Collins Street Baptist Church

Welcome.

As the culmination of the Easter season, today we celebrate Pentecost and the gift of God’s Spirit to the church and the world.

In today’s video, both of our pastors — Carolyn and Simon — share reflections on the texts from Old and New Testaments that inspire this day and call us to live in its promise.

The service also includes music from Kenny Ong and David Cundy and the voices of Penny Mulvey and Neil Wright.

Peace be with you.

Welcome.

For this seventh Sunday of Easter, we have two videos for you to watch and participate in.

The first video concludes our series on some words that changed my life. Two members of our community, Sean Winter and Marita Munro, share with us words that have shaped their faith and discipleship.

The second video includes a number of prayers that relate to the tasks and places of daily life. There’s also a favourite psalm from Brenda Holt.

Peace be with you.

Reflections

Prayers and readings

Welcome back!

Traditionally, Eastertide is a period of 50 days that runs from Easter Sunday to Pentecost. That makes this Sunday the sixth of the Easter season, and so we continue the celebration of life in Jesus Christ.

Today we have two videos for you to watch and participate in.

The first continues our reflections on ‘some words that changed my life’ and includes contributions from Mark Holt, Stefanie Pearce and Sherry Maddock.

The second video includes a beautiful call to worship and a reading from the New Testament letter to the Romans, as well as a hymn and words of blessing.

Peace be with you.

Reflections

Prayers and readings

 

 

Welcome.

The videos for this fifth Sunday of the Easter season are provided below.

The first video includes two reflections in our series on ‘some words that changed my life.’ The second video includes readings and prayers with a focus on the work of world mission through our Baptist agency Global Interaction.

Be assured of our prayers for you as we engage together through these resources. May you find encouragement in your faith and a sense of connection with our community.

Peace be with you.

Reflections

Readings and prayers

Welcome.

Our two videos for this fourth Sunday of the Easter season are posted below. The first video features reflections from two members of our community on ‘some words that changed my life.’ The second video includes prayers and readings from the Green Room.

Peace be with you.

Reflections

Prayers

Welcome.

For our worship today there are two videos to watch and the text of our prayers available to download.

Regarding the two videos, the first includes music, reflections and prayers. The second is a story of ministry from our Green Room.

Though no substitute for gathering together at Collins Street, we trust these resources bring encouragement to your spirit and a sense of connection with our community.

Peace be with you.

Prayers and reflections

A story of ministry from the Green Room

A Walking Prayer

The text for our walking prayer can be downloaded HERE.

There is a force in nature called “geotropism.” It simply means the movement of plant parts deeper into the earth. Dictated by gravity, the very end of a plant’s roots grows in a downward direction. Botanists consider this an impulse of faithfulness to the Earth. Inescapable, apparently no matter what you do to a plant within Earth’s atmosphere, this active, peculiar force will drive roots to grow down. To quote from my favourite book at the moment, a book on the ontology of plants, “Roots are the essence of descent” (Coccia, The life of Plants).

Plants are firmly situated (otherwise known as sessile) and in their immobility, they both collect the energy of sunshine and remain steady when storms come. This impulse of downward descent is instinctive and unfailing. What a relief to know it is at work beneath the Earth’s surface and the natural world responds obediently to its dictates. By way of science, I’m given a definition and an image of anchored life. An invisible force is elucidated, and I am comforted. What this means to me is there is a way to be held in place, especially in the midst of unavoidable chaos.

As a foreigner, permanently living overseas, in a global pandemic, I’ve had to grapple with the far-awayness of the familiar and the nature of my new home, now a place I can’t leave even if I wanted to. Whether I am ready or not, my roots need to descend and find locations of greater depth to hold me here. The territory is unfamiliar but knowing this steadying force of belonging to a place is at work in the world brings me peace. In yet another way, plants lead me and teach me about mysterious truth and help me return to my place with a creaturely calm. By universal design, descent is elemental and natural and good.

Sherry Maddock
Central House
Collins Street Baptist Church

Welcome.

Our videos for worship today are provided below.

As we continue to reflect upon and live into the resurrection life of God, may you find here encouragement in faith and and a sense of community with others.

Peace be with you.

Prayers

Reflection

Welcome.

After the 40 days of Lent and the challenging journey of Holy Week, today we celebrate one of the pinnacle days in the Christian story, Resurrection Sunday. This day marks the beginning of the Easter season.

There are two videos provided. The first includes some words of gathering, music and prayers, and the second a reading from Matthew’s gospel along with words of reflection, poetry and song.

The peace of the Lord be with you.

Music and prayers

Reflections

Our Good Friday ‘service of shadows’ provides a means through which we can sit with the story of Jesus’ death and burial, allowing it to speak into our own lives.

We meet by candlelight. Inspired by the Tenebrae tradition, we gradually extinguish the candles as the story of Jesus progresses.

Join us tonight at 7.00pm.