Giving voice to hope

Posted Oct 19, 2016 in Faith

On Wednesday 19 October, Synod staff members held their last staff meeting with Dr Deidre Palmer, who will soon conclude in her role as Moderator of the Uniting Church SA. In this article, Deidre shares some of her experiences as Moderator and her thoughts on the future of the Church.

 

Did you have an idea in your mind of what the role of the Moderator was before taking on the position yourself? How did this differ from the reality?

Yes and no. Yes, because I spoke with a number of past Moderators and the ex-Moderator. They shared their wisdom, painting a picture of the nature and role of the Moderator. They gave me great suggestions about ways to approach this ministry.

My experience of this ministry did differ from some of my expectations – it has been far more inspiring and energising than I could have possibly imagined!

There have been many times when I could have been exhausted, but I have felt uplifted by the Spirit, and embraced by God’s grace and love. One of the past Moderators said it was like a cloud of prayers upheld you and I believe I have experienced that.

 

How was most of your time as Moderator spent?

If I were to count the hours, it would probably be in visiting local churches. I have visited 129 congregations [at the time of writing in September 2016], and had a number of repeat visits to congregations for inductions, anniversaries and funerals. On this basis, perhaps I have spent the most time in worship, prayer, singing, and in hundreds of conversations with Uniting Church members. I have loved this part of the ministry!

I also hope that I have spent most of my time encouraging the Church in its mission and encouraging people in placement and people in local churches in their exercising of “every member ministry”.

 

What has been the main highlight of your time as Moderator?

There are so many! Here are just some:

Experiences of intergenerational Christian community – sharing our faith across generations, working together in addressing our concerns for the world around us. These experiences include KCO, SAYCO, NCYC, NYALC, Around the Table conversations, Live Life Loud, worship, and Voices for Justice.

Sharing in Ministry with the Congress (Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, UAICC) – building relationships with leaders and Congress communities. Baptisms in the waterhole outside of Oodnadatta with the Oodnadatta faith community of the UAICC.

Visiting local churches and hearing their stories of faith and the many ways they are witnessing to the Gospel of Christ, through their loving and compassionate engagement with their communities.

 

What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing the Uniting Church?

Evangelism and discipleship – giving voice to the hope we have in the Gospel of Christ.

Our sharing of the stories of Jesus, and the hope we have in God’s vision for the world, need to be expressed in ways that are authentic to the person, the community and the contexts in which we live and work.

As followers of Jesus, we have narratives of hope and meaning that are life-giving and life-sustaining. Part of our dilemma is how we communicate that story in ways that are appropriate to each context, each relationship, so that it can be heard as good news. We hope that our following of Jesus is woven into the fabric of our work and our relationships, and that people around us observe us and see the compassion of Christ in us.

Living justly and compassionately in our society and wider world. I believe one of our greatest challenges lies in focussing on the world around us, being advocates for justice, addressing violence, and looking at the “big picture” of the world around us, rather than our own internal concerns.

This living compassionately is grounded in Jesus’ call to give our lives for others – avoiding the “what’s in in for me” culture, and asking what God is calling us to be and do.

Strengthening our commitment to each other. Our community in Christ is a gift from God –we need to attend to our life as a community. This can happen through participation in our wider community events, like Presbytery and Synod meetings, KCO (Kids’ Camp Out) or SAYCO (South Australian Youth Camp Out).

Strengthening our commitment to one another will include addressing the difficulties that arise from diminishing resources in some places, and the difficulties that have arisen as we have been hurt by each other.

We need to work through our differences in order to focus on our main goal – witnessing to the reconciling love of God in our world.

Our community life can be one of the greatest witnesses to the love and reconciliation of Christ.

Sustaining our hope as a Church.

As a church I would hope the key issues we see are the key issues faced by our world:

Addressing global and local poverty (Sustainable Development Goals).

Addressing violence – globally, and locally – in our nations, in our religions and in our homes.

Providing safe spaces for our children to flourish – in families, communities and churches.

 

What is your hope for the Church – now and in the future?

My hope for the Church is grounded in my conviction that we are God’s covenant community – God has called us into being, and God will continue to equip us, guide us, and lead us into the future.

My hope is that we continue to mature as a Church – being ready to experiment with different forms of community life, not being deterred when things don’t unfold as we expected. My hope is that we will be who we are called to be – a community centred in Christ, embodying the compassion and hope of God in the world.

Finally, my hope is that in being drawn into the expansive love of God, we find joy and community beyond our wildest imaginings – that we will be generous in our acceptance of one another, and in the way we offer our time and gifts.

 

What is your prayer for the Church?

My first response is one of thanks:

God of hope and love,

We give thanks for our Christian community.

We thank you for its welcome and hospitality.

We thank you for its passion for sharing your love with the wider community and world.

We thank you for its commitment to serve and give generously through acts of compassion.

 

My second prayer is: Come Holy Spirit

Come Holy Spirit, Renew us and give us courage to embody Christ’s risen hope in our world.

God of compassion and joy, inspire us with courage to live your good news. Give us wisdom and equip us to participate with you in embodying your new creation in our communities, our homes and in our world. Through Christ we pray, Amen.

Together, in the power of the Spirit let us seek to embody a vision of unity and community, grounded in the grace and love of God in Jesus Christ. Together let us be a Christian community which is faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and a witness to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit at work in the life of the church and in the life of the world today.

 

Is there something in particular – a Bible verse, a prayer, a quote or something else – that has gotten you through difficult or busy times as Moderator?

There are quite a few!

Matthew 11:28-30. “Come to me all you that are weary, and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” This has been an important word for me personally and others who are weary and burdened.

Luke 13:10-17. A woman bent over by the burdens of life is transformed by Christ – liberated to see the world and her life and future differently – a horizon of hope is made possible through the word and touch of Christ. This is an iconic story that speaks of the ministry to which we are called.

Romans 8:35-39. The extravagant love of God – eternal and all encompassing!

Malcolm Gordon’s album Into the Deep. I play this regularly on my way into work – it focusses me on the call of God and the depths of God’s love for us all.

Nicole Nordeman’s album Brave. Praying for courage to follow Jesus.

A quote from James Cone, an African American Liberation Theologian, in a theology that has been forged in struggle and pain, speaks a word for all of us: “No matter what trials and tribulations blacks encounter we refuse to let despair define our humanity. We simply believe that God can make a way out of no way” (Yearning to Breathe Free, page 60).

And finally, John 1:1-14, particularly John 1:5 – “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”

This article is a longer version of the one published on page 24 of the October/November 2016 print edition of New Times.

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