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How to live a full and peaceful life

There is a lot happening in the world at the moment that can make us worried and anxious, whether here in Australia or overseas or in our local neighbourhood. You only have to tune in to the news to know that our world is in great need of peace, compassion and justice.

In the final chapter of his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul offers several pieces of wise advice on how to deal with our anxieties and worries. The remedy according to Paul has several strands that when woven together will keep us strong, both mentally and spiritually. While we tend to read this advice in an individual way, it is actually addressed to the whole community as steps they can take together.

The first strand is to stand firm in the face of difficulties and challenges, relying on the faithfulness of God who will bring to completion the good work that God’s Spirit is already doing in our midst. The next strand is to be united, to share the same mindset of Christ and the same hope, focusing on what we share in common rather than on what divides us. Then we are called to rejoice, to lift our praise to God that will help shift our attention from things we cannot control to the one who gives us strength and endurance. The final strand is to name our concerns before God in prayer, remembering to be thankful for the many blessings we have.

These suggestions are not like a magic wand that will automatically fix all our problems and difficulties. Rather they will give us a renewed and godly perspective that will give us peace in our hearts and our minds, peace that comes from God. Then we will be strengthened in whatever circumstances we face, not relying on our own strength, but rather relying on the strength that comes from Christ and from God’s Spirit.

From the Minister

Priorities

We all have priorities in life, whether we fully recognise them or not. We may have a priority in keeping fit, for instance. Whether this is really true will be shown by how many hours in the week we spend on activities to keep us fit. Or we may have a priority to reduce our carbon footprint on the earth. Again, whether this is really a priority will be shown by what we are prepared to give up to make this happen (e.g. stop eating red meat, no more plane flights, steadily reducing and replacing our use of fossil fuels like petrol and gas).

Doing an audit of how we spend our time and how we spend our money will reveal our true priorities … and we may be surprised or disappointed with the results. Scrolling through social media or watching Netflix might actually turn out to be our priorities.

Whether you love or struggle with the writings of the apostle Paul, his letters give insight into his priorities, none more so than in chapter 3 of his letter to the church in Philippi. Raised as a faithful and zealous Pharisee, Paul’s priorities focused on keeping of the Jewish Law. But after encountering the risen Christ, Paul’s priorities changed completely. The things he valued previously he now regards as worthless – garbage – compared with the greatness of knowing Jesus.

Paul is very clear that he will put aside those parts of his life that don’t contribute to this goal of knowing Jesus Christ. Instead he will focus all his energies and abilities on furthering his relationship with Jesus and helping others also come to know Jesus. He compares himself to a runner in a race who has their eyes focused on what lies ahead.

Perhaps you find Paul’s priorities and passions rather intense and even intimidating. Perhaps Paul didn’t have a regular job to take up his time or a family to look after. But perhaps Paul grasped – or had been grasped by – a person so attractive that this reset his priorities. What would it take for us to be grasped in a similar way? And how would this change our priorities?

From the Minister

God’s promise to do a new thing

Just this week there is a major meeting of the UN to discuss progress in limiting carbon emissions and also to update progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There is not much good news to report. Cuts to global emissions are happening too slowly to limit warming to the 1.5 degC target of the 2015 Paris Agreement. Already in July and August of this year this threshold was crossed, with 2023 destined to be the hottest year in recorded history. Fossil fuel usage needs to be phased out urgently but is beholden to powerful market forces.

How are we doing as a global community in providing justice to the poorest as set out in the 2015 SDGs? Again, not well. Of the 170 targets grouped under 17 key areas (e.g. poverty, hunger, access to education, affordable clean energy), only 15% are on track to be met by 2030. Partly this shortfall is caused by the Covid pandemic and more recently the ongoing war in Ukraine. Both of these crises indicate, however, that the wealthy nations of the world can work together and can find the money to fund major challenges if these pose a threat to their own people or way of life. Sadly, the needs of the poorest people don’t generate the same urgency or generosity of response.

The reading in Isaiah 43 was written at a similarly bleak time in history for the people of Israel. They were living in exile in Babylon with no real hope of any change to their situation. Wealthy and powerful nations were firmly in charge and had no mind to help the poor Israelites. Into this gloom the prophet speaks a word of hope, that God is not oblivious to their suffering and will soon do something new and unexpected. God will open a new path for the people to return home to Jerusalem and will make rivers flow in the desert.

