By Denise Liersch
‘O Little Town of Bethlehem, how still we see you lie!’
I’ve learned this is a favourite Christmas Carol for many communities. It’s a quiet carol, full of hope, set in starlight and dreams. It’s an especial favourite for Blue Christmas services, when we meet together at Christmas with a profound sense of what is not – ...
By Moderator Denise Liersch
In the latest edition of the Loddon-Mallee Presbytery newsletter, I read this quote: “The dumbest things I’ve ever purchased was a 2020 planner.”
If we remember back to this time last year, there’s no doubt life this year has turned out to be nothing like we expected.
By Moderator Rev Denise Liersch
Like so many of us, I’ve spent a lot of time in Zoom meetings or on the phone over the past months and have been struck by how much I keep hearing the themes of connection from so many people, from all sorts of contexts.
We have been celebrating our 43rd birthday this past week. Many celebrated a day early, on Sunday, others celebrated on the day and others are still celebrating – as I know from the emails I have been receiving this week from Church members.
The emails have been to wish our Church “happy birthday” and to say something about how ...
By Moderator Rev Denise Liersch
In the past few months, we’ve been hearing stories of people’s experiences as they have been travelling this roller coaster we call “the pandemic”. We keep hearing phrases like, “when this is over …”, or what the “new normal” might be like. Those phrases carry something of the depth of sadness, struggle and ...
As we come closer to the beginning of the season of Lent, the name of that opening day, Ash Wednesday, triggers a strong memory of past bushfire tragedy.
The emotions stirred up are so much heightened this year, as those memories are being lived out again in the threat and destruction wrought through bushfire. This is ...
As I have travelled around the Synod these past three years many of you have spoken to me about the future of the church, the Uniting Church or of a congregation. Many of you want to know what we can do to ensure the future of the church, often with a focus on numbers ...
Commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Black Saturday bushfires that killed 180 people and devastated communities across regional Victoria, Moderator Sharon Hollis prays for those who continue to be affected.
God of compassionate love,
on this anniversary day of Black Saturday
we pray for all who continued to be affected
by the devastation of those fires.
SHARON HOLLIS, MODERATOR
I’m writing this column just a few days after one man’s actions in central Melbourne’s Bourke St brought death, fear and anxiety to so many people. Also on my mind is a personal anniversary that causes me sadness and an awareness that many people are carrying sadness, anger and despair.
SHARON HOLLIS
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve had one of those patches where life and its demands threatens to overwhelm me.
My diary was fuller than I would like, there were difficult conversations to have as November, the anniversary month of my partner’s death, loomed. I felt that I was running on empty or ...
When I thought about writing this column to tie in with Mental Health Week (7-13 October) I had planned to write a general column about mental health and the church.
But the general column didn’t come because this is not just a broad issue for me – it’s personal and it’s personal in a particular ...
If you have been following the Revised Common Lectionary you most likely have spent some time recently reading the letter to the Ephesians.
If you haven’t paid much attention to the letter I encourage you to read it because it is particularly helpful for not just thinking about the life of the Church but the ...
