Worship
Spirituality, Services & SermonsSpirituality at Holy Covenant
Each Christian community understands and approaches spiritual growth and formation in different ways. Some see baptism as the entry point while others believe that a moment of conversion is necessary. A few say that penal substitutionary atonement is essential.
At Holy Covenant we believe that spirituality is about how we grow into the people we were created to become. We think that the journey moves through several stages or phases. Sometimes it is a step forward and at other times a step back. Often there’s lots of wondering where to next. Doubt, crisis and challenge are often invitations to go deeper.
Our spiritual journey often has three parts to it. First, is our connection to God’s kingdom. Every human heart yearns for things like prosperity, security and meaningful relationships. These are the things of God’s kingdom. Second, is God’s people. We are not the only one’s who yearn for God’s kingdom to come. Others share our desires for wholeness and wellbeing, peace and justice. Third, is God’s Son, Jesus, who made the kingdom possible and around whom God’s people assemble so that they might learn and grow. Each connects with the other and our journey can start anywhere.
So what’s the destination? Why bother to invest our time in the spiritual life when there are so many other things to do? Many believe that spirituality is about being saved from death to eternal life. Others argue that spirituality is all about dealing with the problem of sin and evil so that some might escape judgement. We are more of the view that the spiritual journey is about overcoming the loneliness and emptiness that grows within. From this perspective, it’s about living well, realising our potential and discovering all that God has for us. Afterall, Jesus declared, “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of” (John 10.10, The Message).
You will meet people at every one stage or phase of the journey at Holy Covenant. We encourage you to simply be curious. Be present. Be creative.
Brian McLaren’s typology is helpful. You can read more about it in his books Faith after doubt: why your beliefs stopped working and what to do about it (2021) and Naked spirituality: a life with God in twelve simple words (2010).
SIMPLICITY
The journey begins by learning the basics. Reading Scripture from a posture of openness and trust find us looking for answers and direction. What matters is getting things right and so faith is understood initially to be a matter of life and death, embracing goodness and rejecting evil. Consequently, we learn about God and we seek to follow Jesus. As we seek to be a part of God’s people we find ourselves trying to fitting in with the group often assenting to required beliefs, behaviours and practices. We try our best and often value those things that are simple and straightforward.
COMPLEXITY
Over time, we find ourselves succeeding or failing. The Christian life works for us or it doesn’t quite fit. This is when we want to succeed more, vow to do better or start to fake things for as long as we can. We try to master all the things that others seem to do naturally, like praying, serving or thinking more consistently as Christians. We strive to realise new possibilities and opportunities. In the process, we begin to sense that there more to Christianity than the little corner we’ve experienced. God’s house has many rooms and we slowly begin to carve out our own little space with God’s help, who encourages us to reach for new heights of commitment or depths of devotion.
PERPLEXITY
Challenges arise, difficulties emerge and crises swamp us so that our journey rarely goes to plan. Such things leave us with doubts, weariness and uncertainty. We want something more authentic but we just can’t believe that stuff anymore. What feels like the end is often a new beginning. Rather than simply absorbing answers about God’s kingdom, God’s people and Jesus it’s time to ask questions and explore things more deeply. Some call this deconstruction but it’s more like clearing space so that something new can be built. And so our faith is rennovated and remodelled. Old commitments go and new understandings emerge often by meeting someone we never encountered before.
HARMONY
The journey doesn’t end so much as we begin to make peace with our experience of construction, deconstruction and reconstruction. We find our place in God’s presence. We appreciate the opportunities we’ve shared. We seek to make our own contribution, no matter how small. We discover that faith is not about the keeping the rules or being fruitful so much as it is about cultivating love, exercising compassion and committing ourselves more fully to the paths of justice and peace. We seek connection, not just understanding. We accept that growth takes time and our failures and weaknesses often play a critical role in helping something richer emerge. We are not perfect so much as forgiven.
