Across the other side

We have travelled from one corner of South Australia to the other: from Ceduna to Naracoorte (& cold & drizzly Mount Gambier!). This traversing the state has reminded me of the gospel writers' technique of moving Jesus from one side of the lake to the other, whenever something new and dynamic was going to happen within the life of his ministry. Check out the gospels and see those references....and he went across to the other side.... Well, there are no lakes, except a few down the South East, but I'm on annual leave. Annual leave from ministry duties...if that's possible in this electronic era...when emails, SMS messages and phone calls only ever get interrupted by the few spots of 'no service available.'. Annual leave is meant to refresh us and help us draw near to God in a relaxed time. So we can return to work, with renewed vigor and zeal. Annual leave has meant for me, Christmas service reading, a memorial service for a special colleague, Christmas shopping and catching up with distant family relations. On one day Our wedding anniversary, we planned a day just for the Lord and us. A phone call came this morning, from the preacher I had booked to bring 2 services to the West Coast Ministry Area in my absence. This involves a 600K round trip for him. It involved my planning and preparing a hymn CD for both services and dropping that off on our way across the state. Yet, an unplanned visit by a drama group, had resulted in one congregation phoning and canceling the preacher's visit to their town. Fortunately, the preacher is a man considerate of God' call on his life, and is passionate about the church and advancing God's kingdom. What about the other little congregation? He asked. Oh, you could go there. There is a congregation of 3 people on the Far West Coast who will have a preacher come from 300km away to bring the Good News to them on the second Sunday of Advent. A man who will cross from one side of Eyre peninsula to another, to bring a word from Jesus Christ. I hope the 3 people will have a deep appreciation of this great gift from God to them. Meanwhile, I will make ready to return. Not feeling refreshed, but frazzled. Wondering if I can muster up the same faith and commitment within myself, as that one precious follower of Jesus Christ from Port Lincoln.

Love God and your Neighbours

When I first visited the Penong Church, I was quite disappointed. The church looked unloved, empty, abandoned, tired, depressed....al I could say was "Oh dear, Oh dear".  In two weeks time, we celebrate the Centenary of the foundation stone.   The few women who make up the congregation have decided as only women can do - that this church is being revamped. The building has had some emergency repairs. They have painted it inside and outside themselves.  The sanctuary today was empty ready for the wooden floors to be polished this week.  We held church in the back room amidst the debris of a building undergoing renovation.  I called the service - Endings and Beginnings because I believe we are on the verge of a new beginning.  The love for God that these women have is inspirational and humbling.
Not only are they transforming a building: they are transforming lives!
When people return for the Centenary - they will be blessed by the faithfulness of these women.
But there's more: they are catering a sit-down roast lunch with dessert and a cake!
Love of God and Love for neighbour.
Thanks God for the Penong church women.
I love them.

Dragon Boating Blessing

Last Saturday, I was asked to "Dot the eyes" on the new dragon boat at Streaky Bay.
I was concerned that there were no Christian prayers for this ceremony, so here is what I did.

Dragon boating comes from the Chinese fishing tradition of boats racing to retrieve the body of a revered poet, who had thrown himself into the river.                                                                              The dragon head on the boat represents a superior creature to drive away the sea creatures who would try to eat the poet’s body.                                                                                                           The blessing of a new dragon boat comes from the ancient Taoist religion, but is able to be adjusted to local cultural norms.

Prayer and spirituality are essential parts of any dragon boating event.

Before the day of racing begins, the Taoist monk begins by speaking to local spirits, to ask for a blessing on the day.  So I began with the acknowledgment of Country.

‘I would like to acknowledge the Wirangi and Kukuta peoples who are the Traditional Custodians of this area and offer our respects to the Elders both past and present of those Nations. I also offer our respect to any other aboriginal person here today.”

The Christian Story

The Christian Tradition recognises the presence of the Holy Spirit of the Creator God…whom we read in Genesis 1 verse 2..moved over the waters from which all life was created. It was this Spirit who guided the life of Jesus of Nazareth, who regularly travelled in boats across unpredictable seas, and at whose command the wind and the waves were stilled. 

It is to this Holy Spirit of the Creator God, that we call today to bless the new Streaky Bay Dragon Boat.

Dotting the Eyes

 

The first thing we need to do, is ‘awaken the dragon’ by ‘dotting the eyes’

Eyes are the windows to our souls…Eyes are often painted on boats – to help them and the fish to see each other; to scare away sharks and to help the boat find a way home should a storm come up.

