Blogs
You learn something new every day
By Sean Winter |
Head of Pilgrim Theological College, Sean Winter talks about his role and what the college offers to students.
- All
- Ajub Jahja
- Bob Faser
- Bradon French
- Claire Dawe
- Denise Liersch
- Ellaine Downie
- Geoff Thompson
- Jennie Gordon
- Katharine Massam
- Peter Whitaker
- Robyn Whitaker
- Rose Broadstock
- Sally Douglas
- Sean Winter
- Sharon Hollis
- SweeAnn Koh
- Tim Lam
You learn something new every day
By Sean Winter |
Head of Pilgrim Theological College, Sean Winter talks about his role and what the college offers to students.
Let’s let God’s love flower
By Rose Broadstock |
Gardening teaches us a lot about God’s love and how spiritual growth can flower, writes Rev Rose Broadstock.
Christmas spirit brings out the best in us
By Bob Faser |
The spirit of Christmas, and all the joy that it brings, has the ability to bring out the very best in people, says retired Hobart minister Rev Dr Bob Faser.
Carol touches on the hope of Christmas
By Denise Liersch |
“In Advent, we hear the cries of the prophets, and are invited to join in their hopes for a world restored,” Denise Liersch says.
On the way home
By Jennie Gordon |
"Blessings on the homes who welcome family and friends as Christmas draws near. May the work to get ready be a labour of love and may the greeting meet and exceed expectations of joy."
Why we should embrace the advantages of virtual worship
By Peter Whitaker |
Our traditional understandings of worship are being challenged, but that doesn’t mean we should be wary of them. These conversations are necessary for the church to move forward.
How can we keep Holy Communion COVID-19 safe?
By Sally Douglas |
With the support of Synod's Crisis Management Team, Rev Dr Sally Douglas has put together some thoughts on keeping Holy Communion COVID-19 safe
What I’ve learned from leading funerals during COVID-19
By Claire Dawe |
"This has no doubt been a difficult time, but I am continually reminded of the importance of being present in whatever way possible, as well as the power of words of scripture.”
Why we should prioritise prayer practice
By Sally Douglas |
"We are doing ourselves, and one another, a disservice when we do not create spaces to safely discuss prayer, to experiment with prayer practices, to fall over, to learn and to be supported."
Why we should seek happiness through helping others
By Denise Liersch |
"Jesus encourages us to find our way through difficult times by turning our focus to others around us, knowing we are part of a community, turning our hearts and love toward each other."
What has COVID-19 taught us about connection?
By Denise Liersch |
"The constant surprise is finding God is at work sparking off new shoots of growth and opening up new possibilities, sometimes in ways we may have been resisting for years.”
How can youth ministry spark joy?
By Bradon French |
"If our ministries with young people embrace the opportunities joy presents, it must be reflected within the life of our wider church."
Hiroshima memorial reminds us to work for peace
By Denise Liersch |
Anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing is a time to remember that aggression met by aggression, and violence met by violence leads only to suffering.
Trump’s photo op with church and Bible was offensive, but not new
By Robyn Whitaker |
"Trump held the Bible like a baby holding a spoon for the first time – unsure which end is which – but the real problem was the complete disconnection between the text in his hand and the force, both verbally threatened and actually used, to clear the way for his stunt."
Why going back ‘to normal’ isn’t good enough
By Denise Liersch |
This is a time of invitation, to be caught up into the deep desire of God for a world of mercy, justice and peace, writes Moderator Denise Liersch.
George Floyd and the Good Samaritan
By SweeAnn Koh |
Would you have intervened to stop the police officer from fatally kneeling on the neck of George Floyd? Sometimes whether someone continues to breathe or not depends on us, writes Rev Swee Ann Koh.
Can I get a witness? Violence, racism and Christian response
By Robyn Whitaker |
Recent stories of horrific acts have highlighted that witnessing is not just proclaiming the Good News, but testifying to or naming of injustice. “We have for too long tolerated the unfair treatment of those who are non-white.”
What defines authentic worship?
By Claire Dawe |
How do we ensure what we are calling worship is actually worship? Are certain elements needed? Must everyone participate or can some just watch? Rev Claire Dawe explores this dilemma.
Is it OK to have Holy Communion online?
By Sally Douglas |
Absence makes the heart grow tender in these days of social isolation. And it also prompts the question: Is it OK to have Holy Communion online? Rev Dr Sally Douglas shares her thoughts.
Now I understand what Lent is all about
By Ellaine Downie |
Ellaine Downie has always resisted participating in the spiritually nourishing sacrifices that precede Easter. But this year is different. “Unwillingly, I am experiencing what the disciples must have felt,” she says.
What does trusting yourself to God look like right now?
By Ajub Jahja |
St Andrew’s Gardiner UC minister Rev Ajub Jahja reflects on the function of faith during this pandemic. “Faith is important, but so is reason,” he says.
Dear parents, I’m sorry
By Bradon French |
Intergenerational Ministry Coordinator Bradon French reflects on how church youth groups have failed to help parents form faith in their teenagers and children.
Sex, sin, shame and the virgin birth
By Robyn Whitaker |
"There is no suggestion in the biblical text that consensual sex is anything other than a gift from God."
