Insights - December/January 2016

Insights December/January 2016

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Welcome from the Moderator

Finding your heart in the Christmas story

A

good and wise retired minister handed me a copy of a story by the Brothers Grimm — The Three Languages — just to enjoy, which I certainly did.

We love stories, even if they don’t all have a happy ending, because a story speaks to our heart with a rich array of meanings far better than a statement of theory and principle.

Rev. Myung Hwa Park Moderator

The Moderator is elected to give general and pastoral leadership to the Synod, assisting and encouraging expression and fulfilment of faith, and the witness of the Church.

“Glory to God in heavenly height, Peace to all men and women on earth who please him (Luke 2: 14 )”

One story that we love to hear over and over again in the Christmas season is the story of the young woman named Mary who gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in cloth and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.

This fragile babe laid in a manger was God’s faithful response for his people — a fulfilment of prophecy. As humble and vulnerable was the birth of this child, it was a great and joyful event meant for everybody worldwide.

Ironically, we hear tales with similarities to the Christmas story too often these days because of the harsh reality of the phenomenal increase in the numbers of refugees in many parts of the world. Tens of thousands of women like Mary and children like baby Jesus are fleeing their countries.

Unfortunately, some are drowning helplessly like the four-year-old Syrian boy swept ashore in Turkey.

The truth of the Christmas story will not be found extravagantly wrapped under a decorated Christmas tree, for Christ the king was born not in a palace chamber but in a stable. And we will hear the true Christmas message of God’s enduring faithfulness in such things as a simple act of courage, and witness his kindness in a green shoot that appears after a bush fire.

In September, I attended our partner church’s 100th Assembly meeting in Korea. While I was there I heard a story about a great gift that Robert Thomas,

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the first Protestant Christian missionary to Korea, had given. Unfortunately, Thomas was captured and executed on his arrival upon Korean shores. He did not have much chance to preach the gospel but at his execution he offered his Bible to the executioner saying, “Please take this Bible!”

The executioner who received this accidental gift of Thomas became an elder of the first Korean church.

In late October, I went to the launch of a community garden at Mt. Colah Uniting Church. There I saw an example of the spirit of Christmas, with members of the Church setting up a veggie garden along with a meditative peace garden. They wanted to foster a spirit of community. I was so proud to stand there hearing the local member of parliament praising the Church’s role in the life of the community!

On a beautiful Saturday morning in November, I joined the ‘Welcome to Australia’ Walk, along with many fellow Sydney-siders who raised high our Synod’s ‘Give Hope’ campaign banner.

People walked together, side-by-side proclaiming, ‘Refugees are welcome here.’ Who could, and should, be more understanding of the plight of refugees than we Australians, of whom, one in three, have had the experience of leaving their homeland and settling in a foreign land.

The young man in the Grimm’s fairy tale that I read, the executed Robert Thomas, the members of Mt Colah Uniting Church, and those who walk behind banners in solidarity with refugees all tell us something about the truth of the Christmas story.

In this festive season, may I wish you a new awareness of the very special blessing which comes from the Christmas story, and may we each receive it with a spirit of humility and a spirit of generosity and be able to simply enjoy it!

Insights December/January 2016 3

Contents 16

12

22 Cover story There is much joy that can be found in giving and when you think beyond your world of ‘you’, your giving can extend more widely and be even more rewarding.

Turn to page 12 for reflections on Christmas which are a timely reminder of our role and place on this earth. They also help us all to consider how the decisions we make as individuals can have a positive impact on others.

24

Regulars 3 from the Moderator 5 letters 6 news

39 lectionary reflections 43 belief matters 44 fellowship news

MANAGING EDITOR Adrian Drayton PRODUCTION/DESIGN/ EDITOR Belle&Co SUB-EDITING Ben McEachen EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING/ DISTRIBUTION INQUIRIES PHONE 02 8267 4304 FAX 02 9264 4487 ADDRESS Insights, PO Box A2178, Sydney South, NSW, 1235

EMAIL insights@nsw.uca.org.au WEB www.insights.uca.org.au Insights is published by the Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of New South Wales and the ACT. Articles and advertising content do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or of the Uniting Church.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Australia $38.50 (incl. GST); overseas $50. © 2015. Contents copyright.

No material from this publication

4 Insights December/January 2016

45 culture watch 46 entertain me

may be copied, photocopied or transmitted by any means without the permission of the Managing Editor.

CIRCULATION: 18,000.

ISSN: 1036-7322 Commonwealth of Australia 2015

28 The Uniting Church in Australia is one of the country’s largest denominations. Our vision is that it will be a fellowship of reconciliation, living God's love, following Jesus Christ and acting for the common good to build a just and compassionate community of faith.

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Your Say Insights

action, as well as Church engagement with the wider community on various 'green' matters.

MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER

Orthodox churches and, more recently, the Roman Catholic Church have annually designated 1 September as a day of prayer for the protection of the natural environment. How good would it be for the UCA to adopt this, perhaps making the first Sunday in September ‘Creation’ or ‘Eco Sunday’ to promote eco-theology, protection of the natural environment, and individual ecological virtue as we seek to make witness to the Lord Jesus for Creation!

October / November 2015

MARRIAGE: IT’S GOT US TALKING A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE THROUGH THE EYES OF SCHOOL STUDENTS

Your neighbour – the earth

The Moderator and the Uniting Church in Australa (UCA) are to be commended on statements, actions and witness on the environment (Insights, Oct/Nov).

Recently, I attended a multi-faith seminar on the environment. The main focus was on Laudato Si’ or Pope Francis’ letter on the environment to all people of the earth. His letter makes the essential connection between spirituality and the environment, which builds on how the Bible calls for humans to have relationship with God, each other and the earth.

Historically, Christian churches have failed to define a well-developed ecotheology leading to a lack of concern, if not abuse, of the earth. The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Orthodox Churches is credited with being the first one in the Christian world to call attention to the world’s ecological problem and the duty of the church to protect the natural environment.

Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Francis have called abuse of the environment as sin.

The UCA is a leader among Protestant churches with attention to eco-theology and protection of the environment and in this seeks a point of unity with other churches in a common cause that affects us all (as well as striving for relevancy in identifying with expressed environmental concerns within society).

The UCA QLD green church and the UCA NSW/ACT earth web initiatives are among a range of notable examples which demonstrate UCA environmental insights.uca.org.au

Wayne John, Kiama

Moving forward together?

The first part of the article (“Moving Forward Together”, Insights, Oct/Nov) I agreed with. However I found the last part very disappointing. As soon as I hear the Uniting Church taking a political stand I turn off! I don't believe that the Church has a right to give its opinion on political matters without the complete consent of the Congregation.

Everyone is entitled to a position not just the Church hierarchy.

The other part I was disappointed with was the man who tried to re-join the church, but could only get further children baptised if he attended the church regularly!

I have never heard of that before in the Protestant church. When I was growing up (1950s/60s), the condition was that you bring the children up in the Christian faith (not Buddhist, etc). Unfortunately, since more recent times, some churches have become very conservative and dogmatic in their preaching. This, I believe, is partly what is wrong with the modern church (it's too serious).

You say we believed the stories in the Old Testament when the Baby Boomers were at Sunday school. Wrong. We knew they were myths, but accepted them in good faith as part of how the church was created. The way ahead for the modern Uniting Church is commercial.

Create or build a modern church around the old building, e.g.Turrumurra and North Willoughy Churches have done

this with remarkable results! In other words, create a community hub not solely on religious grounds but to be inclusive of all people.

Nikolas Margerrison, Balgowlah Uniting Church

Thank youfor being Christian

What a delight it was to read pages 3,5 and 6 in Insights (August/September edition). At last, some thoughts about being Christian — as opposed to being Church people. So refreshing for someone who has longed for this for almost 70 years! Thank you Rev Myung Hwa Park, Arnold Jago, Bob Ross, Bronwyn Mannell and Graeme Hanlon.

Larraine Wood, Tamworth

More action required

There have been many reports of atrocities committed against Christians in the Middle East and North Africa.

Alarmingly, the Press has raised the apparent lack of comment by church leaders because of 'political correctness'. At a recent home group meeting, we asked ourselves what we, the body of Christ, could do. What would Christ do? What does he expect of us?

We as Christians feel the need for a pro-active stance from our Church and its leaders. At the very least, the UCA, as an advocate for refugees, could further lobby the Federal Government to prioritise oppressed Christian refugees from these areas.

Jeff Raberg, Bateau Bay

Be rewarded for having Your Say Every contributor to Your Say gets the Christmas book Star!

Stable! Saviour! from Wombat Books (which is reviewed on page 46).

Your Say letters should be sent to insights@nswact.uca.org.au or posted to Insights, PO Box A2178, Sydney South NSW 1235.

Letters may be edited for clarity and length.

Insights December/January 2016 5

News

National Director for Multicultural and Cross Cultural Ministry Rev. Dr Apwee Ting meets the Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull.

2015 National Day of Unity President of the Uniting Church in Australia Stuart McMillan joined civic and religious leaders across the country in supporting this year’s National Day of Unity on 13 October.

“As Christians we are called to love our neighbour, welcome the stranger, and offer refuge and care to those who are marginalised,” said Mr McMillan. “The National Day of Unity is a timely reminder of the values we share across our faiths — dignity and respect for all people.”

“We call on all Australians to embrace a spirit of generosity in the way we approach each other, welcome each other and offer hospitality to one another,” said Mr McMillan.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, Greens Leader Richard Di Natale and leaders of different faiths officially launched the 2015 National Day of Unity program at Parliament House in Canberra.

The Prime Minister said the fatal shooting this year of Curtis Cheng 6 Insights December/January 2016

outside the Parramatta Police station was a reminder of the importance Australians must place on the values of mutual respect and harmony.

“Those who oppose us, those who seek to do us harm, want to divide us,” Mr Turnbull said.

"We answer them best by being strong and resolute in our unity."

UCA National Director for Multicultural and Cross Cultural Ministry Rev. Dr Apwee Ting represented the Uniting Church at the launch, alongside 50 representatives of Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh and Baha’i faiths in a show of unity and mutual respect.

“As people of faith, we know God delights in our diversity and also seeks unity in the human family,” said Rev. Dr Ting.

“As we face a critical time as a nation, we must work even harder to reject prejudice and hatred where it arises and be ambassadors for understanding and friendship.”

Resources to help you prepare for Advent and Christmas Camden Theological Library has a range of resources to help you prepare for the season of Advent and Christmas.

There's something for everyone, ranging from personal reflections and devotions to prayers, liturgies, dramas and other ideas for Congregational worship or small group settings.

A list highlighting some of these resources can be downloaded at http://bit.ly/ adventandchristmasresources All resources are available for loan to Uniting Church members.

If you would like to borrow any of these items, or find out more about what else is available, please contact Moira Bryant.

Phone: 02 8838 8940 Email: library@nsw.uca.org.au

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News

Marchers gather on the steps of St Mary's Cathedral.

Rev. Margaret Mayman prays for climate justice at Pitt Street Uniting Church

Pastor Ray Minniecon and the Moderator, Rev. Myung Hwa Park, marched together.

Marching for climate justice The state and national councils of the Uniting Church in Australia officially supported the People's Climate Marches that took place around Australia and the world on 29 November.

A prayer service was held before the march at Pitt Street Uniting Church where Rev. Margaret Mayman was joined by Pastor Ray Minniecon (of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress), Rev. Elenie Poulos of (UnitingJustice Australia), Rev. Dr Brian Brown, the Fiji Parish Choir and many UCA members — particularly from Pacific Island communities whose homelands are among the most threatened by climate change. insights.uca.org.au

The marches highlighted public concern about climate change as world leaders gather in December for UN climate talks in Paris.

The National Director of UnitingJustice Australia, Rev. Poulos urged the Australian Government to increase its commitment to global efforts to address climate change.

“Australia’s announced emissions reduction target of 26–28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, remains well short of the level that experts say is required to reverse the effects of climate change,” said Rev. Poulos.

“There’s still time for the Australian Government to put a more ambitious target on the table in Paris. We should

be doing what we can to encourage our Government to aim higher.”

UCA President Stuart McMillan emphasised how the marches made clear our firm bond with threatened neighbours, near and far. “This is also for us an important action we take in solidarity with our Pacific and other international partner churches.”

UnitingWorld National Director Rob Floyd says partner churches across the Pacific will welcome the support for a stronger global response.

“Small island states are already suffering the impacts of climate change and we need a concerted international response to address this very real threat to humanity,” he said.

Insights December/January 2016 7

News

Rev Dr Andrew Williams, The Hon John Ajaka, Rev Fr. Shenouda, Premier Mike Baird at Parliament House for the Pre-Chanukah celebrations.

