“Is he a rule breaker? A rule-maker? A great teacher, a liar, storyteller or life-shaper or both?” Brown asked. He urged parishioners – and Morrison – to think about how Good Friday could be game-changing for them.

The music swelled, the lights brightened and the choir and congregation sang, “Christ became sin for us, took the blame, bore the wrath.”

Morrison, who has spent the week telling Australians they already know who he is, declared after the service it wasn’t a day for politics but a time for hope.

“My faith isn’t about politics. What happened on Good Friday and Easter Sunday means everything to me. It’s my faith that has informed me, encouraged me, guided me over my entire life,” he told reporters.

But there was a bit of campaigning, as the prime minister chatted with some of the 150 or so people who had attended the service – the church is in the marginal seat of Chisholm, which Liberal Gladys Liu holds by a slim margin of 0.45 points.

“Have you met Gladys Liu?” he said to voter after voter.

Sixteen-year-old Annabelle Bowyer-Smyth encouraged her grandmother, Bev Streckfuss, to have a chat and a photo with Morrison.

“He needs to secure your vote!” the young woman said.

The verdict from Streckfuss was the prime minister “came across as a very normal person”.

Loading

There was a minor disruption to the non-campaign when a climate activist accompanied by a young man filming on his phone tried to talk to Morrison. The prime minister said he was happy to take selfies and appeared to try to take the phone from the man.

“I’d like not to be here on Good Friday but we’re facing a climate crisis,” the green-haired activist replied.

On the other side of the church building, a separate service was taking place in Cantonese and Mandarin, which Liu told Morrison is the one she normally attends. The electorate has a significant Chinese-Australian population.

Waiting there, somewhat shy when confronted with all the television cameras, was Lisha Luo with her 35-day-old son Muxi.

Morrison cooed at the baby – his first of this election – and offered a prime ministerial blessing as the cameras snapped away.

Jacqueline Maley cuts through the noise of the federal election campaign with news, views and expert analysis. Sign up to our Australia Votes 2022 newsletter here.