One of the great pleasures I have enjoyed in my first year as Moderator has been the opportunity to travel outside the metropolitan area into the wide expanses of this great state, and being able to meet with so many community leaders andcongregations. Often, I have been overwhelmed by the tenacity and improvisation evident in people’s lives. Even in the midst of flood, fire or cyclone, fatalism and defeat take a back seat to picking up the pieces and starting all over again.
A Celebration Service for the Perth College of Divinity will be held on Sunday 19 September, 2.30pm, at the Murdoch University Worship Centre. The service will give thanks for the 35-year partnership, and mark the closure of Murdoch University’s theology program.
Members of the Uniting Church WA will come together for the 45th Annual Meeting of the Synod of Western Australia at Scotch College from Saturday 11 to Sunday 12 September.
An opening worship, to which everyone is welcome, will be held at 7.00pm on Friday 10 September in the Scotch College Chapel.
I travelled with my wife, Carol along the south coast of WA, and our souls were lifted up by the views of white pristine sands, vivid blue ocean and even a breaching whale. To be enfolded in nature, to still have places of wilderness is so affirming to me as a child of God.
Since the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the Uniting Church WA has responded to more than 100 claims of historical child sexual abuse within our former institutions, and colleges. For some this might be a hard thing to comprehend, but it is important to acknowledge if the church is to live out its faith of caring for the vulnerable and working towards justice.
This September marks Child Safe Week, Sunday 5 to Saturday 11.
Each year, the Social Justice Commission of the Uniting Church WA resources the church for Sustainable September by preparing and distributing worship material for congregations within the WA Synod.
This year, the theme is ‘Earth, Sea and Sky’, which focuses on nourishing and caring for our natural resources. The worship materials, including a full liturgy outline, sermon reflections and PowerPoint slides, cover the four Sundays in September.
Each Sunday concentrates on a different aspect of the theme – soil, waters, skies and humankind’s relationship with the Earth.
Wendy Hendry, Uniting Church WA Social Justice Officer, said, “We are encouraged to know that congregations set aside the month of September to reflect, pray and take action on issues of sustainability and our Christian call to care for creation.
“The statement made at Assembly back in 2006 is as relevant in 2021 as it was back then, and continues to underpin the work we do, including our focus on Sustainable September.”
The statement, For the Sake of the Planet and All its People, said “we renew our commitment to move towards sustainable non-exploitative living, believing that God’s creation — the Earth itself and all the life that it supports — is precious and the Earth’s resources exist for the good of all now as well as future generations.”
Wendy said “We’re thankful for the work Rev Gordon Scantlebury has done in creating so much of the resource material, which are designed to be a user-friendly package for churches with or without a minister in placement.
“Worship leaders can use the material as is or adapt according to their congregation style. We encourage you to get creative with it, connect with relevant examples of sustainability and environmental issues in your community, and facilitate discussion within your congregation.”
Sustainable September 2021 worship resources are available to download at ecochurcheswa.net/worship-resources.
For more information, contact the Social Justice Unit at social.justice@wa.uca.org.au
Mikaela Turner