Pre-Chanukah celebrations at Parliament House

Project Reconnect needs your help

State Parliamentarians from both sides of politics, gathered with community leaders, dignitaries and representatives from many faiths to mark the Festival of Lights which promotes kindness and goodness.

For the past year, Project Reconnect has been producing DVD resources from its new base in Newcastle.

At a time when the world continues to reel from horrendous terrorist attacks, notably the recent violence in Paris, NSW Premier Mike Baird addressed several hundred guests attending and said: “Our State is one of diversity, promoting a peaceful harmonious multicultural society."

"In light, darkness does not overcome and it is the perfect time for a festive of lights. It is about the triumph of freedom over oppression.

Our society puts a lot of emphasis on freedom. The Festival of Lights is a great symbol for the world right now.”

Invited by the Jewish Board of Deputies (JBD), members of the Uniting Church attended the event, including Rev Dr Andrew Williams and former Moderator Jim Mein.

Both are members of the UCA-JBD Dialogue Group which meets regularly to share insights from their respective faiths into often complex issues.

8 Insights December/January 2016

Each DVD is based on the weekly church lectionary. It features a sermon and an all-ages message, as well as various selections of songs from TIS (Together in Song hymn book), and discussion starters for further contemplation. The DVD can be used in segments, according to the congregation’s existing resources.

The Project Reconnect Community includes remote Congregations, Congregations temporarily without a minister and even private individuals.

Project Reconnect is keen to receive expressions of interest from prospective members of our community — as well as from volunteers — who are willing to assist in our production process. Particularly sought after is a volunteer with some accounting experience to share the accounting role, as well as other volunteers to share the information sheet preparation.

If you think you could help, please contact Charles Pope.

If you think you could help, please Phone:Charles 02 4933 3312 contact Pope at 02 4933 3312 orEmail: chas.pope1@icloud.com chas.pope1@icloud.com

Glenfield aids those in need Glenfield Uniting Church has funded the purchase of 528 bales of hay for drought relief in the North West of NSW and Southern Queensland. Since May 2014, together with support from people outside the Congregation, it have raised $10,560 for the ‘Buy a Bale’ organisation ($20 buys a bale).

The 'Buy a Bale' program provides meaningful support for rural communities in drought, by delivering hay and other essential items to farmers without feed left for cattle.

Donations to 'Buy a Bale' have many effects. Some hay is donated and some is bought, so hay farmers and their families are fed. Some of the truckies donate their time and diesel and some loads are being paid for.

So, truckies and their families are fed.

Finally, the hay that is delivered saves farmers cash, which they can spend on other necessary items.

Throughout December, Glenfield is also supporting the 'Buy a Bale' Christmas Hamper project. Each hamper costs $50 and will be sent to a farming family in need of support.

Hampers are sourced from local stores in the town nearest the relevant family, to also help their community.

Visit BuyaBale.com.au to support this practical and wonderful program or contact Glenfield Uniting Church (0417 992 501) for further details.

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News The combined Eurobodalla Uniting Churches soldier on!

will respond to its request to finance its works at Pivot Point.

Despite not having a full-time minister during the past year, the combined churches of Batemans Bay, Moruya and Tuross Head (on NSW's South Coast) have not felt disheartened or helpless. Even with the additional blow of a Federal Government funding cut to the local Uniting Pivot Point Outreach Centre, these Congregations have found .

Eurobodalla is also praying that a minister or pastor will respond to its call for a full-time minister.

The retired ministers and lay preaching team have maintained regular worship services throughout the year. Congregation members are enjoying the different styles of each preacher. Numbers have happily not dropped off and some new people have even been attracted due to the many outreach activities on offer.

Outreach happens in many different ways and other Uniting Church Congregations might like to consider running similar events. The main form of outreach at Eurobodalla is Caring Club, a fortnightly meeting to entertain Nursing Home residents and other elderly community members.

Also, on four mornings each week, 'Dove In' meets the needs of the lonely with a friendly cuppa. There's also 'Books on Wheels' that takes library materials to those who are unable to leave their homes.

Twice each year, the Eurobodalla Congregations host fundraising concerts, which have proved very popular with the local community.

Three Congregation members with superb voices created a version of The Three Tenors. These singing men have gone on to become greatly sought after, within the local shire and neighbouring ones.

Eurobodalla's concerts raise muchneeded funds for local charities and its own programs, including Pivot Point, which provides assistance to the needy on two mornings per week, Without government funding, though, Eurobodalla cannot give the grocery vouchers, pharmaceutical and travel assistance that it used to offer. It is praying that the Federal Government

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Support for a national redress scheme UCA President Stuart McMillan has warmly welcomed Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten for his commitment to a national redress scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse in Australian institutions.

“A national scheme provides the best possible chance for justice for survivors and is [also] the recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

“Clearly, ongoing commitments will be required by institutions and all governments. Our Church stands ready to play its part.

“The Uniting Church in Australia strongly supports this initial commitment by Labor, and we sincerely hope the Turnbull Government will show similar leadership on this issue.

“For our part the Uniting Church will continue our work to make amends for the wrongs in our past.

“In consultation with any survivors of sexual abuse in our care, we will seek to make amends for what happened and identify how we can best offer support into the future.

“We will also continue to apply the lessons learned from the Royal Commission to improve our practices and processes to make our Church the safest place for children it can possibly be."

The UCA Synod of NSW and the ACT has an interim UnitingRedress scheme for anyone who experienced physical and/or sexual abuse as a child in Uniting Church children’s homes, schools and similar facilities.

The interim scheme will function until such time as a Federal or State redress scheme operates.

To make an enquiry about redress, please contact UnitingRedress Phone: (02) 8267 4332 Email: unitingredress@nswact. org.au Mail: “Confidential” The Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of New South Wales and the ACT UnitingRedress, PO Box A2178 Sydney South, NSW, 1235

Act this Christmas to welcome asylum seekers This year, there has been heightened attention upon the desperate plight of refugees and people seeking asylum.

There are some 9000 asylum seekers living in communities in Sydney and across NSW. They are waiting to apply for a protection visa and be officilly recognised as refugees. While they wait on bridging visas, they survive on minimal income support. They also have limited access to employment, education and accommodation. It can take up to seven years for their claims to be processed.

Not surprisingly, in these uncertain circumstances, it is difficult for people to meet even the most basic needs for themselves and their children, let alone the treats many of us expect during this holiday season.

The story of Christmas reveals a God who meets our flaws with a persistent and generous love, who comes to us as a humble and vulnerable stranger and bids us welcome other strangers.

This Christmas, we can give hope to people seeking asylum through small acts of generosity and kindness.

To find out how to get involved, visit the website or call.

Online: www.givehope.org.au/ get_involved/act-this-christmas-towelcome-people-seeking-asylum Phone: (02) 9407 3230

Insights December/January 2016 9

News

We are Uniting I am pleased to let you know that on 25 November, UnitingCare NSW.ACT launched its new brand Uniting.

It has been developed over a five year period, supported by in-depth research and thorough consultation with employees, volunteers, suppliers, the people we serve, and the wider church and community. During the five years, we reassessed the true essence of who we are and what we stand for as the community services and advocacy ministry of the Uniting Church. Our brand essence was developed from our foundation statement: “Christ invites us to serve humanity by creating an inclusive, connected and just world” (this is drawn from the Uniting Church's 'Basis of Union'). The theological underpinnings of our new brand essence were developed by our former Director of Mission, the late Rev. Peter Pereira. These underpinnings can be found at our website www.uniting.org Under our new brand Uniting, we will continue to proudly serve vulnerable and disadvantaged people. We also will be run by exactly the same people.

So why the change?

Uniting is made up of more than 8,000 staff, 3,000 volunteers and we serve 30,000 people every year.

Yet when we asked the average person to name a community services organisation, only one in 100 thought of us. This is a real problem as it threatens our future sustainability.

In February 2017, Community Care (Ageing) will be deregulated and we expect by 2020 that Residential Aged Care also will be deregulated. As the largest provider of Residential Aged 10 Insights December/January 2016

Care in Australia, Uniting in NSW and the ACT will face serious competition.

For example, if we lost 10 per cent of our bed occupancy in the first year of competition, Uniting could lose $40 million in that year alone.

We need to prepare for this new competitive environment. We need to start advertising and professionally promoting our services. This has never been done before. Our research demonstrated that our existing branding would not do the job and that Uniting is a strong, distinctive brand that will help us build a strong future.

When the Uniting brand is used consistently across all of our services, we will start to look more like one family and more people will get to know us and understand that we are here for them.

The meaning behind the new logo There has been some concern expressed that the Uniting Church of Australia logo is now separated from our logo. However, look closely and you will see our new logo brings our Christian foundation to the centre.

have removed the “Care” from our name? Research has shown that the word care, associated with faith-based organisations, now has a negative connotation for many, particularly due to the recent Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Care is also a ‘generic’ word, used by many organisations. We need to stand out and Uniting is seen as a strong active way to describe who we are. Research also showed that NSW.ACT Synod Standing Committee, membe the word Uniting provided stronger enthusiasm for our newabrand. association and connection to the Unitinghave Church in the hearts Some also asked usand why we have remove minds of people in the community. shown that the word care, associated with faith This is important.

Rest assured, we willwith the recen connotation for many, particularly never stop caring about others – it’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Care is also part of who we are.

organisations. We need to stand out and Unitin How we can are.

I findResearch out more? also showed that the wo who and connection the Uniting Church in the hea Uniting has beentoholding This is important.

Rest assured, we will never s conversations and presentations for members of Uniting Church are. congregations throughout NSW and

How can I findunderstandings out more? of the ACT to share

our new brand. If you would like more

Uniting has please been holding conversations and pre information, email events@ congregations throughout NSW and the ACT to unitingcarenswact.org.au, call you would like information, Camille Craig on more (02) 9768 6818 or please email e Camille Craig (Mon – Wed) on (02) 9768 6818 visit our website www.uniting.org Grace and Grace andpeace, peace,

Peter Worland Peter Worland Executive Director NSW.ACT, Uniting Executive Director NSW.ACT, Uniting

The symbol of the cross is at its heart (the ‘t’), with a person either side of it (each ‘i’) to represent connection and inclusivity. There’s also room to incorporate the Uniting Church logo with ours. This is in line with Uniting Church guidelines and has been endorsed by the NSW.ACT Board and supported by the national committee of UnitingCare Australia.

After presenting the final look and feel of Uniting to the NSW.ACT Synod Standing Committee, members of the committee expressed their enthusiasm for our new brand.

Some have also asked us why we insights.uca.org.au

From the General Secretary’s desk Leading with a common purpose

I

recently spoke at a men’s fellowship meeting where my topic was ‘Is there a future for the Uniting Church?’ Much conventional wisdom about leadership has assumed a sole visionary must provide primary leadership for a group. The temptation, likewise, is to think that the answer for our Church or Congregation is a single innovative leader. The right pastoral leader is surely important, but we are long beyond the ability of any single individual to solve today’s challenges.

Rev. Dr Andrew Williams General Secretary The General Secretary is appointed by the Synod to provide leadership to the Church by actively engaging in strategic thinking about the life, direction, vision and mission of the Church.

A single leader still plays an important role in our Church or Congregations, but it is now a role of serving as a spiritual inquirer and discerner who elicits from various sources clues for God’s next faithful step. One person’s wisdom is not sufficient, but neither is the more political process of gathering a group’s preferences and calling it a vision.

A leader can create a context in which many ideas emerge. Some of these efforts will turn out to be well-intentioned failures but, without negative judgment, another try emerges that may be so blessed by God’s Spirit that everyone will know it has promise for the future.

God, indeed, put all the separate parts into the body on purpose, but we can easily forget that truth. We spend inordinate time longing for the leader who will make things, if not right, at least better. Paul reminds us in I Corinthians 12 of the inappropriateness of such thinking.

About a decade ago, Linda Hill and other researchers set out to study innovative organisations from a range of fields and nations. Their goal was to understand the role of the primary leader in creating innovative organisations. They discovered in each organisation studied that their leaders had moved away from the more traditional roles of direction setting and

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undertaken the new role of creating a culture in which innovation thrives. They call this ’Collective genius’.

Traditional leadership seems to still work when the problems are clear cut and the solutions are, even if difficult, at least known. But these are not usual times for the Church, its Congregations and their leaders.

In Hill’s research, the challenges were not always apparent, and few spoke with assurance about solutions. The research also found that innovative leaders no longer could afford to surround themselves with ‘their’ people who instinctively supported the leader’s ideas This is where pastoral leaders in particular become anxious. Differences and conflict are inevitable when you seek diversity in the make-up of those involved. But it is out of creative tension that innovation is born.

There must always be a bias for action — usually a great deal of trial and error. Helping everyone become comfortable with acting their way forward rather than planning their way forward is a new role for leaders. This involves a greater willingness to take risks than most churches now possess.

