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

Matthew 14:13-21

rejected and pursued
you, who yearned for solitude
and found a crowd

you, who sought the barren place
to pour your grief and hide your face
you drew them out

and still they come
with deepest hunger
and we don’t know
how to feed them
we despair at what we’re holding
fearing that it isn’t worthy
subscribing to the rumour
that it’s best to go and buy it
from a market where there’s plenty
rather than our meagre offering…

and you stop us in our panic
seat the hungry,
take our labours…

when misery meets mercy
compassion’s bread is broken
hurt transforms to healing
death becomes redundant
and abundant blooms
the feast
within the desert of release

By: Alan Austin
Melbourne-based freelance journalist

What was the impact of last month’s papal visit?

It showed that hundreds of thousands of young Aussies have a vibrant faith.
It also drew attention to the evils of abusive clergy. And to the reluctance of Roman Catholic leaders to meet with victims. Or mete out justice to the perpetrators.

Were there others? (more…)

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

(Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52)

I’d walked the length of life
and back
and knew the path, a well-worn track
like moving ‘round the house
at night
my memory held the gift of sight
as I strolled blindly on

past crops of grain
by roads well sealed
my pace was steady, stride well-heeled
amassing treasure as I go
to bring back home
and tell, and show
of how my life had gone

until one day
I falter, fall
and stumble on wake-up call
you’ve placed
along my path to show
me;
treasure that I’ve yet to know
and priceless in it’s worth

and now this love
is all I hold
worth more to me
than time or gold
a secret, hidden in a field
that caused my rootless life to yield
and brought me to new birth

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

(Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)

we are both
weeds and wheat
where we begin
there these two meet
and flourish
side by side

the sower
takes the toil
and plants for life
one comes to spoil
and both seeds
wait and hide

we grow
towards the light
and break the soil
forsake the night
and take on
who we are

we are both
weeds and wheat
eye to eye
and feet to feet
and ours is not
to judge
only to grow
and seek the hand
by which we first
were sown

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

(Matthew 13: 1-9; 18-23.)

reckless story sower
casting seeds
in random exuberance
not stopping
to count the cost of what is lost
to rocks or thorns,
or birds;
are you just wasting words

this seed that must be sown,
must be released,
and launched upon
this perilous life
into the dry and dark
of pecked and prickly hearts

transformer spirit come
translate the tale
and bring it home
aerate our earth
to take the seed
create a space
to meet your need

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

(Matthew 11:25-30)

there is a place
beyond the breakers
where the water is still and smooth
where rhythmic swells
gently rock your body
as it rests like driftwood
upon the great salty sea

but to get there
you have to go through
the surf

toes in the water
breath catching, shocking cold
dive beneath the oncoming roar
flashing foam
sucking, spewing menace
dive and dive again
bursting breath
pushed and pulled and pummeled

…

come to me
all who are weary
and heavy laden
and you will find rest for your souls

Alan Austin
Melbourne-based freelance journalist

Has Alexander Downer really got a part-time UN job related to Cyprus?
Doing what? Reporting to whom? For what period?

It is not partisan politics to express dismay at this appointment, if it is real. Downer’s foreign policy failures are notorious.

His ineptitude has not diminished since losing office. In May this year when Western naval vessels were positioned off Burma to help disaster victims, Downer called for regime change. According to a furious Malcolm Fraser this justified the junta refusing assistance, costing thousands of lives. (more…)