Posts from December 2020

Posts from December 2020

Reflection on Dementia

In the forward to the book ‘Memory Byways’,  which records dementia journeys through poetry, is written; “For a person on the Dementia journey… Time is no longer sequential; the present is the past, the future is yesterday…Personal identity becomes fluid, fantasy and reality merge; but love is remembered.” A recent Webinar ‘Best Practice and Support for People living with Younger Onset Dementia’ highlighted the individual nature of the dementia journey. There are, however, underlying common principles including ensuring the experiences…

Christmas

When I was growing up in England Christmas was in midwinter. My Mum and Dad always invited those who would otherwise spend the day alone to Christmas lunch with our family. We enjoyed gathering around our large table with whoever came. After we were married, my husband and I moved to the remote Highlands of PNG to live and work. Our first Christmas there was shaping up to be a lonely affair. At that stage we didn’t know many people.…

Christmas in the Ozark Mountains

Christmas in America’s heartland is a unique experience.  Especially in the region known as the Ozark Mountains where I was raised and came to faith in Jesus.  The Ozarks are known for their rugged terrain of hardwood forests, sparkling springs, subterranean caverns, and equally rustic history of pioneer settlement, superstition and fierce independence.  It also has a reputation for being the buckle of the American Bible Belt.  As a result, it is one of the few remaining places where Christmas…

Emerging Church

The Emerging Church team have created an advent service. Suggested to gather at 5pm Sunday 13/12, or alternatively in your own time

Christmas in another country 1972

It was December 1972, Zambia, Africa.  The long-awaited rains were late in coming.  The air was damp, humidity rising.   Christmas was a special time at Kalulushi Farm College (KFC).  Students returned to their villages and small rural towns to be with families for Christmas.   The college quiet, a small number of students and a skeleton staff care for the cattle, milk the dairy cows, feed the pigs, and collect the eggs from the chickens.  A workshop mechanic keeps an eye…

Study of Revelation Part Three

Rev Dr Sunny Chen led us in the final of a 3 part series looking at Revelation. He has provided the notes and a recording from the first offering. Rev Dr Sunny Chen

Christmas at the Manse – Childhood Memories

Being the eldest of six children and daughter of the minister, Christmas was always a very busy but special time of the year. When I brought this topic up with my 5 siblings recently, during one of our family Zoom meets, the first memory was helping Dad decorate all the church pews with greenery, red bows and real candles. In fact, as soon as Dad was appointed to a new church, he was on the lookout for anyone who had…

Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill 2020: Statement from the Moderator

Rev Denise Liersch (The Moderator of the Victorian/Tasmanian Synod – State wide representation of the Uniting Church) responds to the much debated bill that was put ti the Victorian Parliament. Much debate has also occurred in churches and the community. Read the response here: https://victas.uca.org.au/change-or-suppression-conversion-practices-prohibition-bill-2020-statement-from-the-moderator/

Museum in my Neighbourhood – Engage Victoria

During the lockdowns, the young people in our congregation met on zoom with Rev Claire and Lynda most weeks to catch up and keep connected.  One of the projects we worked on together was gathering lots of covid memorabilia, taking photos of what was happening locally, drawing and writing about how covid was affecting their lives and their local communities.  We encouraged them to talk to grandparents and connect with other older people in the congregation to listen to stories about other…
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