Category Archives: Events

Event: How I have changed my mind on religion

 

HOW I HAVE CHANGED MY MIND ABOUT RELIGION

The Progressive Christian Network of Victoria Inc
Invites you to its first two meetings for 2024 on Sundays 24 March and 28 April
4-5pm on Zoom.
Speakers will share with you many ways of being progressive and different stages of finding practical alternatives to traditional expressions of Christianity with the emphasis on how we live.Life experience stories from a wide range of people and interviews with people who have found encouragement from some of the teachings of Jesus to live with compassion and purpose, without some of the old beliefs that have been barriers to people today.There will be new ways for you to provide feedback or have your questions answered by program presenters or discussed in a small Zoom group.

For our first two meetings, the Zoom link will be:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83088962632?

pwd=Easo5dKemyg9GkAWQD03EIFDX2VCSl.1 

Meeting ID: 830 8896 2632  Passcode: 530998

We are planning to hold 4 more meetings on different topics on the fourth Sundays of May and June, and August and September of 2024


                    The Progressive Christian Network of Victoria Inc., www.pcnvictoria.org.au

                                                                   Click Here for Zoom Link

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Events: Caloundra (Q) Explorers – Discussions from the Street

Explorers Group – Caloundra Uniting Church

Discussions from the Street
Join in discussing the fascinating insights of the first topic:
Is Peace possible?
“Peace: What are we talking about?”
A commentary by Redcliffe-based retired UC minister Rev Dr Lorraine Parkinson,
the writer of several books including The World according to Jesus
“Transcendence – Searching for light amidst horrors in Ukraine and
Gaza” A commentary by Francis Sullivan AO, Chair of the Mater group of
hospitals and Chair of Concerned Catholics Canberra Goulburn
Rev Dr Lorraine Parkinson


Mr Francis Sullivan AO


This series of five discussion topics in 2024 invites all to join in
discussions drawing on recent opinion papers –contributed online to the UCForum of the Uniting Church –and published by senior journalists in secular print media
These papers are available as hard copy or by email.
Future topics:
May – Your God is too small
July – Discovery and treaty
Sept – The end of organised religion?
Nov – The challenge of modern interpretation of sacred scriptures—Koran, Torah & Gospels
DATE CLAIMER: Come along on Tuesday 19th March 2.30–4.00 pm
PLACE: Caloundra Uniting Church—downstairs hall
CONTACT: Ken Williamson Phone: 0438 035 780 Email: kwil8377@bigpond.net.au

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Report: Historic Conference – Raising our Tribal Voice for Justice

An Indigenous theological revolution.

Uniting Church President Rev Sharon Hollis was one of a number of Christian leaders invited to respond to presentations by Indigenous theologians and leaders at the ecumenical Raising our Tribal Voice for Justice conference organised by the University of Divinity in collaboration with the School of Indigenous Studies.

By Assembly Policy and Advocacy Officer Raúl Sugunananthan

The historic conference, Raising our Tribal Voice for Justice: An Indigenous Theological Revolution, took place last week in Melbourne. Held by the University of Divinity in collaboration with the School of Indigenous Studies, the ecumenical conference brought together Indigenous theologians and church leaders from across the country.

“I lament and confess that we are not an honourable partner yet in that Covenant. “

I was personally struck by the stories of ongoing struggle for First Nations communities. The disproportionate incarceration of children is still shockingly high, traditional lands are still being exploited for commercial interests and calls for treaty are scarcely being answered.

On the last day, several heads of churches responded to the conference, including the President of the Uniting Church Rev Sharon Hollis. Rev Hollis expressed the deep commitment of the UCA to walking with First Peoples, but also acknowledged our failure to live up to the promises we have made.

“There are things that as a Uniting Church we are seeking to do – to own the history of the parts of the Church that came into union in 1977, our predecessor denominations. There are things we are doing to seek to create structures where Indigenous People can have more self-determination. But I know that whatever we are doing, is not enough,” Rev Hollis said in her response.

“I am conscious particularly that there is a Covenant between the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress and the Assembly. An agreement-making document that speaks of evil, and speaks of our sin, and speaks of our desire to lament, and repent, and to do more.”

