Greetings,
“The Answer to the Great Question … Of Life, the Universe and Everything … Is … Forty-two,’ said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm.”

Deep Thought is the name given to a supernatural- computer in the book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy written by Douglas Adams. The computer is programmed to calculate the answer to the ultimate question, and has taken seven and a half million years to
think about it. While 42 is the answer, Deep Thought never actually knew the question and so commissioned Earth to calculate the question.
Yesterday, 22 June, marked 42 years since the many of the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational churches came together as one to form the Uniting Church in Australia. At the time of Union the church saw itself as being a people of God on the Way (Basis of Union Paragraph 18). We are still that way today: a diverse group of people from
different cultures, a group of people who have different understandings of faith, and a people who worship in many different languages.
Our prayer was, and should still be, that we might be brought into deeper unity with God and one another, and at this Anniversary time we should be encouraged by where we have come from and remain hopeful of how far we can go together as we look to the future.

At the age of 42 the Uniting Church doesn’t have all the answers, but I believe that we are blessed to be a church that helps provide many of them. As well as striving to be a safe place where people can ask questions and tackle issues of faith, the Uniting Church is at the forefront when it comes to Social Justice and the provision of care in our community.
Last Sunday there was an opportunity for you to contribute to a social justice resource – if you missed out, there will be an opportunity this morning to add your name and any social justice activity you are in which you are involved.
Happy 42nd Birthday Uniting Church!
Blessings – Rev Heather.