By Jennie Gordon
St. Margaret’s Uniting Church, Mooroolbark

O God, show me your rock
unearth it, put it in plain view,
so we might lay our foundations
in your immovable ground
because these are stormy times

great gusts of grief are blowing
threatening to unearth us
from our footings in the clay

storms of pain are
battering at the walls
of our self-preservation
lifting the rusty roof
of our protection
leaving us vulnerable
to anger, bewilderment and doubt

cumulative clouds of sadness
threaten to eclipse the light
and keep us in
the long dark night

drill deep, God who yearns to hold us
drill deep into the earth of your being
and secure us in your love
because the storms will blow

By Jennie Gordon
St. Margaret’s Uniting Church, Mooroolbark

when I arise
and morning
catches cobwebs
in the skies

do I see promise
perching
on the branches
of my waking

or worry that the light
will fade
the dreams
that I’ve been making

By Susan Malthouse
Ministry Intern
Ararat Uniting Church
Worshipping at St. Andrews, Ararat West, Crowlands, Warrak and Elmhurst

This week I have been haunted by a quote from one of my favourite television shows, “The West Wing”. After one of many disasters strikes his White House, President Bartlett asks a new employee;

“Why is an American life worth more to me than another life?”

The response he receives is this;

“I don’t know Sir, but it is”

(more…)

By Caro Field
Candidate for Ministry at Centre for Theology and Ministry

During my time as a candidate at Theological College, I have learnt something: despite well-meaning comments to the contrary, I do NOT have a time management issue. What I DO have, is an avoidance issue. In reflecting on my current situation of having a number of overdue essays, as I prepared for my recent Exit Interview, I realised that everything else in my life has been going ahead pretty much according to schedule. Most things have gotten done… except the essays (and surely avoidance of one specific thing can’t possibly be as bad as a general lack of time management skills, can it?) (more…)

By Jennie Gordon
St. Margaret’s Uniting Church, Mooroolbark

holy dance draw me in
not so that I may know you
define you
confine you
but that I may be
surrounded
surrendered
free

unleash from the inside
your wild and trusting child
hands held
high for swinging
laughter
let loose and ringing

break in through shields of fear,
creator, come by here
let love the sonnet be
and peace the melody,
rewrite, refashion me
to spin within the three

gift of presence, breath,
dance me until death
play, play the music long,
till I become the song
that breaks the night
with love’s first light
and shines your whole day long,

holy dance, draw me in
that I may be
surrounded,
surrendered,
free

By Caro Field
Candidate for Ministry at Centre for Theology and Ministry

During a recent church Bible study, discussion led to the consideration of hospitality, and we asked the question, “what does it mean to be hospitable?”

I would guess that for most people, the thing that immediately springs to mind when you mention ‘hospitality’ is the idea of having people into your home, for meals, or perhaps to stay. A couple of members of the study group commented that their circumstances prevent them from being able to invite people into their homes for meals, so we started to explore other ways that we could be hospitable to people which don’t necessarily involve providing meals, or accommodation.

Think about it: how would YOU define ‘hospitality’ if you couldn’t use any concepts relating to meals or inviting someone to your home? (more…)

By Jennie Gordon
St. Margaret’s Uniting Church, Mooroolbark

breath
is a matter
of life
and death;
severed cord from the past
no longer a lifeline,
we flail and fail until
Jesus
breathes us
into life;
have peace
release;
breath filled with the fresh scent of morning,
the tang of sour wine,
long, long whispered nights of staying, praying
love’s perfect gift,
Spirit sublime,
for those who believe,
be present, together; receive.

By Antony McMullen
Social Justice Officer
Justice and International Mission Unit
Synod of Victoria and Tasmania

“One group said they were paid $2.50 for a detailed shirt which took one hour to sew. Another group said they were paid between $2 and $3 an hour. When asked about hours worked, most indicated that they often went weeks without a job but when the work was available they worked long hours.”

– Ethical Threads, report by Brotherhood of St Laurence (2007) on Australian Homeworkers

For over ten years, the Uniting Church in Victoria and Tasmania has been involved in the FairWear campaign to end exploitation of Australian home and sweatshop workers in the textile, clothing and footwear industry. Despite the introduction of legislated safeguards, the Christian community continues to hear of abuses in this industry. At the Commonwealth level, there has been bi-partisan support for maintaining these laws to protect homeworkers in the textile, clothing and footwear industry. Disappointingly, this consensus is not evident in Victoria, as evidenced by the lack of support from the Coalition. (more…)

By Adrian Pyle
Director of Mission Participation Resource Unit
Uniting Church in Australia
Vic / Tas Synod

Recently a new retail grocery store opened near my house. As part of the opening celebrations the store offered some significant reductions on the usual prices of everyday items. One of the most popular items, I am told, was half price toilet paper – about a three dollar reduction on the usual price. I understand that individual customers were scrambling over each other for two, four, six, eight and ten packs at a time. Store staff-members were being abused because stock wasn’t immediately available on the floor. All of this was happening at a grocery store in the midst of one of Melbourne’s (and indeed Australia’s) most well-off communities. (more…)

By Jennie Gordon
St. Margaret’s Uniting Church, Mooroolbark

the hour has come and this will frame
the final scene of taking leave
we are received into the One
whose work is done,
the hour has come

the hour has come
and heaven’s glory
bends her blazing head to earth
love is named and there’s an echo
of your blood and water birth
beloved son
the hour has come

the hour has come
because there is a name
for endings just the same
as for beginnings
birds hatch and fly and sing and die
and so do I
the hour has come
now make us one