Don's Blog

Hi all.

It had to come. I can’t hold back any longer. I have to talk again about our 2011 ‘Stations of the Cross’ Artists. Sorry!

Last Tuesday Catherine Czerw, our curator, and I visited the last group of artists who are preparing for the exhibition. Once again, we were amazed by the outstanding quality of the work being presented. This time, I noticed the diversity of cultural backgrounds of the Artists. They are Indigenous, Australians, English, German, Iraqis, Italian, and Dutch. Their religious backgrounds are diverse as well. There are committed Christians from a variety of denominations, including, Catholic, Pentecostal and an Anglican priest. We have those who could be termed as agnostic, as well as a Buddhist and a Muslim.

What struck me in all of this is that it doesn’t matter what the background, religious or otherwise, each artist offers an aspect of the story, of the journey of Jesus to the cross, and relates it to our journey through life. Philip Berry’s work, (Station No 1, Jesus is Condemned) portrays a lonely figure beside the ocean, with foreboding clouds overhead. Philip talked about the loneliness of Jesus, surrounded by powerful forces. He identified that sometimes we stand alone overwhelmed by the powers of a destructive world around us.

Joan Johnson, (Station No 6, Veronica wipes Jesus face) symbolically depicts the fragility of Veronica against the strength of Jesus. She commented that it must have taken enormous courage for Veronica’s act of compassion, offered in the context of a hostile crowd. A poignant message for us, that in a moment of hostility it does take great courage to offer to compassion.

I know you will enjoy seeing the artworks as each one of them not only shares the story of Jesus and his journey to the cross but also has something powerful to say that is very relevant to our 21^st century living.

On Tuesday, evening John Beaverstock and I met five of the seven new Wesley Music Scholars. This year, our instrumentalists are, two viola players, one violinist, one cellist, one bassoonist, an organist, and a soprano. So quite a variety. We are looking forward to introducing some of them to the congregation on 10^th April, and hearing them over the next year.

Some pastoral matters.

Our thoughts and prayers are with a number of people.

Andy Corkill, our Mission Development Officer, this week received the news that his grandmother had died. Andy has flown to Sydney to be with his mother and to arrange the funeral. He was very close to his grandmother and I know he will miss her a great deal. It is also hard to be on the other side of the country when significant family events, such as a death, happen.

We were shocked to hear the disturbing news that Stan White was attacked and ended up in hospital. I understand he is now recuperating at home and will soon return to hospital to undergo an operation. Our prayers are with him.

Thanks go to Rev Lee Edwards who was able to take part in the service last week. As I write Lee is now recovering from an operation to her shoulder and we look forward to seeing her back in church, although for some time she has to manage with one hand.

I also understand we celebrate Harold Coppock’s 70^th birthday. A great milestone to reach.

I look forward to catching up with you on Sunday or in the very near future.

Thanks for reading.

From your minister, Don

Sunday 3^rd April 2011

8.30am Discussion Group. Continuing the series “Embracing an Adult faith” by Marcus Borg.

10.00 Worship – “I am the light of the world” Reflecting on the story of Jesus and the man born blind.

Don's Blog

Hi all.

It was great to hear Denise Zan, my former PA, speak briefly at our Sunday morning worship last week. I particularly heard her say that working for Wesley and UCIC was not just a job but calling. It was wonderful to share with her family and to thank her for all the things she has done for us over the last 10 years.

On Monday morning, the staff at UCIC, and people from Ross Memorial and St Andrews, celebrated Gail Christie’s 20 years of work with the Uniting Churches in the city. Gail initially began work with Ross Memorial and St Andrews congregations and then became part of the staff at UCIC. Most of her work centres on preparing and organising our Weddings and Baptisms. In this work, Gail plays a vital part in our ministry to people who don’t normally have contact with the church. In her speech, Gail said she worked with at least six Ministers and had come to know a myriad of people particularly through Ross Memorial and St Andrews. One memory Gail had was of a morning tea not being held after church because she had forgotten to put it in the announcements. She realised she had significant power!!

Our prayers and thoughts continue to be with Lynda Reavell (Finance and Admin Manager) who is caring for her husband Andy, at home recuperating from major heart surgery. Lynda is hoping to return to work sometime next week.

In the meantime the office is continuing to offer good service to all those who contact us.

My visit to some more artists this week proved to be very successful. On one visit I discovered that the artist had many years before spent some time praying in Wesley after the death of his father. So he was really chuffed to be able to present an artwork at Wesley. It was like he had come full circle. More about that story on Easter Sunday morning!

Another artist I visited, who has Station Number 5, ‘Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus’, talked quite deeply about how Simon was ‘compelled’ to take up Jesus’ cross and how sometimes we are compelled to confront the things that are hard for us.

This week Kay and I are having a weekend off and catching up on time together as both of us have been living rather hectic lives lately. I look forward to being back at worship on Sunday 3rd April.

