Greetings, Over the last week I found it wonderful to be back in the classroom, engaging with other critical thinkers, as we spent time looking at the books of Esther, Ruth, Song of Songs, Susannah and Judith.  These books are maybe not as well-known as others but in many ways are exceptional.  Each have women…

Greetings,You might have noticed last week that the picture in the Community News had changed. Just under the Pastoral Concerns and Prayer Points we now have a picture of some intersecting railway tracks. This might seem an odd choice for an image, but I thought it connected well with the theme we will be exploring…

Greetings, As I’ve been thinking about the call for justice, mercy and humility over the last few weeks, I’ve come across a couple of writings which I have found helpful. The first is a poem.  It is quite short, with only a few words, but they are powerful words.  I didn’t have any luck finding…

Greetings, In light of our thinking about how we ‘do justice, love kindness and walk humbly’, I was interested to see a statement from Rev Charissa Suli, UCA President, which affirms the solidarity of the Uniting Church with a suffering Palestine.  The statement notes the situation of the Israeli hostages as well as the disproportionate…

Greetings, Over the next few weeks, we will be reminded of the call of God to how we should live. This is encapsulated in Micah 6:8 which reads ‘… what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?’ As we grow together…

Greetings, Today is Mother’s Day, a day when we recognise Mother’s and all they contribute to society.  Mother’s Day is also a day when we can take the time to honour all the women who have nurtured us, guided us, and mentored us as we have travelled the path of faith.  While not necessarily related…

Greetings, I wonder how you are feeling about our new community?  Is it too early to tell?  Is it how you imagined it?  This week the Interim Church Council has gathered for its first meeting, and council members have got to know a little more about each other, and so becoming community continues. Over the…

Greetings, During our journey through Lent and Holy Week, we have experienced a myriad of emotions.  After the grief of Good Friday and the emptiness of Saturday, we found hope and joy on Easter Day when we heard again the news of the resurrection and were reminded of God’s grace. I wonder how long we…

Greetings, During this Lenten Season we have been Meeting God in the midst of extremes.  In this journey we have been reminded of how Jesus’ ministry disrupted the established social, political and religious divides of the time, and we have witnessed him meet people in the spaces they find themselves, time and time again. As…

Greetings, A Franciscan blessing came across my emails this week.  It’s a beautiful but challenging prayer that invites us to recognise the cost of following Jesus to Jerusalem.  Jesus’ donkey ride cost him everything.  I wonder what the journey might cost us? The blessing reads … May God bless us with discomfort – discomfort at…