Alison and the whale

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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
 

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