Such a bold and subversive pronouncement is part of what OT scholar Walter Brueggemann calls the prophetic imagination – looking at the world in a new way with current constraints removed. How our world needs a similarly bold imagination! There are selfish vested interests, of course, that want the status quo maintained – so that they can continue to hold onto their power and wealth. But the way of God offers a surprising challenge to the status quo. New ways of thinking and new priorities are possible if people have the courage and will to make it happen.

From the Minister

God’s river of life

Rivers and creeks are a vital part of the landscape, bringing a source of fresh water to places downstream. They provide an environment for fish, reptiles, insects and plants to thrive and provide water for animals, birds and people to drink. They can also be places of great beauty and peace.

In the book of Ezekiel, the prophet has a vision of a river that starts under the altar of the Temple and flows east out of Jerusalem and down towards the Dead Sea. This river brings life wherever it flows, even to the Dead Sea. It swarms with fish and its banks are lined with fruit trees whose fruit is for eating and whose leaves are for healing. This river is closely associated with the presence of God, which brings life to both humans and the natural world.

When we think of the rivers and creeks near to where we live, I wonder if we pause to see the many forms of life they bring to the environment. And I wonder about God’s river, flowing where it will in the world, bringing life and healing in a different way.

From the Minister

A vision of peace

As we look at the world in 2023, we may find it hard to see signs of peace, that state of harmony and wholeness where people and the rest of creation are in right relationship with each other. Devastating wars continue in Ukraine and Sudan and Myanmar and in other places that we don’t hear about. Our climate is getting hotter all the time, with July being the hottest month since records began. We’ve seen intense wildfires in Europe and North America. Closer to home, many Australians are struggling to pay their mortgage or rent as well as feed their families, causing stress and anxiety. Peace seems far away.

Yet Psalm 85 assures us that despite our current problems, God is still faithful and trustworthy and will bring peace to the earth. How this will happen we are not told – just that God’s character of loving kindness, faithfulness and righteousness will result in peace. The psalm is a prayer of trust in God to act in line with God’s character. It’s similar to the line in the Lord’s Prayer that goes ‘May your will be done on earth as in heaven’. God’s will is to bring peace and righteousness. But for this vision of peace to become a reality, we need to do more than simply trust in God’s goodness and love. We need to walk in God’s ways of faithfulness and righteousness, which includes seeking justice for the poor and actively caring for the environment. As we do this more and more we may be surprised to find ourselves overtaken by peace.

From the Minister

A call to justice

It’s springtime in Australia and time to celebrate the Season of creation in the church!

The symbol or logo for this year’s celebration is a river flanked by two mountains with a bird flying overhead. The bird represents a dove of peace I presume, but the rest of the image tells a powerful if unintended story. It may of course simply be two images of a river, one reflecting the scene in the midday sun (the blue side) and the other reflecting the scene at sunset (the orange side).

But given the state of the planet this year, with 2023 so far being the hottest year ever on record, it’s hard not to see the right hand side as the world burning and being coloured by bushfire smoke giving that familiar orange haze. Indeed there have been horrendous wildfires this year in Canada, Europe and in Hawaii of all places. Meanwhile fossil fuel companies continue to make record profits.

In the book of Amos, the prophet rails against the wealthy trampling the heads of the poor into the dust. Amos warns them that God despises their empty worship when they fail to live justly and share the resources of the land equitably. A similar pattern of greed and corruption is easy to see in our world with the poor suffering the worst effects of climate change while rich Western companies and governments rake in huge profits and taxes from fossil fuel production, leaving the world to burn.

The rising cost of living is hurting many people in our society, but is crippling the poor in places from Africa to Asia to the Pacific. We need to change our ways and let justice and peace flow.

From the Minister

Strength in vulnerability

For the past three weeks we have been exploring some of the mental health challenges that many of us and our loved ones face. We noted, for instance, that mental illness can affect anyone of any age. It is not a sign of failure or being a lesser person, nor is it a punishment from God.

Fortunately, there are a range of mental health professionals who can help and a variety of medications that can help alleviate the symptoms, although these often cause unwelcome side-effects.

But what of our spiritual tradition? Is there any wisdom or insight that might add to these other helps? We have drawn on several passages from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. In this letter, Paul describes his many physical and mental challenges, including his daily anxiety for all the churches he has founded (2 Cor 11:28). He embraces weakness and afflictions for these allow the grace and strength of God to be more clearly seen in his life (2 Cor 12:9). He further suggests that it is these very frailties and vulnerabilities – the cracks in our lives – that allow the treasure of the gospel message to shine through (2 Cor 4:7).

