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The Presentation of our Lord in the Temple

Submitted by Fr. Geoff Harvey on Tue, 04/02/2020 - 9:30am

On the day of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple, Sunday, February 2, The Good Shepherd conducted a churching service for Marianne and Sophia. Churching is the blessing of mother and child forty days after giving birth. The mother and child are blessed at the door of the Church, the priest then carries the infant into the altar while asking God to bless them. What follows is a text of the sermon preached by The Good Shepherd’s Æthelwold Jenkins immediately following the churching. — Fr. Geoff  

What You Really Need to Know About Holy Water

Submitted by Fr. Geoff Harvey on Sat, 18/01/2020 - 2:00pm

On the first Sunday of the New Year, we celebrate the service of Theophany (also called Epiphany). This service marks the Baptism of our Lord and the physical revelation of His place in the Holy Trinity.  ‘And when Jesus was baptized, immediately He went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on Him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”’ (Matthew 3:16-17, ESV).

An Introduction to Iconography

Submitted by Fr. Geoff Harvey on Thu, 28/11/2019 - 9:30am

Icons have been described as “Theology written in images and colour.” Icons are not just pictures — they are sacred images, which convey spiritual truth in picture form, and are sometimes described as windows to heaven. Let's learn some more about what icons are, how they are made, the symbolism involved, and why some people protested against them!

The Martyrdom of St Timothy

Submitted by Fr. Geoff Harvey on Thu, 21/11/2019 - 5:30pm

St Timothy was born c. 17 AD in Lystra, Asia Minor, and was converted through the ministry of St Paul in the year 52. Soon after, the Apostle took him on a journey to Macedonia.

Salvation is Healing

Submitted by Fr. Geoff Harvey on Wed, 13/11/2019 - 10:00am

Prodigal Son Icon

How do you read the biblical account of the Fall? For many Christians, the Fall of mankind goes something like this:

Celebrating “Exploring Orthodoxy 2019”

Submitted by Fr. Geoff Harvey on Thu, 29/08/2019 - 10:30pm

Exploring Orthodoxy 2019 was a remarkable worship experience and a celebration of the Orthodox witness to Jesus Christ the Son of God.  The day began with a Matins service led by the Antiochian Metropolitan Archbishop of Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines, His Eminence Basilios (Kodseie). The antiphonal contrast of Byzantine and Slavonic Polytonic chanting expressed the unity of the Orthodox Tradition within the diversity of multi-cultural Australia.

The Grace of the Holy Mystery of Repentance

Submitted by Fr. Geoff Harvey on Sat, 06/04/2019 - 9:00am

Learning to live a life of repentance is aided greatly by the Holy Mystery of Repentance. Commonly called “Confession,” it brings enormous relief from the burden of sin.  Sin erects a barrier that feels like it cuts us off from God, interrupting our intimacy with Him. Confessing our sins to Christ and being assured they are forgiven restores intimacy.

Is the Orthodox Church an ethnic fraternity?

Submitted by Fr. Geoff Harvey on Sat, 09/03/2019 - 9:30am

Orthodox priests were recently featured on the evening news. The Orthodox were celebrating Theophany, which memorialises the revelation of the Holy Trinity in and through Jesus Christ’s baptism. The reporters asked the Orthodox priests what the celebration meant to them. Now I don't know everything the priests said, but what made it to the evening news was, “It's a little slice of Greece.” The news broadcast focused on the cultural aspects of the celebration and completely avoided mention of any religious aspects. 

Another six received into Holy Orthodoxy

Submitted by Fr. Geoff Harvey on Fri, 22/02/2019 - 9:30pm

At our Christmas baptism in 2017, six adults were baptised, chrismated and received into the Holy Orthodox Church. Following that service, a member of the congregation predicted that there would be two more sets of six adults baptised, chrismated and received into Holy Orthodoxy. Turns out that was a good prediction.

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