Victorian Council of Churches

Beyond the familiar routes of separation to God’s new paths. “They left for their own country by another road.” (Matthew 2:12)

Scripture

• Jeremiah 31:31-34, I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel.
• Matthew 11:25-30, Because you have hidden these things…

Meditation
We do not know what the wise men thought – they who were experts in astronomy and navigation – when they were warned to re- turn by another road. They may well have been very confused, but the same light that illumined their journey showed them that there was another road, another possibility. They were called to change direction.

God’s divine providence is always there to show us that there is another way prepared for us. God is there to renew his covenant and lift us up from the frustration we experience when we meet an obstacle. A fresh start is always possible when we are will- ing and open to the work of the Spirit.

On the old familiar roads, Christian communities have walked apart from one an- other. On the new roads to which God calls us, Christians walk together and become pilgrim companions.

Prayer
Gracious God, when we think that all roads are blocked, and we fall into despair, we always find you there. We find you creating a new path before us, one that we did not expect. We thank you because your creative paths open up unforeseen possibilities. Help us to always find you, who lead us yet by a more excellent way. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord, in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, that you will always lead us back to you. Amen.

(Source: Franciscan Friars of the Atonement)

The gifts of communion. “Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)

Scripture

• Hosea 6:1-6, For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice.
• Matthew 6:19-21, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Meditation
In our journey to Bethlehem, the city of bread, we contemplate the wise men who came to pay homage to the Christ Child. They opened their treasures, and offered the new-born king their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

What gifts have we prepared to offer the king who comes to illuminate our lives and lead us to the grace of unity? We know that God does not want our riches and burnt offerings, but rather that his power works through our poverty. Let us then prepare for him the gift of a heart full of love. Kneeling in worship requires hearts that are contrite for the sin that divides us and obedient to the One we serve. This obedience revives, heals and reconciles everything that is broken or wounded in us, around us, and among us as Christians.

Prayer
Lord God, you have revealed yourself in the epiphany of your Son both to those who have long awaited for your coming, and to those who were not expecting you. You know the suffering that surrounds us, the pain caused by our divisions. We ask you to enable our hearts and our minds to know you. As we join the wise men com- ing from afar, we pray that you open our hearts to your love and to the love of our brothers and sisters around us. Receive our prayer in the name of your Son Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

(Source: Franciscan Friars of the Atonement)

Gathered in worship around the One Lord “They saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage.” (Matthew 2:11)

Scripture

• Exodus 3:1-6, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
• Matthew 28:16-20, When they saw him, they worshipped him.

Meditation
When the Magi arrived at Bethlehem and saw the child with his mother, they worshipped him. Similarly at the sight of the burning bush, Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God. When the disciples saw the risen Christ on the mountain in Galilee, they worshipped him. In the heavenly liturgy, the twenty-four elders fall before him who sits on the throne. Encountering God’s presence, we respond thus: gazing, followed by amazement, leading to worship.

Do we see? Are we amazed? Are we truly worshipping? In our narrow vision, too often we see only our tangled disagreements, forgetting that the one Lord has given his saving grace to us all, and that we share in the one Spirit who draws us into unity.

As communities enlivened by the Holy Spirit, our churches call us to walk together towards the Christ Child to offer him homage as one people. The Spirit of compassion guides us to each other, and together guides us to our one Lord.

Prayer
Compassionate God, you gave the blind the insight to recognize you as their Saviour, enable us to repent. In your mercy, remove the scales from our eyes and lead us to worship you as our God and Redeemer. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon us, so that together we glorify you in the Spirit’s fellowship, and witness to all those around us. Amen.

(Source: Franciscan Friars of the Atonement)

The Holy Spirit moves the church towards a new vision

A message from the Presidents of the World Council of Churches for Pentecost 2022.

As these days of Pentecost arrive, we recall the commitment of the church to bring good news to those who suffer the most from armed conflicts, from the harmful effects of economic ambition throughout this time of pandemic, and from the devastating damages that we have caused the planet.

