Don's Blog

Hi all.

What a week around Wesley. The pews are out, the chairs are in, and the artworks arrived, their arrivals staggered to let Catherine our curator put them in position. The last one arrived today and as I write, they are nearly all in position. To see them in the flesh, so to speak, reinforces the powerful interpretations they offer on Jesus’ journey to the cross.

A friend of mine said last week. Often in church, we think we hold all the truth about Jesus, sometimes keeping it to ourselves, locking it up in the way we talk about or don’t talk about the bible. But when we give the Jesus story to artists and ask them to share their reflections they offer us a truth that we may have not seen before. They open up the story in a new way for us.

As I have wandered around each of the artworks this week, I listened to the personal stories of some of the artists as they engaged the work, as they let the Jesus story make an impact on them. It has been quite moving to hear these stories. I gained many new insights that I had not thought about before. My hope is that you too will find something new that will make an impact and be and encouragement as we travel this faith journey together. After all, as the song goes, we are all in this together.

Thanks for Reading.

Don

Don's Blog

Hi all.
On Monday along with Rev Viv Larkin and Catherine Czerw our curator, I visited two more artists to see their work for the Stations exhibition. Hans Arkwveld who draws body parts for the Biology Department of UWA has produced an amazing drawing around the theme of “Jesus meets his Mother” (Station No 4). I can promise you a very thought provoking piece of art that will stimulate many a conversation. Don’t get me wrong, it is not controversial. It just has so many fine and detail images in it that you may want to visit it several times in order to discover all its intricacies.

The second artist we visited is the indigenous artist, Norma McDonald who has completed a work on Station Number 12, “Jesus is Crucified”. Once again, (will you ever tire of me saying this) I was very moved. Norma has “fused” (her word) Aboriginal culture and Christian Culture. She stated that she is a Christian and her mother was one of the children in Mogumber Mission, so she has a real connection with us. She said that in her work she wants to bring together many of the Aboriginal perceptions of life and death with Christian understandings. You will see from her work that she achieves this rather well. She offers us a very reflective piece that for me brilliantly brings out the central theme of our faith that Christ died for us all.

Can I say once again? I think you will enjoy and be moved by this exhibition.

Thanks for Reading.
Don

Sunday 14th March. Sinners and Outcasts this week. So you are all invited. Just prior to my reflection we will be watching a presentation from “Make Poverty History”

Opening night for the Stations of the Cross Art Exhibition will be 6pm Friday 26th March.
Please let Kerri know on admin@ucic.org.au or 6103 4222 if you would like to attend.

Volunteers for Stations of the Cross Art Exhibition.

We are still interested in receiving expressions of interest from those who would like to act as volunteers, either just to ‘be there’ or to be ‘Tour Guides’. The Exhibition will be open from 9am till 5pm from Saturday 27th March through to Monday 5th April.
Please contact Revd. Lee Edwards at leerev@optusnet.com.au if you are interested.

For the ‘Tour Guides’ there will be an initial briefing at 4pm, Monday 22nd February and then the final briefing in the presence of the 2010 artworks at 5pm, Thursday 25th March.

8.30am Discussion Group.

A reminder for some that the 8.30 service is still happening. A small group gathers, we get a ‘good’ coffee from across the road and then sit together for 45 mins and talk about the Gospel reading for the day. It's really a ‘chat with the minister' or could be seen as 'minister's corner'. It a great time for me, not only because I get a coffee to get me going but we get to think more about the reading and discuss it’s impact on us. Please feel free to join us.

STATION OF THE CROSS Art Exhibition.

Go to http://www.perthunitingchurch.com.au/viewStory/Wesley to see a list of participating artists

Don's Blog

Hi all.

I shared last week that we were to have a funeral at Wesley. It happened, and was a wonderful occasion. The church looked good, it was a good service, the eulogies were appreciated, the Tuesday Singers where outstanding and we had a wonderful morning tea afterwards. We even had some tourists come into the church while the morning tea was on, and thinking it was a normal part of church life, helped themselves to coffee and cake. It was that sort of gathering.

However, the best for me was seeing members of the family embracing each other, allowing a healing to take place. There had been some tension and there is still more healing to take place but is was so refreshing to see mother and daughters and grandson, who had not had contact for four years, embracing each other, crying together, sharing stories about their mother and grandmother, agreeing on the influence and legacy of her life. I found out after the service that they had come together the previous Friday and began to reconnect.
One of the good things that happens around Wesley.

The journey of Lent has been an interesting one for me full of the normality of church life, with meetings, preparation and pastoral situations. It has also had tension, hardship and the difficult side that life often throws at you. I am looking forward to the season of celebrating resurrection.

Thanks for Reading.
Don

Sunday 7th March.