“I lament and confess that we are not an honourable partner yet in that Covenant. I can’t commit the whole Uniting Church to being an honourable partner, but I commit as the President of the Assembly to keep speaking this truth, and keep calling us to do better.”

The conference also took time to recognise the efforts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders who have made great contributions to the Church, including the Award of Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa) to Dr Aunty Jean Phillips. The honour acknowledes a lifetime of leadership and her enduring efforts to building understanding and reconciliation for First Nations people.

For many, the conference marks a turning point for our Church. We must reverse the colonial assumption that Second Peoples are the theological teacher. Now is the time for the Church to understand it must learn from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. My hope is that we more deeply commit to resourcing Indigenous Christian leadership and strengthen our calls for justice for First Peoples.

Read the response from UCA President Rev Sharon Hollis in FULL

Images: University of Divinity. Credit: Chris Kapa

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Event: Redcliffe (Q) Explorers – The War in Gaza

 

On Tuesday 5th March we will take a close look at a subject that must be very familiar to everyone who’s not completely avoiding radio and TV newscasts.

 The war in Gaza and the subject of Israel and the Palestinians, especially Hamas, is 24/7 in the media.  Our March meeting, designed by Rev. Dr Lorraine Parkinson, will provide an opportunity to discuss and learn about why relations between Israel and the Palestinians are what they are in 2024. Three of our regular members (Pam Raff, Graeme of Morayfield and Martin Atkins) will speak about the historical aspects of the conflict, amply illustrated by pertinent video clips.  The presentations aim to give a balanced view of the circumstances from both sides of the conflict, and after each talk there will be time for discussion.

The session will commence at 6:30 p.m. in the Ocean Room, Redcliffe Uniting Church (cnr Anzac Ave and Richens St Redcliffe). There will be an opportunity during the presentation to break for light refreshments. Entry is free, but a small donation to offset costs would be appreciated.

All are welcome and encouraged to participate in a serious, respectful and stimulating conversation where all points of view are open for discussion.

If you’d like to know more about the Redcliffe Explorers, please contact the convenor by calling or texting on 0401 513 723.

Peace,

Ian

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Event: Webinar from Pax Christi Victoria

Thanks to PCNV for drawing our attention to this Webinar from Pax Christi Victoria.

Click here for Webinar Flyer

 

Click Here for Pax Christi Letter

This may be of interest to you.

Pax Christi Victoria Webinar
Military Security or Human Security?
A Vision for Australia today

 

Pax Christi Victoria invites you to participate
in this interactive Webinar
Thursday 29th February 7.00pm – 8.45pm
Cost: $10.00
Please register here via try booking:
https://www.trybooking.com/COUXD

For further information contact: Catriona Devlin on 0419 109 830 OR
Harry Kerr: 0424 950 852

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Event and News: St Lucia (Q)

St Lucia Spirituality Group
Newsletter February 2024

Greetings

Our last meeting of the Butterfly series was held on 6 February. Twenty spiritual seekers attended our zoom meeting and discussed the topic “Death and Rebirth”. Some participants shared personal experiences of life transitions that were major changes, emotionally distressing and processed over a long timeframe. Comments were made about the importance of proper endings to occur, without which new beginnings are difficult or stillborn. Discussion also centred on the period of liminal space (or neutral zone) which can be characterised by indecision, anxiety, disharmony, and uncertainty.

It was stressed that moving from endings to new beginnings is not like a simple step through a door. An analogy was made between the experiences in liminal space and St John of the Cross’ agony in his Dark Night of The Soul. Reference was also made to the relationship between the transitions model and the Easter Trilogy, with Good Friday representing endings, Easter Saturday representing the distressing neutral zone and Easter Sunday representing new beginnings. Our discussions, and indeed the briefing paper, focused on transitions during one’s life. Some participants were disappointed that we did not discuss permanent death and the afterlife. Perhaps this points to a future topic!

