life – Melbourne Welsh Church

12
Apr 16
0

NOT ‘FEELING IT’ ANYMORE???

Category:Community,Compassion,content,Darkness,death,Doubt,Family,Fear,FEELING IT,happiness,Hope,Joy,life

meeting many people who are not ‘feeling it no more’
having grown up being told ‘its not a feeling its a reality’, sounded a little too scientific for me, after all we have been taught the ‘rational’, which happens in the head is all that is to be trusted, where as the ‘irrational’ or the ‘gut feeling’ is not to be trusted.

as someone who likes to cook and who worked as a cook for many years, if I look at cooking only from a process of science, it loses all interest and ‘feeling’ for me. Sure understanding what is happening while i cook is important, that ‘feeling’ of satisfaction and creativity is not controlled by the scientific understanding i have of the process.

sadly for many organised ‘religion’ or even ‘modern’ ‘church’ leaves a deep sense for some of disconnect. We have designed a process by which we assume is ‘the way’ which more often than not leaves no room for contemplation, dialogue rather a talk fest often controlled by one or two people.

Have to get back, have to get back the base
I need to talk to somebody, I can trust
Too many cooks are tryin to spoil the broth
I cant feel it in my throat, thats all she wrote

Im not feeling it no more, Im not feeling it anymore
Not feeling it no more, not feeling it anymore

When I was high at the party, everything looked good
I was seein through rose colored glasses
Not seein the wood for the trees
I started out in normal operation

But I just ended up in doubt
All my drinking buddies, they locked me out

Im not feeling it no more, Im not feeling it anymore
No feeling it no more, Im tryin to give you the score

You see me up there baby, Im on the screen
But I know better now, its so unreal
If this is success, then somethings awful wrong
‘Cause I bought the dream and I had to play along

Im not feeling it no more, Im not feeling it anymore
Im tryin to give you the score, Im not feeling it no more

We all know that money, dont buy you love
You just get a job and somewhere to live
You have to look for happiness, within yourself
And dont go chasin, thinkin that it is somewhere else

Im not feeling it no more, Im not feeling it anymore
Baby Im tryin to give you the score
Im not feeling it no more

I was pretending all the time
I was givin everybody what they wanted
And I lost my peace of mind
And all I ever wanted was simply just to be me

All you ever need is the truth
And the truth will set you free

Im not feeling it no more, Im not feeling it anymore
Im tryin to give you the score, just like I did before
Im not feeling it no more, Im not feeling it anymore
Im not feeling it no more, baby, Im just trying to give you the score

Im not feeling it no more, not feeling it anymore
Not feeling it no more
Not feeling it no more, baby

05
Apr 16
0

The Home of the Lost and Found

Category:Cafe,Chocolate,Coffee,Community,Compassion,Darkness,death,Doubt,Family,Fear,Forgiveness,Hope,Hospitality,life

Easter Saturday Vigil

What happens when a few people,with no idea of what they are really doing, don’t seek notoriety or claim success, are aware of their own ‘issues’ and failings, take risks, love people and seek to see where God is and join in??……….. well you get something like this…
children hiding chocolate eggs in the park for other children,whose parents score their ‘stuff’ in this park, where dispossessed people meet, hot chocolate, hot x buns and conversation for those whose backyard this is, a meeting place during the day to converse as together we share life in the simple day to day stuff………….

The Saturday of Light

The In Between Days Liturgy

for

Easter Saturday

Father forgive us, for we know not what we do.

In the Eastern Orthodox Churches, today is known as the Saturday of Light, it is the first celebration of Easter and the first time the “Hallelujah” is used since the beginning of Lent. The sadness of Friday has passed and the faithful wait for the Light to shine in the darkness once more, renewed for the beginning of the liturgical year.

We give thanks for the traditions of the faithful in other places.

The Church has a history of making solemn the celebrations of it’s seasons. We, called to live in hope and joy, more often than not live in the struggle of fear, of doubt and in ignorance. It is only what is appropriate, for on this night long passed, those followers of the Light sat in mourning, in disbelief and in terrible fear. For the Light that shined around them had gone out and they knew not where to find Him. The land had turned to darkness, the veil was rent, the women wept at the foot the cross, His disciples had fled in mortal terror. Only John stayed, to keep comfort His mother and to hear that sinner’s great prayer “truly, this man was the Son of God”.