Why the Bible welcomes a gender spectrum
By Robyn Whitaker |
"We cannot simply pull a sentence or two from the Bible as if it offers the final word on sex and gender."
Jesus as a newborn baby opens us up to God’s love
By Denise Liersch |
"In the face of a tiny innocent child in need of love and protection, our own disagreements, grudges, harboured hurts and disappointments can seem petty."
Why we must reject consumerist culture
By Sally Douglas |
"Rejecting consumerist culture – with its accouterments of accumulating, achieving and being seen and liked – may be the work of a lifetime. But it is worth it."
Why we must look after our environment
By Denise Liersch |
"We’re all interconnected. Even small changes can have big effects on other parts of the ecosystem. Tiny things can play an important role in keeping the system healthy."
Church must speak out to support Hong Kong’s last stand
By Tim Lam |
"The church in Australia – and globally - has largely remained silent as the people of Hong Kong struggle against the ever-tightening noose of the Chinese Communist Party."
Why we should shun Folau’s fear-based theology
By Robyn Whitaker |
"A UCA approach to the Bible asks us to do the harder work of interpretation through an awareness of history and culture, as well as with love and compassion. We do not proof text nor scare people into faith."
International Youth Day and unleashing unlimited potential
By Bradon French |
"I hope that we might honour International Youth Day by acknowledging the place and potential of young people around the world and around the corner."
It’s time we talked about suffering. It won’t be painful
By Sally Douglas |
“In a culture that is terrified of suffering … our theology is a radical and disruptive word of hope that is desperately needed.”
Why Christians disagree over the Israel Folau saga
By Geoff Thompson |
"As some Christians see it, Folau is holding the line against the dominant beliefs in contemporary Western culture on the flashpoints of gender and sexuality. And for this, some Christians especially honour him"
How has digital media affected youth ministry?
By Bradon French |
"Before social media, teenagers occasionally surrendered their phones during youth group. Today, a social media marketing strategy seems fundamental to developing and sustaining community."
Heaven is more than where we go in death
By Robyn Whitaker |
"In the Christian tradition, heaven and paradise have been conflated as an answer to the question 'where do I go when I die?' Yet originally they were more about where God lived, than about us or our ultimate destination."
Easter’s story demands we lend a helping hand
By Sharon Hollis |
“We need to raise our voices in protest, to speak out about abuse, work against systems that entrench unjust power and vote for justice and fairness … we need to show up in love for those in need of it.”
How can we empower young leaders in our church?
By Bradon French |
“There is a gap between what we say and how we act. Empowering young leaders is a catchphrase we all use, yet when the opportunity presents, we are paralysed by our inherited understanding of leadership.”
What would heaven think of what we’ve done?
By Sean Winter |
“This land is not ours. It was only given to us to the extent that it was taken from others. To seal it off from the possibility that others can seek their freedom here is to invite heaven itself to be appalled at what we have done.”
What is hell exactly?
By Robyn Whitaker |
"The afterlife is rarely related to correct belief but is rather about one’s actions and behaviour. Vivid descriptions of “hell” emerge within the Bible and in early Christianity as a means of moral formation designed to persuade people to act ethically."
Why youth work is like couples’ counselling
By Bradon French |
"Most of our young people express a disconnect between the internal workings of our church and our calling to worship, witness and serve. We must be willing to lay down parts of our inheritance to create space for new futures."
Looking to Jesus with a sense of Advent-ure
By Sharon Hollis |
"As I turn my mind to Advent conscious of despair about events in our city, aware of the hurt many are feeling and continuing to live with my own grief, I turn in hope towards God whose coming brings a word of judgment against the prevailing powers that is, in fact, a word of love."
Acts of renewal and hope
By Sharon Hollis |
"I’ve stopped and smelt the roses, literally, and given thanks for those who planted them and those who tend them in the hope that beauty will blossom each spring... I am invited to look out for signs of life and growth and reminded of the way the Spirit of Jesus brings life when we should not expect it."
Please don’t tell me how I feel
By Sharon Hollis |
"My beloved partner Michael died by suicide almost five years ago, the result of a major depressive episode. As someone who lives with the grief of having a loved one die by suicide here are some things I want people to know about how it is for me."
Why white is more than skin deep
By Sean Winter |
"In so many of our communities, whether they are countries or churches, the only chance of belonging is if you speak the language in a way that those in charge can understand."
What is the Uniting Church for?
By Geoff Thompson |
"On hearing that I was a minister she responded by telling me that no one in her family has ever had any contact with religion. I suspect she and her family are far from alone. This is the post-Christendom world."
Love letter
By Sharon Hollis |
"Love means we act with humility and goodwill towards each other – especially in hard times. When I am transformed in wisdom and love through the gift of the Spirit I am part of the transformation of all things."
Lessons in Assembly
By Sharon Hollis |
"I was impressed by the contribution of the young adult members of the Assembly. They modelled the Christian community as a place of love, nurture, welcome and growth in faith, even in the face of diverse opinions."
Australia and the United Nations
By Katharine Massam |
"It was an Australian president of the General Assembly of the UN who saw the Universal Declaration of Human Rights through the processes that gave those enduring phrases to the world."
Meeting expectations
By Sharon Hollis |
"We know God through the decisions we make, how we make them and what they lead to. Our discipleship is not an abstract concept, it is real actions and ways of being in the world."