Blogs

Head of Pilgrim Theological College, Sean Winter talks about his role and what the college offers to students.

Gardening teaches us a lot about God’s love and how spiritual growth can flower, writes Rev Rose Broadstock.

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.

“In Advent, we hear the cries of the prophets, and are invited to join in their hopes for a world restored,” Denise Liersch says.

"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."

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.

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

"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."

"If our ministries with young people embrace the opportunities joy presents, it must be reflected within the life of our wider church."

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 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."

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

Intergenerational Ministry Coordinator Bradon French reflects on how church youth groups have failed to help parents form faith in their teenagers and children.

"There is no suggestion in the biblical text that consensual sex is anything other than a gift from God."

"We cannot simply pull a sentence or two from the Bible as if it offers the final word on sex and gender."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

“In a culture that is terrified of suffering … our theology is a radical and disruptive word of hope that is desperately needed.”

"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"

"Before social media, teenagers occasionally surrendered their phones during youth group. Today, a social media marketing strategy seems fundamental to developing and sustaining community."

"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."

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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 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."

"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."

"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."

"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."