āThis hymn is a very useful addition to our repertoire of congregational hymnody, of course, and also has other more nuanced possibilities. For example, the first two lines of each verse might be sung by a soloist or small group, with the congregation joining in the repeated final line each time. Or it might be used as a quiet background during intercessions, with the final line used as the peopleās repeated spoken response to the prayers,ā says The Revād Canon Dr David Cole
āOur new beautiful custom decal wrap of St Francis of Assisi was installed on a sunny morning recently with the aid of a cherry picker, one window pane at a time, in just a few hours and at a fraction of the cost of traditional stained-glass,ā says Liz Elliott from St Francis of Assisi, Nundah
āI did the two-year whites-only compulsory military conscription as a āreligious non-combatantā, but when required to do continuous military service one month per year, thanks to Albert Nolan and his contemporaries, I found the courage to declare myself a conscientious objector in the late 1980s, risking jail and worse,ā says The Revād Nic Denny-Dimitriou
“Itās easy to get caught up in the tides of whatever is happening around us and lose touch with what we really want to be doing. As a visual person, I made my first vision board so that my goals and values would be captured in one place, and so I would be regularly reminded to act on them,ā says Rachel Walker from St Andrew’s, South Brisbane
āThis book is a parable about how people would react to Jesus today and how the Church, in an institutional sense, could react to him,ā says centenarian parishioner Margaret Thurgood
āRegarding my various lay parish activities ā it is vital to me that I feel as though I am contributing. I recall once hearing a cricket commentator say that 90 per cent of people can find the problems, but only about 10 per cent can come up with solutions and act on them. So I strive to be a part of the 10 per cent. Helping to provide alternatives for those seeking a spiritual home is highly rewarding and very enjoyable,ā says Adrian Gibb from St Thomasā, Toowong
āFinding the right gift for special people at Christmas is a challenge. Buying from The Fair Trade Christmas Shopping Guide helps with choosing beautiful quality gifts, while giving us the peace of mind knowing that our purchases are helping people in distant places,ā says The Revād John Martin
In an ongoing call to churches across the globe to work together to prevent gender-based violence, particularly against women, children and young people, World Council of Churches moderator Dr Agnes Abuom reflects on some of the reasons such violence has increased, and the vital role churches can play in creating safe spaces for those most at risk
āI was not the best with sailing growing up, especially given that I am from the sea. I suffered terrible seasickness as a child. Whenever we sailed, I would always stay on deck, close to my father so I felt safeā¦ As we sat around my father while he steered the rudder, he told us that, āThe rainbow is Godās creation and God made this world in beautiful colours, including his people.ā He then told us not to be judgmental and to always respect, honour and listen to one another. He said that loving others is always the most important thing,ā said Aunty Dr Rose Elu during her Mothering Sunday sermon at St Johnās East Malvern
The Rev’d Nicholas Whereat has commenced a nine-day fast to pray for the more than 1,300 refugees left in limbo in the offshore processing system, and is inviting community members to join him