Services
8am Sundays
Traditional Service
A traditional prayer book service with Holy Communion is accompanied by hymns from Together in Song. There is a simplicity here without being simplistic as this classic liturgical setting provides a space for all that we are and everything in God’s purposes.
10am Sundays
Contemporary Service
Contemporary music and liturgy is used to create a time of encouragement and reflection. A wider range of sources are used to affirm that we are all loved by God. Our children and youth programs run concurrently during the service. All are welcome to receive Holy Communion including children.
If you can’t join us in person, the 10am service is usually available over Zoom each Sunday. Click here to join.
12pm Wednesdays
Mid-week service
A traditional prayer book service with Holy Communion provides a quiet and reflective time of worship for those who find it hard to make an early start on Sundays.
A discussion replaces the sermon thereby allowing for a lively conversation about God’s love and involvement in our lives.
A light lunch follows.
Worship
Past Sermons
Here is a list of sermons by our rector and other preachers.
Click on a scripture reference to read the passage in Bible Gateway, right-click the sermon title to download the sermon file or click the play button to hear the sermon.
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Season of Creation 4
Proverbs 31:10‑31; Psalm 1; James 3:1‑12; Mark 9:30‑37
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
22 September 2024 -
Season of Creation 3
Proverbs 1:20‑33; Psalm 19; James 2:18‑26; Mark 8:27‑38
Ven (Em) Anne Ranse OAM
15 September 2024 -
Season of Creation 2
Proverbs 22:1‑2, 8‑9, 22‑23; Psalm 125; James 2:1‑10, 14‑17; Mark 7:24‑37
Tobias Nevile
8 September 2024 -
Season of Creation 1
Song of Songs 2:8‑13; Psalm 45:1‑2, 45:6‑9; James 1:17‑27; Mark 7:1‑8, 7:14‑23
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
1 September 2024 -
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
1 Kings 8:22‑30, 41‑43; Psalm 84; Ephesians 6:10‑20; John 6:56‑69
Revd Dr Bili Malek
25 August 2024 -
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
1 Kings 2:10‑12, 3:3‑14; Psalm 111; Ephesians 5:11‑21; John 6:51‑58
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
18 August 2024 -
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Samuel 18:5‑9, 14, 31‑33; Psalm 130; Ephesians 4:25‑5:2; John 6:35, 41‑51
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
11 August 2024 -
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
2 Samuel 11:26‑12:13a; Psalm 51:1‑12; Ephesians 4:1‑16; John 6:24‑35
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
4 August 2024 -
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Samuel 11:1‑15; Psalm 14; Ephesians 3:14‑21; John 6:1‑21
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
28 July 2024 -
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Samuel 7:1‑14a; Psalm 89:21‑38; Ephesians 2:11‑22; Mark 6:30‑34, 53‑56
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
21 July 2024 -
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Samuel 6:1‑5, 12b‑19; Psalm 24; Ephesians 2:11‑22; Mark 6:14‑29
Revd Dr Bili Malek
14 July 2024 -
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
2 Samuel 5:1‑5, 9‑10; Psalm 48; 2 Corinthians 12:2‑10; Mark 6:1‑13
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
7 July 2024 -
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Samuel 1:1, 17‑27; Psalm 130; 2 Corinthians 8:7‑15; Mark 5:21‑43
Revd Lynda McMinn
30 June 2024 -
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
1 Samuel 17:57‑18:16; Psalm 133; 2 Corinthians 6:1‑13; Mark 4:35‑41
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