Eyes bring life to the dragon boat, so as we ‘dot the eyes with red paint, we pray,

“Come Holy Spirit of light and life, you who were present at the time of the creation of all we know and see, awaken the spirit of adventure in this dragon boat, that she may see her way through waters and take her place in the excitement of the race. Amen”

As I dotted the eyes, the dragon boat drummer, drummed, to help awaken the dragon

The Blessing

As I came to bless the boat, I asked all the paddlers to bring their paddle and stand with one hand on the boat.

God, bless this dragon boat.

As she glides through the water may she be a blessing to the water and all marine life.

Jesus Christ, bless this dragon boat.

May all who journey in her have a spirit of joy awakened in them, be blessed with vigour and health,and know life in abundance.

Holy Spirit, bless this dragon boat.

As she is seen from afar, may a love and a care for the natural environment be awoken in the hearts and minds of all who watch.

Bless to us O God,

Father, Son & Holy Spirit,

this dragon boat, that all who share in her life might find themselves challenged, inspired and carried safely home.  Amen.

Just the Uniting Church Minister

'Aren't you just the Uniting Church Minister?' was the question.
'Well, yes and no.  I'm the Rural Resourcing Minister for this Region."
'UH?"
'It means, I do regular Minister stuff, but my main roles are to train and equip Lay leaders to run their own churches and to look for new ways of being church in today's world.'

As I keep saying those words time after time, and watch the listener's response, sometimes I think I hear from the deep recesses of minds - 'What planet is she from?'  
It is a brand new thing and I really wonder how this work will ever happen, when faith communities have no Bible studies, no prayer groups, and invisible personal spiritual disciplines.

"You need to start these things, if they are not present," I hear.
'At each of the 7 churches? One day a week each....?  I think not.  And distance is so vast over here - well, church stuff isn't football or netball is it?'

The Uniting Church has this vision of being a church for today.
As I listen for God's direction, I'd be interested in hearing what God might be saying to you about new ways of being church.
What would help you have faith?
Grow your faith?
Bless your spiritual  life?

Hang on to the church building? Why?

It's in the middle of nowhere, but where once there was a vibrant community with a football oval and a cricket oval, tennis & netball courts, a school and a community hall. But now all the houses are gone and all that remains in a small tin church, with no power and an old school, where no-one has attended to the old books and magazines and paint brushes.  A couple of weeks ago, I conducted a baptism in the old tin church.  We ran a power cord from a gen-set for the portable organ player and we filled the church with family and locals.  A number of people are interested in creating an engagement with faith as family units.  They don't want it to be one particular denomination: but I also sense they don't want any denomination.  Denomination stands for institutional church, which is clearly rejected by community.  There is a hunger for something new.

Lets not talk denominations.

Let's talk about who will do what and when.

I'll help you do what you want to do.

Will the tin church have a place in this?

Do we keep it to see?

Who pays the insurance? Who deals with the stuff  that the institution did?

A building can't lie fallow like  a paddock. 

75 and young

Rural ministry often struggles to fund ordained clergy, so clergy are often spread very thinly.
Last Thursday night at the induction of the new Uniting Church Minister at Kimba, SA, the moment came when clergy or representatives of other denominations could extend a welcome to the new incumbent. This is alway a fine moment for rural ecumenism.  
Fr Adrian stepped forward. A gentle white headed man with his collar and old, long grey coat, that had faithfully served many winters. He listed the communities to which he ministers, with a simple comment - I'm very young to be doing this. I'm 75.
75 and covering all of central Eyre Peninsula, South Australia.
Now there is a dedicated servant of God.
May his church be the healing, compassionate Christ to him.

Holy Trinity: Beetle, Mouse & Goat

In the back of the Town Hall, where once the pictures showed every Friday night, a handful of the faithful gathered.  Seated on the picture theatre pews, (sets of 3 seats) we celebrated Trinity Sunday.
 But it was the unexpected guests who stole the show
.
We sang to guitar with gusto....and the sounds of a mouse's scampering feet on 1960's linoleum, a scarab beetles writhing and the bleating of a tethered goat outside, added to our chorus.  Unfortunately they didn't stop during prayers and reflective silence!
We broke bread for communion, just allowing a few crumbs to land on the floor, so the tiniest members of our congregation might receive some blessed sacrament too.  Perhaps the remnant loaf should have been tossed to the bleating member outside.