But there is one lesson Hill and her colleagues learned concerning where this new leader must continue the best of traditional leadership. While experiments and risks are required for innovation, all those involved must be clear that they are pursuing a common purpose and shared values. Unless leaders make sure that purpose and values stay true and at the forefront of everything, then the result will more likely be chaos than innovation.

As we enter into the Christmas season, may we join in the creative chaos which God intends when he enters our world. May we also be crystal clear about the vision of God’s mission – to travel with, and save a world in need. Have a blessed Christmas!

Insights December/January 2016 11

Sudanese National Conference Bridges of hope

W

hen Gai Kur Akuei arrived at Brisbane Airport for the Uniting Church in Australia’s South Sudanese National Conference, he was greeted by members of the Nuer Faith Community. It was the first time Gai had spoken to a Nuer person since war erupted in South Sudan in December, 2013.

A power struggle between President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his deputy dragged Africa’s newest nation into a bloody conflict. Both sides seized upon tribal divides to further the war for their own gain. In just under two years, tens of thousands of people have lost their lives.

More than two million people have fled their homes – around the same number as the entire population of Brisbane.

Gai, who is secretary of Adelaide’s Dinka Faith community, lost a cousin in the violenct civil unrest in South Sudan.

This was another painful loss in what has been a harrowing journey for Gai. As a young boy, Gai was forcibly separated from his family to be trained for the army. He still mourns the loss of his father who was killed in 1991 in another conflict. Gai spent 12 years living in a

12 Insights December/January 2016

refugee camp in Kenya, where ongoing tribal violence meant he feared for his life every night. He was married in the camp and Gai, his wife and three children were able to come to Australia as refugees in 2004. Their airfares were paid by a Uniting Church congregation. They now have seven children and live peacefully in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.

God has sent us here today to become messengers When people meet from the largely Christian South Sudanese population in Australia, unspoken words between them can deeply reflect the hurt and distrust they have carried from the warfare in their home country.

From Gai’s Nuer welcome at Brisbane airport, he was taken to the family home of Pastor Moses Leth, the minister for the Nuer Faith Community in Brisbane.

It hosted the conference, along with the Presbytery of South Moreton at St. David’s Uniting Church in Coopers Plains.

As a Dinka man, having not spoken with any Nuer person for two years, Gai found himself sitting, eating and praying alongside his country people. The experience transformed him.

The next day, Gai stood up and spoke to the South Sudanese members gathered from across Australia at the National Conference. “God has sent us here today to become messengers — to make peace in South Sudan, starting with our communities here and then back home,” said Gai. “I am the right person and you are the right person to make that reconciliation and that peace.”

Gai is currently studying to become a minister in the Uniting Church. He attended the Conference at the last minute. He was prompted by his lecturer Rev. Dr Amelia Koh-Butler to write about the experience, to help his studies.

With flights confirmed just days before, Gai said it was God’s plan for him to attend the three-day National Conference, held between 25 and 27 September.

“There are 64 tribes in South Sudan and they are very conflicted,” explained insights.uca.org.au

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Gai. “They need to be connected. I feel I need to do that work.”

The will for peace and reconciliation permeated the conference. With the fitting theme ‘Building Bridges of Hope’, the conference brought together about 40 South Sudanese members of the Uniting Church from Perth, Darwin, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and regional parts of Queensland.

A highlight of the program was the presence of Rev. James Makuei Choul, the Executive Director of the Presbyterian Relief and Development Agency of South Sudan (PRDA). Rev. Choul has been on the frontline of the emergency response and work for peace in South Sudan.

His visit to Australia was facilitated by UnitingWorld, which partners with PRDA and the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan (PCoSS).

Rev. Choul indicated the vital role the Church in South Sudan must take to build peace between communities. “There has been a lot of trauma. For people to even hear the name of a certain tribe can be a source of conflict.”

“People praying in the church were asking, ‘Why do we not ask God for those causing the problem to die?’ But our God is not magic. Our God is different from us.

“Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.’

That is the message we have for people as a Church.”

PCoSS lost 10 pastors due to the warfare. Churches, schools and other infrastructure have been flattened. The Church faces the task of rebuilding both physically and emotionally.

Rev. Choul said the healing would begin with the Church leaders themselves.

Fifty pastors have already taken part in workshops where they could share their experiences of the war. PCoSS plans to equip its church leaders to become peace-builders in their own communities.

compassion, a God who in Christ has destroyed the walls of hostility between people and who calls us and equips us to be peacemakers.”

Later, Pastor Leth shared how grateful the South Sudanese members were for the welcome they had experienced from the Uniting Church in Australia, particularly from its leaders.

God will use you to make a bridge for others “We ask ourselves, if these people can love us so much, surely we can extend this love to each other.”

Following a national gathering in Adelaide in 2012, the South Sudanese National Conference was the first official meeting of its kind. It became the newest of the UCA’s 11 national conferences.

As well as conversations about peace, participants shared in fellowship and prayer. A Brisbane-based Anglican South Sudanese community performed cultural dance and song. Congregations from the South Moreton Presbytery provided food for participants. This included a Maori dinner as well as a cultural welcome from Logan Central Multicultural Uniting Church and an African feast prepared by the Nuer Faith Community.

Also in attendance was National Director for Multicultural and Cross Cultural Ministry, Rev. Dr Apwee Ting.

He spoke about the way the Uniting Church embraces cultural diversity as a gift from God. He affirmed participants in their journey towards reconciliation.

“When you come together and make reconciliation, God will use you to make a bridge for others,” he said.

UnitingWorld’s National Director Rob Floyd spoke about its support for the people of South Sudan since 2010. In particular, UnitingWorld funds a midwifery school which has trained 59 women to become midwives, a significant step in helping to reduce high maternal and infant mortality rates in South Sudan.

The current cohort of 20 students was relocated to Lokichoggio in Kenya after the midwifery school in Leer was torched during the civil violence. The female students who made a perilous journey out of the country are now completing practical training at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya — and making a difference for mothers there.

Mr Floyd said UnitingWorld stood ready to support the Presbyterian Church, particularly as it rebuilds and trains new leaders to take positions of leadership in the peacebuilding process.

It was this same commitment to justice that inspired Gai Kur Akuei to serve in the Uniting Church.

His great hope is to one day return to South Sudan and serve as a chaplain in the army.

“The soldiers do not know the Word of God, they do not know they are good people. I want to share with them that regardless of the tribalism, they are children of God. They are brothers.”

Indeed, bridges of hope have been laid for the people of South Sudan, here in Australia — and in their homeland. We are all gifted by their shared hope for peace.

Rebecca Beisler

A ceasefire agreement signed in August remains fragile but Rev. Choul said the desire for peace is strong among the South Sudanese. He asked the UCA for its continued support and prayers.

Also significant was the presence of UCA President Stuart McMillan for the duration of the conference. His opening sermon provided great encouragement to the South Sudanese members.

“My friends, as a Christian, I know that all people are created in the image of God,” he said. “A God of love and forgiveness, a God of mercy and 14 Insights December/January 2016

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POSITIONS VACANT At Terrigal Uniting Church MUSIC CO-ORDINATOR Permanent part-time, 15 hours per week.

Responsible for encouraging and facilitating music for worship, growing new musicians & introducing new music into the life of our church.

PASTORAL CARE WORKER Permanent part-time, 10 hours per week.

To assist with the pastoral care of the Terrigal Uniting Church faith community.

Terrigal Uniting Church is a regional congregation on the Central Coast of NSW. The successful candidates will need to work alongside a team of 5 staff as well as many volunteers under the leadership of the Minister of the Word.

Enquiries to Kristy on 4385 1248 or minpatuc@fastmail.com.au Applications close: Thursday 31st Dec 2015

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Cactus Community Burwood Applications Open for 2016 Students THE CACTUS COMMUNITY is an ‘Intentional Christian Community’ that seeks to encourage individuals to understand and use their unique, God-given gifts and abilities.

We offer a variety of accommodation options that is close to public transportation, cafes and shops. Our houses are located minutes from the Burwood station which is only 15 minutes from the Sydney CBD. For more information contact: Amanda at burwoodscoc@gmail.com www.burwood-croydon.unitingchurch.org.au/cactus/ Cactus Community is a ministry initiative of the Burwood Croydon Uniting Churches.

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An Eco-friendly Christmas Ref lections of a special time

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T

here is much joy that can be found in giving and when you think beyond your world of ‘you’, your giving can extend more widely and be even more rewarding. These reflections on Christmas are a timely reminder of our role and place on this earth, and how the decisions we make as individuals can have a positive impact on others.

The gift of giving Ecological reflections on Christmas often start with the waste.

Food waste, wrapping paper, unwanted presents that end up in landfill or, to make us feel better, in the charity bin.

Christmas, like many a festival, is a season of tremendous excess. And that is just the stuff that makes it into our homes – let alone the extra perishable and non-perishable items that must be stocked in the shops so that we can make our choices.

The transformation of Christmas into

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a commodity fuels consumption and waste, at great cost to the Earth, and excludes those who cannot afford to be part of it.

A different place to start is the concept and practice of giving.

At Christmas, we celebrate the gift of the Christ-child, the incarnation of God in a human life – a life given in love, generosity and compassion for the sake of the world. We, too, give and receive gifts in acknowledgment of this amazing gift from God. There are many ways in which giving is at work at Christmas-time. The making of gifts for loved ones, the careful preparations for guests, or the volunteer efforts at Christmas activities such as the Exodus Christmas Day Lunch.

The account of Creation in Genesis 1 and 2 reveals the Earth to be God’s gift to humanity. A gift to be used responsibly that needs to be safeguarded and cherished. Humans are also described as God’s gift to the Garden: created

to serve and protect it. This divine arrangement of Creation has led to a myriad of relationships of giving and receiving throughout the complex web of life on Earth.

Shel Silverstein’s classic children’s book The Giving Tree is a story of the changing relationship between a tree and a human over a lifetime.

As a child, the boy plays in the tree and eats her apples. As he grows into adulthood, he sells her fruit to make money, then uses her wood to build a house and later a boat. Throughout it all, the tree gives graciously.

At the end of the story, after some time has passed, the tree (now a stump) provides a quiet place for the old man to sit and rest.

The Giving Tree provides much food for thought on giving and receiving, on exploitation and taking, and on gratitude.

We find that it generates a lot of deep discussion, and you might like to use it at church during Advent.

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You can’t always get what you want…

Ever been annoyed at not getting what you wanted for Christmas? Children and adults alike can be frustrated and disappointed when hopes are dashed on Christmas morning.

But not receiving a particular present is nowhere near as serious as what might have been felt by some who were directly connected with the first Christmas. There were so many expectations for what the arrival of The Messiah would bring, and it can appear as if they weren't realised.

Ancient priest Zechariah and prophetess Anna didn’t seem to get what they wanted for Christmas. They had wanted the Messiah’s arrival to bring redemption to Israel. To save her from her enemies and free Israel to live without fear (Luke 1:67-2:38). But even after Jesus showed up, the Roman occupation continued. Eventually, capital city Jerusalem was sacked.

The Lord’s angel also didn’t seem to get what he wanted for Christmas.

To the shepherds outside Bethlehem, the angel declared peace amongst all whom God favours (Luke 2:14).

But what followed the birth of Jesus was not an end to schisms or warfare between God’s people.

Remember John the Baptist? It looks like he didn’t get what he wanted for Christmas either. He wanted God’s chosen One, with fire and wrath, to thrash the oppressor and save the righteous. But when Jesus grew up and began his public ministry of teaching and healing, John still had to ask, “Are you really the one we are waiting for?”

(Luke 3:7-20, 7:18-20) Even Jesus’ mother Mary also didn’t seem to get what she wanted for Christmas. Because whatever it is that she did want, it would not have been the torture and butchering of her son (John 19:25). Even in the light of the triumph of Easter, Mary’s Christmas wishes for her son’s life must surely have been vastly different.

What about us? What are our Christmas wishes that we don’t get?

We can jokingly say “world peace” when we are asked what we want for Christmas. Perhaps we make light of such an important hope precisely because, after 2000 years since Jesus came, we don’t expect it anymore.

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The first recorded message Jesus delivered in public includes him saying that he was God’s chosen One sent to “preach good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and to set free the oppressed” (Luke 4:16-21).

But Jesus went further than that. Not only had he been sent for such tasks, Jesus revealed he had fulfilled it.

While it seemed as if Zechariah, Anna, John, Mary and an angel didn’t get what they wanted for Christmas, Jesus says otherwise. His words point to a spiritual truth being confirmed, providing a deeper dimension to the expectations of all those associated with Jesus. What they wanted for Christmas was fulfilled in Jesus.

Even though the many things he “preached” and “proclaimed” can seem far from a reality, the four gospels reveal Jesus did everything the Messiah was expected to do.

