Mourning Day Service, Eaglehawk UCA

 

Sunday's Zoom service excerpts - Tree service

Hallelujah chorus at the 100th anniversary of St Andrews Mildura

message from the president

My own ponderings

Pondering our situation in the church at the moment. The churches in our Synod are going through a process where many churches are being sold to raise money to cover a debt, This sale is being done, at times against the will of the congregations concerned. Of course the Synod has attempted to do it in a pastoral manner and to follow through where there is anger and grief (and there is a bit of that), but we are left with a great deal of hurt and blame perhaps, a little self-righteousness.
Into this situation comes Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector and i cannot help but feel that it speaks to our human situation. When we are hurt and angry, we can tend to lash out and try and blame others, making ourselves out to be more righteous in our pain. When we are in places of power and influence, we are vulnerable to that sense of blame and therefore to being defensive of our position and our own 'righteousness'. In both cases we put up walls between each and and between ourselves and our God.
Jesus' answer?
Recognise our own weaknesses, our own vulnerability and open our hearts to God and to the other. Break down the walls that our self-righteousness puts between us.
Easily said, i know. But in the power of the Christ? Who knows?
Gordon Bannon

http://jtbarts.com/2011/09/the-parable-of-the-pharisee-and-the-tax-collector/

Giving God a laugh

This is a post from our Uniting church's national President's blog at
http://andrewfdutney.wordpress.com/2013/03/19/giving-god-a-laugh/
personally i think God might be having a good laugh at us at the moment.

GIVING GOD A LAUGH

March 19, 2013

The taxi that took me from Sydney Airport to Kensington was driven by a Russian Jew. I was on my way to a meeting of the Assembly Standing Committee. The driver enjoyed having a practicing Christian in his car. He wanted to know what “Uniting Church” is. Was it like “Protestant”? Was it the same as “Catholic”? We talked about circumcision, baptism, Israel and genetic testing. As we got nearer to the conference centre he decided to give me a gift – an old saying a Rabbi had given him once – “If you want to give God a really good laugh,” he said, “tell Him your plans!”

So I collected my bags, still laughing at his true joke, and found my way into the building for three days of making plans with church leaders from all over the country. Three days of giving God a laugh.

I’ve got some plans to tell you about in the next few days. Exciting plans. At least the ASC seemed to think so. But I still thought it might be good to share that bit of Jewish wisdom first: If you want to give God a really good laugh, tell Him your plans!

A message of compassion from our moderator