Saturday is Anzac Day, a significant day for many in our country, a day when we pause to remember the service and sacrifice of many men and women who have defended our nation in times of conflict, as well as providing support in peace-keeping missions throughout the world.

Yet Anzac Day also provides us with the opportunity for reflection.  As we remember the sacrifice of many, rather than glorifying war, we are invited to enter into a time of lament.  As we bring our sorrow and the wounds of history before God, we are reminded that we need to seek the peace that only God can provide.  This seems of particular relevance this year as we witness conflicts in the Middle East, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

While we honour those who have given their lives for others, may we also recognise our calling to be agents of reconciliation in whatever way we can, as we work to build a world with less violence and more compassion.

Blessings – Heather Hon (she/her)

Easter is over, or so the shops would have us think.  The vast array of chocolate eggs have gone from the shelves and the holidays are passed, and so we can also be tempted to put Easter behind us for another year.  But the reality is as people of faith living post-resurrection Sunday, we are invited to simply continue our walk with God.

As people who believe in that good news, we have a lot to offer, particularly in a world where many are fearful and uncertain.  While none of us know the future, we can walk into it, hopefully with a spring in our steps, knowing that we are not alone on the journey and that God is already in the future that we find hard to imagine.

As Jesus commissioned his disciples, he encouraged them, saying ‘remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ (Matthew 28:20b)

May we hold fast to that promise as we go and share the good news of Jesus with those we encounter on the journey.

Blessings – Heather Hon (she/her)

After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples gather behind closed doors, unsure of what they might find outside, a little nervous of the reception that awaits them, possibly doubting what to believe.

As Charissa Suli, Uniting Church President, reminds us, it is into this reality Jesus comes …

   He stood among his disciples, not performing, not demanding, simply present.
   And he breathed on them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
   This is how his peace comes alive in them.
   Not by pretending everything is fine,
      but in the middle of real life.’

While we might feel safer behind the walls we build, God remains present with us when we step outside.  May we be courageous and continue to step outside, bringing with us the good news of Christ’s peace, where it is needed most.

Blessings – Heather Hon (she/her)

A poem, entitled Birdsong, by Rev Sarah Speed, for this day when we celebrate that Jesus is risen …

   Every morning the sun rises, majestic and steady.
   She is greeted in all her strength with the joyous cacophony of birdsong.
   I like to believe this holy chorus is the birds telling each other –
      I’m here.  We made it through the night.
      You’re not alone.  What good, good news.

   I think the resurrection is a bit like that.
   God is here.
   We made it through the night.
   We are not alone.  What good, good news.

Blessings – Heather Hon (she/her)

Risking hope in a man acting like a pretend messiah
in a procession of sorts, installed on a donkey,
insulting the empire along a way strewn with palm branches,
and a band of clowns hailing the one who comes in the name of the Lord,
seemed foolish.
But beneath the mockery something was being disturbed
in the frozen traditions of religion and the hard arrogance of empire,
and if they heard themselves with their hosannas
it was not a shout of joy they bawled but a cry,
a longing, a deep pleading in their souls:
‘Hosanna! Save us! Save us!’

© Spill the Beans Issue 58

Blessings – Heather Hon (she/her)

We have now entered the Season of Lent – a time when, traditionally, new converts prepared for their baptism on Easter Sunday, studying what was central to Christianity.  Lent is still a time of preparation for people of faith, and we are again invited to look at ourselves.

This year we are going to enter into Lent through the series ‘Tell me something good’ which invites us to ground ourselves in the good news of Lent.  I wonder what you might think is good news this Lent?

When we look at Jesus’ life and ministry we see displays of radical welcome, care for the vulnerable, nourishment for the hungry and non-violence in the face of injustice.  Within these actions, and at the heart of Jesus’ teachings, we find liberation, love, mercy and grace – all of which are meant to be very good news for us.

As we begin our Lenten journey, may we lean into the good news that Jesus came to share.  May we be reminded of what is on offer, may we live it every day and may we invite others to experience it too.

Blessings – Rev Heather Hon (she/her)

This coming Saturday is Valentine’s Day.  Like any day, some of us probably enjoy it, while others find it difficult or irrelevant, but whatever we think about it, Valentine’s Day is a time when we celebrate love and friendship.

Last Sunday we spent time Commissioning those who have roles of leadership within our congregation, particularly our Church Councillors, Sunday School and Kids Hope leaders.  Importantly, we recognised that all of us are gifted for service – from the oldest to the youngest we all have a part to play.

We often think that service is all about the things we do – the rosters we are on or the groups we are part of, but maybe service is more about showing friendship, community and love to one another.  Let this thought be at the fore as we exercise our gifts in serving the church and wider community.

Blessings – Rev Heather Hon (she/her)

Welcome to the first edition of Community News for the year, one of the signs that things are ramping up again. I wonder what God has in store for us in 2026, and what opportunities await.

On Saturday the Church Council gathered together for a retreat / planning day. It was the first time we had been together this year, and we were reminded of some of the signs of flourishing within our community. These included our care of one another, our worship, our openness and courage, and the willingness of people to give things a go. We also reflected that we cannot stop here, for there are new opportunities ahead of us.

This week our gospel reading reminds us that we are called to be salt and light. So, I wonder, how might we continue to bring the flavour of God’s kin-dom to those around us? How might we continue to shine the light of Christ into places that need it? Let’s pray that we can.

Blessings – Rev Heather Hon (she/her)