Black Lives Matter … All Lives Matter … A Christian Perspective on Racism.
Date: Sunday 19 July 2020
Time: 5.00 pm to 7.00 pm
Venue: Zoom meeting. Link to be advised.
Speaker: David Manks.
Please find attached Background Papers. You are not necessarily expected to read all of the Background Papers in preparation for House Church. However, if you could read some it will assist our discussion. This discussion has been rescheduled from the June meeting, which was abandoned because only a few could attend.
Our next Messy Church Zoom will be 4:30pm Friday 19th June- put it on the calendar! Our theme will be “Do not fear- Just have Faith”
You can read it in the Bible in Mark 5 v21-43 as well if you want.
Some fun things are happening during our actual Messy Church Zoom including an Obstacle course- but more on that later!
You will need:
*a play script which we will need volunteers to act out during our session- so have a look, print it out and see what part you would like to play before the session starts.
A Piece of cloth or card big enough to write on and decorate for a book mark or even a wall hanging.
Some felt tip pens , glue and flat things to decorate your craft , zig zag scissors or you might even try sewing on your cloth.
Your best acting voices
Plus, think about what you could use in your house to create an obstacle course – maybe under chairs, over cushions, under a blanket- you might even create a tunnel??
Sounds exciting doesn’t it?
The ZOOM link has been emailed, if you didn’t receive it, please email Robyn at info@stlukesuca.org.au and she will send it to you.
We miss you, we hope you’re well and safe, and we look forward to seeing you again on June 19th.
This week’s worship online is presented by Paul and the St Luke’s Environment Action Team. Thanks to Claire, Ian, Michelle, Jean and Lloyd for working with Paul to prepare this thoughtful devotion, and thanks to everyone who contributed photos and footage – featured at the end of today’s video.
O God, we thank you for this earth, our home;
For the wide sky and the blessed sun,
For the salt sea and the running water,
For the everlasting hills
And the never-resting winds,
For trees and the common grass underfoot.
We thank you for our senses
By which we hear the songs of birds,
And see the splendor of the summer fields,
And taste of the autumn fruits,
And rejoice in the feel of the snow,
And smell the breath of the spring.
Grant us a heart wide open to all this beauty;
And save our souls from being so blind
That we pass unseeing
When even the common thorn bush
Is aflame with your glory,
O God our creator,
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
– Walter Rauschenbusch
You can watch today’s online worship here:
The hymn “All things bright and beautiful” is included within today’s service, but if you are looking for another tune for today, here’s “This pretty planet”:
https://youtu.be/DCwAbfRkJ4E
If you would like to explore ideas of biodiversity and our faithful response, you might like to check out the Faith Ecology Network here: https://www.faithecology.net.au/
What position should the Synod take in response to climate change?
The Synod of Victoria and Tasmania meetings have passed resolutions relevant to climate change since 1977. However, the last resolution of a Synod meeting that directly addressed the issue of climate change was in 2008. Members of the Synod congregations have been expressing greater concern to the Justice and International Mission (JIM) cluster that the Synod needs to play a more significant role in responding to climate change. The JIM cluster believes there is a need for the Synod to update its position on the urgency of addressing the causes of climate change and the actions that need to be taken in response.
The consultation paper that can be downloaded from this page explores how serious is the threat of climate change. Based on the assessment of the danger, the paper explores what actions we as Australians should be taking as part of the global effort to respond to climate change. It proposes a position for the Synod to adopt at the next Synod meeting.
Friends, the office is receiving quite a few end of financial year appeals for support from local community organisations as well as our Uniting Church agencies. I thought I would post them here in case these are causes you would like to support.
Anam Cara House: https://www.givenow.com.au/anamcarahouse19
Barwon Health Foundation: https://barwonhealthfoundation.org.au/
Last week we focused on the energising and enlivening power of the Holy Spirit as we celebrated Pentecost.
This week we are marking Trinity Sunday.
