{"id":101,"date":"2026-06-25T07:36:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T07:36:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parkdalecofc.org.au\/wordpress\/?page_id=101"},"modified":"2026-10-31T03:25:33","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T03:25:33","slug":"scripture-for-thought","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/parkdalecofc.org.au\/?page_id=101","title":{"rendered":"Discipleship Thought"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

November 1st<\/sup> 2026 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Matthew 23:1-12, Matthew 5: 1-12<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though we might be a little uncomfortable at the thought of being numbered amongst the saints, we are, nevertheless, the people of God called to live faithfully. It is the same call that has come to everyone who has acknowledged Jesus as Lord. The key to understanding this astounding truth is to realise that every saint is called to humility, not arrogance; that every saint is called to be servant leaders not manipulators of power; that each of us is to place love of God and love of the other ahead of all else. While some may seek notoriety and influence, the truth is that the way of a saint is one of compassion and desiring the best for the other. This can often be at the expense of one\u2019s own wellbeing but always to the glory of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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November 8th<\/sup> 2026 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Matthew 25;1-13<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warning, warning people of God. Do not take for granted God\u2019s saving grace, or else. The parable of the bridesmaids is an important corrective to any of us who think we can treat God lightly. In the context of Jesus day, it may have had several meanings. First, and clearly Jesus\u2019 original intent would be to all who have moved away from the truth of what it means to be god\u2019s people. In Matthew, it is preceded by the parable of the unfaithful servant and many warnings of what happens to those who disobey god\u2019s way. In the time of Matthew and the early church it would have been a word of caution for those who had grown complacent about the return of Jesus. And for us? It is a word about preparedness for the God-moment when something large or small is expected of us. The question is, are we prepared?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

November 15th<\/sup> 2026 \u00a0 Matthew 25:14-30<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is an old saying, \u201cIf I only new then what I know now, what a difference it would have made!\u201d Surely the servant who hid his master\u2019s talents in the backyard would like his time over again. It is a hard lesson to learn that god\u2019s providential care and provision will get us through any situation. In fact, when we put every gift we have received at the disposal of the Spirit an amazing multiplication of outcomes occurs. \u201cIf I only knew . . .\u201d Well, actually, we really do know. Putting our trust in the teachings of Christ, studying the scriptures to discern god\u2019s purpose and way, and being fully open to the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit is sufficient to build a fruitful and meaningful life, at any age. If we understand what is asked of us at any point in life and apply God\u2019s wisdom, anything and everything is possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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November 22nd<\/sup> 2026 Matthew 25:31-46<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The New Testament gives us something of a glimpse in the ways the first Christians tried to grasp the fullness of the person and work of Jesus. John calls him the Word of God. Peter names him messiah, the Christ. Paul calls him Lord and the first-born of the new creation, while the Book of Revelation exalts him as the lamb upon the throne. Son of man, Son of God, Rabbi and Emanuel (God with us) are some of the other titles we encounter. The majesty and significance of all these names led the early church to establish the doctrine of the trinity to affirm that we have encountered the fullness of God in Christ. Whatever w make of all this, what really matters is how we allow this one whom we worship as Christ the King, to come and be rightly head of the Body of Christ and lord of our lives. We will never know the depth of Christ\u2019s nature and being but we can live in obedience to his guidance and will. It is in that relationship that we dwell in abundant life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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November 29th<\/sup> 2026 \u00a0 1st<\/sup> Sunday Advent \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mark 13:24-37 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Isaiah 64:1-9<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living in what is, for the most part, a thoroughly secular society, one could be forgiven for wondering if the day of God will ever occur. It is easy to forget that times like these have occurred before. Isaiah reminds us that the favour of God was withdrawn from the people because of their behaviour. His situation reflected our own. The prophet declared that the day would come when God\u2019s promise, initially made to Abraham, will be fulfilled. The gospel reading reminds us that no-one will know when the Son of Man will return. Impatient as we are for the coming of God\u2019s new realm, when justice will be restored and all can live in peace, it is salutary to realise that such a day may nor occur in our lifetime. The Hebrew people lived for centuries, watching and waiting and the Christian era has already extended two millennia. The message of Advent is clear: watch and wait; be faithful and humble in service and ready for action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

