Alison and the whale
Discover how Biblical stories speak into modern lives, politics and culture
Episodes
Sunday Feb 16, 2020
We need to talk about hell
Sunday Feb 16, 2020
Sunday Feb 16, 2020
Gehenna, or hell, is an abomination to God; "indeed, it did not even enter my mind" (Jeremiah 7:31).
A reflection on Matthew 5:21-37 given to Sanctuary, 16 February 2020 © Alison Sampson, 2020.
Sunday Feb 09, 2020
The uses and abuses of salt
Sunday Feb 09, 2020
Sunday Feb 09, 2020
Don’t be a moron. Be pure salt. And be ready to be sprinkled around.
A reflection on Matthew 5:13-20 given to Sanctuary, 9 February 2020 © Alison Sampson, 2020.
Sunday Feb 02, 2020
Happy are the ... losers?
Sunday Feb 02, 2020
Sunday Feb 02, 2020
Heaven's blessings are not what you might expect.
A reflection on Matthew 5:1-13 given to Sanctuary, 2 February 2020 © Alison Sampson, 2020.
Sunday Jan 26, 2020
Praying for an invasion of light
Sunday Jan 26, 2020
Sunday Jan 26, 2020
Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, land of the Eastern Maar nation: Jesus comes to bring light and healing to occupied territories and colonised people.
A riff on Matthew 4:12-23 given to Sanctuary, 26 January 2020 © Alison Sampson, 2020.
Tuesday Dec 24, 2019
Gettin' down and dirty with Jesus
Tuesday Dec 24, 2019
Tuesday Dec 24, 2019
if you want a pure spirituality, uncontaminated by blood and sickness and appetites and conflict and politics and other people, you’ll need to look elsewhere. But if you want an earthy faith, a real faith, which embraces all our materiality and mess, look to Jesus Christ.
A reflection on Luke 2:1-20 given to Sanctuary, 24 December 2019 © Alison Sampson, Christmas 2019.
Sunday Dec 15, 2019
Is this the real deal? You decide!
Sunday Dec 15, 2019
Sunday Dec 15, 2019
Christ comes in unexpected ways. When we ask if his incarnation is the real deal, he points to the fruits of his ministry, and leaves it to us to decide.
A reflection on Matthew 11:2-11 given to Sanctuary, 15 December 2019 © Alison Sampson, 2019.
Sunday Dec 08, 2019
An Antidote to Christmas Chaos
Sunday Dec 08, 2019
Sunday Dec 08, 2019
The prophet John provides a bracing antidote to consumer Christmas chaos.
A reflection on Matthew 3:1-12 given to Sanctuary, 8 December 2019 © Alison Sampson, 2019.
Sunday Nov 24, 2019
The Scandal of Extravagant Love
Sunday Nov 24, 2019
Sunday Nov 24, 2019
As long as we judge others, and preach that one criminal goes to heaven and the other to hell, we will not know God’s culture.
A reflection on Luke 23:33-43 given to Sanctuary, 24 November 2019 © Alison Sampson, 2019.
Sunday Nov 17, 2019
Peace and plenty for everyone
Sunday Nov 17, 2019
Sunday Nov 17, 2019
Isaiah's vision of a new creation promises peace and plenty for everyone: Indigenous, colonial settler, migrant -- and koalas, too.
A reflection on Isaiah 65:17-25 given to Sanctuary, 17 November 2019 © Alison Sampson, 2019
Sunday Nov 10, 2019
This resurrection life
Sunday Nov 10, 2019
Sunday Nov 10, 2019
The church is called to embody resurrection life, in which women are no longer invisible or voiceless, and all people are precious to God.
A reflection on Luke 20:27-40 given to Sanctuary, 10 November 2019 © Alison Sampson, 2019