Give to those from whom we expect nothing in return That’s hardly the same story with us, though. Just think about the way that we keep falling short in our our attempts to practically bring about the things that he is recorded as saying in Luke 4:16-21. Especially in the dayto-day interactions that are going on between people, everywhere.

Two thousand years has told us that good news for the poor, on a practical level, requires sacrifice by the rich. In a similar way, release of the captives requires paying a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work.

Sight for the blind requires the opening of our eyes to what’s really going on around us. And, practically, freedom from oppression means an end to the comfortable lifestyles which are built upon oppression, as well as a return of wealth and resources to those people and nations from whom they were stolen.

And not just for humans, but for all creatures impacted by our botched stewardship of God’s creation. Those creatures whose lands have been stolen to feed our greed. Who languish in captivity to provide us with cheap meat and eggs. Who are tormented to

test our products. All those creatures of God’s garden, whom we were created to serve and protect. Or all those members of the family whose wealth so many of us squander like prodigal children (Luke 12:33,34).

As we think about what it is we want at Christmas, will it be our return from the “pig pen” to the family? Do we want to reconcile with our “older brother” who has always lived well in the family?

And if that is what we want, how will we go about getting it?

It’s as simple, and hard, as giving God what he wanted for Christmas: “This is my beloved Son, he said: “Listen to him.” (Luke 9:35) God wants us to wholeheartedly following his beloved son. And that's a gift that keeps on giving. For anyone who has “the words of eternal life” has been provided with the best guidance for blessing and keeping all God has given us in Creation.

All dollars and no sense: Christmas spending Christmas spending in Australia is about $18 billion per year, including $8 billion on gifts. In comparison, total government spending on health is $155 billion per year, including about $5 billion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Some 20 million Christmas gifts are unwanted and around a third of Christmas food is wasted.

“For it is in giving that we receive” St Francis of Assisi reminded us in his hymn — Make Me a Channel of your Peace — of the importance of focusing on giving rather than receiving. He echoed Jesus’ call to give to those from whom we expect nothing in return.

It’s a real challenge for some people to avoid the need for generosity to be reciprocated. For others, the challenge is to avoid the obligation to reciprocate; to be open to graciously receiving a gift or even a compliment without feeling the need to give one back.

To what extent does this fear of being in debt to others drive our wasteful giving? Perhaps allowing someone to enact Jesus’ command — to give to us freely — is the great gift we need to develop this year. insights.uca.org.au

Fairphone components are constructed from conflictfree tin and tantalum, sourced ethically from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Think buying "green" this Christmas. There are plenty of places online that offer fair trade and ethical gifts.

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Love your enemies One of the amazing things that Jesus said was to love our enemies. Who else but the Son of God himself has called us to love those that hate us?

As we consider what it means to live rightly in God's Creation at Christmas, Jesus' teaching on loving our enemies is a lynchpin. As you weigh up all the choices you make this Christmas, ask whether you are just being loving to those that you find it easy to love.

And as you are unwrapping that wisdom from Jesus, take time to consider the many other ethical standards he set for his followers, such as is recorded in Luke 6:27-38.

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you."

"If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat, do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Love your enemies, do good, expecting nothing in return "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

"But love your enemies, do good, and lend expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back." insights.uca.org.au

Some gifts that will positively impact the planet Green gifts

There are many places online that offer ethical, fair trade and green gifts to give this Christmas. By searching online, you can make a radical difference by stopping poor employment practices.

You also can make sure that profits from the gifts actually go to the producers, and that the items you purchase are sustainable and won’t impact the environment.

Fairtrade for a fairer world

Fair trade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices, fair trade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.

Today, more than six million people — farmers, producers, workers and their families — in 70 countries benefit from the unique, independent fair trade system. Fair trade provides farmers and workers in developing countries with a fair price (the 'Fair Trade Price') for their produce, helping protect them from damaging fluctuations in world market prices. They also receive an additional sum of money (the 'Fair Trade Premium') for investment in social, economic and environmental development in their community, such as educational and medical facilities.

Fair trade certification standards also prohibit the use of forced and abusive child labour.

Fair trade delivers a better deal for farmers and producers in the developing world through:  A fair and stable price for their produce Security of long-term contracts   I nvestment in local c ommunity development  Improved working conditions nvironmentally sustainable  E farming methods

upport in gaining the  S knowledge and skills needed to operate successfully in the global economy For more information about Fair Trade Australia and places you can buy fair trade products, go to the website: www.fairtrade.com.au

A smartphone that’s actually smart and ethical

Smartphones are part of our everyday life, but don’t you wonder how ethical the components in your phone are? Fairphone is a social enterprise that is building a movement for fairer electronics. By making a phone, they’re opening up the supply chain and creating new relationships between people and their products. As a company, they are making a positive impact across the value chain in mining, design, manufacturing and life cycle, while expanding the market for products that put ethical values first.

The phones are constructed from conflict-free tin and tantalum, sourced ethically from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Tin and tantalum are two of the minerals recognised for financing rebel groups in the DRC and surrounding countries.

Fairphone wants to create lasting improvements in working conditions and employee wellbeing and is developing a worker welfare program that provides training and skills development to increase worker representation. It's also developing a fund to finance projects identified by the workers themselves.

If you have a problem with your smartphone and want it sorted, Fairphone also gives users ownership of every part of their phone – including software. Fairphone believes this increases transparency and gives consumers more choice. They’re striving to open their source code with the developer community and are working with established vendors to offer alternative operating systems. www.fairphone.com Insights December/January 2016 21

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The true art of good giving “D

o you want a mango, Aunty? I’ll climb the tree for you!” Rohil, 10 years old and in the cleanest, whitest shirt you’ll ever see, is leaping the drain before any of us can stop him.

His sister and her best friend are laughing, flowers tucked behind their ears and shaking with shared mirth.

“Don’t fall Rohil!” they cry, scampering between the trees, looking for the best vantage point. “Do you want a mango, Aunty?”

The thing is, I do want a mango — very much. And more than that, I want to see the delight on their faces when these three beautiful children, around the same age as my own, hand it to me the way they’ve handed me things all morning: home-cooked daal from the table in their colourful corrugated iron church; a long piece of string laced between fingers and thumb in the shape of a tea-cup; every colourful flower we pass as we pick our way between their homes across tyres submerged in mud.

These children love to give.

They tell me about the high tides that regularly flood their community in Suva, Fiji’s capital city. They point out the watermarks on the side of their homes.

They excitedly recal the time their Aunty rolled up all the blankets and ran with the baby. They tell me about the kids who swim in the flooded, open drains.

“That must be pretty tough,” I say, as though we’re discussing a difficult maths problem, and they agree.

That’s life in one of Suva’s poorest settlements; a place that has drawn families ot it with the promise of more secure employment in the big city.

What they found instead was very little electricity, few water sources and poor sanitation. If not for the tyre pathways connecting the housing, the people here would be knee deep in tidal mud. insights.uca.org.au

The community works hard to keep the area clean, but they’re at the mercy of the tide, which constantly brings debris and odours into their living areas. Yet they’re proud of their homes and everything they have. They’re also determined to invest in education for their children.

The three children I’ve spent the morning with take me to visit a woman who makes and sells her own jewellery.

They eagerly advise me on what to buy.

These children, who in spite of everything, still loved to give “It’s very hard here, and there’s no work.” the woman tells me. “But I feel like I have to do something, it doesn’t matter how small it is. A lady showed me how to do this and I love it.

“Here, you can have this one for free,” she offers.

Later, as we sprawl on the floor of the church eating a lunch cooked by the Congregation, I ask the children what is good about living here.

“It’s like a family,” says one of the children, Cynthia. “We do everything together. We go to some different schools but we’re always together here.

“That’s what’s good.”

Cynthia wants to become a vet; maybe a teacher. Rohil dreams of becoming a policeman. Many children here attend school with the help of people in the Uniting Church in Australia, who help to buy uniforms and text books through UnitingWorld’s Everything in Common gift catalogue.

Without such support, the dreams of these children will never see the light of day.

Our Church partner, the Methodist Church in Fiji, works with this community to provide support for children to attend local schools. It is committed to the idea that education is one of the keys to breaking the poverty cycle for these families.

A local Methodist couple donated some of their land for the building of the church, which has one of the only regular supplies of electricity in the area.

Thanks to this project, children from the settlement can use the building to complete homework, as do two older students who are now at university.

Back home in Australia, I buy mangoes from our supermarket and my children tell me that mango is the smell of Christmas. And as I consider the impending rush of gift buying, I’m also remembering the children of Suva who, in spite of everything, still loved to give.

You can support the children in the Suva community through two unique gifts in our Everything in Common catalogue.

• The $10 ‘Set for School’ gift ensures children living in Fiji’s squatter settlements — such as those who are pictured, left — are provided with the resources they need to go to school.

• The $40 ‘Care in Crisis’ gift supports communities throughout the Pacific as they battle the traumas of climate change.

Cath Taylor

To buy these gifts and find out how you can support other projects through Everything in Common, visit www.everythingincommon. com.au Insights December/January 2016 23

The other side of Struggle Street S

truggle Street was a television documentary that aired on SBS in 2015. It explored the lives of a number of families and individuals living in Sydney’s Mt Druitt area. It was controversial for the ways in which the film-makers reinforced stereotypes about people living with socio-economic disadvantage.

Some of the Bidwill residents who appeared in Struggle Street are well known to John Dacey, the Community Minister at Bidwill Uniting. John has been working alongside Bidwill residents for eight years and has witnessed positive changes in the community during that time.

“One of the defining characteristics of the community of Bidwill and, indeed, most disadvantaged communities, is that it has a highly relational culture," says John. "One reality we have identified is that ‘nothing happens without relationships'.”

“There is an incredible resilience in this community — a lot of strengths and good people working for the good of Bidwill. It is unfair to choose some of the most disadvantaged people in Australia, film them and then choose only the negative bits to put on TV,” says John about how the Struggle Street documentary was put together.

John is responsible for facilitating Bidwill Uniting’s programs to ensure services are available and accessible to the Bidwill community. During his time with Bidwill Uniting, John has developed a strong network of community groups, schools, businesses and volunteers that share the goals of Bidwill Uniting. They all work together to deliver integrated programs aimed at encouraging residents in the local area.

“I choose to place my capacities at the service of those who miss out so that I might contribute something to their efforts to achieve their full potential. I also want to contribute to

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the task of building a fairer society,” says John.

His ministry through Bidwill Uniting is relationally-based and John is committed to developing and maintaining relationships with those around him. He wants to establish a sense of trust and mutual respect that will endure in the long-term.

You shall love your neighbour as yourself Relationship-based ministry was a model that Jesus used and taught his followers to pursue. In Matthew 22:3740, Jesus tells us that the greatest of all the commandments is: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart…

And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” (NRSV) John's commitment — and that of the Bidwill Uniting team — is to love their neighbours by building lasting partnerships that support, encourage and nurture. The makers of Struggle Street did not appear to have any commitment to the communities and people of Mt Druitt. The result was a product that made for good television ratings but, in the prcoess, exploited and further marginalised the residents of the Mt Druitt area.

In contrast to Struggle Street, the 2013 documentary Beyond Bidwill focused upon the fruit of the Bidwill Uniting ministry. It documented the experiences of four young men from Bidwill as they undertook an arduous trek in the Tasmanian wilderness. They were supported by their trusted mentor, Joshua Bleyerveen (who was Bidwill Uniting youth pastor at the time), and experienced guide, Rev. Mel Macarthur.

These young men pushed themselves beyond endurance to complete a 70km wilderness trek, learning a lot about themselves and each other along

the way. The young men made use of the unfamiliar and radically different surroundings to reflect on their past and future directions.

Young filmmaker Josh Wyatt made Beyond Bidwill He said the young men bonded quickly, and this is evident through the candid interviews he recorded with each of the boys.

"They were looking for a filmmaker to capture the journey through the wilderness of Tasmania," Wyatt told News Local in 2013, ahead of the documentary being submitted to the prestigious Sundance Film Festival.

"You can see how nature opened up

2770: More than just a postcode

Postcode 2770 should not define or limit the individuals working and living within it. Bidwill Uniting works with residents to help them break free of the stereotypes and stigma, assisting them with living a fulfilling life.

Located 43 kilometres west of Sydney's CBD, Mt Druitt was a semirural community before the State Government, during the 1960s, built one of the largest concentrations of state housing in NSW. Since then, Mt Druitt has had, for better or worse, a distinct reputation that precedes it.

But rather than be held back by reputation, Bidwill Uniting community minister John Dacey believes “it’s important to celebrate the area’s diversity, share people’s struggles and successes, connect with their spirituality and help advocate for change. In an area like Mt Druitt, with its high percentages of unemployed people, single-parent families, lowincome households, indigenous people and people from non-English speaking backgrounds, respect and recognition has a profound effect.” insights.uca.org.au

Photos this page and over are taken from the documentary Beyond Bidwill.

