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 everyone stage or phase of the journey at Holy Covenant. We encourage you to simply be curious. Be present. Be creative.
Brian McLaren’s typology 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.
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.

5pm Sundays
Twilight Conversation
Sometimes people need a space to talk and think. This online group provides an open-minded, relaxed and informal space where people can ask their questions about faith and life. This is our space for deconstruction and reconstruction.

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 others presented throughout the years.
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.
-
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
Isaiah 5:1‑7; Psalm 80:1‑2, 8‑19; Hebrews 11:29‑12:2; Luke 12:49‑59
Ven (Em) Anne Ranse OAM – via Zoom
14 August 2022 -
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Isaiah 1:1, 10‑20; Psalm 50:1‑8, 23‑24; Hebrews 11:1‑3, 8‑16; Luke 12:32‑40
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
7 August 2022 -
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Hosea 11:1‑11; Psalm 107:1‑9, 43; Colossians 3:1‑11; Luke 12:13‑21
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
31 July 2022 -
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
Hosea 1:2‑10; Psalm 85; Colossians 2:6‑19; Luke 11:1‑13
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
24 July 2022 -
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
Amos 8:1‑12; Psalm 52; Colossians 1:15‑29; Luke 10:38‑42
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
17 July 2022 -
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Amos 7:7‑17; Psalm 82; Colossians 1:1‑14; Luke 10:25‑37
Ven (Em) Anne Ranse OAM
10 July 2022 -
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Kings 5:1‑14; Psalm 30; Galatians 6:7‑18; Luke 10:1‑12, 17‑24
Revd Wendy Robertson
3 July 2022 -
Third Sunday after Pentecost
2 Kings 2:1‑2, 6‑14; Psalm 77:1‑2, 11‑20; Galatians 5:1, 13‑25; Luke 9:51‑62
Revd Connie Gerrity
26 June 2022 -
Second Sunday after Pentecost
1 Kings 19:1‑15; Psalm 43; Galatians 3:10‑14, 23‑29; Luke 8:26‑39
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
19 June 2022 -
Trinity Sunday
Proverbs 8:1‑4; 22‑31; Psalm 8; Romans:5:1‑5; John 16:12‑15
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
12 June 2022 -
Pentecost
Acts 2:1‑21; Psalm 104:26‑36; Romans:8:14‑17; John 14:8‑27
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton – via Zoom
5 June 2022 -
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Acts 16:16‑34; Psalm 97; Revelation 22:12‑22; John 17:20‑26
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton – via Zoom
29 May 2022 -
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Acts 11:1‑18; Psalm 148; Revelation 21:1‑6; John 13:31‑35
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
15 May 2022 -
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 9:36‑43; Psalm 23; Revelation 7:9‑17; John 10:22‑30
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
8 May 2022 -
Third Sunday of Easter
Acts 9:1‑20; Psalm 30; Revelation 5:6‑14; John 6:22‑29
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
1 May 2022 -
Second Sunday of Easter
Acts 5:27‑32; Psalm 118:14‑29; Revelation 1:4‑8; John 20:19‑31
Revd Wendy Robertson
24 April 2022 -
Easter Day
Isaiah 65:17‑25; Psalm 118:1‑2, 14‑24; Acts 10:34‑48; Luke 24:1‑12
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
17 April 2022 -
Good Friday
Isaiah 52:13 ‑ 53:12; Psalm 22; 1 Corinthians 1:18‑31; John 18:1 ‑ 19:42
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton and others
15 April 2022 -
Palm Sunday
Isaiah 50:4‑9a; Psalm 31:9‑18; Philippians 2:5‑11; Luke 19:28‑40
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
10 April 2022 -
Fifth Sunday in Lent
Isaiah 43:16‑21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:3‑14; John 12:1‑8
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
3 April 2022 -
Fourth Sunday in Lent
Joshua 5:2‑12; Psalm 32; 2 Corinthians 5:16‑21; Luke 15:11‑32
Ven (Em) Anne Ranse OAM
27 March 2022 -
Third Sunday in Lent
Isaiah 55:1‑9; Psalm 63:1‑9; 1 Corinthians 10:1‑13; Luke 13:1‑9
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
20 March 2022 -
Second Sunday in Lent
Genesis 15:1‑12, 17‑18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17‑4:1; Luke 13:31‑35
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
13 March 2022 -
First Sunday in Lent
Deuteronomy 26:1‑11; Psalm 91:1‑2, 9‑16; Romans 10:4‑13; Luke 4:1‑15
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
6 March 2022 -
Eighth Sunday after Epiphany
Isaiah 55:10‑13; Psalm 92:1‑4, 12‑15; 1 Corinthians 15:51‑58; Luke 6:39‑49
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
27 February 2022 -
Seventh Sunday after Epiphany
Genesis 45:3‑11,15; Psalm 37:1‑11,40‑41; 1 Corinthians 15:35‑50; Luke 6:27‑38
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
20 February 2022 -
Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
Jeremiah 17:5‑10; Psalm 1; 1 Corinthians 15:12‑20; Luke 6:17‑26
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
13 February 2022 -
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
Isaiah 6:1‑8; Psalm 138; 1 Corinthians 15:1‑11; Luke 5:1‑11
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
6 February 2022 -
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
Jeremiah 1:4‑10; Psalm 71:1‑6; 1 Corinthians 13:1‑13; Luke 4:21‑30
Revd Dr Wayne Brighton
30 January 2022 -
Third Sunday after Epiphany
Nehemiah 8:1‑3, 5‑6, 8‑10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12:12‑31; Luke 4:14‑21
Ven (Em) Anne Ranse OAM
23 January 2022