Posted in Leadership,Faith
A note from Bronte before you watch the video:
"These are difficult times for all involved in the life of the church. The world situation and precautions advised are changing daily. Things we have taken for granted are not currently possible.
Many find it strange not to be worshipping as a gathered community on Sunday. For many it will be the first time, or at least the first time in many years, not to be worshipping as a gathered community.
I commend the many thoughtful and creative ways congregations are finding to be the church together.
For your physical and spiritual wellbeing, it is important to maintain a sense of community, worship and mutual support, as you can. As well as this video, which worship leaders are invited to include in their online worship, there are resources on the Synod webpage to help you be church in these unprecedented times.
I encourage all of us to remember the enduring hope expressed in Christ’s resurrection and the great expectation we have of the wonderful things that can happen in the power of God working through us, God’s people."
The video script:
People are starting to refer to this past summer as “Black Summer” because of the extended period in which so much of our country turned black, burned by the devastating fires that impacted so much of our continent.
In disbelief we have watched reports of communities ruined, lives lost and incalculable destruction of property, animals and ecosystems. Firstly in other states, and then here in South Australia: on the Yorke Peninsula, throughout much of the Adelaide Hills, in the south-east and across Kangaroo Island, where fires burned for 4 weeks, with over 40% of the island blackened. This was followed by floods in many areas and now we are all affected in unprecedented ways by COVID-19, a virus that is moving across the world.
For much of history, Good Friday was known as Black Friday, because according to Mark’s gospel account, the world went dark the moment when Jesus died on the cross.
It’s natural to see only darkness in death, or only despair when tragedy strikes and all hope seems lost. Those who loved and followed Jesus at the time must have felt a huge sense of loss and hopelessness.
In our own lives, Much of what we enjoy and look forward to seems to be disappearing. People are feeling helpless and afraid, unsure of what the future holds. In the midst of this uncertainties, loss, conflict, violence, suffering, we can find it hard to see a way through.
It can sometimes seem like our world is trapped in Black Friday.
Yet, three days after his death and burial, Jesus rose: bringing the promise of renewal, transformation and enduring hope: not only for those first believers, but for the whole of creation, across time and place.
We are beginning to see images of green shoots springing from blackened tree stumps across our country. They remind us that out of the darkness and despair of Jesus’ death came the brightest sprigs of hope for new life that we can ever imagine.
At Easter, we affirm this hope: “Christ has risen! He has risen indeed!”
We affirm our hope in God who is with us even in the darkest times.
We affirm our hope for a new creation in which conflict, violence and death no longer hold power over us. We affirm our hope in a world where peace will reign, a world governed by justice, by grace, and by love.
We affirm our hope in a world where differences such as race, culture, gender, class and religion will no longer divide us.
We commit ourselves to living as an Easter people, whose lives reflect this new world of hope and love.
This Easter, may your connections with God, with each other, and with your community, bring you enduring hope in the risen Christ.
This is truly a reason to live with great expectation!
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Whilst the situation with the spread of COVID-19 is concerning, there are simple and sensible actions we can take to help reduce the spread and help allay fears in our community. This is also an opportunity to take a fresh look at some of our practices and consider if there are more suitable alternatives that will help to maintain a safe church.
The Mission and Leadership Development Board (MLDB) has released its Strategic Framework.
Assembly General Secretary Colleen Geyer has delivered a wide-ranging reflection on the future of the Church at the Uniting Leadership and Theology Symposium in Adelaide. In a speech traversing sustainability, diversity, structure and identity Colleen asks can we as the Uniting Church be bold enough to listen to our history, step away from what has always been, be open to where God is leading us and step aside for the leaders who'll take us there?
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