December 6th<\/sup> 2026 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2nd<\/sup> Sunday Advent \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mark 1:1-8 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

John the Baptist, in fact all the prophets, are interesting characters. I wonder whether we would have liked them. Many displayed peculiar characteristics, and John, typical of the prophet\u2019s way, represents quite a spectacle. No wonder Jesus later would confront people asking what they had gone out to the desert to see. It is interesting how the prophets always seemed to hold two aspects together: threat and promise. There is the sense of foreboding that comes to those who have turned away from God. Who could blame God for giving up on the covenant with the people of Israel, or the early Christians, or the church, or us? Yet the other side of the coin, God\u2019s promise that reveals god\u2019s compassionate heart and covenantal love is always present as well. It is this that grants one hope and calls us back to the loving arms of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

December 13th<\/sup> 2026 \u00a0 3rd<\/sup> Sunday Advent \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 John 1:6-8, 19-28<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are times in life, such as we have all experienced over and over when we feel overcome with frustration, grief, lament, and anger. Many of us may have felt overwhelmed as if our souls were laid bare. It is interesting how often in such circumstances the Bible turns to poetry and song to offer our human situation before God. It is easy to forget that Mary\u2019s song comes in the midst of her struggle to maintain faith. Is this not also a time for singing? It is the Holy Spirit that gives us a song with words of justice and hope, who gives us voice to sing and accompanies us as we give praise to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

December 20th<\/sup> 2026 4th<\/sup> Sunday Advent \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Luke 1:26-38<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

God\u2019s purposes are held in a moment in time, reliant on the obedience of a few to respond faithfully to God\u2019s call and held in the birth of a baby at a time when life was cheap and infant mortality high. When the plight of an unwed mother and the consequences for a child born out of wedlock destined it to be left out in the desert to die. It underscores what could have happened if joseph had chosen a different path or if Mary had disbelieved the angel and gone out into the desert herself. From the safety of our Christmas preparations, it is easy to forget just how precarious all the aspects of the days leading up to the birth of Jesus, his early childhood, and his growing up in an occupied land really are. But then, is it not the case that life is always precarious, and God is always coming to those of faith with risky invitations to fulfil the divine purpose?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

December 25th<\/sup> 2026 \u00a0 Christmas Day \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Luke 2(1-7), 8-20<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many people Christmas Day can be tough. Those times when you endure uncle Harry or face off with cousins in a once-a-year audit of life. Or maybe those who spend the day alone. None of this is what god wants for people on this day or any day. In Christmas stories we find expressions of unexpected community. We find faithfulness in the face of hardship. We find new birth and new beginnings in the midst of fragility and threat. Into our human condition steps one whom we believe to be the face of the divine, the embodiment of eternal love and life and the fulfillment of hopes and dreams. Christmas day is a day full of new possibilities because we encounter one named Emanuel, God with us. Paul wrote in Romans 8:31, \u201cIf God is for us, who can be against us?\u201d Together as the people of God, the Body of Christ, new beginnings, new hope and new life are given for us to share with all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

December 27th<\/sup> 2026 1st<\/sup> Sunday after Christmas \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Psalm 148<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 148, a Psalm of praise, is a hymn to the unity of all things. All people, young and old, men and women, all non-human creatures, all the elements of the earth and its weather, all are called upon to praise God. What would it mean for us, for our faith communities, to take seriously the unity of all the elements of the universe? What would it mean for us to live as if all things, the stars, the hills, a stream, a tree, a bird, a cat and a neighbour were each precious to us and to God? What would it mean for us to see the nature and energy of God in each of them? How could it change our worship together as we speak or sing this Psalm?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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November 1st 2026 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Matthew 23:1-12, Matthew 5: 1-12 Though we might be a little uncomfortable at the thought of being numbered amongst the saints, we are, nevertheless, the people of God called to live faithfully. It is the same call that has come to everyone who has acknowledged Jesus as Lord. The key to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-101","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/parkdalecofc.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/parkdalecofc.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/parkdalecofc.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parkdalecofc.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parkdalecofc.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=101"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/parkdalecofc.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/101\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":279,"href":"https:\/\/parkdalecofc.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/101\/revisions\/279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/parkdalecofc.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}