Resource: A Progressive Funeral Service

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Rev Dr Margaret Mayman, St Michaels UC Melbourne, has kindly provided the following example to us, with this note to Joy Schloss:

Hi Joy,  Thank you for being in touch. I have an anonymized funeral service which I’ve attached. I have done some adapting over the years so can’t be sure about all of the source material. I have noted where words are closely based on a liturgy by Dorothy McRae-McMahon. All the best for your Explorers session.

Warm regards, Margaret

Celebration of the Life of NN

WELCOME AND OPENING WORDS

As we gather, we acknowledge the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation, custodians of the land on which we meet, honouring their heritage and culture and praying with them for justice and for the recognition of their voice.

Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to St Michael’s Church as we gather to honour and remember the life of Name.

St Michael’s Church is a living faith community and it is on behalf of that community that I welcome you today. In our expression of inclusive hospitality at St Michael’s we say to all who come here, “wherever you have come from, wherever you are going to, whatever you believe, whatever you do not believe, you are welcome here.”

I invite all of you who are gathered here to feel at home in this place and to make it yours for the sacred time we share together remembering Name and sharing our love and care with Name and for Name family and friends.

I have known Name for xx years – details about connection, person’s faith if appropriate.

Name died peacefully last Sunday, the ending of a rich and fulfilling life. Through their illness and in the time leading up to their death, Name was surrounded by the care and love of family, by their beloved partner Name and their children, Name and Name and their families.

Today we have gathered to celebrate Name’s life and to support and show our love to their family and to all the people who will miss them deeply.

Family member names, we know how much you loved Name and can only imagine how much you will miss them. Today, and in the days to come, we offer our sympathy and our care.

May being surrounded by others who loved and admired Name bring you a sense of comfort, and in that comfort may you find strength, and peace, and hope.

All of you present today will have your own memories of Name. Remember them well. Keep talking about them and cherishing the person they were. Give thanks for their life and the place they held in yours.

As we say goodbye to Name,
we claim that all human life is valuable,
and the truth and integrity and hopefulness

which resides in each life, lives on.

Name’s life is joined now with all that is created,
stretching into the past and into the future.

Name lived their Christian spirituality with a focus on living well,

more than on traditional beliefs or creeds.

They were a faithful member of this congregation.

They were an explorer, interested in learning and extending their understanding of the interpretation of scripture and the connections it has to our daily lives.

Name lived as one who embraced the way of Jesus and the truth that life is a gift to be lived fully in the here and now. They felt a deep sense of belonging to the earth and cared passionately about its well-being and the damage done to it by human activity. With this, they held a deep reverence for life, aware of the mystery of the sacred in all of life. They took delight in the wonder, beauty and splendour of creation. They had an appreciation of the arts in music and literature. They found meaning and purpose in living by being honest and open in their relationships with others. They felt compassion for the vulnerable, advocated for the disadvantaged and the oppressed. They lived life well.

The gifts and graces which Name offered in life will not be lost in death.

The creativity which they brought to their life and relationships lies now within the lives of those who loved them and knew them and will travel into the future with them.

 Prayer intro

We recognise the importance of this occasion by encountering the depths of connection and solidarity in prayer. Prayer doesn’t depend on belief in an ‘out there’ interventionist God but rather Prayer is about deep awareness, about being present to our deepest selves and to the world in which we live in the presence of the Sacred, which is within us and among us.

Let us be still for a moment, in the presence of the sacred source of life,
bound by love and sadness, tears and laughter.

Let us hold a silence as we still our minds and hearts as we remember Name and treasure this life which we have shared.

silence

Prayer

Holy One, sacred energy, source of all life,

We gather to celebrate and give thanks for Name’s life.
We come bringing our thoughts, our memories and our feelings.

We come together to recognise the end of Name’s life,
and to remember with dignity their gifts and their struggles.