Acts 1 and 2 relate that, in Jerusalem, the apostles received the promise of the power to witness and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit to bring the good news to all ends of the earth. It is not until Act 8 that these geographical advances in evangelisation are reported: not through the mouths of the apostles but instead though Philip, a deacon. This happens as a consequence of the persecution against the church.

In the Acts, the Holy Spirit brings new gifts, new ways to evangelise, new places to reach, new ways to live life, and pathways to reach those who have been discriminated against; it takes lives lived in the service of persecution and death and transforms them into lives in the service of Christ’s name and his good news; it gives power to confront political, military, and economic powers. The church understood the need to build safe spaces and thus save lives.

We pray that the impetus of this Spirit continue to move us in that direction. That it keeps putting words of eternal life into the mouth of the church. That its creativity is manifested through its unexpected actions and that, through its breath of life, take us wherever it wishes.

Guided by the One Lord “Ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising.” (Matthew 2:9)

Scripture

• Revelation 22:5-9, For the Lord God will be their light.
• Matthew 2:7-10, Ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising.

Meditation

Again and again the scriptures tell us how the Lord God walks with God’s people, protects them, and watches over them day and night. In all our journeying through life, we can be confident that God, who neither “sleeps nor slumbers”, protects us lest our feet slip and we fall.

Even in the greatest darkness, Christ is the guiding light for all nations, the glory of God in the world, the source of divine life, sealing a new covenant in his blood.

The way ahead into unity with one another, and so into closer union with Christ, is not always clear. In our earnest attempts to build unity ourselves, it is all too easy to lose sight of this fundamental message of the scriptures: God does not abandon God’s people even in their failures and divisiveness. As the story of the Magi re- minds us, God guides people of all kinds, with the light of the star, to where Christ, the light of the world, is to be found.

God sends the Holy Spirit whose light enables us to see with the eyes of faith the truth of the divine Child, and the call to unity and reconciliation of all things in him. It is this Spirit that leads us from dark- ness and tragedy into Christ’s light and life.

Prayer

O Lord God our Father, increase our hope in you and let us know at all times that you are walking with us, watching over your people. Open our eyes to your Spirit, and encourage us in our faith, so that we may confess that Jesus is Lord, and worship and rejoice in him as the Magi did in Bethlehem. We ask you these blessings in the name of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

(Source: Franciscan Friars of the Atonement)

Labor’s election win sees a return of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to the control of the party that first passed legislation for it. Bill Shorten’s appointment as NDIS Minister makes him responsible for the scheme he championed and helped establish.

The NDIS is an incredibly important source of support for people with disability but in recent years a large gap has opened between those who make it on to the scheme and those who don’t. Of the 4.4 million Australians with disability, only around 12% are eligible for the NDIS. Many participants reported significant cuts to their budgets, forcing them to miss out on essential supports and their family members to give up work. Many people with disability are left with no services at all and incur significant out-of-pocket expenses to pay for supports such as allied health.

(Related article here: The NDIS crisis – what’s needed is more autonomy for people with disability).

Churches have been very responsive to disability and inclusion. Here are some examples:

From the Catholic Church on disability and inclusivity
Jesus deeply loves each one of us. Each and every one of us is a unique and unrepeatable child of God. Nothing we ‘do’ or ‘achieve’, gives us this dignity and worth. It is part of who we are and how we have been created. The understanding that every life is precious and sacred – that each person is made in the ‘image of God’ and has inherent worth and dignity – is central to our faith. 

The Church seeks to welcome all people into a rich, meaningful experience of the Christian life, regardless of any physical abilities. We are committed to working towards a more just society, in which people with disabilities are free to make their own decisions about their own needs, and where their unique contributions to the life of the community are valued and respected.

In this spirit, the Church seeks to make the sacraments accessible to people with disabilities and to ensure the process of Christian initiation is appropriate to their needs and circumstances. Recent Church guidelines affirm that ‘People with disabilities are called to the fullness of sacramental life … The sacraments are gifts of God and the liturgy, which even before being understood rationally, ask to be lived: therefore, no one can deny the sacraments to people with disabilities’ (Directory for Catechesis, 2020).