LORD we are scattered like sheep with no shepherd

Lifeless He hung there, bruised for our transgressions, heavy with the weight of the world. The Jesus of the miracles, of the parables, of the teachings, the Jesus of the highways and the byways, somehow, had become the Jesus of the garden, the Jesus of the trial, the Jesus of the cross. Where should they turn now? He had the words of eternal life, and now, that life was over. Were they condemned because the light had come into the world and that light was the light of men? What now when there was darkness? Where is light in the darkness, where is faith, hope, joy, love? The darkness of this Saturday was darker than any before.

Between dark and light

Between death and life

LORD grant us Faith

and strength to keep searching for the Light

Scripture is filled with stories of darkness, from the creation in Genesis, the barren womb of Sarah, the slavery of Egypt, the time before the Torah, poor Jonah in the belly of the great fish, that time when there were no prophets in Israel and God had taken the light of revelation from the people who would declare His truth. Beside the rivers of Babylon, exile, genocide, the darkness prevailed. Hope was lost, doubt was everything, and in the hearts of men and women, terrible fear.

LORD in your mercy, HEAR OUR PRAYER

Yet…..God in the darkness is still the God of light, even the darkness of a new tomb, sealed by rock, and guarded by enemies. He clothes Himself in light as a garment, He made two lights in the heavens, He made the stars also. He is the God of Life we are never to forget, those stars are meant to remind us of the glory of the creator of all light.

LORD we seek you in the glory of your creation, light our path we pray

We too are in darkness, sometimes, in despair, loneliness, loss, uncertainty, in the fear that things will never be bright again. We stumble in the darkness of our own faithlessness and arrogance, in the dark night of legalism without grace, judgement without justice, crown without cross, in the darkness of plenty in a land barren of salt and light.

You LORD, only you, be our light in the darkness

For the Jews, the new day starts at the sunset of the old, a new beginning in the darkness of the day before. Night before light, blackness before the morning, the waning moon before the rising sun. The Rising Son.

LORD the Son rises.

Life must overcome, the life that is the light of women and men, of girls and boys, of lost and found, is rising. This is the story of tomorrow, and the story of tonight. For what went on in that tomb was life besting death, which now will have no sting. Mourning has been soothed with the oil of joy. Beauty for the ashes of despair. This is the Good News of the light and of life. The Son is rising anew, for the first time, forever.

LORD we pray

for those trapped in darkness, LORD we pray

for those who prefer the darkness, LORD we pray

for those in the darkness of addiction, LORD we pray

for those who suffer abuse, LORD we pray

for those who abuse, LORD we pray

for the wealthy, LORD we pray

for the poor, LORD we pray

for those in war, LORD we pray

for the soldier, LORD we pray

for the child soldier, LORD we pray

for those without a safe home, LORD we pray

CBD

for those seeking refuge, LORD we pray

for those without clean water, LORD we pray

for those stricken with illness, LORD we pray

for those who minister to them, LORD we pray

for those without power or voice, LORD we pray

for those in power, LORD we pray

for us, LORD we pray

for the weak, the weary, the sad, the broken, the fearful, the despairing, the grieving, the hungry, the ignorant, the doubting

LORD hear our prayer.

It is the custom of Christians to wait until the new night of tomorrow, to kindle the candles that brighten the new year. We of faith, gathered here now, in faith, knowing that tomorrow is already history, light these candles, because for us, tomorrow is here, tomorrow has already come. Life and light are ours, the new light of tomorrows miracle shines in our hearts, darkness is no more. The life is the light of women, and men, and we prefer the light.

Let us light these candles, and go forward, bearing the light into the all our tomorrows.

LORD, in your goodness, hear our prayer

POPUP

broken people in a broken world
working on mending together
offering hope where it would appear
there is none to be found
light where often there is only darkness
love where love is often lost

24
Nov 15
0

its all very ordinary

Category:Hope,Hospitality,life,Neighbour

Sometimes the ‘ordinary’
is over looked, today as i drank hot chocolate with friends and strangers, a person walking past stopped and picked up rubbish and put it in the bin, the person emptying the bin, stopped and chatted with those who make their home under the bridge.
It was all very ordinary and so good!!

24
Aug 15
0

R.I.P

Category:Being,Community,death,Fear,grief,Hope,Joy,life,Mercy

Taking a funeral is one of those things which mess with the emotions. or so i find.

 Recently I was asked to take the service for a complete stranger, and just to make it interesting, it was with just three days notice. 

It would be fair to say after meeting with the family for only an hour, i did not ‘feel’ adequately prepared.  