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Get to know the neighbourhood Mt Druitt

•C omprises 11 smaller suburbs, including Bidwill, the location of Bidwill Uniting’s hall and office.

•H as the largest concentration of single-parent families in NSW.

their minds and hearts," Wyatt said of the film and the Tasmania experience.

built on trust and mutual respect — uniting life and faith."

•C ontains the largest urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in Australia.

Beyond Bidwill highlights the strengths of these young men, capturing the unique physical and emotional challenges each of them went through.

The important ministry of Bidwill Uniting does not benefit from the financial support of a local Congregation, which means that it relies on the support of the broader Uniting Church.

•H as higher than usual incidences of domestic violence, as well as alcohol and substance abuse.

•H ad an unemployment rate of 10.5 per cent (2011), compared with Greater Sydney 5.7 per cent and the NSW average of 5.9 per cent.

Among these statistics are a community that comprises: • L eaders of the local Dharug Aboriginal community.

•M any different cultures, including a strong Pacific Island community.

• I nspirational individuals defying the stereotypes of their community.

•A community of people with a capacity for surviving.

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The wisdom and insight they gain is truly inspiring. Their triumph and dignity are highlighted in the face of temptation and struggle.

Relationship built on trust and mutual respect, uniting life and faith “At Bidwill Uniting we aim to walk alongside the people of Bidwill, supporting them and encouraging them to work towards what is important to them," says John.

"We aim to connect people with community, [and that] community with God, through an ongoing relationship

There are many ways that you can support the work of Bidwill Uniting.

They need volunteers to support their programs and they also need advocates for their ministry, Bidwill Uniting also would love your prayer support, as well as any financial assistance you could provide.

If you would like to know more about the work of Bidwill Uniting, host a screening of Beyond Bidwill, or have a speaker attend your congregation, use these contacts: Phone: (02) 9835 2970 Visit: www.bidwilluniting.org.au insights.uca.org.au

COME HOLY SPIRIT, RENEW OUR HEARTS DIARISE THE DATE 16-19 April 2016, Great Hall, Knox Grammar School, Wahroonga PRAY FOR THE MEETING Pray for your elected members as they gather to seek God’s will for the life, mission and future of the Church. As the Moderator, Rev. Myung Hwa Park has said that as members meet, they wait on the Holy Spirit to enliven and renew our sense of mission purpose and calling in our communities and our state.

CHECK FOR UPDATES AND VIDEOS ON THE WEBSITE We’ve launched the Synod Meeting 2016 website at Synod2016.uca.org.au for all regular updates and news on the event.

MEMBER REGISTRATION Soon representatives elected by their presbyteries will be sent out information to register. Members can then download the Synod2016 App for their phones and tablets to be kept up to date with reports in the lead up to the event.

GUEST SPEAKER Fr Stephen Bevans, SVD will be a featured guest speaker at the event. Fr Bevans is a Roman

Catholic priest in the Society of the Divine Word, an international missionary congregation, and served for nine years (1972-1981) as a missionary in the Philippines. He has published numerous books on the subject of mission and missiology.

In 2014, he was one of four Catholics appointed by the Vatican to the Commission on World Mission and Evangelization at the World Council of Churches (WCC). He has taught and lectured in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Italy, Ireland, Taiwan, Ghana, Thailand, and Hong Kong.

Courtesy of Entertainment One, Insights has 40 double passes to give away to SPOTLIGHT. SPOTLIGHT is a tense investigative thriller starring Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton and Rachel McAdams, and tells the riveting true story of a team of Boston Globe journalists who exposed one of the biggest cover-ups in modern times.

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SPOTLIGHT - IN CINEMAS FROM JANUARY 28 insights.uca.org.au

Insights December/January 2016 27

Living an ethical life W

hen it comes to social justice, members of the Uniting Church can find that making good choices often goes against the flow of culture. But with the right tools and framework, Congregations are already making a difference. And all others can do the same.

Born in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and ordained as a Presbyterian Minister in 1983, Rev. Dr Margaret Mayman (pictured right) holds a PhD in Christian Social Ethics from Union Theological Seminary in New York. For 12 years, she lived, studied and taught there.

Rev. Dr Mayman is the minister at Pitt Street Uniting Church, Sydney. She discussed with Insights what it takes in ethical thinking to really make a difference for the common good. She also delves into the important things that Congregations have to offer on the ethical front.

do ethics and religion Q How relate?

Ethics responds to the question — “How then shall we live?” — drawing on the theological understandings we have, the Biblical interpretation, theological reflection and the things that we know because of that.

[As ministers] we don’t always make that connection very well for people in our Congregations and for ourselves.

The Reformed tradition has often been focused on our creedal statements and confessional churches have placed a great deal of emphasis on the content of our faith, and maybe not always enough on the content of our character.

One distinctive aspect of Christian social ethics is it is not just concerned with the content of our character [as individuals] but also about the common good. When we make decisions we don’t make them as isolated individuals. We make them in a social context, which is not always just. There is inequity and discrimination and these things have to be borne in mind when we are looking at how ethical decisions are made.

In social ethics, you access tools to enable you to analyse what’s going on.

The theological and Biblical resources that we have are enormously enriching in 28 Insights December/January 2016

our lives but they are not the only things that God has given us. For example, people who will do Christian social ethics in the context of business must understand how economic decisions are made and how corporations function.

ethics just for Q Isphilosophers or intellectuals?

No, it is something for all of us as people of faith. We all need to think about the ethical dimensions of our lives. That involves living thoughtfully, questioning the way things are, asking why things are the way they are, and who benefits from the status quo. We are talking about loving God, loving our neighbour as ourselves and, so, there is also an ethical responsibility to care for ourselves.

Choice is part of ethical decision making. We have the choice to live differently One of the issues that is important to my community at Pitt Street is thinking about environmental issues within the context of faith. And that’s a great example of an ethical challenge because you can look in the Bible and find all sorts of things that are potential resources for how we might live well on the planet earth, but you also have to acknowledge there are things in our sacred texts that don’t help us live well in our current context. For environmental ethics it does mean being willing to take the insights that science provides and read those alongside the texts.

Many people have begun to talk about Congregations as communities of practice. We are not just theological think tanks. We are places where people practise their faith.

is ethical Q What thinking?

When you study ethics, you learn about theories of ethics. A lot of people believe ethics is about rules and principles. But where do these principles and rules come from? Is it God telling us? Is it natural law?

Is it the culture? Is it received wisdom?

One of the things you become aware of is that rules or principles on their own aren’t enough, because sometimes they come into conflict with each other.

Ethical theory helps us to analyse what’s happening rather than actually providing us with the answers.

The other major stream of ethics is Utilitarianism — the greatest good for the greatest number and maximising happiness. But that also has its problems because if the greatest number is always your concern, then you don’t pay attention to the needs of dispossessed people and marginalised minorities which, from a Christian point of view, is not an adequate ethic in itself. But you can use Utilitarianism as one of the tools available for ethical reflection.

From a Christian ethical point of view, the theory I prefer is Teleology.

It's concerned with the "telos", the end point, or goal, in history. Christian ethics is grounded in the vision of the reign of God. The ethical question is, "How do we get from where we are to the kind of world that we believe God wants, and the kind of character God wants us to embody in terms of kindness, forgiveness, patience and all the virtues?"

Choice is part of ethical decision making. We are all faced with choices.

Perhaps part of our task as faith communities is to help people to see we do have the choice to live differently.

I think for many people in the Uniting Church, there is a real conviction that we should strive for the reign of God here and now, that it is not just something to look forward to in life after death.

One of the wonderful things about ethics is it empowers people to see themselves as agents. We are not just people to whom things happen. Christian social ethics is grounded in practising communities and we come to understand that together we can make a difference.

This makes living ethically a very compelling project. However, it is held in tension with the recognition that we cannot expect perfection of ourselves or others. But we do have an intent to live well; to live in what we understand to be God’s way. insights.uca.org.au

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Insights December/January 2016 29

For parish ministers, people in chaplaincy roles, lay and ordained people, the ongoing practise of kindness and compassion is usually called pastoral care. But I think that it is also ethical.

The recognition of the value of a human being is central — for example, when people in Uniting Ageing are caring for those with dementia. The dignity and humanity in a person is intrinsic to who they are. Even if we can’t always see it, we must keep relating to them in ways that honour their full humanity. When we do this, we see that spark of humanity still present. We are called to see people with dementia as people rather than as their problematic behaviours.

the work that you do as Q Ina minister, how do you relate morality to justice and the common good?

The US theologian, Cornel West, who was one my teachers at Union Seminary, says, "Justice is what love looks like in public." We can understand love in our relationships with our family and friends, but if you take that to a public expression, then we are talking social justice. Ethics addresses both the inter-personal and the social.

"Love Makes a Way" are living out that sense of Christian love for asylum seekers who are out of sight and out of mind for most Australians. They are taking love into the public space and naming off-shore detention as a love/justice issue.

Newington College, founded in 1863, is a boys K–12 day and boarding school associated with the Uniting Church in Australia. Newington has approximately 2000 boys across three campuses, with 1380 boys at the Stanmore Secondary campus, including 50 boarders. The College caters for both the NSW HSC and IB Diploma Programme for Years 11 and 12.

COLLEGE CHAPLAIN Newington College is seeking to appoint a permanent, full-time Secondary School Chaplain to join the Chaplaincy team. The College was founded on the Wesleyan Christian traditions of faith, diversity, inclusiveness and service to others, traditions which remain fundamental today.

Further information, including a position description setting out the selection criteria and application form can be found at www.newington.nsw.edu.au/about/employment The closing date for applications is January 25 2016.

We sometimes get muddled, thinking that ethics is about personal morality (and so much Christian energy has gone into sexual morality) that we have sometimes lost sight of the social dimension of ethics.

In my work on marriage equality, I try to bring an ethical perspective to bear by raising up the voices of people who are most affected by the ethical conversation, by telling stories about couples who have been together for a long time sharing love and deep commitment. And by drawing people’s attention to the damage done to people when their relationships are diminished and rendered second class.

It is helpful for people to understand the idea we have about marriage is a rather recent development. Marriage has evolved. Of course, there have always been loving marriages, but that wasn’t the purpose of marriage for most of history.

One of the most vocal arguments against same-sex marriage is concern about children. But this is unfounded. The reality is that 25 per cent of same-sex couples are already raising children and all of the social science shows that these children do as well as children raised by opposite-sex parents. However, marriage equality would provide security for those children and an end to discrimination against their families.

Good ethical work means bringing together stories and real lives with theoretical knowledge and philosophical analysis. A crucial element that needs to be included in the marriage equality discussion is freedom of religion, and the Church and State relationship. There are secular scholars in law and politics whose work can help us reflect on these issues.

So we can understand that separation is actually an important guarantor of religious freedom. When people of faith seek to impose a particular religious view of marriage on the State, and to determine who the State [allows to] marry, we jeopardise this important principle.

Using an ethical framework involves a process of reflection. When faced with a choice, we [need] not rush to judgement.

We begin to gather information from the stories of people who have knowledge because of their life experience. We access knowledge from scholars in science, social science, law, economics and other disciplines. We reflect biblically and theologically on what we have heard, and then, in community, we discern what action we can take to change the situation in the interests of love and justice.

Lisa Sampson

30 Insights December/January 2016

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The more complex the interlinking with other sites, the higher Google will rank your site.

Social media for community

8 ways to be more ‘digitally literate’ T he Internet. Most of us use it every day. Some might say they can’t live without it. But how many of us truly understand it? This simple guide will step you through the basics and give you a better idea of what it takes to get your church’s website noticed.

SEO – understanding how it all works

Have you ever noticed how, a few days after you searched for accommodation for a holiday, adverts for accommodation start to pop up whenever you go online?

This is because of the predictive behaviour algorithms that Google uses.

Google uses Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to match websites to your queries.

On any given day, Google actually ranks the top ten queries asked of it. Guess what? Among the top ten queries asked on a Sunday are where can someone find a church.

Is your website engaging?

Go to your church’s website. Is it as engaging as the websites you use every day? Are the photos engaging? Is it easy to navigate? Does it look a little like a church newsletter from the 1990s?

There are so many no-cost and low-cost solutions to this problem that if you have an online presence, there is no excuse for it not to be engaging and welcoming. insights.uca.org.au

Make sure your website is optimised for mobile devices

People are much more mobile these days and so are their devices. It makes sense, then, that Google will favour websites tailored to these devices.

Because what Google wants to do, to keep you using Google, is provide you with information based on your device.

If your Congregational website is NOT mobile or tablet responsive, it will not be as highly ranked in searches. No matter how much you update the information on it. And this leads to the next point.