23 June 2024 -
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
1 Samuel 15:34‑16:13; Psalm 20; 2 Corinthians 5:6‑10, 14‑17; Mark 4:26‑34
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
16 June 2024 -
Third Sunday after Pentecost
1 Samuel 8:4‑11, 16‑20; 11:14‑15; Psalm 138; 2 Corinthians 4:13‑5:1; Mark 3:20‑35
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
9 June 2024 -
Second Sunday after Pentecost
1 Samuel 3:1‑10; Psalm 139:1‑6, 139:13‑18; 2 Corinthians 4:5‑12; Mark 2:23‑3:6
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
2 June 2024 -
Trinity Sunday
Isaiah 6:1‑8; Psalm 29; Romans 8:12‑17; John 3:1‑17
Revd Dr Bili Malek
26 May 2024 -
Pentecost
Acts 2:1‑21; Psalm 104:26‑36; Romans 8:22‑27; John 15:26‑27, 16 4b‑15
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
19 May 2024 -
Ascension
Acts 1:1‑11; Psalm 93; Ephesians 1:15‑23; Mark 16:15‑20
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
12 May 2024 -
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Acts 10:44‑48; Psalm 98; 1 John 5:1‑12; John 15:26‑27, 16:4‑15
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
5 May 2024 -
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Acts 8:26‑40; Psalm 22:26‑32; 1 John 4:7‑21; John 15:1‑8
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
28 April 2024 -
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:5‑12; Psalm 23; 1 John 3:16‑24; John 10:11‑18
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
21 April 2024 -
Third Sunday of Easter
Acts 3:12‑20; Psalm 4; 1 John 2:15‑17; 3:1‑6; Luke 24:36b ‑ 48
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
14 April 2024 -
Second Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:32‑37; Psalm 113; 1 John 1:1‑2:2
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
7 April 2024 -
Easter Day
Acts 10:34‑43; Psalm 118:1‑2, 14‑24; 1 Corinthians 15:1‑11; Mark 16:1‑8
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
31 March 2024 -
Palm Sunday
Isaiah 50:4‑9a; Psalm 31:9‑18; Philippians 2:5‑11; Mark 11:1‑11
Ven (Em) Anne Ranse OAM
24 March 2024 -
Fifth Sunday in Lent
Jeremiah 31:31‑34; Psalm 119:9‑16; Hebrews 5:5‑14; John 12:20‑33
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
17 March 2024 -
Fourth Sunday in Lent
Numbers 21:4‑9; Psalm 107:1‑3, 17‑22; Ephesians 2:1‑10; John 3:14‑21
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
10 March 2024 -
Third Sunday in Lent
Exodus 20:1‑17; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 1:18‑25; John 2:13‑22
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
3 March 2024 -
Second Sunday in Lent
Genesis 17:1‑7, 15‑16; Psalm 22:24‑32; Romans 4:13‑25; Mark 8:31‑38
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
25 February 2024 -
First Sunday in Lent
Genesis 9:8‑17; Psalm 25:1‑10; 1 Peter 3:18‑22; Mark 1:9‑15
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
18 February 2024 -
Transfiguration
2 Kings 2:1‑12; Psalm 50:1‑6; 2 Corinthians 4:3‑12; Mark 9:2‑9
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
11 February 2024 -
Fifth Sunday of Epiphany
Isaiah 40:21‑31; Psalm 147:1‑11; 1 Corinthians 9:16‑23; Mark 1:29‑39
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
4 February 2024 -
Fourth Sunday of Epiphany
Deuteronomy 18:15‑20; Psalm 111; 1 Corinthians 8:1‑13; Mark 1:21‑28
Revd Lynda McMinn
28 January 2024 -
Third Sunday of Epiphany
Jonah 3:1‑10; Psalm 62:5‑12; 1 Corinthians 7:29‑31; Mark 1:14‑20
Ven (Em) Anne Ranse OAM
21 January 2024 -
Second Sunday of Epiphany
1 Samuel 3:1‑10; Psalm 139:1‑5, 12‑18; 1 Corinthians 6:12‑20; John 1:43‑51
Revd Lynda McMinn
14 January 2024 -
Epiphany
Isaiah 60:1‑6; Psalm 72:1‑7, 10‑14; Ephesians 3:1‑12; Matthew 2:1‑12
Revd Connie Gerrity
7 January 2024