We remembered the hospitality of the Triune God towards the 6 humans and 3 known creatures who gathered.  Thanks be to Father, Son & Holy Spirit: Beetle, Mouse & Goat

Carawa Cemetery

Grave of Addie Hammat, a child with Down's syndrome,
after whom my granddaughter is named

We went to the Carawa Cemetery today to say our farewells to Aunty Bernice Hammat.  The entrance is grand and long off an unmarked country road. The locals all knew where to go, but we were running blind; pointing the car in the right direction.  Aunty Bernice had been an elder and Methodist/Uniting Church member all her life, yet her family chose to go with a civil celebrant.  (If any of my family are reading this, please don't do this to me.)  But salvation: the celebrant had bought a copy of Rev Dorothy McRae-McMahon's book "The glory of Blood, Sweat and Tears: Liturgies for the living and dying" (JBCE,1996) and used Dorothy's "A Simple Funeral" (page 121) word for word...except for the words 'God' and 'Jesus Christ".  A number of people commented on how much they appreciated the inclusion of the Lord's Prayer at the end and the taped hymns throughout.  
I was reminded of my early funerals as a Lay person in the mid-north, as I observed the sensitivity and clear way the celebrant performed the ceremony.  I would like her to join one of my congregations, so I can use her as a Lay Celebrant from the church - perhaps then she could use the church liturgy with integrity.
I watch the funeral service from the foot of Addie Hammat's grave. And as I prayed for Auntie Bernice and her family, I remembered Addie 1 and 2 in my prayers.
A special day for special people in a special place.

Yantanabie Women: Remembrance and Thanksgiving

They came by bus and car, on a freezing cold morning, to the Yantanabie Hall, these women of the West Coast.  It was The Biggest Morning Tea and the tables groaned under the weight of scones, cream-filled sponge rolls, cream puffs and cakes and hotwater was poured into teacups from the ancient fire urn.  The walls were decorated with old photos, floral arrangements around deadwood and hessian bags, memorabilia of the 50's and 60's.  There were stalls too - children's clothes, home made jewellery, wrought iron art work, home produce, patchwork quilting, floral arrangements.  Women sat in small circles near the heaters with their craft and knitting. Led by the local art teacher, some painted shopping bags.  The Yantanabie Hall, with no ceiling and a holey roof and a claw hammer door knob, opened wide her arms in welcome; safe in the knowledge that restoration was on its way.  The gleam of a new roof beckoning, the promise of a new ceiling....what once was dead and left lying in a graveyard of buildings turned to rubble, will now live again.
Remembrance with thanksgiving.
We all trooped outside and gathered around the single stone memorial to the original Yantanabie Schoolhouse, to pay tribute to a past resident, who was a great netball player in her day, but who had been lost recently to cancer.  The 3 pink helium filled balloons were released in remembrance...and it is Trinity sunday week.  The rest were tied to a waiting bonfire pile as we remembered those whose journey to Christ came through cancer.  We remembered and gave thanks.
And then we happily returned to the hall, where memories of dances and parties added to the chatter over meat and vegetable soup and damper for lunch. 

Rural CPSW's

We commissioned the CPSW tonight at the Lutheran church.
The School Principal was late, but we waited for him...since he was the only senior staff member in attendance and we had changed the service date to suit him...as you do to gain another attendee of note. (Not that we needed another noted person with a very new OAM in the congregation)  The Lutheran visitors from Loxton were shocked and amazed that all the local resident clergy leaders were present and took part in the service.  It took lots of organising.  Our aboriginal pastor led the singing on guitar - lots of confusion about standing to sing or not!  Visitors from every denomination in town.  Rural Ecumencial strength: School Chaplaincy.  But I think we should have had an offering...Sacred Stone is coming in September!
The highlight of the night: our newly commissioned CPSW, responded to the event by reading 1 Corinthians 13 - the greatest of these is Love.
That's ecumenical stuff!

How Receptive are we?

On the Far West Coast of South Australia, there are a number of combined congregations...Anglican, Lutheran and Uniting in particular.  Receptive ecumenism invites us to receive from one another, those parts of our traditions that will draw us nearer, in faith, to the God who is revealed through Jesus Christ.  He was the One who said, "may they be one as you and I are one."  May they indeed?  But when they become one...what happens next?  In these days of declining rural communities, Christians are a minority.  So it makes sense that they would stick together. (Like new migrant communities!)  But what happens to their worship?  
There is only one congregation, who actually do their own worship - the rest wait for a clergy person to arrive, to receive from that denomination.  But their own worship reflects what was offered and has meaning 20 years ago!
When do these congregations determine what they wish to receive and embrace for themselves?  
Or do they just 'put up' with the other sort of worship, until our lady turns up next month?
Cultural revolution!  


S