God goes to the Olympics.

A bit of an exploration of God's presence at the Olympic games.

 

Easter and Holy Week Services

 This Holy week we will have a meditative service on Good Friday at 9am. This is a space in which we sit with the hard questions about violence, death and hatred that confront us and ask about the presence of the Divine in these hard places. 

On Easter Sunday at 10.30am we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and open ourselves to the Hope and promise of new life that is present in the story. This will also be a communion Sunday and a family service.

Ther will be an Easter Egg hunt after the service.
 

The Rainbow flag up again

 Thank you to all those who helped put up our rainbow flag at Ascot Vale once again. Thanks Rashed, Maddy, Bron and Gregg (from the Dwell community church) and Abi and Tegan. It looks great and is a message of inclusiveness and love.

Lenten Meditations.

 Rev Gordon will be leading a time of Lenten meditation for the next two Fridays as a lead up to Holy Week and Easter (March 17 and 24). The time will be a quiet reflective space. The meditations will be at 9.30am in the Church peace garden and will go for about 30 minutes. All are welcome.

The Rainbow flag

The continuing story of our church’s attempt to show solidarity with the lgbtqi community by flying a pride rainbow flag. 

It has now been torn down at least ten times, stolen 7 of those times, and restored 11 times. The last time it was torn down and torn in two.

So, we have again, purchased a new flag, repositioned the flag a little higher (with me having to deal with a real anxiety about heights) and it flies again! Thanks to Tegan for her help.

While putting up the flag a carful of tradies drove past and honked their horn and then gave us the thumbs up, and others also honked in support. 😀🙏🏻

We believe we have community support. It is certainly in line with the Uniting church’s beliefs on justice and inclusion. 

Importantly, whenever people are subject to bigotry and hatred, people of faith need to stand for love and inclusion above all.

Note: the rainbow flag with brown and black bands is a flag produced to also show solidarity with people of colour.

Let mutual love continue

 Luke 14:1, 7-14: On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, 'Give this person your place,' and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.

For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." He said also to the one who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Hebrews 13: Let mutual affection continue. 

(remind me next time not to get the hanky out on screen)

Our Healing Place

Reading and reflection on God as our Healing place.

 

Compost spirituality

My name is Legion - sermon and readings

 

Bright eyes - Timothy

This song I’ve covered today, is originally performed by Art Garfunkel (written by Mike Batt for the movie “Watership Down”). 

(from Timothy)

I sing it for Ukraine, and the people who are dying there. 

I witnessed a news report today, about a Ukrainian boy who has died in the conflict. They showed his funeral, and a picture of him (before he died, when he was alive and full of life). He had these incredible bright eyes. 

Immediately I thought of this song “Bright Eyes”. 

And I have only learnt it today, because no matter what it means to me personally, it is important that I learn  it and play it for that child, and all the children that die innocently in a war, and their bright eyes, robbed of a life, which you and I have enjoyed. I must express my despair for those who are robbed of it. Especially children.