As we reflect upon the meaning of life and death,
may the assurance of eternal love enrich this experience.

In the shelter of this place,

help us to draw near to you and each other.

We pray for Name’s closest family and friends,
for those who miss them most,
that they may know peace.

May the beauty of life renew our hope.
Strengthen our compassion for each other,
and our mercy and forgiveness.

Help us find the strength we need.

In your many Names, we pray. Amen.

READING – Psalm 121

HYMN        Touch the Earth Lightly

Words: Shirley Murray

Music: Colin Gibson

Touch the earth lightly,

use the earth gently,

nourish the life of the world in our care:

gift of great wonder,

ours to surrender,

trust for the children tomorrow will bear.

 

We who endanger,

who create hunger,

agents of death for all creatures that live,

we who would foster

clouds of disaster,

God of our planet, forestall and forgive.

 

Let there be greening,

birth from the burning,

water that blesses and air that is sweet,

health in God’s garden,

hope in God’s children,

regeneration that peace will complete.

 

God of all living,

God of all loving,

God of the seeding, the snow, and the sun,

teach us, deflect us,

Christ reconnect us,

using us gently and making us one.

 

EULOGY AND REFLECTIONS

READING

Matthew 5: 3-9

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to them. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

NOTICES

PRAYER AND WORDS OF COMMITTAL

Closing Words

As we come to the end of this time of remembering Name, we are reminded that in all reality, we do not know what happens after death and there are a range of understandings and beliefs that people gathered here will hold.

These are all ways that human beings have of making meaning out life and death and at this time it is important to acknowledge and respect our different understandings.

Whatever you believe or hope, I invite you to stand firm in your convictions as I say the final words.

 We respect and admire Name’s journey through life. We have loved who they were, what they offered to others, and we have learnt much from their life.

 As we come to the moment of farewell

part of our grief may be regret

for things done or left undone,

words said, or never said.

This is the time to lay aside those regrets

and to honour the spirit of Name,

who would not want them carried into the future.

 Let us receive that gift of generosity and go forward in peace.[1]

Prayer

In the Christian tradition,

we entrust Name’s spirit to the God we know

through the life of Jesus of Nazareth,

the God who is the source of life and love,

Spirit at the heart of the universe,

who in life and death is with us always.

 

Eternal God, by your creative power you give us the gift of life,

and in your redeeming love, you give us new life in Jesus Christ.

Confident in the love you have for all,

we commend Name into your keeping.

Hold them and let them rest this day in peace.  Amen.

 

Go now in peace, Name.

You are in death

as loved as you were in life –

Travel safely with our love.

 

Committal

In now committing Name’s body to be cremated

we do so with deep reverence,

for their body during life

was the dwelling place of a unique and beloved personality.

 

That body now returns to the living earth

but Name’s spirit lives on.

NN – Loving parent, child, spouse, friend and vocation,

Example to the many people whose lives you touched

Your life in all its fullness is honoured

Your death accepted over time

Your memory cherished always in the hearts of all who love you

In gratitude for your life and the privilege of sharing it with you, with deep reverence, we commit your body to be cremated, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

As the tides flow, may the waves carry you gently

As the new day dawns, may the richness of life be seen in all its beauty.

As the sun sets, may the source of peace rest with you.

HYMN                  often traditional

BLESSING

For the living, it is time to leave.

May you now give to others the love that you can no longer give to Name.

For the lives you lead, are now their honour and their memorial.

 

And now let us go into the world,

glad that we have loved,

free to weep for the one we have lost,

empowered to live life well

and to affirm the hope of human existence.

 

May the blessing of Holy One,

Creator, Liberator and Surrounding Spirit

be with us all this day and forever more.  Amen.

 

Go in peace.

Compiled, adapted or written by Rev Dr Margaret Mayman,
St Michael’s Uniting Church, Melbourne.

[1] This section in italics is from a liturgy By Rev Dorothy McRae-McMahon.

