Archive for July, 2009

Prayers in the Paddock is Coming…

Published on July 27, 2009 in Highlands Cluster and Little Hampton. Closed

Many people who would describe themselves as spiritual would be very wary of entering a church or attending a worship service.  This is the result of many things, including the reality that for lots of people their experience of the church has been a negative one.

The tricky fall out from this is that it can be difficult to find avenues to creatively explore spirituality in an authentic way with others.

Not too far from Daylesford, on Saturday 12th September, there will be space in the paddock at Little Hampton for people to come together in a non threatening way, to focus on care of the earth and to express their spirituality.

Amidst the busyness of our lives on this day there will be the opportunity to be still, to commune with the Divine, and together celebrate the earth’s beauty, lament its suffering and share concerns for its future care.

All are welcome to be part of any or all of this day, whether you are part of a faith community, or whether you would never normally go to church.

Stay tuned for more information, or if you can’t wait, contact the Highlands Cluster Uniting Church on 03 5348 2119

Rev. Sally Douglas

Were you there…?

Published on July 20, 2009 in Uncategorized. Closed

You hear these amazing stories of Jesus.  How Jesus heals people, teaches people, basically is just compassionate with everyone.  The readings this week across the Church reflect this (Mark 6:30-34, 53-56).

You might imagine these scenes in your own mind; Jesus with the crowds.  Maybe you have pictured yourself in the crowd from time to time, walking alongside Jesus hanging on every word, asking great questions.

But something to ponder, especially for ‘church goers’, is would we have turned up?

Jesus keeps on spending time with the people on the edges; those who seem lost, those who are sick, those who I reckon would have been a little rough around the edges.

I wonder how many ‘church goers’ would feel that comfortable with this ‘raggle taggle’ group of people?

One of my favourite hymns, the old African American Spiritual, goes ‘Were you there when they crucified my Lord’, well there is a prior question to this: ‘Were you there when Jesus hung out with the people you don’t feel that comfortable with…?’

Ironically perhaps, in light of what the Church has been like over the centuries, the God of Christian faith actually calls us out of the confines of our own ‘groups’ into a much broader way of living and loving.  A way of life in which the boundaries come down and we welcome friends and strangers as sacred; the ones in whom we may meet angels and encounter the Divine.

So do we dare live into this way of Jesus or would we rather just read about it?

Just a thought, were we there…

Rev. Sally Douglas