Keep your website current and up-to-date

There is no bigger turn off than going to an outdated website, with blog updates from 2004. By not having an active website, you are underutilising your most important marketing asset. We can no longer rely on the fact that simply because we have buildings in the middle of communities, people will walk through our front doors. Your church website is your best way to advertise.

It’s all about the hyperlinks

One of the important ways you can keep your website up-to-date (and, in turn, increase the likelihood of Google finding your site) is to regularly hyperlink to items of interest outside your webpage, even if it is just to your Facebook page.

Do you have a Facebook page? If not, why not? Millions of people share photos and items of interest on Facebook and if there is one way to encourage community, it is via Facebook. But, overall, most forms of social media are excellent for building community. By sharing photos of events, milestones, anniversaries and the like, you are creating and encouraging community to happen. Plus, if your Congregation doesn’t have a website, Facebook is the perfect no-cost alternative. All you need is an email address and you have the ability to set up a community!

Develop a social media code of ethics

Anyone who is on social media understands that conversations online can quickly devolve into unhelpful dialogue. Coming up with a social media code of conduct and usage is imperative, particularly if you are running an active social media feed like Facebook. Working upfront to establish boundaries is important because, when they are clearly stated, people are more likely to self-moderate.

How do we navigate the questions of internet access at church?

A lot of people have the Bible on their phone, so should we restrict them from using it in church? No way! Sure, people are able to check out and not listen to a sermon... but perhaps this is something we should take on board. If the sermon isn’t engaging then what are we doing to make it so? Also, perhaps not allowing phones in church is discounting its value as an evangelism tool. Think for a moment if you allowed people to “check in” on Facebook on arrival at church.

All their friends would know where they were spending Sunday morning!

Would you like more information?

Searching for help with any of these suggestions? Simply email the Synod of NSW and the ACT Communications and Marketing team at contactus@nswact.uca. org.au and we can assist you with your enquiries.

Insights December/January 2016 31

Great things, great love: A refugee story T

here’s an old saying: “We cannot do great things, only small things with great love.”

Sometimes, though, perhaps we can do both.

Kakuma refugee camp is a sprawling mass of humanity on the border between Kenya and South Sudan.

Under canvas and tin supplied by the UNHCR and the Kenyan government, more than 150,000 people make their homes. Many people are separated from brothers, sisters and parents, due to fighting across the border in South Sudan and Somalia.

Into this maelstrom, another little life emerged last month. Her name is Deborah. She might never have been.

It was an ordinary morning for young South Sudanese midwives completing their practical in the Kakuma Mission hospital. Many are in their early twenties and, with the help of the Uniting Church in Australia, have been relocated from the South Sudanese town of Leer due to heavy fighting.

Their training facility was torched.

Some of the women don’t know where their families are. Many fled into surrounding bush as rebels stormed the Leer area. Husbands are missing.

Children gone.

But the young women carry on with their studies, supported by the Presbyterian Relief and Development Agency of South Sudan, a UnitingWorld partner. They’re determined to finish their midwifery courses and when stability returns, go back to their country and serve their sisters. In the meantime, they study at Kakuma and serve their fellow refugees.

“A woman from the camp was brought in to us,” recalls trainee midwife supervisor, Rachel, about a recent experience. “She was haemorrhaging and her child was experiencing fetal distress. An emergency caesarean was required

32 Insights December/January 2016

to save her life and the life of her child. She was South Sudanese and spoke only Dinka, and the doctor requested that our student speak with the distressed woman in Dinka and explain the procedure to her.”

Deborah, the midwife who provided such important assitance to that suffering mother. “I have wanted to be a midwife since I was in primary school. I want to make sure that mothers don’t suffer.”

Further complications arose.

Permission was needed for an operation that would save the mother’s life, but make it impossible for her to have more children.

It’s pretty amazing to reflect on this love and determination, given these young women are displaced from their homes. Living as refugees with no way of knowing where their families are or when they might see them again.

The student midwife was again called upon to assist, patiently persuading the family of the absolute necessity of the operation — in spite of the risks and long-term outcome.

Some hours later, a healthy child was born and the mother’s life was saved.

“As the mother began to recover, she told our midwife, Deborah, how much her support and encouragement had meant to her.” Rachel says.

“It was so important to the young mother that she has named her child after the midwife – Deborah.”

“In South Sudan, too many mothers and babies die in childbirth,” says

This Christmas, we can give gifts that do great things, with great love.

UnitingWorld’s Everything in Common catalogue has a range of gifts that help us support people like Deborah in South Sudan, saving the lives of mothers and babies. Or you can help train Christian leaders to share the good news of Christ in India, the Pacific and Africa.

Go to www.everythingincommon. com.au to select a gift. In honour of those you love, you’ll be helping create change where it’s needed most.

Cath Taylor insights.uca.org.au

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Insights December/January 2016 33

Eradicating poverty, one coffee at a time O

n a recent trip to New York, I sought out an unassuming coffee shop in the Tribeca area. My goal was to uncover what a Laughing Man, fine coffee and Hugh Jackman had in common.

Laughing Man is the coffee company of famous on-stage performer and screen actor Hugh Jackman. The story of his involvement in the coffee business began in 2009, when Hugh and his wife, Deborra-lee Furness, travelled to Ethiopia as ambassadors for World Vision. As long-time donors, they wanted to visit a community development project to see how rural communities were being empowered to eradicate poverty.

Hugh was inspired by seeing 27-yearold coffee farmer Dukale working to move his family out of poverty. On behalf of farmers, he promised to on advocate in developing countries for them to only drink fair trade coffee. And, so, Laughing Man was born.

Laughing Man recently partnered with one of the world’s largest purchasers of fair trade coffee — Keurig — to distribute their products all over the world.

In partnership with Jackman and his Lee-Furness, director Josh Rothstein has produced a documentary called Dukale’s Dream, Named after a blend of coffee sold at Laughing Man Coffee and Tea in Tribeca, the documentary was launched in 2015.

‘It doesn’t matter where we come from, what we want is opportunity,’ says Jackman of the documentary and the experience. ‘This is about livelihood, this is about change, and this is about hope.’

Through the lens of Dukale’s Dream, you begin to understand what many non-profit organisations and companies in the coffee industry already know: our world is connected. Our sisters and our brothers live in villages, sleep in huts, struggle for running water. They need “a hand up —not a hand out,” explains Jackman.

34 Insights December/January 2016

Development is the root of change that empowers people to expand their own lives through communal sustainability. What will bring communities out of crushing poverty is strengthening them through education, training, mentoring and growth, from new opportunities.

Transformation can then occur all along the supply chain, going beyond just telling the story of the coffee we drink as part of our everyday rituals.

The power of sustainable change means getting the end user fully vested in the acceptance that they have the power to transform lives. There is no doubt that this is a small microcosm of the work that can be done to transform lives from the ground up.

While visiting Hugh Jackman’s small shopfront in New York, it was clear that he is not trumpeting his work. But the coffee is great, and I realised that with every cup, a family is being helped. So much so that Laughing Man is growing and now has a second shopfront.

Do you hope this film will educate people about the benefits of fair trade?

At its core, I think the film is largely an advocacy message for the benefits of fair trade. There are tremendous benefits for individuals living in the areas of greatest need. We hope by showing first hand Dukale’s experience and using Dukale as a model, that it will really connect Dukale as a face to the farmers and the growers and, therefore, translate to a greater sense of activation for consumers throughout the world.

The film and the story is a very simple way of tackling a world-wide issue by simply buying a coffee.

Something people do every day.

It’s essential we all explore how, in our own lives, we can play a role in being active, ethical, advocates for the planet, for those in the greatest need.

Inspired in my own way, I wanted to find out more of the story of Dukale. So I sat down with Josh Rothstein during the launch of his documentary in New York, to understand the journey of both the documentary itself and the passion for making a difference.

One of the biggest take-aways [of the film] is to galvanise audiences and to engage people, motivate people, specifically, to purchase fair trade coffee. There are so many individuals from Fair Trade USA and many others who have been working in the space for decades and who have dedicated their lives to spreading the messages of the importance of fair trade and direct trade.

How did you become involved in telling the story of Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness’ involvement with World Vision and, consequently, Dukale’s story?

I hope that Dukale’s Dream galvanises a new generation and I hope that people realise that a small change can add up to having profound impacts on this planet.

I met Hugh at the Oscars in 2009 when he was preparing to be the host.

I was following Hugh, documenting him for 15 straight days. We got to know one another on a creative and personal level and through that experience, [we had] some discussions about human rights and social and environmental issues…

A couple months later, when Hugh and Deb were traveling off to Ethiopia, I was invited to travel with them, to document their journey.

Adrian Drayton

Find out more about Dukale and Laughing Man. Online: www.worldvision.com.au/ global-issues/work-we-do/poverty/ hugh-jackman-laughing-man-anddukales-dream insights.uca.org.au

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Insights December/January 2016 35

MLC

SCHOOL

A UNITING CHURCH DAY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS, PRE-KINDER TO YEAR 12.

• Chaplains Grounded in the Christian faith and shaped by the ethos of the Uniting Church in Australia, MLC School values are:

Pursue excellence Demonstrate integrity Celebrate diversity Embrace world citizenship Live with humility

“Walk as daughters of the Light”

We are seeking to appoint two Chaplains to our ministry team, to commence in Term 1, 2016.

The successful candidates will be gifted in providing leadership and encouraging spiritual growth in young people through worship, pastoral care and teaching.

If you are a Minister of the Word, Deacon or a Minister from other Christian denominations, share our values and are committed to this special form of ministry, we invite you to apply.

Please visit the MLC School website www.mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au for further details or call Head of Human Resources on (02) 9747 1266.

Applications should reach The Principal, MLC School Rowley Street Burwood NSW 2134

by Friday 18 December 2015.

www.mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au

MINISTRY MATTERS P lacement Vacancies as at December 2015.

At the time of print the following placements have submitted profiles to the Placements Committee and are either in, or soon to be in, the process of seeking to fill a ministry vacancy. Placements are available to specified ministers of the UCA. These placements are listed as being suitable for a Pastor under Regulation 2.3.3(a)(ii). A non-ordained minister may offer to serve in an approved placement through a written application to the Synod. Expressions of interest may be made in writing to the Associate Secretary, Rev. Jane Fry, janef@nsw.uca.org.au or to the Presbytery’s Placement Committee representative.

CANBERRA REGION PRESBYTERY Kippax (ADV) Eurobodalla 70% South Woden 75% Weston Creek (up to 80% FAR NORTH COAST Lismore Regional Mission (ADV) GEORGES RIVER PRESBYTERY Bardwell Park Engadine 80%

KU-RING-GAI PRESBYTERY Normanhurst Gosford Hornsby – Sau Faupula

SYDNEY PRESBYTERY Presbytery Tertiary Ministry Resource Officer Leichhardt Mascot

NEW ENGLAND NORTH WEST Narrabri

SYDNEY NORTH Ryde and Mission Development Coordinator (PRIORITY)

PARRAMATTA NEPEAN Wentworthville 50% Dundas Ermington 50% Limited 5 Years Auburn Lidcombe Samoan

THE HUNTER Hunter Presbytery Officer (ADV) Hamilton Broadmeadow 50% St Luke’s Belmont

36 Insights December/January 2016

UNITING MISSION AND EDUCATION Knox Grammar Chaplain (ADV) MLC Chaplain (ADV) Newington Chaplain (ADV)

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Making Money Matter A foundation of integrity and sound ethics

U

niting Financial Services (UFS) invests according to the ethical investment principles that Synod believes capture the values of the Uniting Church as a whole.

Does this mean that we’re sacrificing stronger financial outcomes as a compromise with getting positive ‘emotional’ or ‘spiritual’ returns?

Warren Bird Executive Director Uniting Financial Services

The question of how ethical investments perform, relative to other investment approaches, is usually answered with data on returns (over the medium to long term) from an ethical portfolio, compared against returns from an unconstrained portfolio.

The evidence is that ethical approaches provide at least similar returns to unconstrained portfolios.

This shouldn’t surprise us. People who scoff at ethical approaches presume that unethical activities are more profitable over time than everything else, so leaving them out of a portfolio must mean missing out on that excess performance. However, to borrow from George Gershwin, it ain’t necessarily so.

It’s undeniable that some of the activities we exclude under the Church’s investment policy can deliver strong investment performance. Companies involved in gambling, for instance, can be very well managed, target their markets cleverly, control expenses and grow their earnings. They may deliver stronger returns than the rest of the market, at least for a time, and an ethical investment fund misses out on this. The Bible refers to this possibility in passages such as Psalm 73, which begins by wondering why the unscrupulous seem to be so successful.