* This is one of the examples we will look at in the Merthyr Road explorers on Wednesday.

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Place: Pilgrim People UC New Farm Qld

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Each Sunday, members of the congregation known as Pilgrim People Brisbane worship in the Merthyr Road Uniting Church on land long inhabited by the Turrbal people before the arrival of Europeans. Since then, the property at 52 Merthyr Road has been used in a variety of ways.

We believe in our community and look to each other for encouragement, direction, love, and forgiveness.

God shows no partiality
We are a ‘no partiality’ church.

We seek to not only know Jesus, but also strive to be like him, even when it involves change in us and our daily lives.

We are asking “Who are we becoming?”
Instead of, “How will people like our decisions?” we ask, “How would God have us respond in this situation?”

Mission
?As Pilgrim People within the Uniting Church in Australia, we seek to be a visible and diverse presence of Christ in the world living lives shaped by Jesus; embodying the tradition of sacred rituals; employing our customs and gifts of language, music and art when gathering together; and offering love, care, and encouragement to all those whom we encounter on this journey. In living out the traditions of the Uniting Church, we also strive for distinction and relevance in liturgy, preaching, and music to inspire and nurture our people. On our journey, we seek renewal and recreation for ourselves, for the whole of humanity and the physical world.

Services:

2.30pm Sundays
Merthyr Road

Uniting Church,
52 Merthyr Road, New Farm, Brisbane

Are you looking for a church with a choir and organ, and that makes beautiful music?

Are you looking for a church with people who would care about you?

Are you looking for a church that uses meaningful language?

Are you disillusioned with church or religion in general?

If so, then try Pilgrim People Brisbane – an inclusive community grown out of the Uniting Church tradition.

Anyone wanting to explore their spirituality is welcome.

Organist: Steven Nisbet   Choir Leader: Adele Nisbet

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

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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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Resource: Progressive Jews – Beyt Tikkun

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Thanks to subscriber Janet Dawson for drawing attention to this when we are thinking about the situation in Palestine.

Link to website

MISSION

We believe in a Judaism of love and transformation: We heal ourselves and our world through joyful and meaningful spiritual practice, loving relationships, social activism, and revolutionary consciousness.

Beyt: A House – A welcoming, joyful space for spiritual seekers

Tikkun: Healing, repair, and transformation of ourselves and our world

A Synagogue: A Jewish Renewal community of prayer, ritual, custom, and study. We integrate spiritual and prophetic consciousness with spiritual activism to create a more loving and just world.

Without Walls: You don’t have to be Jewish, religiously observant, or in the Bay Area to pray with us, learn with us, or be a member of our community.

HISTORY

Beyt Tikkun: A Synagogue Without Walls is a spiritual home for politically progressive people, both Jewish and non-Jewish, both local to the Bay Area and throughout the world, incorporating Jewish spiritual wisdom, practices, and rituals. A central theme of Judaism is to heal and repair ourselves and the world. We uplift those parts of our tradition that embody the revolutionary consciousness characterized by love of the stranger, a movement toward freedom and justice, and a critique of imperial power and thinking. The audacity of the Hebrew prophets guides our spiritual and religious practices and mandates us to challenge oppression in all its manifestations.

This is the core of what our founder Rabbi Michael Lerner envisioned when he started Beyt Tikkun in 1996. Rabbi Lerner was mentored by Abraham Joshua Heschel at the Jewish Theological Seminary and received rabbinic ordination from a rabbinic beyt din directed by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, the founder of Jewish Renewal. Rabbi Lerner has shaped the religious life of Beyt Tikkun and empowered us to continue his legacy.

Rabbi Lerner’s prophetic vision infuses our liturgy, our rituals, our inclusive, egalitarian, and loving community, our advocacy, and our social action. Through his involvement in social justice work and as a psychologist studying the psycho-dynamics of working people, Rabbi Lerner became deeply aware of the isolation many people experience in their day-to-day lives and recognized the centrality of creating religious communities that nurture its members. At Beyt Tikkun, we strive to co-create the community and the world we want by manifesting love and care for each other,  the stranger, and the planet. We show up for each other and for those in need.

