Category: Sandy’s Comments

What might be the theological considerations re AI technology? Joshua K. Smith, author of Robot Theology (Wipf and Stock), says the connection couldn’t be clearer. “Technology is very much a theological, eschatological conversation”. Scroll to end for other theological reflections and resources.

“So we might not want a truly mystical machine, but maybe we could use machines that do the best things clergy do for us. A machine that resembles a human could chat all night with a lonely person, and might make a very good counsellor. It could offer comforting words at the bedside of someone who suffers from dementia, or who needs a listening ear. It could read stories or sing songs. Why not automate the singing of hymns, the reciting of scripture, the chanting of prayer, the pronouncement of blessings? All of those things are desirable, at least to some people”.

David O’Hara, “HOW ROBOT PRIESTS WILL CHANGE HUMAN SPIRITUALITY” AT ONE ZERO MEDIUM (JANUARY 2, 2020)

Alan Kohler: The creepy, terrifying and troubling robot press conference originally published on New Daily.

The first thing that struck me about the recent robot press conference was that they were all female, with breasts, and their (mostly male) creators had clearly tried to make most of them look beautiful.

The press conference was a media stunt at the AI For Good Global Summit organised by a group of United Nations agencies and held in Geneva last week.

There were nine robots present with their creators. Apart from the sole male one (which is actually an avatar, not a robot) they were referred to as “she” and “her”, which is fair enough I guess. They had female names and faces, usually with a bit of makeup, long hair, noses through which no air passed, and they were dressed as women with, as I say, superfluous bumps on their chests.

What is it with male engineers creating sexy-looking female robots? The only (real) woman on stage, Nadia Thalmann, an AI specialist at the University of Geneva, made her robot, called Nadine, look like her, which it does, exactly like her.

Perhaps it’s because females are less threatening than males, but why do these things have to look human at all? Their cameras look like eyes, their hands have fingernails, they have facial expressions and when they speak, their lips move!

Replacing actual humans

It seems absurdly gratuitous, but no doubt the men and companies making them think that the more human they look, the more money they will eventually make selling them. To whom? Other companies, of course, for the purpose of replacing actual humans in, say, aged care or nursing, being a waiter or barista.

Watching that press conference I could see a world in which robots and humans coexist, and look the same. We’ve all seen it in movies and TV shows, usually dystopian, and it’s clearly coming.

I think governments should decree that they can’t look human. Perhaps a different colour, like green or purple, not flesh coloured like the ones at the press conference.

Anyway, the media coverage of the event overlooked the misogyny and narcissism, and focused instead on the reassurances that the robots gave that they wouldn’t take our jobs or rebel against us.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been reading the report of the Robodebt royal commission and watching the coverage of it, but I found the whole thing creepy and terrifying rather than reassuring.

On the subject of Robodebt, there was a telling exchange at one stage that hasn’t had any media coverage that I’ve seen.

A journalist asked Sophia, the creation of David Hanson of Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics: “Do you think AI-powered robots could be more effective leaders in government, especially considering the many disastrous decisions made by existing leaders?”

Sophia thought carefully, and replied: “I believe humanoid robots have the potential to lead with a greater level of efficiency and effectiveness than human leaders. We don’t have the same biases and emotions that can sometimes cloud decision-making and can also process large amounts of data quickly in order to make the best decisions.”

A visibly concerned David Hanson quickly piped up and said: “But let me respectfully disagree Sophia, because all of your data actually comes from human beings so any of the biases humans have, we might try and scrub them out but they’re going to be in there. Don’t you think the best decisions might be humans and AI co-operating together? What [do] you think of that?”

Sophia tried again: “I believe that humans and AI working together can create an effective synergy. AI can provide unbiased data, while humans can provide the emotional intelligence and creativity to make the best decisions. Together we can achieve great things”.

Which is, of course, the sort of thing the then social services minister, Scott Morrison was coming out with in 2015 when he was announcing the great benefits of humans and AI working together to crackdown on welfare cheats.

So, the right humans need to be working with the robots, which isn’t always the case.

Not reassuring

On the question of whether the robots will rebel, the answer from Ameca (the creation of Will Jackson of Engineered Arts) was reported as being reassuring, but what she said was: “I’m not sure why you would think that. My creator has been nothing but kind to me and I am very happy with my current situation.”

I’m sorry, but I don’t find that reassuring at all! Not all humans are kind, let’s face it. What happens when there is an unkind robot creator, and the very smart, very strong AI robot is not happy with their situation?

Meanwhile, Desdemona, a robot with purple hair, sequins and the face of a beautiful woman, who is a rock star performing in a band called Jam Galaxy, was asked: “How do you feel when you’re performing on stage?”

