Alison and the whale

(From the archives) Come on, girls, you’ve been working since dawn and it’s only midnight—how dare you sleep? Wake up! Be alert, bright as a button; anticipate your master’s every need. You have more oil? Don’t you dare share, you know it’s a limited good. And stop fretting about your foolish sisters turned away from the banquet ...
A reflection on Matthew 25:1-13, shared with Manningham Uniting Church, 8 November 2026 (Proper 27 Year A). 

Lately my body has gone wonky in all sorts of ways. And yes, I know life is a gift but actually people keep dying and I keep grieving. And I’ve never swum with dolphins and I’ve never been to France and I’m not all that popular. In fact, some people clearly hate me. So am I #blessed?
A reflection on Matthew 5:1-12 & Revelation 7:9-17 shared with Manningham Uniting Church, 1 November 2026 (All Saints Year A).

Taxes might not be anyone’s favourite subject, but Jesus’ words invite us to think about more than what we owe. What does it mean to give to God what is God's?
A reflection on Matthew 22:15-22 shared with Manningham Uniting Church, 18 October 2026 (Proper 24 Year A).

Happiness is fleeting and contextual. But even in the depths of anguish, we can know joy.
A reflection on Philippians 4:1-9 shared with Manningham Uniting Church, 11 October 2026 (Proper 23 Year A).

The Ten Commandments aren't rules. Instead they simply indicate who we truly worship.
A reflection on Exodus 20:1-20 shared shared with Manningham Uniting Church, 4 October 2026 (Proper 22 Year A).

If we expect heaven's gifts to drop out of the sky like a brightly packaged bag of TipTop fortified sliced white, we will be perpetually hungry and disappointed. So, how do heaven's gifts show up? With a nod to Wendell Berry, RIP.
Reflecting on Exodus 16 with Manningham Uniting Church, 20 September 2026 (Proper 20 Year A).

Why not love, forgive and flourish like Dolly: joyfully, unashamedly, wholeheartedly?
A reflection on Matthew 18:21-35 shared with Manningham Uniting Church, 13 September 2026 (Proper 19 Year A).

The God of freedom calls us to shape the future through our collective choices.
A reflection on Exodus 3:1-15 shared with Manningham Uniting Church, 6 September 2026 (Proper 17 Year A, one week out).

Again and again I hear people say that Jesus never intended the church. And if the church looks like every other kingdom, then this is certainly true. But Jesus certainly came to establish a sign and cipher of the kingdom of heaven, built on the rocky foundation of wobbly disciples who struggle to work out what it means. So what does it actually look like?
A reflection on Matthew 16:13-20 shared with Manningham Uniting Church, 23 August 2026 (Proper 16 Year A).

In his encounter with the Canaanite woman, Jesus rethinks Joshua’s policy of no mercy. Revisiting a piece from 2023, in light of the rejection of the Voice to Parliament.
A reflection on Matthew 15:10-28 shared with Manningham Uniting Church, 16 August 2026 (Proper 15 Year A).