I look forward to seeing you on in the near future.

Thanks for reading.

From your minister, Don

Sunday 27^th March 2011

8.30am Discussion Group

10.00 Worship – Preacher, Revd Lee Edwards.

Don's Blog

Hi all.

Our 8.30am Sunday discussion group takes a different direction this week. I will be showing a 10-minute DVD, which is part of a five sessions study written and presented by Marcus Borg. Titled “Embracing an Adult Faith”, and subtitled, “Marcus Borg on what it means to be Christian, the first session looks at the topic of, “God”. The format will be to look at the 10-minute DVD and then enter into discussion. We finish at 9.30am. If you are able to come at 8.30am prior to our normal Sunday morning worship, you are more than welcome. We are currently a group of six.

Last Saturday’s wedding was a wonderful occasion. Jan Carrick’s daughter, Lucy was married at Wesley. The enduring image for me was when I looked at the Groom’s face as Lucy came down the aisle. I don’t think I have ever seen such a beaming and loving face. The wedding was a great event and I think mother and father of the bride were very happy.

Last Sunday as we celebrated the baptism of Samuel and again we experienced a very loving event.

In the last week I have experience a ‘hatch’, a ‘match’, and I hope I don’t have any ‘dispatch’. Suffice to say that it was a wonderful week of being able to do the things I love doing as a minister.

This coming Sunday Denise Zan, my PA, and her family, will be in church. Denise began her life in connection with Wesley after travelling from Burma and was welcomed into Wesley when Rev Geoff Blyth was one of the ministers. She became the Minister’s PA when the Rev Kevin Dilks was the minister. In our service, we will farewell Denise, as she enters retirement, and we will offer a blessing and thanks to God for her wonderful work for the ministers and the congregation. She has faithfully served the Church over many years and I for one will miss her. We will also share some refreshments with her after the service.

Next week I am entering into another round of visiting artists for the Stations of the Cross Art exhibition. Hopefully you would have seen our advertisement for volunteers to help during that time. If you haven’t seen it, can I reiterate the need for volunteers to, ‘be a presence’ or to act as ‘tour guides’. If you feel you would like to be part of this please contact reception on 6103 4222 or e-mail admin@ucic.org.au.

This Saturday the elders and I are meeting to put some further work into our “Strategic Plan” to Wesley. You may remember the congregational meeting we held some time ago, this is a further development from that time. Watch this space!!

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday or in the near future.

Thanks for reading.

From your minister, Don

Sunday 20^th March 2011

8.30am Discussion Group

10.00 Worship – Nicodemus and For God so Loved the World.

Don's Blog

Hi all.

Returning to work on Wednesday after nine days in Vietnam was a hard call. Kay and I had a wonderful and amazing time. The place, the culture, and especially the people were incredible. For the first time in my life, we joined a tour group led by a young man from Sydney and supported by local guides at the various places we visited. We started at Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon), making our way through the centre of Vietnam, eventually ending up at Hanoi in the North. Some of the things we saw were hard as they referred to the war years. Whilst they remember and present some of the difficult times of the war, they hold no resentment towards the Americans or the Australians. They have, in their words, ‘moved on’.

I have some special memories of the last 10 days with the most moving being a visit to a factory where people with disabilities are trained to create and make artworks, some done with silk. On the second occasion we visited this factory I was watching a young man sewing a picture with silk thread. As he sewed, he sang. It was a lovely gentle moving tune and I had to hold back the tears as I watched and listened. Later, I talked to our Vietnamese guide and was able to sing the tune to him. He told me it was a lullaby normally song by a mother to the child as they went to sleep. I imagined this young man being sung to by his mother, and I came away with a very loving image in my mind.

There were many other images and experiences, including sitting in a boat travelling down the Mekong Delta, eating absolutely amazing and beautifully cooked food with wonderful flavours. Having conversations, slightly difficult because I could not speak Vietnamese, with different people as they shared their experiences of the country. We visited significant places both historical and natural where words cannot really describe the scene. I gained an appreciation of Ho Chi Minh who demonstrated a humbleness of spirit that was the driving force behind his desire to see the Vietnamese people free of colonial and imperialistic rule. I hope to more stories of our visit in my reflections.

Coming back to work on Wednesday was like hitting a brick wall. Part of me is still in Vietnam.

On Saturday, I am the officiating minister for Lucy and Craig. Lucy is the daughter of our Jan Carrick, our pastoral care coordinator. It is shaping up to be a wonderful wedding with the mother of the bride very proud and excited, as she should be. One of the good things about being a minister is the opportunity and honour to share significant occasions with families of the congregation so I am looking forward to my part in this wedding. The added bonus for me is that Lucy, and her sisters, and Jan, were a significant part of my Chaplaincy at Wesley College. So as you might understand this will be a special occasion. Also, Chris Crause has been involved in their pre-marriage ‘Prepare’ programme. So truly a UCIC wedding.

