Viewing the News on the TV, it may seem impossible. But continuing to dream our dreams of peace in a humane world may be one of the most important things we can do right now. To allow space for the vision of peace to permeate our conciousness. So that we radiate peace. So that the …
To Everything, Turn, Turn, Turn…
Above: Washington Cathedral, last Sunday night… A beautiful and defiant response to last week’s nasty media set-up of Ukrainian President Zelensky by Trump and his attack dog, Vance, in the Oval Office, to humiliate and discredit him. As the Pete Seeger, quoting the Good Book in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, ‘there is… a time for every purpose …
Spiritual Innovation
The Covid cloud of anxiety and heaviness has been descending even further now, to envelop us. From time to time, flashes of anger, impatience, unpredictable lashing out in frustration, followed by the roll of thunderous complaint, overwhelming an already stretched array of human services. We can’t see the future as clearly as we thought we …
A Mythology Exercise
I used to think that if something was a myth it could not be true. ‘That’s just a myth!’ Myths were in the realm of fairies in the back garden. But I gradually came to see that myths are powerful stories that influence us. Their ‘Truth’ is of another kind than factual ‘scientific truth’. They …
Can A Closing Be An Opening?
We were having a break from the city, visiting a large country town. It was a Thursday afternoon and we noticed the doors to the hall of the Uniting Church were open. So we decided to check it out. A small team of church volunteers had just provided a free hot lunch to a whole …
A Conversation with Pippa
Recently I have been thinking about a particular dynamic that fills in some of the detail about Nouwen’s concept of hospitality, understood as the creation of free unconditional space for the other. I am thinking about two related practices: offering and invitation. This week I was walking my 8-year old granddaughter, Pippa to school. The …
Finding a Spiritual Waterhole
It has been an extraordinary month for me. On Easter Sunday, Sandy and I worshipped at a little Uniting Church at Southport, close by the South Melbourne Markets. A lovely space. After the minister gave a welcome, a person was invited to read an ‘Acknowledgement of Land’. I was surprised by a stumbling over words …
Women and Peace
This morning I wrote to the journalist at Time Magazine who had just published a heartening article, ‘The Israeli and Palestinian Women Calling For Peace’ on February 21, 2024. Here is what I wrote: Dear Yasmeen,I have just read your article, ‘The Israeli and Palestinian Women Calling for Peace’. Thank you. Fortunately for me, my …
Holding Lightly
I had a little insight about hospitality on Sunday morning.It happened while I was introducing a song I had written to a congregation north of Melbourne. As you may know, I have been exploring the concept of hospitality for a few years now – the idea of making space for the other. But how do …
A Collection of Stuff
I have been invited to contribute ideas to a WhatsApp group who are interested in planning their own worship services. I’m interested! I can think of a lot of spiritually nurturing experiences I have found stimulating and helpful; and I’d be happy to share them. But immediately, I’m in two minds. My first thought is …