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Nazareth Then and Now
Ancient Nazareth lacked the critical advantages for its development as a significant settlement: abundant water supply, an elevated site for defensive purposes, and strategic location adjacent to a major highway. The most comprehensive recent study of the archeology of ancient Nazareth and its local region was completed by Ken Dark over several seasons between 2004…
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The oldest hatred
Presentation to a panel discussion sponsored by the Jewish Council of Australia at St John’s Cathedral, Brisbane on Monday, 29 September 2025. The topic of the event was: Should anti-Semitism be exceptionalised or should we combat all forms of racism together? Co-hosts for the event included: Doykeit (a local Jewish group in Brisbane), St John’s…
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Capturing our characters
Christ Church Cathedral, Grafton Pentecost 8(B) 15 July 2018 Sometimes it feels like we are drowning in words. Words are everywhere, and especially so in church. Big words. Rare words. Fancy words. Lots of words. As it happens I like words. I am someone who finds it fairly easy to write essays, reports and…
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Not without honour
Pentecost 7B Christ Church Cathedral, Grafton 8 July 2018 [video] In this week’s gospel passage Jesus goes home to Nazareth. This is another episode in Mark’s series as he sketches a Jesus who confronts, annoys, excites and irritates both his opponents and his supporters. This time it is the hometown crowd, and there is no…
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The book that disrupts
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost (B) Christ Church Cathedral, Grafton 1 July 2018 [video] We are now about halfway through our series of Marking Jesus, as we pay attention to the way that the Gospel of Mark presents Jesus as a figure of controversy. Like Jesus, the Bible itself often confronts us with a fresh perspective…
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The Song of the Bow
In many Christian communities around the world this coming weekend, the first reading will include this ancient Hebrew lament, The Song of the Bow (2 Sam 1:17–27 NRSV.) David intoned this lamentation over Saul and his son Jonathan. (He ordered that The Song of the Bow be taught to the people of Judah; it is…
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Marking Jesus: True kinship
Pentecost 3B Christ Church Cathedral 10 June 2018 [video] Have you ever imagined what it might have been like to have known Jesus during his life among us? To have walked the hills of Palestine with him, listened as he shared the deep spiritual wisdom we now find in parables and aphorisms, and seen firsthand the…
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Harvest of divine love
Pentecost Sunday Christ Church Cathedral 20 May 2018 Today we are in an interesting space, a liminal space of sorts. Christians are observing Pentecost Sunday, a holy day that we share with our Jewish friends. But during this past week we have also seen the beginning of Ramadan, the holiest time of the year…
