TheDon's Blog

Hi all.

This week has seen a flurry of activity as we carry out the last minute preparations for our Advent Displays.

There has been a sense of excitement and apprehension as we have put the final touches into place. If you are not already involved, I hope you get the chance to come and have a look at what we are attempting to do.

Over the next four weeks in our Sunday morning worship I will be using the same readings that are presented in the displays outside our church. Hopefully this will enhance our understanding of how texts written so many years ago can connect with us and our situation today.

We begin with the passage from Luke’s Gospel Chapter 2 which describes the journey that Joseph and Mary take as they made their way to Bethlehem. It must have been a strange journey for them moving from the familiar to the unfamiliar, from the known to the unknown. We like them are often faced with the uncertainty of life and we like them know that God can and does meet us in these times.

This week a friend of mine, who is a Salvation Army officer, and I were commenting from our particular church situations noting that “the silly season was upon us”. He was noticing that he still had an every increasing number of people seeking Christmas hampers in order to make ends meet.

Kay often tells the story about her grandmother and how exciting it was her to receive an orange on Christmas Day. This was her only present but she was so excited to receive it. I guess we often realise that we have changed the Christmas culture from one of simple giving and receiving to one of elaborate consumerism and materialism. I think God saves us from this.

Thanks for reading.
Don

Don's Blog

Hi all. It's good to be back from a very refreshing holiday.

My most vivid memory from the last four weeks was stopping by the roadside somewhere on the way to Hyden. It was quiet and as we looked at the paddocks, the crops looked great, beautiful and green. I was reminded of Psalm 23 “He makes me lie down in green pastures”. Both Kay and I were amazed at the peacefulness and wide-open spaces.

However there was a downside. We came across many salt affected areas and when we drove into many towns there were very few people around. The local banks, chemists, bakers and butchers are gone. The signs on many churches say, ‘No worship this Sunday’. I guess while the country was a very peaceful place in which to be, it was hard to see the lack of people and services, the normal community things that we take for granted.

Over the past week we have enjoyed being involved in the visit of the President of the Uniting Church, Rev Alistair MacRae. He presented great information regarding the things that he was seeing in the wider church and we can be encouraged and proud of the events and activities that the Uniting Church is doing both locally and nationally.

So now it is back to work and I am looking forward to the advent activities happening outside a church. Please see below for the details.

Calling all volunteers.

During the four weeks of Advent, leading up to Christmas, Wesley Church will be presenting a number of events and art installations outside the church. Jane Nicholas who is helping us present these events and displays.

The Theme is; “Who’s Coming?”

Our aim is to present challenging and engaging events that offer people the opportunity to reflect on and be blessed by the Christmas season.

Crucial to our presentations will be volunteers. We need people who could offer a block of two hours, or more, either during the week, or the weekend. We are looking for two types of volunteers. Firstly, those who would be willing offer a physical presence as a kind of general security for the displays. Secondly we are looking for people willing to engage in conversations with those who pass by and may want to know more.

If you would like to donate some of your time we would love to hear from you.

In the first instance you could e-mail or contact the office to let them know of your availability. Rev. Lee Edwards is coordinating the times and list and I am happy to pass on your name to her if you are interested.

Thanks for reading.

Don