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday or in the near future.

Thanks for reading.

From your minister, Don

Sunday 13^th March 2011

8.30am Discussion Group

10.00 Worship - The Temptation of Jesus story.

Don's Blog

Hi all.

As usual, my week has been filled with interesting and challenging events. It was so good to hear from Rev Geoff Blyth that Esme had received positive news regarding her recent operation. As I read the e-mail it felt to me that our prayers had been answered.. As I read the e-mail it felt to me that our prayers had been answered.

On Wednesday, I attended the ecumenical prayer group that meets weekly in the UCIC hall. They invite one of the group to share a story of faith and this week it came from a Nigerian man who works for one of the major companies in Perth.

He shared with us the story of the birth of his first child in Nigeria. At 38 weeks, they discovered that the baby had no heartbeat and was pronounced dead. This was a shattering event for himself and his wife, as they not only had to deal with the death of a child that she had carried for so long, but they had to deal with cultural expectations, where as he explained, ‘children are everything’, and especially if it is a male, which this child was.

They turned to their faith and prayed that God would help them move through this devastating situation.

In the middle of this trauma he remembered some Bible verses from his childhood and they helped him know that God was present with them in their journey. He remembered that his faith in was in a Jesus who had moved through a devastating experience to bring the love of God to us all.

Now some years later, he has two children and feels especially blessed as he works and lives in Australia with his family. God has been present with him in a very special way.

In both these events, I heard again the affirmation that God is with us in all aspects of life and always will be.

This week we give thanks again that our faith lifts us to that place of hope and encouragement.

Thanks for reading

Don

Don's Blog

Hi all.
Looking out my office window from time to time brings to light the myriad of people who are part of our city life. Some are obviously workers, the black suit brigade, steady gaze, medium pace, ipod and white earphones. Others, slower in their pace, a map in hand, looking up and down checking their bearings, tourists visiting our fair city.
Then, particularly at this time of the year, the families, usually mother and children, sometimes grandparent and children, heading off to the movies, stopping at McDonalds for a treat.

The people I notice the most, and have done so ever since I moved into this office, are those who suffer a mental disability, obvious by their demeanour and clothes. I usually see them three or four times a day. Always alone, heads bowed, focusing on the footpath in front of them. Some shuffle, others just walk up and down, some sit on the bus seats, but don’t catch the bus. Some dishevelled in appearance, sometimes stopping and asking for money, others counting their money to see if they have enough for a coffee or burger.

It’s hard not to worry about these folk. Yes we do have facilities nearby where they can get warmth, a meal, a shower, even company but they seem to choose the street. The people and the activity of the city seem more safe that a conversation or a building.

It seems to me that these are the ‘poor’ of our city and even though we do provide services, particularly through UnitingCare West, there still seems to be a need. As I see them, I offer a prayer and I invite you to pray with me. Somehow, in our asking for a blessing we may find the way to offer it in a real way.

Thanks for reading
Don

Don's Blog

Hi all.

An article, “Fishing Nets for Safety Nets”, subtitled, “Remodelling Church to connect with the Unchurched”, by David Male, an Anglican Priest, has challenged my thinking this week about what we offer as a Church.

He says,

“Are we ….. creating new Christian communities that are connecting with people way out of the churches normal orbit and enabling them to be come fully functioning disciples of Christ’

Male argues that a huge change has created new generations who have very little contact with church. He quotes from research, conducted in England, which I think would have similarities here.

“The Tearfund report comments that,… “66% of the adult population are closed to attending church…. and this… “presents a major challenge to the churches. Most of them(the 66%) are unreceptive and closed to attending church: church-going is simply not on their agenda.”

He goes on to say,

“As leaders we need to understand that people are not sitting in their houses thinking ‘if only our local church would make their services more contemporary/ relevant / with better preaching/child friendly we will go’. We are simply not on their agendas at all.”

I wondered what would make coming to church, connecting with us, a possibility?

David Male offers a positive comment here through a question. ….maybe God is calling us into a new missionary period?

He refers to Alan Roxburgh who writes to help local leaders and their churches find solutions to issues . Roxburgh suggests five steps.

1. Awareness of what is happening in culture and society and its impact on the church.

2. An understanding of why this is happening.

3. An evaluation of what we are already doing in church and how it matches up to what needs to be done.

4. Experimentation at the edges. Don’t change everything overnight, but maybe pick one area you can change now.

5. Commitment. Out of this successful experiment, the church can move forward into a new future.

As we continue to think about Wesley’s place and our connection with the city it seems to me that we are doing some of these things and we are invited to do more.

If you would like to see David Male’s full article, I have placed it on our Web page at: http://www.perthunitingchurch.com.au/viewStory/Wesley

All good food for thought!!

Thanks for reading

Don