Insights Magazine | Autumn 2021

CO M M E N TS

your say

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IN RESPONSE TO A LETTER IN YOUR SAY | 2020 SUMMER INSIGHTS

SHOULD CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE VALENTINE’S DAY?

In the “Your Say” column of the Summer Insights, Bev Plaizier from Leura Uniting made comment about the “women members at Gordon Uniting have been making stoles for recently bereaved women for comfort in their loss”.

I would just like to expand on that a little.

Why do we ‘celebrate’ Valentine’s Day? They didn’t for 11 centuries after Valentine’s life and death.

Only after Geoffrey Chaucer in about 1375 wrote a poem called Parliament of Fowls did it take off. In the poem, birds of all kinds gather “on St Valentine’s Day” to find a mate.

In the northern hemisphere, late February is near the end of winter and spring approaches.

Love” organisation where completed rugs made of 28 knitted squares are sent all over the world where disaster has struck, to bring help and comfort to the struggling survivors.

For the last couple of years we’ve hosted a Wrap With Love Knit-in, similar to that the ABC used to hold, where members of the public come and join us and also hear firsthand from a member of the WWL organisation of the amazing work they do.

THE STITCHING GROUP BASED AT GORDON HAVE OPERATED A “SHAWL MINISTRY”

For many years the Stitching Group based at Gordon have, at the suggestion of one of the founding members, Mary Cripwell, operated what we know as a “Shawl Ministry” whereby some members make knitted/crocheted shawls (or scarves for men) and give them to those in the community known to be grieving or struggling in some way to let them know they are in our thoughts and prayers.

The shawl is accompanied by an appropriate verse and note of explanation.

The Stitching Group and some others, including now students at Ravenswood School, have for the last several years been involved with the “Wrap With

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To-date, Gordon has contributed more than 200 completed rugs, and probably have another 40 ready to take out to them when the Covid disaster allows us to do so.

ROSE MARY WATSON

GORDON/PYMBLE UNITING

WHY IS THE AUSTRALIAN CHRISTIAN LOBBY WAGING A CULTURE WAR OVER LGBTQ ISSUES? We need to distinguish between two ideas: 1. How I want to live in my community (faith) 2. I will make everyone obey me by making laws (power).

This first is right of religious freedom – people have a right in groups to agree on a certain lifestyle, the second is power politics. Power over others is an intoxicating drug and misses the point of religion and grace over rules (power wants it the other way around). Throughout history there are many people who will wield the sword of the state to smite people that do not agree with them and this generation of humans is no different.

LLOYD ROB INSON

Apparently, since then Valentine’s Day has been celebrated as the time when the gloom of winter begins to fade and, as Tennyson later wrote, young men’s fancies could ‘turn to thoughts of love’.

So, don’t let anyone dismiss this great day. It’s origins are many, but all the tales, legends, historical truths and poems come together because human love matters.

My wife (of almost 40 years) and I have always celebrated on this day. I suppose it’s our own mini parliament of birds!

WARRE N B IRD