The marking of Trinity Sunday is about celebrating the very nature of God.
Today is all about praising God for who God is.
For celebrating God’s revelation of Godself to us in the persons of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Here is today’s worship service online:
And for singing today, try this musical version of the St Patrick’s Breastplate prayer:
You might also enjoy listening to this beautiful meditation on the mystery of the Holy Trinity from Malcolm Gordon:
We cannot let this day go past without referring to the great cry from people of colour to end police brutality and the entrenched targeting of black people by police both in the US and in Australia. May this movement finally bring change so that black people no longer have to live in fear of their lives from the people who are meant to protect them. This lament was written by Mark Miller to express the pain and sorrow of this experience:
Merciful and Just God,
Our hearts are concerned with systems of injustice which strip people of their dignity and their very lives. Help us to be those who would seek peace with justice, who would fight for those who are oppressed, offer voices for the voiceless and dignity for all humankind. Be with us this day and guide our steps toward a more just world in your name.
AMEN
Footnote:
In pre-COVID times, this weekend would have been the National Celtic Festival in Portarlington. Sadly, the Festival was cancelled for 2020. As an acknowledgement of the Uniting church’s Celtic heritage from it’s Presbyterian ancestors and a celebration of unity in Christ, here are 300 churches from all over Ireland singing “Be thou my vision” and sharing the Aaronic Blessing in multiple languages:
On this Day of Pentecost, Paul considers the ways in which the Holy Spirit is still forming and transforming the church today, shaking us up, clearing our heads, and pushing us to new understandings and awareness of God’s action in the world and where we need to be as part of that.
He asks the questions: What might the Holy Spirit be teaching us about witnessing to Jesus in our time? How are we being reshaped by the Spirit to be church in the era after COVID-19 restrictions ease?
Our prayers after reflection are underscored by an original composition shared with us by David Stephens https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQaC… who may or may not be related to Paul! Thanks to Colleen, Suroor, Hadeel and Shaghek for their contributions to today’s worship.
You can find today’s worship service on YouTube here:
A quick note today about the people pictured in the “Warm Wind” prayer – some of you may recognise the faces of these local leaders, psalmists and prophets.
Jacqui Bennet & Gabrielle Photo: Phil Hines, Humans in Geelong
Jacqui is the founder of Humans in Geelong – a citizen journalist project to tell the good stories that are happening in Geelong. She is also a much loved primary school teacher here in Highton. She is pictured with Gabrielle who works with the Red Frogs project, supporting young people during their schoolies experiences. The head office of Red Frogs is located at the One Hope church in Barrabool Hills.
Kym Dillon Photo: Phil Hines, Humans in Geelong
Kym Dillon is an extremely talented local musician, composer and choral conductor. He leads the “With One Voice” choirs in Geelong and Ashburton and is working on a project putting Psalms to music.
Monica Winston Photo: Transition Streets Geelong
Monica has been working to educate and support our local community to transition to a more connected, low energy, sustainable future, teaching Permaculture and nurturing the Transition Streets movement in Geelong. Years ago she brought an inspirational workshop to St Luke’s for the Environment Action Group, Awakening the Dreamer. She has never stopped working with community to build a better future for us all.
For singing today I couldn’t find a video of a Spirit focused song – send me your suggestions! However if you join us on Zoom today we’ll share some more music from David that we can all sing to. Here’s a great listening song from Leigh Newton in the meantime:
An update from UnitingWorld on how their work with our partners overseas is tackling the challenges of the Pandemic:
Please if you can do donate to their COVID19 appeal here: https://fundraise.unitingworld.org.au/actnow
A spark.
that is all we need on this day, Holy One God,
to light our quarantined aloneness
so that we can burst into bonfires
which signal to all those around us that
you are bringing to life and grace
to us, and to the whole world.
We pray in the name of the crucified and Risen One, Jesus Christ, the Lord. Amen.
