Wrestling with the future

By Dan Wootton

I’ve just had the longest break I’ve had since becoming moderator. We didn’t go anywhere, just stayed at home during the bushfire season over Christmas/New Year. It’s dreadfully dry out where we live. I feel sure that stress levels for many farmers must be exceedingly high.

Christmas was celebrated at my mum and dad’s place. My ...

Prayer and Risking Love at Christmas

By Dan Wootton

I admit dismay when I first saw the front cover image of the New York Daily News earlier this month. It proclaimed “God Isn’t Fixing This” and was in direct response to social media postings by American government representatives following the shootings in San Bernardino.  According to the newspaper, those tweeting to pray ...

Time and tide

As Christmas approaches again, it can sometimes seem as if nothing (no-thing) is newly created any more – particularly with the endless display of, so-called, ‘new-things’ appearing on-line and in retail stores. In the book of Ecclesiastes we read, “Is there a thing of which it is said, ‘See, this is new’?”

Some 25 years ago, Michael Leunig produced ...

What sustains us?

On the last weekend in November, organisers are hoping to create the biggest climate march the world has ever seen. In anticipation of that, I thought I might write a little about the water that sustains us.

Unlike most, I don’t drink coffee. I’m a connoisseur of water, mostly from the tap and very rarely the bottled variety. Room temperature ...

Happy chance

Last month The Age published a story detailing new research on the happiness of Australians, tracking how our satisfaction with life dips and soars during major transitions as we age. The basis of this ‘happiness index’ was the use of data taken from 27,000 Australians over a period of 12 years, analysed by the Australian Institute of Family Studies.

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Conversations with Congress

By Dan Wootton

One of my tasks as moderator has been to act as convenor of the Renewing the Covenant Task Group. The task group is attended by representatives of the Victorian and Tasmanian Regional committees of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (Congress) as well as representatives of the synod.

The report of the National Congress to ...

Challenge of Assembly


By Dan Wootton

In his retiring address to the Assembly in Perth, former president Rev Dr Andrew Dutney quoted philosopher John Dewey who said, “We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience.”

Readers who have never attended an Assembly meeting might be forgiven for thinking that there is ample time during ...

Called to our diversity


This month, the moderator has given his column to Rev Professor Andrew Dutney, who steps down from the role as UCA president at this month’s national Assembly meeting.

On this 38th anniversary of the inauguration of the Uniting Church in Australia, I greet you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to take this ...

Putting the ‘G’ into OMG

By Dan Wootton

The other morning as I headed down the hill in the dark, I felt something silently whiz past my face. I walked on, and as the dim light marginally improved, it happened again. This time I could just make out that it was a bat. Not a big fruit bat, this one was only about ...

Searching for the sacred


By Dan Wootton

Having been a banker, I guess a desire of mine in coming to work for the Church some 26 years ago was an endeavour to pursue the sacred and leave the profane behind.

But the profane keeps dogging me, particularly as the Church embarks on entrepreneurial ways to generate income for ongoing missional purposes.

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Open our eyes to the Easter gift

By Dan Wootton

Many Christians prepare for Easter through self-sacrifice, by forgoing one thing or another.  At times, this may seem difficult.  But if we look at the period leading up to Easter as a time of misery, I think we’re missing the point.

Jesus effectively said that we are to die to ourselves in order to live. By ...

Benefit of the doubt

From a very young age, my brothers and I enjoyed playing cricket on the front driveway. Ours was the biggest (and best) game in the street. Other kids regularly joined in, as it was impossible to ignore all the associated noise.

From a decibel perspective, I was the worst – very vocal and loud and intense. I played for keeps ...