Posts from September 2022

Posts from September 2022

Sankofa #14

IntroductionI started writing this musing at 5am this morning. I had a few ‘strong’ reactions to my last Wednesday musing, especially my feelings about the death of Queen Elizabeth. I am not surprised and expected that to happen. As I have stated last Wednesday “I mean no disrespect for the life and memory of Queen Elizabeth II and for the grief of her family.” Everyone has the right to react (or feel) whatever they want about the late Queen. However,…

Sankofa #15

IntroductionLast Sunday, 47 people came together to celebrate the International Day of Older Persons with a lunch. I am glad that we could do that. Let’s not forget that many of our ‘older persons’ are our main contributors to the life of Manningham Uniting Church. Hope you have read my article on Ageism in the latest MUC Magazine. Fear and LoveWhat I am about to muse with you is probably nothing new or extraordinary to some of you. “There are…

Swee Ann conducts Emerging Church

On Sunday, 18 September, on invitation, Rev Swee Ann Koh conducted the MUC monthly  Emerging Church service. A presiding minister has not performed this function in a long time, but Swee Ann said that he relished the task and had an important message to get across. “I want to unravel the word shalom and show it’s connection to the theme Health in Mind, Body, and Spirit,” he said. “I’m sure you realise that body, mind, and spirit are interconnected, that…

Sankofa #13

Introduction I refuse to switch on my TV since the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8th of September 2022. Our local Australian media has been covering the fact, and its aftermath in church and state, on a 24/7, 7 days per week basis. Truth be told I found it a bit nauseating. I mean no disrespect for the life and memory of Queen Elizabeth II and for the grief of her family.  Now is not the Time I have…

Sankofa #12

You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy. – Jane Kirsten Marczewski Jane Kirsten Marczewski  It would not surprise me if most of you don’t know who Jane Marczewski is. She is best known for being a singer who performed on America’s Got Talent in June 2021, where she got the coveted “Golden Buzzer” from Simon Cowell. She sung her original song, ‘It’s OK.” She is known professionally as Nightbirde. She became internationally known after…

Sankofa #11

Introduction A few weeks ago, I mused about the fact that we are all wounded (traumatised). And I shared the importance of us healing our wounds. I hope I didn’t give the impression that it was easy. It isn’t. Healing is never a definite location but something in process. It is the basic ordinary work of staying engaged with our own wounds and limitations. Healing does not necessarily mean forgiveness. Healing is learning to love the wound because love draws…

Unconscious Bias – Judging others by their accents

Published in Crosslight October 13, 2017 People around the world are hearing more foreign accents than at any time in human history. Are you guilty of judging someone by his or her accent? Snéha Khilay is a specialist in cultural diversity and unconscious bias. She feels this is just another form of unconscious bias and one aspect of equality that often gets overlooked. Accent is one of a number of characteristics, along with skin color, dress, or mannerisms, that identify…