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

Matthew 16:13-20

your question stops us on the border
between the territory of the knowable
and mystery’s vast terrain

like a citizenship test you ask:
but who
do you
say that I am?

that’s where the struggle begins:

words evaporate
like summer rain on concrete
tongue tries to frame
some fresh and fathomless response
but nothing co-operates, co-ordinates, corresponds…
nothing
because our own attempts will never find
real resonance
with our experience of you,

then Peter rescues us,
with words that flow
like water from the rock of ages;
words
whispered on the winds of time;
words
that keep this strange and sacred boat afloat;
You are the Messiah,
Son of the living God.
and the expedition goes on

but your question remains.

By: Jennie Gordon
St. Margaret’s Uniting Church, Mooroolbark
Matthew 15:21-28

because it was her daughter
she came out
to plead from the passing provider
a meagre measure
of what was left over
from the healing of the crowds

because it was her daughter
the mercy would flow through her
and she would not be silenced
or sent away
excluded from the feast

because it was her daughter
she came and knelt before him
not as an outsider
but as one already present
to the suffering
that was before him, around him
and within him
not exclusive to the flock

then, because he is God’s Son
he let the veil be torn
and opened heaven’s table
and let the river of blessing run

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

Picture this scenario within a faith community:

1)a person or group of people are trying to introduce a different perspective to the way the community operates.

2)a second person or group of people uses psychological means to undermine that first person or group.

3)such psychological means may be aggressive means (but also include the second person or group routinely painting themselves as victims).

4)the symptoms of the alleged problem are repeated

5)other people who are part of the community notice this interplay and frequently hold discussions about how dysfunctional it is….

6)…… but such discussions are never held with the second person or group for fear of “hurting feelings.” (more…)

By: Jennie Gordon
St. Margaret’s Uniting Church, Mooroolbark
Matthew 14:22-33

where winds of hate,
greed, violence and injustice
blow and blow and will not soon abate
there, we will step out
and respond to your invitation,
your beckoning
without calculation
without reckoning
the price or chance of success

and we will try
to keep our eyes on you
and risk it all
on the shifting surface of chaos
because we can not stay
within the congregation of our fear
knowing that you’re calling us

out here

and then we’ll sink
due to distracting doubt
and reach for your redeeming love
again
to pull us out

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

Matthew 14:22-33

where winds of hate,
greed, violence and injustice
blow and blow and will not soon abate
there, we will step out
and respond to your invitation,
your beckoning
without calculation
without reckoning
the price or chance of success

and we will try
to keep our eyes on you
and risk it all
on the shifting surface of chaos
because we can not stay
within the congregation of our fear
knowing that you’re calling us

out here

and then we’ll sink
due to distracting doubt
and reach for your redeeming love
again
to pull us out

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