So they came to see the new born King...travelling from the city to west of Penong....stopping off at Ceduna to see if the local leader could point them in the right direction.  But the local leader was busy building her own kingdom, her way and was threatened by the thought of another way, another one being born and all her work counting for nothing in the scheme of things.

Who were these seekers?

Many people travel through this part of the country - some head east, others head west - looking for new beginnings, hope, life.  Trying to find the next part of the plan - the plan for the abundant life.  They stop over and find a free bed, some free food, maybe a tank of fuel if they are lucky, before negotiating with Centrelink for an advance or a loan, to see them through in their search for the dream, their dream.

But these seekers were not like that.
They weren't seeking a better life for themselves.
They weren't looking for a food voucher, or a night at A1 cabins or a tank of fuel.
They weren't just passing through.
They weren't taking a holiday.

Yet their trip was just as arduous, fraught with heat, need and discomfort.
They travelled to see and to worship 
the One born to be King...
the One from God...
the One the star guided them to.

2013: 
Can we just join this search?
Can we make God's plan, our plan too?

They went home another way...their lives were different from this encounter.
Maybe our ministry will be different from our encounter with this One this year.
Maybe we will travel a different way too. 

Sunday mornings are usually sleeping -in days for most people. 
Many people are longing for meaningful spirituality.

To have church at 8.30am is to really invite only those who are deeply committed and entrenched in church going.  


So-o-o when there might be a chance to change the service time to 
a more seeker-friendly time; 
a more user-friendly time;
a more invitational time....


why wouldn't an ecumenical rural congregation of 4 people jump at the chance?

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.