Sermons on Joe Smith:

Are All Divorcees Adulterers? (Mark 10:11-12)

Contributed by David Smith on Nov 4, 2007

"Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

It seems like we’ve been covering most of my least favourite Bible passages of late, so perhaps I should have expected this one to come along - "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her”. Another winner! And what a good passage to have on the day of a baptism! ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:11-12

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Rugby, Reality & Religious Rivalry (Mark 9:31-34)

Contributed by David Smith on Nov 4, 2007

You get the feeling with Jesus and the disciples that they’re never really on the same wavelength. Indeed, you get the feeling that if the group were there together at a fool...

Yesterday was a great day for this community. Yes, I’m talking about the Newtown-St George Rugby game at Telstra Stadium, where our team, trailing by 2 points with only five minutes to go, ran in two tries to win by ten and get themselves a spot in next week’s Premier League Grand Final. Being ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:31-34

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Jesus Needs A Break! (Mark 7:24-37)

Contributed by David Smith on Nov 5, 2007

Jesus Needs a Break! Depictions of Christ suffering on the cross are common in Christian literature and iconography. Few though are the depictions of Jesus walking around..

Our Gospel reading this morning is from Mark chapter 7, where we come across a Jesus who is tired - tired, I think, to the point of exhaustion. This is not the sort of depiction of Jesus that is given much attention by the church. I’ve never seen a stained-glass window with an image of Jesus ...read more

Scripture: Mark 7:24-37

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Jesus, The Bread Of Life (John 6:35, 41-51)

Contributed by David Smith on Nov 5, 2007

It is not the wisdom. It is not the miracles. It is not the things about Christ that we need the most. It is Christ - God with us - His flesh, His blood - food and drink.

I don’t know what your week has been like, but I’ve had a week that has been full of typical priest-type things: visiting the sick and organising weddings, baptisms and funerals. Indeed, in the next few weeks we’ve got two baptism scheduled, there’s one wedding next Saturday, and tomorrow I have a ...read more

Scripture: John 6:35-51

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

The Death Of John The Baptist (Mark 6:14-29)

Contributed by David Smith on Nov 5, 2007

The Death of John the Baptist. No doubt all of those who had thrown in their lot with John figured that their reform movement had just come to a grinding and bloody halt!

No doubt all of you are deeply concerned, as I am, about what could prove to be the beginnings of World War III breaking out this week in the Middle East. The Israeli army moved into Lebanon this week, ostensibly to take on Hezbollah militants operating from within Lebanon who apparently captured ...read more

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

The Road To Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35)

Contributed by David Smith on Nov 5, 2007

Emmaus Revisited ...

I’ve had some pretty intense pastoral encounters this past week. I think that’s the right term - ‘pastoral encounters’? I’m referring to those dialogues I have occasionally with people that are deep and spiritual, and I’ve had quite a number of them in this last week. And most of these intense ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:13-35

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Love One Another (John 15:9-17)

Contributed by David Smith on Nov 5, 2007

Sermons by Father Dave BODY,P,A,TD,TH,UL,OL,LI,DL,DT,DD{font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,Helvetica color:black;}...

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you ... love one another.” I think it was Mark Twain that I first saw quoted, saying that it was ...read more

Scripture: John 15:9-17

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

He Is Risen Indeed! (John 20:1-18)

Contributed by David Smith on Nov 6, 2007

He is Risen Indeed! (an Easter Sermon) ...

It is Easter Day, and here we gather, along with so many other people around the globe, to celebrate that fundamental event which gives birth to the Christian faith - namely, the resurrection of Jesus. I’ve been celebrating the resurrection of Jesus like this every year at this time for as long as ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-18

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Jesus Heals A Man With Who Won't Shut Up! (Mark 1:40-45)

Contributed by David Smith on Nov 6, 2007

Jesus has the power to heal, but He doesn’t seem to have the power to keep this man quiet! Why don’t this former leper shut up, and why is Jesus so concerned to keep him...

"And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, "If you will, you can make me clean." Moved with compassion , he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him ...read more

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

The Battle For The Vineyard (Matthew 21:33-40)

Contributed by David Smith on Nov 6, 2007

Like so much of life, the parables of Jesus are often stories of violence. Here the violence is between a landlord and his tenants. ...

“We were told that this [operation] was against armed people and against people climbing on our armed vehicles. Our APCs (armed personnel carriers) were cruising 24 hours a day close to buildings (in Jenin), waiting for kids to climb on them, trying to dislodge the top -mounted MG (machine gun) and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:33-40

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

How To Waste Your Time Looking For Lost Sheep! (Matthew 18:10-17)

Contributed by David Smith on Nov 6, 2007

Why waste time with negative pepole who are never going to make much progress? Because we follow a shepherd who will leave the ninety-nine grazing to pursue one lost sheep....

One of the things I hear a lot in the business world is that if you want to be successful, you need to hang around successful people. I don’t know if you’ve heard of the concept of the ‘Mastermind Group’, but I’ve been encouraged repeatedly, over recent years, to join one. The concept of the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:10-17

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

The Deserving Poor? (Matthew 15:10-28)

Contributed by David Smith on Nov 7, 2007

Why waste time with negative pepole who are never going to make much progress? Because we follow a shepherd who will leave the ninety-nine grazing to pursue one lost sheep....

‘And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from the region came out and cried, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.”’ (Matthew 15:21-22) One of the most formative experiences in my ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:10-28

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

The Macdonaldtown Parables (Matthew 13:31-33, 44-45)

Contributed by David Smith on Nov 7, 2007

Sermons by Father Dave ...

Our Gospel reading this week confronts us with a series of parables - the sort that my dad (if he was still alive) might well have referred to as MacDonaldtown Parables. I don’t know if you’re familiar with MacDonaldtown Station. It‘s not far from our church building. I don’t believe there’s ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:31-33

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Unbind Him And Let Him Go! (John 11:1-53)

Contributed by David Smith on Nov 7, 2007

Here’s a story that might seem hard to know what to do with. That’s OK. Even the disciples didn’t know how to handle this one! ...

“Unbind him and let him go!” These are the words of Jesus, recorded in John 11 - dramatic words that come at the climax of a dramatic story - the death and resuscitation of Jesus’ friend Lazarus. It is an extraordinary story. It’s filled with mysterious dialogues, doubting disciples, tears and ...read more

Scripture: John 11:1-53

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Luke 21:5-19 (A Guest Sermon From Sandy Gray)

Contributed by David Smith on Nov 7, 2007

A guest sermon by Sandy Gray on the transitory nature of human life BODY,P,A,TD,TH,UL,OL,LI,DL,DT,DD...

“All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them”. (Isaiah 40:6-8). I’m wondering if you noticed a new grey hair when you were getting ready for church this morning? I’m wondering if ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:5-19

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican