Luminous 2023 Sermons
Sundays 4th to 25th June 2023
For us here in Hobart, celebrating in mid-winter feels somewhat strange and out of place. However, the Luminous Festival encourages us to do just that.
During this series we will explore what the Luminous Festival is all about, and why HBC does it, now for the third year running.
As well there is the opportunity to celebrate Christmas in Winter!
READ MORE ABOUT THIS SERMON SERIES, BELOW
10am Sunday 4th June, INTRO TO LUMINOUS
Lighten up and Live!
- Preaching: Stephen Baxter
- Bible Rading: John 1:1-14
- Sermon and Q&A with Scott Ambrose
10am Sunday 11th June, ADVENT 1
A Beginning Without an End in Sight
- Preaching: Michael Henderson
- Bible Reading: Acts 1:1-11
- YouTube Service (From 10:00am Sunday) Q&A with Stephen Baxter
10am Sunday 18th June, ADVENT 2
A Kingdom Where Everyone Matters
- Preaching: Matt Henderson
- Bible Reading: Isaiah 9:6-7
- YouTube Service (From 10:15am Sunday) with Scott Ambrose
6pm Friday 23rd June, LUMINOUS CAROLS
- Guest artists: Brett Budgeon and others
- Free family-friendly event
- Food: Hot drink and Christmas treats afterwards
- ALL WELCOME
10am Sunday 25th June, CHRISTMAS DAY
Unwrapping the Christmas Gift
- Preaching: Stephen Baxter
- Bible Reading: Galatians 4:4-7
- YouTube Service (From 10:00am Sunday) Q&A with Jenny Baxter
CONTINUED FROM ABOVE
Although Christmas is principally a winter festival, the first Europeans to settle in the Southern hemisphere kept the date, rather than the season. We’ve become so used to outdoor Christmas barbeques, that singing carols about snow and sleigh bells in broad daylight doesn’t seem strange!
But there is something about Christmas that should leave us feeling somewhat strange. That the Creator of the cosmos would come as a fragile, helpless baby is not only unexpected, but inescapably perplexing. But so begins the life of Jesus – born in a manger and destined for execution on a Roman cross. For the ruling elites of his day, Jesus was strange and totally out of place.
In many ways it is good that Christmas feels so out of place, because it needs to jolt us out of our familiarity and complacency. Just like Jesus did.