However, for every company engaged in unacceptable activities that might generate a little bit better return than the market, there are also those whose unethical behaviour produces significant losses. Recently, there was a high profile example of this on our front pages.

I’m sure most of you know the story about Volkswagen cheating on the emissions testing of diesel engines.

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When it became public, the impact on VW’s share price was swift and severe, falling by about 40 per cent in a week. The yield on its corporate bonds escalated, resulting in at least shortterm capital losses for bond holders.

(UFS had no exposure to VW, in shares or bonds, by the way.)

All of that was because of unethical behaviour, resulting in a significant financial loss for investors.

It’s worth noting that even before this scandal broke, VW had poor ratings from research companies that focus on things such as Governance standards. Both for Corporate Governance and Accounting standards, VW was ranked in the bottom 30 per cent of companies. This wasn’t a prediction that something as bad as the emissions scandal was imminent, but it was a warning signal for ethically minded investors.

From despairing that the wicked seem to prosper, Psalm 73 goes on to reflect on how God has ‘set them in slippery places’ from which they will ‘fall to ruin’.

It says this not to enable pride among God’s people, but self-reflection and repentance. There, but for the grace of God, we may also go.

Similarly, ethical investors should not gloat about VW’s predicament, even though it supports our approach.

Humility, not hubris, is called for.

However, the sad story of VW is a salient reminder that unethical behaviour can be destructive for commercial sustainability. Ethical investors may miss out on some strong returning investments, but they also stand a good chance of avoiding some bad situations as well. They can expect investment returns no worse than anyone else, provided their funds are managed properly in other ways.

How we invest our money matters. My prayer is that all of us, at UFS and the whole of the Uniting Church, will draw near to God and always seek to invest in companies that behave with integrity and sound ethics.

Insights December/January 2016 37

A TRADITION OF CHRISTIAN CARE AND CONCERN

Richard & Deborah Spiteri, proprietors

FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED FUNERALS CONDUCTED THROUGHOUT SYDNEY

MEMBERS OF THE FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION OF NSW

Check out your options for education and training with the 2016 Prospectus from the Uniting Learning Network. Options include practical workshops across NSW and ACT and beyond, vocational education and training courses, and Charles Sturt University subjects taught through United Theological College, St Mark’s, Canberra and Trinity College Queensland.

The Prospectus is published by the NSW/ACT Synod and includes opportunities developed by UME (Uniting Mission & Education) and Uniting.

Contact Uniting Learning Network Director Duncan Macleod for more information 0439 828 718, duncanm@nswact.uca.org.au See more on the events and options online at ume.nsw.org.au, utc.edu.au & uie.edu.au 38 Insights December/January 2016

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Lectionary Reflections December — Christ is coming

Second Sunday of Advent.

6 December, Philippians 1:3-11, Luke 3:1-6

Fourth Sunday of Advent.

20 December, Micah 5:2-5a, Hebrews 10:5-10, Luke 1:39-45

The Christ is coming. We are going to learn from God, in flesh, what it means to be human and get full clarification of God’s will for our living. So, enter John the Baptist, who calls us back to God, as the writer of Philippians also reminds us: “So that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God”. (Phil 1:10-11)

What must it have been like to be Mary? What must it be like to encounter God in real and tangible ways? And what must it have been like to have had to broach her pregnancy with her family and community, where culture dictated that she should have been taken out and stoned? What must it have been like for her family and community to struggle to accept and come to terms with a member encountering God in such a way?

This Advent what repentance might we Thisas Advent what repentance make indiv,iduals and communities wethe make and to might prepare wayasforindividuals Christ to enter communities to prepare thewe way for anew into our l,ives?

How are Christ to aenter anew our lives? producing harvest of into righteousness How are we producing a harvest of that comes through the Christ?

What that comes dorighteousness we need to change in our through lives to be the Christ? need to better able to What greet do thewe coming of Jesus change ourYear? lives to be better able again this in New to greet the coming of Jesus again this New Year?

Third Sunday of Advent.

13 December, Zephaniah 3:14-20, Philippians 4:4-7, Luke 3:7-18 How often have you read Zephaniah?

For many of us, it is probably not our first stop when we turn to the Bible. Here in the third week of Advent, we are served up a smorgasbord of prophetic readings.

If we are to look for a common theme, maybe it can be found in the question of ‘What do we look forward to from God?’

How do we receive prophets and those How do a weradical receive prophets of God who have experience those who have a radical in and our communities today?

How do we experience of listen God intoour listen for them, them and listen today? do we God to communities God? How might we How experience listen for them, toprepared them more closely, and listen are we for and listen to God? How might God the ramifications?

Encountering experience God closely, is we exhilarating and lifemore changing.

It is andgood are we prepared the news such news, but thefor good God is ramifications? the way of the Encountering Cross. In Advent weis exhilarating lifeinchanging. take those firstand steps the story Itofisthe such good news, but the good news Christ. is the way of the Cross. In Advent, we take those first steps in the story of the Christ.

Nativity of the Lord – Proper.

24 & 25 December, Isaiah 62:6-12, Titus 3:4-7, Luke 2:(1-7), 8-20 Unto us a child is born. Prince of Peace.

The Son of God. God in flesh. Immanuel — God with us. In the human story, God is radically engaging humanity in a way that will shake our foundations and change the course of history.

We need to get ready. We need to think upon what it might mean for us in his coming, although most of us already know, having heard the story many times before. But that is the point of Advent and Christmas — we need to go back and think about it again.

First Sunday after Christmas Day. 27 December, 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26, Colossians 3:12-17, Luke 2:41-52 Is Christmas but a memory for us? Are we over all the hype and celebration?

Like for Mary and Joseph, has Jesus gone missing in our lives? Christmas may be over, but the work of Christmas is laid before us. Let us read Colossians 3:12-17 and begin the hard work of living it into our lives. What a challenge is set before us!

Are we looking for someone to make right all that is wrong in our lives through power and might? God rarely meets our expectations in the way we predict. Any encounter with God is usually profoundly life shaking and transformative.

Do we have unfinished business Doinwe unfinished business in the thehave Kingdom of God? The work Kingdom of God? The work of peace of peace and hope have a cost and hope havegreat a cost and require and require effort, just as great effort, just as Christmas is more than Christmas is more than decorations decorations and a nice story. and a nice story.

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Insights December/January 2016 39

Lectionary Reflections January — We are loved

Second Sunday after Christmas Day. 3 January, John 1: (1-9), 10-18, Ephesians 1:3-14, Jeremiah 31:7-14 What is our destiny? What part do we have to play in it? God sees our lives with a perspective that we can’t really begin to comprehend. However, we can comprehend who we are to God. We are the children of God. This we have heard from the Word of God, who is embodied and enfleshed in Christ. We know that we are loved – not just as individuals, but with all others. God gives us meaning and purpose in our lives, even though often we may not always perceive or recognise what that is.

Baptism of the Lord — First Sunday after the Epiphany. 10 January, Isaiah 43:1-7, Acts 8:14-17, Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 Have you been baptised and/or confirmed? What does it mean for you? If we are honest as a Church, we have constructed an understanding of baptism to suit our needs and to try bring order in our life as a community — but the Bible is less than clear about it.

What does our baptism mean in terms does our baptism mean in of What our discipleship?

How are we living terms of our discipleship?

How are out the commitments that were made we living out the commitments that as part of this? How are we living out were made asin part of this?

How our discipleship ministry and service? are we living out our discipleship Ultimately, this is the big question. in ministry and service? Ultimately, this is the big question.

We may never know for certain whether We may never know for certain something is or isn’t exactly the way or whether something is or isn’t exactly time that God has planned for us, but if the way or time that God has planned we are serving others in love and contrib..

But ifthe weworld are serving Bgfor to us. making better,others we can be in love and contributing confident that God can usetoitmaking in the work better, weiscan beand confident of the the world Kingdom.

This faith in it we that God can use it in the work will hopefully find our epiphany. of the Kingdom. This is faith and in it we will hopefully find our epiphany.

Third Sunday after the Epiphany. 24 January, Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a, Luke 4:14-21 We are the body of Christ and individually members of it. We are the followers of Jesus, the Son of God, Immanuel – God with us. We are not called to be a religion. We are not called to be a spiritual self-help club. However, we are disciples of Jesus. We follow, learn about and learn from the one whom the Spirit of the Lord was upon.

The one who came to bring good news to the poor and proclaimed the year of the Lord's favour. Maybe we need an epiphany to realise just how far we come up short in doing this with Jesus, and how much potential there is in our lives for improvement.

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany. 31 January, Jeremiah 1:4-10, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Luke 4:21-30 What a mixed bag of readingsthe Lectionary sets before us this week!

Have you heard the Word of the Lord?

How was it received by others? Prophets are not usually popular people because they speak the truth of God, which usually convicts the people of their sin and shortcomings. Jesus is the Word of God. He not only spoke about the love of God, but lived it for us to emulate.

In the classic passage from Paul about unselfish love, we not only hear a call to action, but we get a description of God — for God is love.

How should we learn more about God and God’s love? How do we embody such love? These are things to think about as we journey into Lent and then on to the Cross.

The December 2015 and January 2016 Lectionary Reflections were written by the Rev. Jon Humphries, the Chaplain at Ravenswood School for Girls

Second Sunday after the Epiphany. 17 January, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 2:1-11 What are your gifts? What talents do you have? Have you ever entered into a time or process of discernment to listen with others for what God might be calling you to? It is easy to play down our gifts or to lack confidence in them.

Sometimes, it takes other people to call them out of us or to help us discover what they are.

40 Insights December/January 2016

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Plunge

a year of focused biblical and spiritual engagement for 18 to 25 year olds

Enrolments for 2016 open until mid February Contact Bradon French 0409 557 375 bradonf@nswact.uca.org.au

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Insights December/January 2016 41

POSITIONS VACANT Minister of the Word – Lismore Regional Mission We are seeking a Minister of the Word offering vision and leadership, to work with a dedicated, enthusiastic team of Lay preachers and lay persons, to encourage and grow worship, pastoral oversight, discipleship, spiritual gifts and ongoing discernment in missional direction.

Win Oddball on DVD!

The Lismore Regional Mission consists of an active, vital congregation in Lismore, a UAICC Congregation and several smaller congregations in surrounding communities. Services also include Messy Church and we seek a person with skills to expand this to include a regular worship service for young families.

The Mission has strong community connections through ministry with its Red Dove Coffee Shop, Op-Shop, Food Pantry and Welfare operations, providing numerous services to the local community. These are run by lay people and external volunteers.

Lismore is located on the Far North Coast of NSW, close to Brisbane and the Gold Coast, as well as beautiful local beaches and rainforests. Two regional airports offer regular flights to major cities daily. Lismore has 6 Public Schools, 4 Public High Schools, 4 Christian Schools and a major University, as well as many sporting organizations.

Enquiries or to request a copy of the congregational profile contact: Rev Maggie de Leeuw, 0410 975 955 or email maggie120@outlook.com Applications should be sent to: Synod Associate Secretary Rev. Jane Fry janef@nswact.uca.org.au

Thanks to Roadshow Home Entertainment we have copies of the family film Oddball to give away for Christmas. To save his daughter’s job and keep her from moving away, an eccentric chicken farmer teams with his granddaughter to implement his controversial idea — to protect an endangered penguin colony using a troublemaking dog called Oddball. Shane Jacobson stars as Swampy in this fantastic family film based on a heartwarming true story.

Applications close: Friday 12th February 2016 The applicant must hold or be willing to obtain a Working with Children Check number. Only people with the right to work in Australia may apply for this position.

For your chance to win Oddball on DVD, simply go to www.insights.uca.org.au to enter.

Oddball is on DVD, Blu-Ray and Ultraviolet from 16 December

42 Insights December/January 2016

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Belief matters

Is it possible to live a Biblical life?

U

sually, the “Big Bang” theory and the Bible aren’t found working together. But a new American sitcom has been announced, based on bestselling book The Year of Living Biblically. And it’s going to be produced by none other than The Big Bang Theory star Johnny Galecki.

First published in 2007, The Year of Living Biblically was written by AJ Jacobs, an agnostic editor of Esquire magazine. Jacobs spent 12 months trying to “follow the Bible as literally as possible”, focusing specifically on the “more than 700 rules” he found in the pages of the Old and New Testament.

Relationship, not regulations

If Jacobs had really spent a year living Biblically, he would have realised it’s not about rules. It’s about relationship.

The relationship that defines every Christian and empowers them to live Biblically, every year of their life.

The Bible isn’t a rule book. While it contains laws, instructions and guidance, the Bible chiefly concerned with God’s relationship with people.

The heart of the law

Interestingly, the very way that Jacobs’ approaches the Bible is something insights.uca.org.au

Jesus himself shot down in many religious people that he met. The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) was Jesus’ memorable response to an expert in Jewish Law who cared more for keeping the rules than grasping their underlying meaning.