Over the course of the day prior to the funeral I was reminded that while this person was not known to me, they were no stranger to God.

As I processed that thought, it gave me great confidence, not in my ability, rather a sense of trusting God in whose image this person was made, and who lived life as part of the wider community, so in listening and watching that community during the service, I got a glimpse of the person who was being laid to rest.

Yet another reminder, we are all God’s children and God is not far from anyone of us.

11
Aug 15
0

Home of the Lost and Found

Category:Coffee,Community,Compassion,Darkness,death,Doubt,Hospitality,Joy,life,LISTEN,Love,Mercy

Taking to the streets, not in power rather in weakness, not by stealth rather transparent, not to overpower rather to empower, not as masters rather as servants not to do rather to be, not to speak rather to listen, not to be examples rather to example, not to presume rather to learn, not to take God there, rather meet God there.

27
Jul 15
0

Music to my ears

Category:Community,Compassion,content,Darkness,death,Doubt,Family,Forgiveness,happiness,Hope,Joy,life,Love,Mercy,money,Neighbour,Poor

as I write this I am with my partners siblings and partners in NZ.

Last Sunday I was honoured to hear a local musician and artist as he played two new songs.
One was a conversation with his wife who died two years ago, the other called Come to me…..

Come to me you poor
With nothing to your name
And the poor who just have money
You can do the same
Walk with me I love you

Much like indifference being the opposite of love and hate, being poor is about what you have and what you don’t have?

As I loiter on the streets of Melbourne I go to the ‘top end’ of town’ to watch the faces on the street, and I wonder what stories I would hear, and what story they would like to hear?

I think it’s a mistake to make assumptions about people,’rich’ or ‘poor’.

05
May 15
0

Life is like……?

Category:Chocolate,Coffee,life

There is a line in a movie, about life being like a box of chocolates?

I reckon it’s more like deep fried ice-cream!!

14
Apr 15
0

Taking it to the streets

Category:be excellent to each other,Bubba,catch up,Family,Hope,Hospitality,Joy,life,Love,Neighbour,respect

One of my mates from around town called the other day wanting to catch up.

He told the story, with scared face and broken nose, of his recent bashing.

He wanted me to ask the person who bashed him why?? ‘M’ felt helpless and frightened, he was shattered.

The person responsible for this was not in the usual spot, this person too has the street for his

home and is just as vulnerable.

As we walked and talked we met up with three other of his mates, two who had also received the same treatment from the same person.

We shared food and drink we talked together.

It was heart breaking.

By their own admission, they are no angels, but the sense of helplessness and despair, not so much about what they do or don’t have, rather of being respected and loved, was evident.

One of these men I have known since 2014 we catch up regularly and this week, along with his mates we hope to celebrate ‘M’s’ 44th birthday.

As we share food together, as we respect, care for each other and celebrate the precious live of one of God’s children, I hope this moment in time will be the start of dignity and hope restored.

24
Feb 15
0

Community Humanity

Category:Family,Hope,Hospitality,life,Love,Neighbour,Peace,Stranger,streets,The Other

Loitering on the streets of Melbourne over fourteen hours during the white-night festival is a little different to the ‘normal loitering and lurking’ i undertake.

The crowd was intense the creative expressions and emotions of humanity are out there for all to see, sadly so were those ‘other’ human traits we try to hide.

For me it was not so much about the art in all its expressions rather the people and their interactions with each other.
Putting thousands of people into the city precinct, for a 12 hour festival is an interesting idea.

I did not see many of those friends with who I spend time, although a generous, warm hug from one ensured the evening got off to a good start.

It was the stranger and the interactions which made the night.

Extracting a smile, the giving of a high five, a hello or an intense conversation about a dead brother, an upcoming coronal inquest, a request to visit some of his mates’ doing time’ or the connection with a young man from one of the schools I worked at years ago, now living of the streets or the warming conversation with a young Maori girl abandon by her ‘mates’.

These ‘strangers’ and the interactions made me wonder, who and what they encountered as we connected together as fellow humans??

26
Jan 15
0

back loitering

Category:Bubba,Community,Hope,Hospitality,Joy,life,sparrow

Having had sometime away recently to take part in a youth leaders thingy and then my days off, time to see family and with my partner, I am hanging out to get back to the streets of Melbourne.

I miss those Ive met over the past 12 months, the refreshing world view they share, the fragility they share and the ‘stuff’ we enjoy over food or in conversation has become part of my new normal!!

So its back to ‘loitering with intent’ for me.

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