israelite, leaves her home during a famine. While away, in Moab, her husband and sons die. Naomi convinces one of her Moabite daughters-in-law, Orpah to return to her homeland and seek a new life. The other, Ruth, refuses, declaring her love and loyalty to Naomi: “Ruth said, don’t…
7 January 2024
Manningham Uniting Church Summer Series on the Book of Ruth 07th January 2024Text: Ruth Chapter 1Theme: Hope in Difficult Times IntroductionThis morning we begin the Summer series on the Book of Ruth. I would recommend that you take the time this week to read through this book a couple of times. It is only four chapters, and you can probably read the whole book in less than half an hour. While the book of Ruth is only four chapters long — approximately…
31 December 2023
The First Sunday of Christmas, Year B Texts: Isaiah 61:10-62: Luke 2:21(22)-40 Theme: My eyes have seen your salvation! IntroductionWelcome, beloved friends and family of faith. The last service for the year. The last Sunday of the year. As we stand on the precipice of a new year, we find ourselves looking back at the year that was, and looking forward to the year that is to come. For me, the birth of Jesus, dear friends, is more than just a historical event.…
Christmas Day 25 December 2023
How to find Hope, Peace, Joy and Love in a weary world Reflection on Hope We need more hope. We need more mercy. We need more justice. If there’s ever a time when people need hope, IT’S NOW! It’s when the world is darkest that hope shines the brightest. The weary world needs hope. We all need hope. But what’s hope? Hope means different things to different people, but hope is more than wishful thinking. But the question arises: Is there any…
10 December 2023
Advent 2 Date: 10.12. 2023 Text: Isaiah 40:1-11 and Mark1:1-8 Title: Comfort and Peace Introduction “Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God.2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” (Isaiah 4O:1,2) I don’t know about you but I certainly need the Comfort that God offers to God’s people. The context of these comforting words. The Hebrew people were definitely in need…
3 December 2023
Sunday, December 3, 2023 – 1st Sunday in Advent, Year B Texts: Isaiah 64:1-9Mark 13:24-37 Theme: Naming Where We Are Introduction The relentless war in Ukraine. Unspeakable violence in Israel and Gaza. Blistering wildfires in western Australia. The rising cost of living and homelessness, significant overrepresentation of First Nations people in the criminal justice system and climate change policy and impacts. As we approach our next liturgical season and a new Church year, we find ourselves, once again, in a world that threatens…
12th November 2023
Reflection for Fellowship@10 12th November 2023 Text: Matthew 25:1-13 Title: Wise or Naïve? Introduction Let’s recap. Ten bridesmaids were waiting for a bridegroom, they waited so long that they fell asleep! This parable is familiar to you. Right? So, there were these ten bridesmaids waiting for a bridegroom. Five of the bridesmaids were wise and five of the bridesmaids were foolish we are told. The wise bridesmaids brought along some extra oil for their lamps, the foolish bridesmaids did not. Long before the bridegroom…
5th November 2023
Reflection for Together@10 5th November 2023 Text: Matthew 25:31-46. Title: Homelessness Introduction “The good we do lives on in others, and it is one of the most important things that does.” These are the words of the late Rabbi Lord Johnathan Sacks who died on 7th November 2020. He had been Chief Rabbi in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations for 22 years and a source of inspiration for many. “The good we do lives on in others, and it is…
29 October 2023
Text: Matthew 22:34 – 46 Title: Putting Love Before Everything Else Introduction The Pharisees and the Sadducees have been taking turns, as if by design, trying to trap Jesus. Last Sunday in Matthew 22:15-22We have the Pharisees and the Herodians ganging up to entrap Jesus: “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one, for you do not regard people with partiality. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it…
1 October 2023
Text: Matthew 21:23-32 Introduction Last Sunday at the baptism Together@10 service I reflected on the extravagant generosity and grace of God from Matthew 20:1-16. The Uniting Church considers baptism as a gift from God.“Baptism is a visible sign of God’s grace. That is most powerfully expressed in the practice of baptising infants as well as adults as an expression of God’s gracious welcome into the community of faith.” And in today’s gospel message the crowd that follows Jesus is again proof of this…
24 September
Title: Are You Envious Because I am Generous? Introduction Let me first welcome all of you to this baptism service. Good to see so many of you here. I hope you will find this service meaningful for you. As you know we are here to baptise Amelie Alice May Smith and Jasper Andrew Hanson into the family of God. What is baptism? Or what is the meaning of baptism? The Uniting Church considers baptism as a gift from God. “Baptism…
3 September 2023
Introduction This morning I want to begin my reflection with a preamble.We have a difficult passage this morning – Matthew 16:21-27.There is a great chance that some of you might not like my reflection.This passage is not for the faint hearted. The passage from the Gospel according to Matthew contains one of Jesus’ hardest sayings. “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to…
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