Tag: Theology and Spiritual Reflections

Connecting faith through Christian meditation

Post author By revivewa
Post date April 23, 2019

Rev Rodney Marsh, Chaplain at Great Southern Grammar in Albany, is inviting people to take part in a six week online course in meditation.

“The various forms of mindfulness or meditation are, I think, the only way to teach your brain to pay attention to the present moment. Meditation is not an extra thing to do to relax you, maintain balance or reduce stress – though it will still do these things – it is a way of being and connecting the prayer of Jesus in your heart. Meditation is not what you think,” said Rodney.

Tags Church and Community, Theology and Spiritual Reflections

Events

Godly Play for the elderly: supporting spiritual wellbeing

Post author By revivewa
Post date April 20, 2019

Stories for the Soul was offered as an additional training day to Godly Play WA’s full core training opportunity over the Australia Day long weekend. Trainer Judyth Roberts was invited by Rev Jeni Goring, Acting Senior Chaplain at Amana Living, and Godly Play WA’s Rev Chris Bedding, to present an introduction to this adaptation of Godly Play at St Mary’s Anglican Church, South Perth.

Godly Play is a Montessori method of Bible storytelling. Research studies in the United Kingdom (UK) into where Godly Play was being used, discovered that there was significant growth in its use in aged care as it was supporting the spiritual wellbeing of elderly and frail people who are often living with dementia.

‘Stories for the Soul’ describe ‘spiritual wellbeing’ as “belonging to a community in which we can be ourselves and our story is valued – where our feelings and emotions, our search for meaning and purpose, our sense of awe and wonder, our creativity, our beliefs and our relationships are supported.”

Tags Theology and Spiritual Reflections, Training

Stories & Feature Articles

Checking our empathy

Post author By revivewa
Post date April 12, 2019

When I bought my first car, I was encouraged to do regular checks on key components of the car. Checking the water, oil and tyres is standard practice to maintaining a healthy functioning car.

Just as my car needs regular attention, so do other aspects of my life. I try and go to the doctor and the dentist at regular intervals, so that my physical and dental health is in good shape. In more recent months, I have been thinking about how I check my levels of empathy.

Tags Theology and Spiritual Reflections

Stories & Feature Articles

Going home: a bittersweet journey

Post author By revivewa
Post date March 28, 2019

In October last year, we travelled to England for a holiday. This visit was primarily to visit our daughter Alison and family, but as usual when we visit England we caught up with various members of both of our families and some friends, as we both grew up there. Upon reflection, this visit was a mixture of both good and sad experiences.

On the way to England we met with Floss’ cousin and her husband in Amsterdam. Both couples celebrated Golden Weddings in 2018 and we had our own special time of celebration together. They travelled to Holland in their car and so we had a new experience of travelling overnight on a ferry – the nearest we have had to a cruise! We docked in Newcastle-upon- Tyne which is where our daughter, Alison, lives.

For Floss, the trip up the north east coast was special, being the part of England where she was born and lived for her first 42 years. Watching familiar landmarks from the sea was an exciting experience and brought some tears.

Tags feature, Theology and Spiritual Reflections

Stories & Feature Articles

A story that unites

Post author By revivewa
Post date March 25, 2019

family having good moments together while studying

I’m not a great one for formulas and creeds when it comes to shaping my Christian faith. Rather, give me a good story, a character, or a song. You know, the concrete stuff of lives lived; that’s where I feel most at home.

Take for instance the eternal Lord God, who may well exist as ‘one being in three persons, the Blessed Trinity’ that our various creeds declare. Who am I after all to argue with centuries of learned debate?

But such a doctrinal formula is almost meaningless to me. What does speak to me though are stories and images: Lady Wisdom calling to me from her door; the creative Spirit hovering over a restless sea; Saul being confronted by a voice and blinding light along the road; the image of a loving father running down another road to embrace me; the jilted lover in Hosea; a potter forming me like clay from Jeremiah; the stern face of the judge separating the sheep from the goats; the playfulness of a child from Proverbs; a pillar of fire and cloud guiding the people; the water of life springing from the rock… Here is God for me, in these and a myriad of other images, parables and songs.

Tags feature, Theology and Spiritual Reflections

Stories & Feature Articles

Life is sacred, be it short or long

Post author By revivewa
Post date March 25, 2019

Living can be a full time preoccupation these days.

Alex is anxious about the kids’ lunches, torn school uniform and the rash on the cat. Teenage Roy is torn between sporting practice, hanging out with mates and updating his new My e-Health Record. Jace is juggling part-time jobs with uni studies and keeping up with friends.

Elena and Jorge are busy juggling work rosters (one FIFO), paying off the mortgage, keeping up with a parent in hospital and finishing off a gardening project. Laurie is battling telecommunication hiccups between his new NBN connection and an ageing computer that keeps hanging – whilst trying to juggle medical appointments and an aching body.

Tags Ageing and Community, feature, Theology and Spiritual Reflections

Stories & Feature Articles

Indigenous Australians embrace new Bible

Post author By revivewa
Post date March 10, 2019

Imagine if you had never read or heard the message of the Bible in your own language. That is the reality for Australia’s Indigenous community. Although more than half of Indigenous people are Christians, very few have read or heard the Bible in their ‘heart’ language.

Katrina Tjitayi is from the Pitjantjatjara community, in central Australia. She is working on a translation of the whole Bible into Pitjantjatjara.

Tags First Peoples, Theology and Spiritual Reflections

Stories & Feature Articles

Deep Listening and finding home

Post author By revivewa
Post date February 23, 2019

After the success of the inaugural Deep Listening Festival last year, the event will continue to explore issues faced by communities that are not always talked about openly. This year it will focus on homelessness and multiculturalism as people seek to find a home and place of belonging and acceptance.

It will be a great weekend of storytelling, art, music, workshops and spirituality with the theme ‘Finding a place to call home’, on Friday night 5, and all day Saturday 6 April at Margaret River Uniting Church.

Tags Church and Community, Theology and Spiritual Reflections

Stories & Feature Articles

The ‘how’ of caring

Post author By revivewa
Post date February 16, 2019

In the church, we talk a lot about loving and caring. It is core to the message of the gospel.

God cares, Jesus modelled compassionate care, and we are called to follow his example.

In recent months, after the death of my daughter, I have been reflecting on the care I have received and the carelessness of some forms of caring and non-caring. It seems to be that sometimes when we think we are caring we are in fact bruising people. Caring is an art; let me give a few examples.

Tags Theology and Spiritual Reflections

Stories & Feature Articles

On the shores of Lake Yealering: Renewing God’s people

Post author By revivewa
Post date January 4, 2019

Attendees of CampFIRE - a weekend of Christian Fellowship, worship, reflection and relaxation - on the shore of Lake Yealering.

With an official population of just 104 people, at first glance Yealering seems like any other small Wheatbelt town. A grand old pub, some silos, a small general store, and a row of houses lining the few streets that make up the town; you could be forgiven for thinking that’s everything this quiet and peaceful town has to offer. But those of us that take the time to linger and look beyond the main street will discover much more.

The town was gazetted in 1912 on the shores of the spectacular Lake Yealering. Originally a fresh water lake, it was an important source of water for traditional custodians of the area, the Ballardong Noongar people.

Tags Theology and Spiritual Reflections