The Australian Catholic Disability Council has produced a number of useful resources for parishes on issues surrounding disability and inclusivity, including a pastoral document for parishes, and guidelines for the celebration of the sacraments with people with disability.

Anglican Church on disability inclusion
Significant commitment to ensuring that the public places in the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne have disabled access (see 2021 Synod report). The motion called for the allocation of funding in the 2022-23 budget for a full time dedicated disability access and inclusion officer for a period of two to five years. It also called on the diocese to reaffirm a 2010 synod resolution that called on parishes and organisation in the diocese to develop plans to remove obstacles that “prevent people affected by disability from sharing in congregational life”. Additionally, it noted a 2015 motion passed by synod that required the president to report annually on the progress of this disability plan until at least 98% of the diocese’s public places were disability accessible. 

A paper on The Anglican Church of Australia and engagement of people living with disabilities (link here)

The Uniting Church on disability inclusion
We are committed to ensuring people with disabilities are full and equal participants in all activities of the Synod.Striving for this goal means engagement and advocacy with individuals, congregations and presbyteries, and a range of organisations beyond the Synod.

Since 2010, our Disability Inclusion Advocates have been involved in developing:

• The Disability Action Plan 2019-2022, in response to the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. (Easy English Disability Action Plan summary). These two versions complement each other and need to be read and considered as a whole: it is recommended you initially read the Easy English version.
• A mental health kit for congregations.
• A University of Divinity subject (Pastoral Care with People with Disabilities).

For more information, contact Andy Calder on 03 9340 8844 or andy.calder@victas.uca.org.au

Launch of a new book on disability: 2pm 14th June

Reflective Being, Being Reflective: 25 years of multi-faith perspectives on disability and spirituality in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand
This book, edited by Andy Calder, Jayne Clapton and Trevor Parmenter, celebrates 25 years of the multi-faith disability and spirituality movement in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Since the inaugural conference in Brisbane, 1996, a further five have been held. Arising from the conferences, this collection explores issues of faith and meaning in the lived experience of disability. Contributors explore a range of issues including: ethics, care, friendship, discrimination, inclusion, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), love, justice, liberation and ‘cripped’ spiritualities.
(Limited numbers (36) of in-person places are available. Please register by 7 June at the latest if you wish to be present. Register here and more information here)

Reference: The Conversation

Though small and suffering, we lack nothing. “And you, Bethlehem… are by no means least” (Matthew 2:6)

Scripture

• Micah 5:2-5a, 7-8, From you shall come forth… one who is to rule Israel.
• Luke 12:32-40, Do not be afraid, little flock.

Meditation

From the small and lowly city of Bethlehem, the Lord, the Son of God, made his entrance into the world. From the womb of a humble village girl, he took human flesh, and chose to live his humanity in obscurity and simplicity. Out of the obscurity has come a ruler, the shepherd and guardian of our souls. And though he is our shepherd, he became the Lamb who carried the sins of the world that we might be healed.

Bethlehem, a name that means the “house of bread”, can be a metaphor for the Church that brings to the world the bread of life. The Church continues to be a place where the weak, the powerless and the small are welcome because in her each has a place.

In the midst of political turmoil, Christians, like others in the Middle East, suffer persecution and experience a sense of marginalization, living in fear of violence and injustice. In Christ they find a model of humility, and from him they hear a call to overcome divisions and to be united in one flock. Though they are few, in their suffering they follow in the steps of the Lamb who suffered for the world’s salvation. Though few, they are sure in hope, lacking nothing.

Prayer

Good Shepherd, the fragmentation of the little flock grieves your Holy Spirit. Forgive our weak efforts and slowness in pursuit of your will. Give us wise shepherds after your own heart who recognize the sin of division, and who will lead the churches with righteousness and holiness, to unity in you. We ask you, Lord, to hear our prayer. Amen.

(Source: Franciscan Friars of the Atonement)

The world faces a global crisis on food exacerbated and brought to the fore by the war in Ukraine, but humanity can and must take remedial steps in economic and climate justice, a World Council of Churches-led meeting has heard.