Butterfly Series – Next Meeting

The next episode of the Butterfly series will draw attention to the phenomenon of a Victim Mentality, explain it and encourage the reader to reflect on its occurrence in their own life, the lives of friends and relatives, groups, or entire cultures. The daily news broadcasts serve up a cocktail of stories about suffering through car crashes, domestic violence, fires, earthquakes, wars, and the like. Victims are often interviewed, and their suffering is red raw. When that suffering takes over one’s life, is not worked through and overcome, does not give way to forgiveness, then the victim develops a victim mentality that —like a drug—makes them feel good for a while, but then sucks the life out of them.

The briefing paper reproduces an article on this subject, entitled “Beware the Dangers of a Victim Mentality”, written by Akos Balogh, a Hungarian born Australian. Thank you to Brendan O’Sullivan for suggesting the topic and bringing the article to our attention.

This paper is available upon request or on our Facebook page. Our Episode 27 meeting will be held on Zoom at 6:00pm AEST on Tuesday 5 March 2024. Come early to meet the others there. Use this link to join the meeting. The zoom meeting will open at 5:45pm.

To register your attendance, please email John at jscoble@hradvantage.com.au. CAUTION: If you are on Daylight Saving Time, be careful about the time.

Also, if you intend to join the meeting, please store this email in a safe place so that you can easily retrieve it and so ensure that you are able to join us.

Topics for 2024

We are looking for potential topics for 2024. Are there any issues on which you would like to hear the group’s opinions? Is there something that has been particularly concerning you in your spiritual journey? We’d like to hear about it, particularly if you are prepared to work with us on preparing a discussion paper. If so, let us know.

Discussion groups

Our objective for this group is to promote the discussion of ideas, building a community of seekers. This is more likely to happen in small, intimate groups. Is there anyone in your local area you could meet for coffee or breakfast as part of your journey? John and Robert meet with a few others for breakfast each month, but their group started with the two of them meeting for coffee and chatting. Who could you invite?

We are aware of some members looking for groups to join in places like Noosa, Kenmore (Brisbane), and Sydney. Do you have one? Please let us know. If you would like to be notified if we are aware of others seeking to form a group, please let us know your suburb/town/postcode. Please understand that if you give us this information, you are also giving us permission to share it.

We believe the future of our churches lies in these small groups.

Website – HELP PLEASE!!!

As our community continues to grow, it is time to design and launch a web site. Our Facebook page offers only limited access but has an increasing amount of material that could be accessed more widely. We are seeking to identify a person with professional web site design experience (or a highly skilled amateur) who would be willing to assist us for a reasonable fee. If you know such a person, could you please provide their contact details to us slsg4067@gmail.com?

Our Newsletters & Facebook Page

  • Do you know anyone who might like to receive these newsletters too? They can easily subscribe for our newsletters and other news by clicking on this link.
  • We invite you to find our Facebook group by clicking on this link, it will take you to our page where you will be able to apply to join.
  • Our Facebook page has all past newsletters and discussion papers available under “Files” for viewing and download.
  • You can also contact us by email slsg4067@gmail.com.

Go well…

John Scoble & Robert van Mourik

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Event: Merthyr Explorers, New Farm, Q – An Alternative Funeral

 

Merthyr Explorers’ February meeting will be in March!
Please take note of the change of date to –

Wednesday 6th March.

I hope you will still be able to attend. Dr Steven Nisbet will lead our exploring on the topic of
“An Alternative Funeral: an exploration of new language for funeral and memorial services”

Please bring along some suggestions for the liturgy –

  • readings,
  • prayers,
  • music,
  • farewell statements,
  • committals,
  • format,
  • setting,
  • etc.
  • An example of a ‘progressive’ service by Rev Rex Hunt can be found here. It will form part of our discussion at the meeting. Please bring along a copy to the session.

Merthyr Road Uniting Church, 52 Merthyr Rd, New Farm.
10 am for morning tea
10:30 am we begin our exploring of the topic.
A donation of $5 towards costs is appreciated .

Some of us have lunch together at Moray Cafe nearby, so please stay if you can.

PS: The following two sessions will be:

Wednesday March 27th – a Jesus seminar with Brian O’Hanlon

Wednesday April 24th – Quantum Physic, Consciousness and Creation with Les Savage

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Report: Seminar planning at Merthyr Explorers (Q)

Yesterday’s brainstorming workshop at New Farm, Brisbane may be of interest to other groups planning their year.

