SHARON HOLLIS
One of the most constant sources of comfort, encouragement and challenge in my prayer life over the last few years has been blessings written by Jan Richardson. As I have journeyed through Lent and begun to reflect on Easter I have turned once again to Jan to guide and shelter me.
As I was reflecting on the readings for Lent in the Revised Common Lectionary, I noticed that running through the sections from the Hebrew Scriptures is a theme of God’s faithfulness to God’s people and the way this brings joy, renewal and life.
Many of us will have taken on Lenten practices and disciplines to ...
I wonder how many of us Uniting Church people spend our nights pouring over the Basis of Union rather than watching Netflix. Not many I imagine.
I know some people, if asked to appear on the old Einstein Factor, would choose the Basis of Union as their area of expertise. But not many.
BILL PUGH
So remembers the prophet Ezekiel. He had journeyed with his fellow exiles from Jerusalem to Babylon. Refugees from their homeland, Holy City and Temple. Sad and disillusioned people of God. Ezekiel was there with them experiencing the sadness and loneliness they knew. He felt for them. He was beside and with them. As ...
In January, I was privileged to attend some of the 2018 Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Conference (UAICC), which is held every three years.
The theme for the conference – Trauma and Healing – created space to name the pain and trauma in need of healing as well as celebrating the resilience and strength of ...
You might have noticed comments on social media predicting a crisis for Christians this year because Ash Wednesday falls on St Valentine’s Day, and Easter Sunday is April Fool’s Day. Facebook is assuming the incongruity is too much.
Actually, there are synergies between the secular and sacred calendars that help us see the Gospel more clearly.
It is the time of the advent! I asked what I should remind myself of this advent?
Over the course of the season many of us will revisit the birth narratives. It is my hope that, despite the familiarity of these stories, we will all, in various ways, be enchanted by them and discover afresh ...
A colleague recently commented to me that she had noticed that we don’t focus on the pregnancy of Mary. Mary has not often been depicted in art as pregnant. Rarely do we put pictures of Mary obviously pregnant up for Advent.
I’m not sure what she had in mind when she said this but it got me ...
One night recently, as I was preparing to go to bed, I listened to the news. One of the news items was about the genocide currently taking place in Myanmar targeting the Rohingya people.
The report told of the army moving into villages, shooting men in front of their loved ones, of women being sexually assaulted and ...
Together with other key components of the Synod’s Strategic Framework, the 10 Statements of Intent seek to spark helpful conversations within our gathered communities – conversations focused on our community life as participants in the mission of God.
Our new Synod Standing Committee has begun to weave these Statements into their conversations.
Transition – any number of us may be rather pleased if we never hear that word again. Transition is change: change of structures to match the future of the church; change of budgets to match the size of the congregations and forms of ministry; change of cultural contexts that have different expectations of the social value ...
Often when I talk with people outside the Uniting Church about consensus decision-making, they are intrigued.
They find it hard to imagine a group of people who meet to look for common ground, who are willing to listen to each other and consider how they might hear God in each other.
