Liturgies

As we have just celebrated 13 years as St Mary's In Exile on the 19th April Terry will be reflecting on the past 13 years. Many of us have belonged to the community for many years in various degrees of familiarity. The need for places where people can be encouraged, inspired, and recharged is ever more needed. Spaces where hope is fostered, based on the reality of situations. St Mary's In Exile aspires to be one such place, Terry hopes we can continue to be this.

The story of the Lord's Supper illustrates how Jesus empowered the disciples to take over the ministry. He inspired them to challenge structural and institutional control and take responsibility for creating a better world. This Easter we are invited to hear in the midst of our traumatised and chaotic world the words of Jesus "I am with you" "Peace be with you" Be not afraid".

In this weekend’s liturgies, we reflect on the idea that our life task is to continually reconnect to the ever-present Divine, to the Earth and to each other. We will also be invited to reflect on how interconnectedness and relationship are the essence of everything that exists and the implications of this for peace in our world.

The story of the Lord's Supper illustrates how Jesus empowered the disciples to take over the ministry. He inspired them to challenge structural and institutional control and take responsibility for creating a better world. This Easter we are invited to hear in the midst of our traumatised and chaotic world the words of Jesus "I am with you" "Peace be with you" Be not afraid".

The story of the Lord's Supper illustrates how Jesus empowered the disciples to take over the ministry. He inspired them to challenge structural and institutional control and take responsibility for creating a better world. This Easter we are invited to hear in the midst of our traumatised and chaotic world the words of Jesus "I am with you" "Peace be with you" Be not afraid".

There is a consistent theme at St Mary’s encouraging us to pay attention and to be present to the moment. In this Palm Sunday Homily, we are encouraged in the daily practice of saying “Hello” to our reality and actually befriending it. Facing reality, being in the midst of life as it presents itself however unwanted at times is at the heart of the spiritual life.

This weekend we celebrate the Fifth Sunday of Lent by exploring the metaphorical desert as a place to refresh, renew and refocus.

Last year the SMX board felt that it would be good for us as a community to re-connect with our early hopes, dreams and aspirations as a Community in Exile. They felt that what the Community had decided on as our Vision Statements 12 years ago , and now found in the opening words of our Constitution, were a perfect place to begin. The liturgy Group felt it would be an appropriate fit for our Lenten theme of RENEW; REFRESH and REFOCUS

Central to the message of Jesus is the invitation to embrace the presence of God in the here and now. This is also a central message from the recently deceased Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. This weekend our liturgies invite us once again into this simple but easily overlooked reality.