There are many activities and approaches that can help us maintain our mental well-being. These include time spent in nature, listening to music, having a pet and joining in community. In their different ways, each of these activities points us back to the unconditional yet mysterious love of God and the call of God to love ourselves and to love our neighbour. Many mental health challenges cannot be ‘cured’ but the love and support of a godly community can life make life more bearable.

From the Minister, ,

For our Elders

The first week in July has been celebrated as NAIDOC week since 1975. NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee and has its roots in the 1938 call for Indigenous people to gather for a day of mourning (while the rest of Australia celebrated 150 years of European settlement). In recent decades, the focus in NAIDOC week has changed from mourning to recognition and celebration of Indigenous culture and achievements.

The theme for NAIDOC week this year is ‘For our Elders’. It’s interesting to reflect on the standing of Elders within the Indigenous community. Both men and women Elders are seen as leaders of their communities, as trailblazers in the fight for justice, as custodians of the stories and songlines, as teachers of culture and tradition. Elders are highly honoured and respected.

When non-Indigenous people offer an Acknowledgment of Country at the start of an event or worship service, this usually includes paying respect to Indigenous Elders – past, present and emerging. In this way, non-Indigenous people are following the example of Indigenous people in honouring their Elders (at least in words).

Yet when it comes to our own elders, non-Indigenous people are often less respectful, seeing their elders as mostly irrelevant to wider society and not as holders of wisdom (with some exceptions of course). I wonder why this is. Perhaps older people are seen as less productive – yet their days are often filled with volunteering, which is essential in the running of our society. Perhaps older people are seen as out of the loop when it comes to technology – yet the most influential Twitter user (until being banned from the platform) was former US President Donald Trump.

Indigenous culture has something important to teach us here. Our elders learned much wisdom during their lifetimes and learned valuable lessons that they can pass on to us – if only we take time to sit and listen and give them the respect they deserve.

From the Minister

God calls unlikely people

This week we hear about the time when Jesus called the tax collector, Matthew, the ascribed author of the Gospel that bears his name, to follow him. This call is described only very briefly. Jesus sees Matthew sitting at his tax collection booth, calls him to follow and Matthew gets up and follows. All I can say is that Jesus must have been very persuasive or Matthew was getting bored with collecting taxes on behalf of the Romans.

Before heading off on the road with Jesus and the other disciples, Matthew hosts a big dinner party for his fellow tax collectors at which Jesus is present. Some Pharisees, the constant critics of Jesus, observe this and question why Jesus, supposedly a person who speaks for God, would pollute himself by joining such a group of ‘sinners’ (today we might call them a bunch of corrupt fat cats).

Jesus’ response is instructive. People who are well don’t need a doctor. It’s the sick who need a doctor. The implication is that law-abiding decent folk like the Pharisees don’t need someone to come and show them how to live. But folk like Matthew and his friends have become greedy and corrupt and have lost sight of God’s ways. It’s these sorts of people that Jesus is attracted to.

If we had been in Jesus’ shoes, perhaps we would have chosen more promising and talented people to make up our travelling community. But Jesus chose unlikely and ordinary people – simple fishermen, a tax collector like Matthew, anti-government zealots – as well as a few strong women. He saw potential and hidden talents in them. For their part, it took a mix of curiosity, courage and trust to set out with Jesus. And although they were ordinary people, God did extraordinary things through them.

I wonder what extraordinary things God can do through you?

From the Minister

Reconciliation – a long slow walk

27 May – 3 June is National Reconciliation Week in Australia. This is a week that calls for all Australians to learn about shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to explore how we can all contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. 

The significance of the first date is that 27 May marks the anniversary of the 1967 referendum when indigenous Australians were first officially counted as citizens of this country. 3 June marks the anniversary of the High Court Mabo decision that ruled that indigenous people had indeed lived and productively used the land (well) before the European colonisers came, thus overturning the fallacy of this country being terra nullius (empty land).

The theme for National Reconciliation Week this year is Be a Voice for Generations. This has an obvious link to the referendum later this year to include a permanent indigenous Voice to Parliament in the Australian Constitution. If passed, this Voice will have an effect for generations to come. It is also a call to use our voices to have conversations about the referendum and its implications for reconciliation – whether to take a step forward together or reject the proposal and create further division.

In the closing words of the Uluru statement from the Heart that was the impetus for the Voice to Parliament … “In 1967 we were counted, in 2017 we seek to be heard. We leave base camp and start our trek across this vast country. We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.”

This is a gracious invitation to continue the long journey of reconciliation. Are you ready and willing to take this step? If not, what is really holding you back?

From the Minister,