This expert in rules and regulations wanted to know how to get eternal life. Jesus asked him what the laws handed down by Moses had to say on that subject. The expert’s answer impressed Jesus, who commended his realisation that all of those laws could be summarised as: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind.”

(Deuteronomy 6:5) “Love you neighbour as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18) But then the Jewish Law expert asked Jesus: “And who is my neighbour?”

That question exposed the legal expert’s self-absorbed heart. And it was further exposed by Jesus going on to then tell the Good Samaritan parable.

The moral of that story, about one bloke helping another, is really quite simple: show mercy to others, irrespective of who they are.

Don’t you get it, expert in Jewish Law? What about you, AJ Jacobs? Following rules or guidelines given by God is not about doing the right thing for the sake of it. Instead, God’s laws and directions always point back to right relationship with him. Their aim is to help us live best with him and others.

Living out the love

Being the fulfilment of the Old Testament law (as Matthew 5:17-20 famously records), Jesus is the only one who can help us live out what God’s law upholds. Indeed, all the Old Testament laws pointed to the way of living for God that Jesus himself perfectly modelled (Galatians 3; Hebrews 8-10).

Jesus did say that those who love him would keep his commands (John 14:15). But his commands were not to be followed the way Jacobs tried to do.

As beautifully revealed by John 14-17, loving Jesus means that we’ll LOVE to keep his commands. Because those commands do boil down to loving God and our neighbour. But we need to put our hearts into it. Not merely our heads.

For these are rules worth living out, in the power of God’s Spirit, this biblical year. And the next. And the next…

Ben McEachen Insights December/January 2016 43

Fellowship news

A

News from Uniting Church Adult Fellowship (UCAF)

s we celebrate Christ’s birth this month, may this Christmas season be a time for you all of joy, peace, sharing and family times together. During the closing months of 2015, three UCAF rallies were held in three distinctly different areas.

and more thn 80 attended. Rev. Bec Lindsay from Hope UC Maroubra was the morning speaker. Her insightful message focused on older and younger church members evolving into a new Congregation.

In the afternoon, a short but rousing hymn and song session paved the way for Rev. Bec to share her thoughts on the challenges she faced when on a trip to Israel for a Minister’s conference. Her time there was amazing, disturbing and very humbling.

afternoon tea and fellowship, before the long overnight train trip home.

The Adult Fellowship Rally at Broken Hill was centred on the theme of ‘Shine a Light’ and was led by Rev. Sharon with Rev. Alistair Christie assisting with Communion. Candles were lit at significant stages of the service.

There were special prayers for the people of China Christian Council, as well as a Ourimba for Ku-Ring-Gai challenging DVD report about the Church in Presbytery China today. Allan Secomb, Chairperson of Over 50 gathered in the lovely old church and Lyn Drabsch and Laraine Jones from NSW/ NSW/ACT UCAF Synod Committee, brought were welcomed by Minister Rev. Jung Ming Sunwoo and the UCAF Presbytery Chairperson ACT UCAF Synod Committee bought greetings. greetings and the offering went to support the ’Shine a Light’ Project. A beautiful lunch was Lyn Drabsch. Special guest speaker for the served at the conclusion of the service. day was Moderator Rev. Mung Hwa Park who On the road to Broken Hill The 2015 NSW/ACT Synod Committee shared some of her life’s journey.

Encouragement Tour for this year was a little Rallies and gatherings Communion was celebrated and musical different, as the eight members attending • Annual Dedication Service: 222 Pitt items were presented by Mrs Lola Way. The travelled by train to Broken Hill to join in the Street, Sydney, 10 February at 12pm for UCAF Presbytery Tapa cloth was passed to Macquarie Darling Presbytery Rally. lunch, followd by a service at 1pm.

Ourimba Church for safe keeping till 2016.

They took in the sights before enjoying the • Hunter Presbytery Rally: East Maitland, Offering was given to the Moderator’s hospitality of Broken Hill UC. The men present 30 March, 9:30am.

Disaster Relief Fund. A delicious lunch enjoyed a great evening with the Men’s followed, which was enjoyed by all.

If you would like to share your fellowship Fellowship and the whole group also shared news or have any questions, please fellowship with members of the Orange UC Far North Coast Presbytery contact Judy Hicks: The 39th Rally was celebrated at Lismore UC Congregation. Minister Rev. Sharon Cutts judyh_rnh@hotmail.com invited the group to her home for a shared

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Culture watch

Religion makes people angry

A

fter more than seven years as a war correspondent and Time magazine bureau chief living in Iraq, Michael Ware has decided to release Only The Dead, a documentary about the dark heart of the Middle East. However, he freely admits that he is as much a part of its story as the terrorists he chronicles.

The documentary takes its name from a quote attributed to General Douglas MacArthur and ancient philosopher Plato, but it’s most likely from the work of 20th Century philosopher George Santayana:

Only The Dead is pieced together from the horrors Ware witnessed and filmed during his time based in Iraq, though it doesn’t aim to pass judgment on the conflict itself — or even most of the combatants. First and foremost, it is an examination of Ware’s own descent into the evil he was reporting on.

Ware uses this thought to reflect on humanity’s seeming inability to leave violence behind. His narration wonders whether we will ever move beyond the sort of inhumanity that characterised the Taliban, al-Qaeda and now the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

His profession led him to become a bloodhound for bad news. As the Gulf War and ‘Insurgency’ years unfold on screen in Only The Dead, we witness his relationship with Islamic fighters deepen until he eventually becomes a go-between for the infamous al-Qaeda terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his horrific media campaign.

The result is not only a terrifying revelation of the barbarous acts taking place but the transformation of the very normal people caught up in them, including the narrator: “I felt [Zarqawi] had made me complicit somehow in his war,” admits Ware. “[But] if he was obscene, the dark idea of him was becoming perverse.” insights.uca.org.au

“The poor fellows think they are safe!

They think that the war is over! Only the dead have seen the end of war.”

Ware is not the first person to point to fundamentalists as the authors of some of history’s darkest chapters. Look beyond the Iraq War to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Europe’s Thirty Years War, the Crusades… and you can start to see why some people think religion, in particular, makes people angry. As Christians, we might instinctively rise to defend the charge by pointing to the many good things believers have done in God’s name. However we’d also do well to note that religion was the primary motivation for the zealots who opposed Jesus.

point being the appropriate behaviour on the Sabbath. Jesus heals a man with a shrivelled hand, telling the Pharisees the laws they were obsessing over were supposed to reflect the character of God, not become gods in themselves. “Which is lawful on the Sabbath,” he asks them, “to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”

(Mark 3:4) But they won’t answer because they’re more dedicated to their rules for worship than the mercy of God. In fact, Jesus’ refusal to submit to their religion spurs anger in them that rises to murder: “Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.” (Mark 3:6) Only The Dead makes it abundantly clear that the association between offended religion and murderous rage is still very much with us. Ware suggests that any religion that is so closed it cannot listen to reason is a dangerous belief system Jesus would agree. When we elevate our practises above what God actually requires, we not only risk destroying ourselves, we invite the sort of self-righteousness that eventually saw Jesus nailed to a cross.

Only The Dead is a tale we should Early in the Gospel of Mark, the Pharisees certainly take caution from. Religion that is come into conflict with Jesus over a number unfettered from grace is a real danger — for ISIL, the secular West and for us. of specifically religious questions about fasting and forgiveness, with the flash Mark Hadley Insights December/January 2016 45

Entertain me READ THIS

BIG SCREEN

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (TBC) At the time we went to press, we hadn’t yet seen The Force Awakens, but there are a number of things we know about the most highly anticipated film of the decade!

We can confirm the newest Star Wars movie stars all the characters we know and love, and the story itself is set 30 years after Return of the Jedi.

Director J.J. Abrams had his work cut out when facing the task of creating a villain to match up with Darth Vader.

From the glimpses we catch of him in the latest trailer, bad guy Kylo Ren (played by Adam Driver), looks pretty evil with his long black cloak and red crossguard sword. It led many to believe Kylo Ren was a Sith but, in fact, it was recently revealed that he is the leading member of an order called the Knights of Ren. Many Star Wars fans were disappointed by the last trilogy’s emphasis upon computer-generated special effects. Things are expected to be different this time round with Abrams keen to stress his use of “practical special effects”.

Videos have circulated of massive sets, giant puppets, clever prosthetics and much more.

All will be revealed on 17 December as we once again cast our eyes over the latest instalment of the superpopular franchise that transports us to “a galaxy, far, far away”.

Adrian Drayton 46 Insights December/January 2016

PRESS PLAY

Star! Stable! Saviour!

Cameron Semmens The traditional Christmas story has been told from so many different vantage points in fictional accounts, there’s even a song by a questionable member of the Nativity – The Little Drummer Boy. In his unique alliterative style of poetry, Cameron Semmen’s book – originally published under the less punchy title The Story of The Star, The Stable and The Saviour – has been repacked under a new punchy name and has been re-released in time for Christmas 2015.

Many claim it as their go-to book to read every year in the lead-up to the festive season and it’s a poem Semmens has performed around Australia with hilarious results.

The brightly illustrated book brings a totally fresh perspective on the Christmas story.

Using alliteration of the letter ‘s’, this a fun retelling of the story we all know so well. It’s a highly entertaining approach to the story of our Saviour and the strange scenes that surrounded the arrival of this supernatural Son. For instance, it is highly unlikely that the wise men arrived in time to be at the stable — and certainly not wearing sneakers!

Star! Stable! Saviour! is lots of fun and well worth putting under the Christmas tree for the children.

Adrian Drayton

Ant-man (PG) In an era where graphic novels are getting pulled into a darker realm, AntMan provides a superhero that does not take himself too seriously. Director Peyton Reed even manages to make light of product placement and uses it to provide some endearing moments.

Paul Rudd is perfect in the role of Scott Lang aka Ant-Man. His portrayal of the smart, comedic, but flawed character is what this film needs to keep the tone light, fun and believable.

Within this humorous, mad-capped origin story, Lang’s entourage leaves you wanting to see more of them in the future. Also, it’s great to see Michael Douglas (both young and old versions, through the use of CGI) back on the screen with the convincing old swagger needed to be the mentor of our miniscule hero.

Throughout the humour and action, there is an overarching theme of redemption. Lang and Dr. Pym (Douglas) have their own redemptive journeys to travel, as their choices have caused casualties in their families.

In any superhero tale, there is evidence of power and strength. Those things can be seen in this insectdominated story but, without giving anything away, the power of Ant-Man comes in the relationships of family and the need for atonement.

Both Lang and Dr Pym show that their children are the only individuals that need to see them as a hero.

Russell Matthews insights.uca.org.au

PREsident’s syrian refugee appeal Image obtained by Act for Peace.

Thousands of Syrian refugees have arrived in Australia having fled conflict in their home country.

As we observe from a distance, we must remember that God values every human life. We mourn every life lost and pray for those who are suffering.

The Australian Church community will play an important role in welcoming these refugees and helping them integrate into our communities.

Along with your prayers I ask that you do what you can to support. As Australians we are blessed to live in a prosperous country relatively free of armed conflict.

Uniting Church President Stuart McMillan has launched an appeal asking people to support the UCA’s involvement.

If you are able, please share of God’s abundance by giving generously to the Uniting Church Syrian Refugee Appeal.”

Stuart says “Like all of you I have been shocked and moved in recent weeks by the plight of those fleeing Syria and Iraq.

In addition to supporting activities within the UCA community that offer welcome and integration, donations will also support the Uniting Church’s community service agencies (UnitingCare) as they provide supports beyond those that are funded by the government.

The personal tragedies and struggles we see in the nightly news are heart breaking. But they are just the tip of the iceberg. The scale of the humanitarian crisis that is occurring is truly overwhelming.

Please note: Donations to UCA Welcome & Integration activities are non tax-deductible.

Donations to UnitingCare services are tax-deductible.

Every day thousands of people are seeking refuge with little other than the clothes on their backs. They join more than four million who’ve fled this conflict in the last four years.

YES!

I will help! Here is my gift to the Syrian Refugee Appeal:

Donation Amount $ UCA Welcome & Integration (non tax-deductible)

UnitingCare services (tax-deductible) (

Both *please indicate amounts: UCA $

UnitingCare $

(Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss/Dr/Rev) First Name

Surname

Address Suburb

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I enclose my cheque/money order (made payable to UCA Syrian Refugee Appeal) Please debit my:

Mastercard

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Signature

Please return your completed form to: UCA Syrian Refugee Appeal PO Box 24154, Melbourne VIC 3001 Fax: (03) 9251 5491

46 Insights October/November 2015

More information: Phone: 1800 668 426 E: appeals@victas.uca.org.au W:www.shareappeal.org.au

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