We use traditional liturgy infused with Hasidic joy, spiritual depth, feminist wisdom, and a critical consciousness which allows us to continually innovate while retaining the core of traditional Jewish worship. We support those in Israel and Palestine who seek justice and security for all and an end to the occupation. We are aware that for peace and justice to prevail, we have to challenge the global capitalist ethos of domination, selfishness, and materialism and replace it with a new ethos of love and caring for each other and the planet. Our liturgy, our rituals, our services, and our community embrace this loving and caring ethos.

Rabbi Cat Zavis is an accomplished lawyer, spiritual social justice activist, and visionary leader with over 20 years experience in empathic and people-centered leadership and collaboration. She has served as co-editor of Tikkun magazine and executive director of the Network of Spiritual Progressives, where she has trained over 1,000 people in Prophetic Empathy and Revolutionary Love. To learn more about Rabbi Cat Zavis and listen to her teachings, click here.

As Rabbi Cat Zavis rises to the rabbinic leadership position, we accept the challenge to grow in response to this evolving and challenging era, bringing continued renewal to the expression of our faith and philosophy.

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Report: Historic Conference – Raising our Tribal Voice for Justice

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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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News: Lloyd Geering celebrates 106 years

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Yesterday Lloyd Geering turned 106. We reflect on his life as an influencer of critical thinking about traditional Christian teaching, beginning with a clip from this conversation at his 100th birthday.

‘I have a great deal of optimism’ – famous Kiwi atheist Sir Lloyd Geering celebrates 100th birthday – Bing video

Sir Lloyd George Geering ONZ GNZM CBE (born 26 February 1918) is a New Zealand theologian who faced charges of heresy in 1967 for teaching that the Bible’s record of Jesus’ death and resurrection is not true. He considers Christian and Muslim fundamentalism to be “social evils”. Geering is emeritus professor of religious studies at Victoria University of Wellington. In 2007, he was appointed a Member of the Order of New Zealand, New Zealand’s highest civilian honour, limited to 20 living people. Geering turned 100 in February 2018.

Early life and family

Geering was born in Rangiora on 26 February 1918, the son of Alice (née Johnston) and George Frederick Thomas Geering.[1][2] The family spent four years in Australia from 1927 to 1930, where Geering was dux of Warrnambool Elementary School, before returning to Dunedin.[3][4] He was educated at Otago Boys’ High School between 1931 and 1935, where he was dux in his final year and vice-captain of the hockey 1st XI.[3][4]

In 1936, Geering went on to study mathematics at the University of Otago, graduating Bachelor of Arts with first-class honours in 1940.[3][5] While at Otago, he continued playing hockey and was a member of the university’s first-grade team. He was also active in university dramatic productions, debating and the Otago Student Christian Movement, being elected president of the latter in 1939.[4] In 1939, Geering was nominated for a Rhodes Scholarship by the University of Otago.[4]

Geering “embraced” the Christian tradition in 1937.[6] After completing his BA(Hons), he entered Knox College as a theological student in 1940, and was exempted from military service in World War II.[3] He later said:[3]

I was a pacifist anyway by this stage. I took my Christian convictions so seriously that I couldn’t reconcile them with being a soldier.

