News 6 June 2024
Live Stream 9 June 2024: https://www.facebook.com/share/Sa3eYBkF99rmPHbE/
Dear Reader,
Click here to access our pew sheet and orders of service.
Here is the link to our live-stream.
Yesterday news spread quickly on social media (at least, on the feeds of people like myself!) of the death of Jürgen Moltmann, aged 98.
Moltmann was one of the most influential theologians of our time and will be remembered in particular for bringing to the foreground the idea of “the crucified God” (first articulated as such by Luther) as central to the task of theology. That is, it is weakness, suffering and vulnerability where God is most clearly revealed. “God does not seek to dominate the world” he wrote, in one of his many famous lectures, this one on Genesis.
Because of this emphasis, Moltmann’s writings became central to the movement called “Liberation Theology”, which emerged in South America and sought to understand God’s mission primarily in socioeconomic and political terms – God is on the side of the poor, the marginalised, the down-trodden. Liberation theology went much further though, and offered a searing critique of white, male, privileged theology, arguing that such “Western theology” served not the purposes of the community and its underprivileged, but rather served its own (capitalist, patriarchal, economic) interests. Understandably then, his work is important for other so-called “hermeneutics of liberation”, such as feminist theology.
A second pillar of Moltmann’s theology is hope, made manifest to us through the Spirit of God. Hope as a present, transformative reality, not a pie-in-the-sky ideal. Of course, Moltmann himself saw these two ideas – the crucified God and the God of hope – as inseparable, intertwined realities. And decisive in this was his early experience as a prisoner of war during WWII, where both suffering and hope were existentially prominent.
For me personally, in my journey to priesthood, I was deeply moved by – and have sought to live by –
Moltmann’s statement that “One cannot stand before the people unless one has first stood alongside the people”, echoing both theological sentiments above, albeit indirectly. For Moltmann, solidarity is always foundational. God’s solidarity with suffering humanity is the ground of our solidarity with others, wherever they are.
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Parish Council has been overjoyed with the generous response to our fund-raising letter. We are very grateful for everyone who has donated and as a result, we believe all four projects can now proceed. As with all such matters, the final cost is not certain until the actual job is completed, as unexpected costs often arise. Parish Council wish to be transparent with everyone about this as we progress, so we plan to write to you with more details in the coming weeks. Needless to say, additional donations are still very much welcome, to ensure we can cover all contingencies. Parish Council will also discuss at its next meeting what it might put any surplus donations towards, should that eventuality arise.
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A highlight of our Winter services is the fortnightly soup after church. This commences this Sunday on 2 June, and will be held on June 2, 16, 30, July 14, 28, August 11, 25.
The Burnside Interchurch Council Quiz Night is on Friday June 14 7:30pm, $20 each, @ Burnside Uniting Church. If you would like to join Di Thorpe & Ian and Pat Campbell, please speak to Di or Pat.
I am speaking on my Psalms Translation Project at St David’s, Mitcham, Sunday 16 June, 5-6pm. Come along to see some recently translated Psalms and hear more about this large project I’m undertaking.
Our live-stream project commences on the ground on June 11, with TAF-SA arriving onsite to do the trenching and cabling, so that we will have wired data into the church. It is exciting to see this begin!
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As winter settles in, I am reminded of the beautiful words from the new Thanksgiving Prayer we are using at Breaking Bread now, so I’ll conclude with these:
Lord of all life,
you created the universe,
where all living things reflect your glory.
You give us this great and beautiful earth,
to discover and to cherish.
You give us the fish in the sea,
the birds of the air,
and every plant and tree;
the life that sleeps in the winter earth,and awakens again in the spring.
Kind regards
Matthew
Live-stream Project Update
Workers will be onsite from June 11-14 to connect the internet into the church.
