Liturgies

This week, Narelle Mullins uses thoughts from Andrew Kennelly’s book “Soul Murmurings” with the focus being on the significance of rituals in our lives’’ ’everyday rituals and those that bring us together in shared spiritual experiences. Given the unfolding of the future of St Mary’s in Exile, there is an even greater need for meaningful rituals that express memories, gratitude, wonder, joy, laughter as well as possibly grief and loss and definitely enduring hope.

As we approach Lent this year and we prepare to celebrate Easter, we are choosing as our theme ‘Soul Murmurings’. It is taken from Andrew Kennelly’s new book with the same name. Andrew writes: ‘Soul Murmurings offers a new interpretation of spirituality.

This week Liz will explore a contemporary understanding of the Doctrine of Trinity. John Shelby Spong said that Trinity is not a definition of God, but a description of how we experience the ultimate reality of the sacred.

Terry will be sharing some insights from his recent retreat. A time to slow down can be an invitation to return to our deeper selves. To be grounded in the present moment where life is truly worth living.

We are beginning this year with a liturgy which focuses on Micah Projects. This year Micah celebrates 30 years of service to the community. We will be watching a wonderful brief documentary that highlights who and what Micah has meant to so many people.

Our Christmas Vigil celebration was wonderful. Beautiful music, thought provoking homily from Terry, presided so well by Heather and Tony and a liturgy that was inspired - we were on holy ground. Wow, this community is really something special.

As we continue our Advent theme of The Joy of Waiting in Times of Uncertainty and Fear, Liz will explore what our sacred scriptures contribute to the topic.

Margaret will reflect on Advent as a time of waiting, a time of transformation, a time of tapping into the living hope within and allowing it to shape our way of seeing, coping, interacting and being in our world.

Narelle Mullins speaks of the challenge of waiting in the wilderness. In the wilderness the Gospel tells us that God spoke to John the Baptist and called John. Even if he felt powerless in his wilderness, he was to act…to prepare the way of the Lord. Waiting in the wilderness can be uncomfortable and disturbing but many of Australia’s First peoples wait there In our wilderness, can we hear that voice within calling us deeply into divine intimacy and love?

As we prepare for Christmas this Advent, it can be a time to slow down and return to what is most important in our lives. Traditionally it is a time of preparing and waiting for the coming of the light. A light which is often dimmed by our traveling too fast over false ground. Let us take time this season to slow down and allow our souls to take us back to find the joy that dwells deep within slow time. Homily by Terry Fitzpatrick.