Weekly reflections

Dear Friends, Last Sunday, 12 November, was a significant day for our community. We welcomed two new members – Stephen Tang and Eric Tsoi – who shared some of the wonderful and challenging parts of their respective journeys of faith. It was a privilege to hear their stories and we warmly welcomed them as part now of our story, of following Jesus, building caring, inclusive community, and sharing God’s love and justice in our words and actions. We also grieved Read more…

This Sunday our series on joy continues with Philippians chapter 3! (I love the fact that Paul plays that old preacher’s trick here, beginning with “Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord,” and then going on to make several more points across two more chapters!) I am again looking for contributions – from the adults (I have enough offered from children – thank you!) – about joy (i.e. short readings or poems specifically mentioning joy.) Thank you too Read more…

Dear Friends, An incredible rainbow – the most vivid and colourful I have ever seen in my life – appeared in the sky over Kingston last night. Here is my picture of it, although Duncan Grove’s picture (below), captured the colours much better! (I also note that Callum Ince had the distinction of his 3rd picture appearing on the ABC news last night! Amazing work, Callum!) In Genesis 9, God says, “I have set my bow in the clouds, and Read more…

Dear Friends, I am still looking for contributions on ‘joy’! It was wonderful to hear Elizabeth speak about ‘where she finds joy’ in the service last Sunday. (She says she had stage fright, but it certainly didn’t look like it! 😊) I still have slots for the Blessing of the Animals (22nd Oct), 29th Oct, 12th Nov and 19th Nov to fill! And it was wonderful to hear Edna read the start of the Canticle of the Sun – and Read more…

Dear Friends, Over the next few weeks (with a break on the 22nd and 29th October) we are working our way through the book of Philippians and our theme is joy AND I am looking for help! I am looking for children (or families – if that’s easier) who can share with us where they find joy. 😊 And I am looking for some adults willing to share a short poem or reading about joy. And we are setting up Read more…

Dear Friends, Aron and I got back on Tuesday after a wonderful time in Massachusetts and New Hampshire; celebrating my cousin’s wedding, catching up with friends from our years in Japan and brushing up on our knowledge of the American Revolutionary War and authors of the New England region!  We even – almost by accident – got to visit Robert Frost’s farm! But there’s no place like home! And it is very exciting to see all that is happening at Read more…

Dear Friends, I am not back from leave just yet! I am still in the US at my cousin’s wedding and enjoying some time with friends and family. It seems, however, that I am always away from Canberra at the best times. In April I missed some of Canberra’s beautiful autumn colour and now, in September, I am missing some of the beautiful spring. (Hoping you are having some lovely weather!) When I was at Collin Street Baptist Church a Read more…

Dear Family of God! On Sunday we sang a new hymn: Forgive our sins as we forgive,”you taught us, Lord, to pray;but you alone can grant us graceto live the words we say. It was written by Rosamond (now that’s a name that should come back!) Eleanor Herklots (1905-1987) in 1966 and printed in the parish magazine of St. Mary’s Church, Bromley, Kent. Apparently, the idea of the hymn had occurred to Rosamond when she was digging out weeds in Read more…

Dear Friends, As I mentioned on Sunday, last week I was in Melbourne, at my annual pastor’s retreat, a gathering of the ‘Baptist city pastors’ from each city in Australia and – this year – from Wellington, New Zealand! It was an encouraging and stimulating week, and as well as correcting my Baptist ecclesiology (listen to Sunday’s sermon!), we also talked about the function of ‘city churches’ (aka ‘cathedral churches’) and how they compare with suburban churches. Canberra Baptist is Read more…

Dear Friends, On 14 July, NSW/ACT Baptist churches received a letter from Assembly Council to tell us, that having been charged by the May Assembly to develop a process to disaffiliate churches and disaccredit pastors who do not support the Association’s Position on Marriage, they are making progress. My mother has been serving in a leadership role at Frenchs Forest Baptist Church, and received this letter, and was greatly distressed to realise things had reached this point. She rang me Read more…