On 22 May 1943, Geering married Nancy Marie McKenzie at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Timaru.[7] The couple had two children before Nancy Geering died from tuberculosis in Dunedin on 4 October 1949.[3][8] On 20 November 1951, Geering married Elaine Morrison Parker, a speech therapist, and they went on to have one child. Elaine Geering died in 2001.[1][9][10] Geering married Shirley Evelyn Adams in 2004. She died at the age of 95 in 2021.[11][12]

Career

Geering was ordained as a minister of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand (PCANZ) in 1943 and practised as a minister in Kurow; Opoho, Dunedin (1945-1950); and St James, Wellington (1950-1956) before turning to theological teaching. He was the honorary associate minister of St John’s Church in Wellington from 1971 to 1983. He was named honorary assistant at St Andrew’s in Wellington in 1989. Geering remains on the register (Fasti) of New Zealand Presbyterian ministers.[13]

Geering has held the positions of professor of Old Testament studies at Presbyterian Church Hall, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (1956-1960), professor of Old Testament studies at Theological Hall, Dunedin (1960-1963), and principal of Theological Hall, Dunedin (1963-1971). In 1971, Geering became the foundation professor of religious studies at Victoria University of Wellington and held this position until his retirement in 1984 when he was appointed professor emeritus. In 1983, he became a lecturer at the St Andrew’s Trust for the Study of Religion and Society.[13]

Geering is a member of the Jesus Seminar and a participant in the Living the Questions programme, an alternative to the evangelical Alpha course, which he calls “dangerous indoctrination” growing among mainstream churches.[citation needed] He is also a member of the Sea of Faith Network (New Zealand), and St Andrew’s On The Terrace, as well as principal lecturer at St Andrew’s Trust for the Study of Religion and Society.

Heresy charges

In 1967, Geering gained a high-profile when he was charged with “doctrinal error” and “disturbing the peace and unity of the (Presbyterian) church”.[14] The case was brought before the 1967 General Assembly of the PCANZ, and dismissed without being much discussed.[15] The charges were brought by a group of conservative laymen and a conservative minister. During his church trial, he claimed that the remains of Jesus lay somewhere in Palestine and that the resurrection had been wrongfully interpreted by churches as a resuscitation of the body of Jesus. He also rejects the belief held by all monotheistic faiths that God is a supernatural being who created and continues to look over the world.[16]

Later life

Geering’s second wife, Elaine, died in Cromwell on 19 August 2001.[10] In 2004, Geering married Shirley Evelyn White (née Adams).[17]

On 26 February 2018, Geering celebrated his 100th birthday, emulating his father who also reached 100 years of age.[18]

Shirley, Lady Geering, died in Petone on 1 October 2021.[19]

In 2021, Geering joined the group Intergenerational Climate Ambassadors, established in 2020 by scientist Jim Salinger and Sophie Handford, a K?piti Coast district councillor.[20] At the time, Geering said:

“Fundamentalist Christianity would regard things to be in the hands of a God who controls. That idea of God has just vanished really. We now know that we are in the hands of natural forces in the world, and because of what humans have done to the earth, they have produced a situation where the temperature’s going up all the time – and it will reach a limit which we can’t survive.”[20]

Honours and awards[edit]

In 1976, Geering was conferred an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree by the University of Otago.[3]

In the 1988 New Year Honours, Geering was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire,[21] and in the 2001 New Year Honours he was made a Principal Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to religious studies.[22] In the 2007 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Member of the Order of New Zealand. In 2009, he accepted redesignation as a Knight Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, following the restoration of titular honours by the New Zealand government.[23]

Geering is a patron of the Coalition for Open Government.