A well-attended and fully engaged group met to develop our plans for 2024 and base this on well considered values and purposes. The result in brief summary was as follows:

Criteria/Values that will guide our thinking about our seminars:

  • Using culturally relevant language.
  • Involve scholars, influencers and commentators.
  • Draw on contemporary theology, recognising diverse interpretations.
  • Acknowledge religious and philosophical diversity.
  • Be informed by Gospel rather than Credal values.
  • Focus on relevance.
  • Reflect any situational ethics.
  • All seminars open to the public.

The Purposes of our discussions:

  • To challenge our thinking
  • To connect with the modern world
  • To develop progressive thinking
  • To widen our perspectives

What we don’t want to happen:

  • Build a bubble around ourselves.
  • Become ‘Pharisees’ by not engaging with other viewpoints.
  • Create an ‘us and them’ mode that makes the Church the enemy.

Ideas to be developed into 2024 seminars:

  • Examining the resources available to progressives
  • A place for young people in the progressive community
  • Nurturing Progressive Christianity with children
  • Designing an alternative funeral
  • The interface of science, religious belief, the meaning of life
  • Invited speakers such as Julia Baird, Val Webb, Lorraine Parkinson, etc.
  • Role of Consciousness in Spirituality
  • Living in Harmony (the study series)
  • Multifaith and Interfaith engagement
  • More on Spong
  • Contemporary music and songs
  • Compassion as the foundation of Christianity, not credal statements.
  • Jesus – nature, love and metanoia
  • Contemporary prophets in our world
  • Why people retreat into bunkers in politics and religion (Meryem Brown)
  • What prevents some parts of the institutional church from being open to progressive thinking.
  • A hermeneutic of resistance
  • Education for human flourishing in a time when tertiary humanities studies are diminishing.

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Event: The Symphonic Odyssey with Brian Cox

Redcliffe Explorers

Dear fellow Explorers

The first important message is that this year the Redcliffe group will be meeting on the first TUESDAY of the month (not Monday), but still at the same place and time.

Our first gathering for the year, on 6 February, will focus on our (humanity’s) place in the universe, what that means to us, and how our understanding of the cosmological significance of Homo sapiens has changed since the Enlightenment. We’ll be viewing the Symphonic Odyssey with Professor Brian Cox, with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra providing a stimulating and reflective accompaniment to many staggeringly beautiful images of planets, stars, galaxies and galactic clusters from various space missions and orbiting telescopes. We hope you can come and share this experience with us, and join in some deep discussion about the big questions common to all the world’s religions.

The viewing will start at 6.30pm p.m. and we’ll have a refreshment break mid-session. As usual we’ll meet in the Ocean Room at the Redcliffe Uniting Church (cnr Anzac Ave and Riches St, Redcliffe) where there’s plenty of off-street parking. There is no charge, but a small donation to help cover costs will be greatly appreciated.

Cosmologist Brian Cox joins the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in a unique concert to explore universal matter and meaning.

Brian Cox OBE, Professor of Particle Physics at The University of Manchester, discusses how, having formulated a theory of gravity, Albert Einstein set about applying it to the evolution of the universe. “Actually, in 1917 we didn’t even know there were galaxies beyond the Milky Way”, Cox explains, “so it’s a huge intellectual leap.” Ultimately, Einstein was conflicted by his findings that the universe is always in a constant state of flux, “because Einstein had a philosophical predisposition, if you like, for an eternal universe.” However, the mounting evidence, photographic and otherwise, that has been gathered over the last century suggests otherwise.

Cox points out that we have to consider that not only are we the only civilization in the universe, but that also eventually we shall collectively cease to be. “So not withstanding that this is a tiny, fragile place, and will not be here forever, it may be an extremely valuable place; indeed, the only place that meaning exists in an island of 200 billion stars.’

Composers have sought to make meaning of their existence and the greater cosmos through the music they have created. While writing his Fifth Symphony, the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius documented in his 1915 diary: “The importance is done with this mystery and enchantment. As if God the Father had thrown down the shards of a mosaic from the floor of heaven and asked me to find out what it had looked like.”

Pax, Ian

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