Central Church Port Kembla

Adam and Lisa Gowen share some of their experience with Indigenous Spirituality and reflect on what salvation means through an Indigenous lens.

In this gathering we engaged with the idea of spiritual practice as paying attention. Our practices included: a time of paying attention to something from creation; praying an examen; and confession. Background music to use: https://karlverkade.bandcamp.com/track/db-pad-base

The Parable of the Prodigal Son is one of Jesus' most well-known and beloved stories. In this episode, Oran explores what this parable might reveal about salvation, the heart of God, and the radical nature of divine love. This message opens the doors to discussion on how God's grace might extend even beyond the grave, and what this means for how we understand the Father's relentless pursuit of his children.

Caro explains the framework of 'theological worlds' which goes a long way to explaining the different beliefs and worldviews that sit under the umbrella of Christianity. It can help explain why we can feel very different to other Christians and think differently about key issues while still following the same God.

Steff Fenton is a writer, speaker and pastor who spent an evening with us at Central sharing about their journey of finding a faith outside of the gender binaries, both of self and God. It was an absolute delight to listen to Steff share their story with us.

Do you have a memory of being held by God, in grief or joy? On Sunday we explored two contemplative practices around being held by God. We were guided in a meditation by Lynda and we also looked at Scriptures where God is described as holding or carrying God's people, like a parent carries a child. Ambient background music is by https://karlverkade.bandcamp.com/

Reimagining John 15:1-9 in the context of Jesus’ prior teaching can help us to remain without fear. Bryony shares how questions and embodiment have helped her remain in Jesus’ love.

How do ruptures in our faith and life shape us? How can we reimagine survival together? And what are considerations for being a church that takes trauma seriously?

In our gathering we look at two different metaphors for resilience and consider what wisdom they might have for us, and we finish with a lectio divina on the steadfast love of God. Ambient background music is by https://karlverkade.bandcamp.com/

Caro explores Jesus' unusual words to Mary in John 20 to consider how following God invites a regular letting go of old ways of thinking.

In the Gospel of John, we encounter the beautiful account of Jesus restoring Peter after his three denials on the night of His arrest. This story is rich with layers that reveal the true heart of Christ—the incarnate God. In this message, Oran explores these layers of Peter’s redemption and reflects on how God, in perfect love, restores us as well.

Drawing the series on Colossians to a close, Bryony explores the subversive instructions to slave masters in a letter being carried by a freed slave.

The Practice of Community (feat. Dorothy Day) by Central Church Port Kembla

Continuing our Colossians series, Becca explores themes in chapter two, around survival in the shadow of Empire, the lure of 'secret knowledge' and how community is the way that we know God.

The stories we are told shape our lives. They influence how we see ourselves—and how we understand the world around us. Today, as in the days of Paul, the dominant story is often one of peace through violence, where might makes right. Paul, however, proclaims a better story: one in which violence is not passed on, but absorbed through Christ on the cross. In this message, Oran explores this transformative narrative by unpacking the centrepiece of Colossians 1—the Messiah Hymn.

What if real change requires more than good intentions? In this New Year sermon, Oran explores Jesus’ parable of new wine and new wineskins, and what it reveals about growth, frustration, and transformation. Jesus is not calling us to despise the old, but to discern when a season has ended and to make room for the new work God is doing among us. A reflection on change, grace, and the courage it takes to trust that God is still making all things new.

Using Isaiah 2 and Psalm 122 Bryony explores the “now and not yet” of the promised peace we wait for during advent and asks how we can prepare for the coming of the kingdom.

In our December contemplative service we explored the 4 themes of Advent: hope, peace, joy and love. We did an Examen around those themes, reflecting on our year and we also practiced centering prayer together, choosing one or the Advent themes as our sacred word. Ambient background music is by https://karlverkade.bandcamp.com/

Trauma is indifferent to morality. It does not weigh guilt or innocence; it leaves its mark based on impact, not intention. Paul, once a fierce persecutor of the early church, likely carried deep trauma after his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus. In this message, Oran explores signs of trauma reflected in Paul’s writings and considers what we can learn from his journey as both the one who inflicted harm and the one who later bore its weight.

How do we make sense of trauma and loss that life inevitably brings us? Becca shares from Jeremiah about how the prophet helped people make sense of the catastrophe of exile. She draws from the work of Walter Brueggemann, David Carr and Wil Gafney as she explores the promise of hope after devastation.