Selected publications

  • Portholes to the Past: Reflections on the early 20th century (2016). Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand: Steele Roberts, ISBN 978-0-94749333-2
  • On Me Bike: Cycling round New Zealand 80 years ago (2015). Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand: Steele Roberts, ISBN 978-1-927242-93-3
  • Reimagining God: The Faith Journey of a Modern Heretic (2014). Salem, OR: Polebridge Press, ISBN 978-1-59815-156-5
  • From the Big Bang to God: Our Awe-Inspiring Journey of Evolution (2013). Aotearoa, NZ: Steele Roberts, Salem, OR: Polebridge Press, ISBN 978-1-59815-139-8. Ebook ISBN 978-1-59815-140-4
  • Such Is Life!: A Close Encounter With Ecclesiastes (2010). Aotearoa, NZ: Steele Roberts, ISBN 1-59815-023-5
  • Coming Back to Earth: From gods to God to Gaia (2009). Salem, OR: Polebridge Press, ISBN 1-59815-016-2
  • In Praise of the Secular (2007). St Andrews, ISBN 0-9582880-0-3
  • Is Christianity Going Anywhere? (2004). St Andrews, ISBN 0-9583645-8-3
  • Wrestling with God: The Story of My Life (2006). ISBN 1-877242-36-5
  • The Greening of Christianity (2005) ISBN 0-9583645-9-1
  • Christianity without God (2002). Salem, OR: Polebridge Press, ISBN 0-944344-92-5
  • Christian Faith at the Crossroads (revised 2001). Salem, OR: Polebridge Press, ISBN 0-944344-83-6
  • The World to Come: From Christian Past to Global Future (1999). Salem, OR: Polebridge Press, ISBN 0-944344-76-3
  • Tomorrow’s God: How We Create our Worlds (1996). Salem, OR: Polebridge Press reprint 2000, ISBN 0-944344-81-X
  • In the World Today (1988)
  • The World of Relation: An Introduction to Martin Buber‘s I and Thou (1983)
  • Faith’s New Age: A Perspective on Contemporary Religious Change (1980)
  • Resurrection – A Symbol of Hope (1971)
  • God in the New World (1968)

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News: Vale – William (Bill) Wallace

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Loss of Progressive Hymn Writer

Colleagues,

I have just received out of New Zealand, a notice from Michael Wallace that his father, William (Bill) Wallace died this evening, aged 90. A long-time ‘progressive’ I have known Bill for many years and am saddened by this news.

Rev Rex A E Hunt, MSc(Hons)

Progressive hymns – from our own Bill Wallace

An amazing collection of Bill Wallace’s progressive hymns (words, music scores and mp3 files), available for free download from  Progressive Christianity, and the Methodist Church of New Zealand Te Haahi Weteriana Aotearoa. Collections include Boundless Life (35 hymns), The Mystery Telling (48 cosmic hymns), Aotearoa (21 hymns), Sing Young Sing Joyfully (40 hymns for children), Festive Worship ( 17 hymns for festivals of the Christian year), and Seasoned Celebration (5 hymns for nature’s seasons).

 

William Livingstone Wallace (Bill), a retired New Zealand Methodist Minister and long-time member of Durham Street Methodist Church, is one of the most prolific contributors to Progressive Christianity, where on that website alone he has over 200 hymns and 260 pages of other worship material. His hymns have also appeared in 13 different denominational hymn books and 17 other hymn collections.

Bill says that his work springs from communicating with the fire in his gut and his observation of both the internal and external aspects of the Cosmos. Since an early age he has been both sympathetic to and critical of the church.  At varsity he found an intellectual home in the ecumenism and radicalism of the Student Christian Movement and at theological college was frustrated to discover that neither these nor liturgy were regarded as major elements in the curriculum. In parish life he found that writing hymns was a more acceptable way of presenting radical thoughts than sermons. They allowed these thoughts to slide into the mind on the back of music.

His radicalism sprang from his experiences as a labourer and his exposure to great inequality in the Philippines. It was these that led him to abandon the idea that wealth is a gift from God and with it the belief in an intervening deity. Bill found his true spiritual home when he was introduced to the Christian mystics, especially Hildegard of Bingen and Meister Eckhart. This explains why he has sometimes been called a prophetic mystic.

He holds a B.A. in philosophy and a Dip.Ed. and is the author of seven published collections of his hymns as well as the material on this website. His aim is to help people be empowered by the divine within them and the Cosmos and to work to overthrow the forces of personal and institutional greed which destroy both the ecosystem and human society.

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

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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

1 Reply

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)

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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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