(published 27th May 2022 on World Council of Churches website)

Dr David Nabarro, special envoy of the World Health Organization on COVID-19, urged the church and civil society leaders to act now in the briefing with participants from different parts of the world, particularly Africa.

After an introduction by Dr Manoj Kurian, coordinator of the WCC-Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, Nabarro cautioned, “that we don’t look back on 2022 as the year where there was a crisis of civilization, because building on the pandemic, humanity just could not find a way to promote equity, the realization of rights, and the wellbeing of not just people, but our beautiful planet.”

“So, we can offer it to future generations as a place of hope and growth,” said Nabarro.

The WHO envoy said he became aware in the middle of last year, “listening to many ministers of agriculture, coming together at a meeting in Rome in July, just one after the other saying it’s not working, climate change, COVID-19 and conflict are making the food security of our peoples really disturbing.”

Trade systems not working

Nabarro cited global trade systems not working, countries dependent on imports because of the COVID-19 crisis, and unable to get what they need.

He said, “Farmers, because of climate change and COVID-19, particularly smallholder farmers and fishers, cannot produce what they need.”

Marianne Ejdersten, WCC director of Communication, outlined the current trigger of a crisis.

“The world faces a food crisis triggered by war in a major breadbasket area of the world, making many other places face acute hunger, but the planet faced a food crunch before the war in Ukraine started,” said Ejdersten.

“A new global crisis is emerging from the war in Ukraine, with the potential to cause millions of people to go hungry, push food prices higher and spark unrest far from the conflict zone,” Ejdersten said. She highlighted that 811 million people go to bed hungry every night.

“Together. Russia and Ukraine account for more than a quarter of the global wheat supplies exporting to countries including Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, Yemen, and Somalia, among many other countries,” said Ejdersten. “These are the most vulnerable populations in the world.”

Sofía Monsalve Suárez,  secretary-general of FIAN International, the international human rights organization for the right to food and nutrition, said it is essential to look at when the crisis started.

“We have been in crisis since 2007, if you want if you remember the first big food crisis that we had, at that time,” said Monsalve Suárez. “And it’s the structural drivers of this food crisis, for instance, the inequality in terms of controlling land and natural resources, the inequalities in terms of tax justice, the issue of debt, has been mentioned.”

Dismantling capacity

The FIAN leader accused the World Bank and many international financial institutions of convincing countries and forcing them to dismantle their national capacity to produce food, store food and have public food programmes for distribution for schools and the like.

“Therefore, they were told it is better to rely on the global market. But now, since COVID-19, we have seen that these global food supply chains are extremely vulnerable to these eruptions, because of climate conditions, or because of geopolitical and war issues, as we see now,” said Monsalve Suárez.

Dr Thorsten Göbel, director of Programmes for the ACT Alliance,  spoke on the global impact of the crisis on humanitarian responses and where hunger is strongly felt.

“We’ve heard or seen from ACT members that this has been particularly the case in conflict-ridden countries, like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Afghanistan or Syria,” said Göbel.

Mervyn Abrahams of the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and  Dignity Group spoke on the national situation in South Africa.

“We have seen food prices spike since the beginning of COVID-19. And that has continued. So yes, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has sharpened the spike. But the issue around increasing food prices has been with us for quite a while,” said Abrahams. He noted that food availability is not a problem in South Africa, an exporter and that prices outstripping earnings are hitting the most vulnerable communities.

Impact on children

However, he said, “We have seen, in South Africa, it was reported that 199 children under the age of five in our public hospital system have died as a direct result of malnutrition in only the first two months of this year.”

Prof. Dr Esther Mombo of the theology department at St Paul’s University in Limuru, Kenya.

And yet the Kenyan theologian reminded that “the story of Jesus feeding 5,000 people has some lessons for us as we face the hunger crisis in different parts of the world.”

She said, “There is enough food to feed everybody in the world.

When Jesus saw a crowd of people, he told his disciples to give them food. When we provide food to the hungry, we are not doing them a favour, but acting as expected of us by God, as God’s people through Jesus Christ.”