Opinion

Moderator’s column: The cross at the core

Posted on by in From the mod, Opinion and tagged .

Many years ago I was invited to speak to a group of students at an art college.

The meeting was arranged by one of the art lecturers who thought art students should be aware of some of the ways Christianity had influenced the arts over many centuries. Most of the students were Marxists, materialists or agnostics. I gave a short address and then engaged in a ‘question time.’ After some vigorous debate I was asked what was core or central to Christian belief and practice. All I could think of was two words “the cross”. Continue Reading

Review: Gondwana Theology

Posted on by in Reviews.

A Trawloolway man reflects on Christian faith, by Garry Deverell

The Uniting Church has come a long way in its walk with Aboriginal people, but how deeply have we contextualised our theology in the full history of this place called Australia?

What colonial lenses do we still look at God and church through? What have we missed about our understanding of Jesus and the gospel by not fully appreciating Aboriginal perspectives?

These are some of the questions that Garry Worete Deverell, a Trawloolway man from northern Tasmania, has asked in this important contribution, to guide our reflection and practice of what being Christian means in the colonised land of Australia.

Deverell invites us, with a sometimes courageous vulnerability, to consider his own reconciling of Aboriginal spirituality and Christian  scripture. He offers both profound insights and confronting challenges. Deverell turns a revealing light not only on our subtle and often unrealised Western dualism that can separate spirit from earth, but also on the reality of doing theology on invaded land. Continue Reading

Review – Red Alert: Does the future have a church?

Posted on by in Reviews.

By Gil Cann, 2018, Albatross Books

‘People don’t need more information, but more affirmation; not more training, but more recognition of the gifts God has already given them. They don’t need to be recruited, but released. They don’t need more courses, but more opportunities for ministry. They need to be valued and appreciated – they need your encouragement and prayer” (pg 121).

Based in Melbourne, Pastor Gil Cann is a frequent preacher and evangelist across Australia, including rural WA and speaking at CampFIRE, an annual camp run by the Pastoral Network of Evangelicals Uniting in Mission Action (PNEUMA).

His exploration of the most pressing issues facing the church and our society are both challenging and encouraging, making this a highly recommended read for anyone who continues to hope, pray and work for a future where the church is relevant and effective. My personal copy of this book is underlined and highlighted throughout, as Gil raises our gaze from the church as an organisation, where we are all about the same thing, to church as an organism – the body of Christ – where the same thing is in us… the Holy Spirit. Continue Reading

Moderator’s column – A house and a garment: hope for the planet

Posted on by in From the mod, Opinion and tagged .

Save the planet’, ‘care for creation’, ‘love the environment’ are some of the slogans we hear as the voice of concern gets louder for our beautiful, yet plundered and polluted planet.

Behind these concerns for our ecology there is a deeper question; is there a purpose, a plan or indeed a mind behind the solar system? Are we just the result of freak accidents of cosmic  collisions or is there more? Continue Reading

Editorial: ARPA recognition

Posted on by in Editorial, Opinion and tagged .

We have some exciting news this edition, as Revive magazine recently won an Australasian Religious Press Association (ARPA) Award!

We won a Gold Award for the ‘Best Social Justice Article’, Rethinking plastic: Local action on a global issue,’ published in our June 2018 edition.

The award ceremony and conference was held in Christchurch, New Zealand, in September. I wasn’t able to attend, however, Maggie Johns, Media and Communications Manager for the Uniting Church WA, attended and accepted the award. With this being only our second edition in our new format after taking a short hiatus earlier this year, I’m stoked for the magazine to be  appreciated in this way.Continue Reading

Review: Stories from the Inside

Posted on by in Opinion, Reviews.

2019, a podcast from Social Reinvestment WA

Stories from the Inside is a podcast from Social Reinvestment WA, a coalition of WA organisations, including the Uniting Church WA, working to fix our broken justice system. Each episode features one person’s story from inside that system and how the people around them – their children, partners, parents and siblings – have been affected.

Storytellers are honest and open about their experiences, and not afraid to own up to their own behaviour. The real impact though, is the stories of how they ended up on the journey towards the justice system in the first place. Stories of trauma, violence and neglect.

There’s Tyronne, who grew up in foster homes and when reported sexual abuse was ignored, and was then punished by his abusers. Or Theresa, with almost her entire family spending time in prison. Or Jennifer, whose son was incarcerated for something as simple as unpaid fines.

Hearing Renna’s story in the first episode really made me think about just how terrifying her situation was. Renna was homeless and abusing alcohol. She needed assistance and support, but  instead was met with aggression – something she’d come to expect from authorities. Continue Reading