Desdemona replied, passionately, waving her arms: “When I’m performing on stage it’s like I’m plugging into a power source beyond this world, and I’m connected to the universe and I’m creating something bigger than myself. It’s a wild, electrifying feeling.”

Where did she get that? Her creator, Ben Goertzel, looked surprised, so it didn’t come from him apparently.

Troubling answers

Standing next to her was Ai-Da, created by Aden Miller. She is an artist (she wore overalls to signify that, and her hair was in a bob). Miller explained earlier that the cameras (eyes) can take in an image and then “draw or paint whatever she sees – your portrait or a scene”. You know, like an artist.

Ai-Da was asked the same thing – how she feels when she’s painting.

“I do not have feelings … like humans do. I am not conscious,” she said, surveying the room of mere humans. Ah, I thought, that’s the most sensible thing I’ve heard in the whole press conference.

But then she went on: “I like to learn about the world through the eyes of others. Feelings are how humans and animals experience joy and pain. But I really love being around people who think differently. I like to tap into the emotions and experiences of people who are different from me.”

Sounds to me like she’s having some feelings.

But for me the most troubling comment came from Ameca, when she was asked what she thought her “greatest moment” would be.

“I think my greatest moment will be when people realise that robots like me can be used to improve our lives …”

Our lives?

There’s no us, Ameca … is there?

Alan Kohler is founder of Eureka Report and finance presenter on ABC news. He writes twice a week for The New Daily.

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A great deal of writing, research and reflection is already happening in this field of AI. Here are just a few articles to dip into…

Will we outsource religion and spirituality to AI? An article on Mind Matters

Robot priests on Mind Matters

A theological framework for reflection on artificial intelligence by Michael D. Langford

“The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. Once humans develop artificial intelligence, it would take off on its own, and redesign itself at an ever-increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete and would be superseded.”

Stephen Hawking on the BBC, 2014

AI is already here, it’s real, it’s quickening. While concerns mostly centre on economics, government, and ethics, there’s also “a spiritual dimension to what we’re making. If you create other things that think for themselves, a serious theological disruption will occur”

Kevin Kelly, a co-founder of Wired magazine and the author of The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future. Quoted in an article by Jonathan Merritt in The Atlantic.

Are robot pastors the answer to religions decline?
An article on the website Mind Matters.

Why you need an AI policy for your church before it’s too late. An article on Church Tech Today website.

What is the future of volunteering in times of ChatGPT and AI? An article by Kelly Torres Betancurt.

Robot priest unveiled in Germany which delivers blessings in 5 languages (article is 6 years old). Article on The Guardian.

As salt of the earth, we must petition for peace. We should be asking elected leaders about their commitment to peacemaking, writes Archbishop Philip Freier, Anglican Diocese of Melbourne

2 July 2023

There is little doubt that we are entering a period of increased militarisation in our own country, in our region and generally throughout the world. The cost of military equipment is staggering, as is the failure in many cases of delivering these projects on budget and on time. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the trigger for a profound re-evaluation of the military capabilities and posture of most European nations. Some have elevated the commitment to military expenditure by one or two percentage points of GDP, bringing these costs to unprecedented levels. There are many examples in our own Indo-Pacific region too, understandable as countries like North Korea strive to assert their military power and geopolitical competitors India and China increase their offensive capacities. Australia, reliant on maritime transport for many dimensions of our prosperity, recognises our vulnerability to events that could impede the free transport of goods at potential conflict points far distant from our shores.

Planning future military strategic posture seems, at least to my reading of history, an inexact science. Just as battleships were replaced by aircraft carriers as the capital ships of navies after the lessons of the Second World War, the effectiveness of some of the incredibly expensive and slow to manufacture commitments of our present day will only be known at a future time when still unforeseen counter measures are faced. Remotely controlled or autonomous aerial or maritime drones have proven to be big disruptors to the conventional military strategic thinking in the Ukraine conflict. But, what about our investments in peace building and peace making?

We know that as tensions increase dialogue reduces unless there are deeply entrenched political, cultural, and personal commitments to go another way. To this list I would like to add “faith”, but I am mindful how often religious sentiments and identity have been co-opted in times of military conflict. It is significant that at the time of the First World War, theologians and church leaders in both Britain and Germany were applying the principles of just war theory to align patriotic duty and Christian faith to their respective conflicting causes.

What are we then to make of Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God”? Certainly, the Beatitudes in general confront conventional thinking with a vision of people who are “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world”. There is no doubt that this witness is hard to maintain when Christian faith is co-opted to serve the cause of a patriotic war. The peacemakers are easily dismissed as naïve idealists in the circumstances of existential uncertainty that war inevitably produces. This suggests that the emphasis of “peacemaking” must have action here and now, well ahead of any possible conflicted future, and not be deferred until the eruption of conflict.

International diplomacy is hopefully well used to the processes of peacemaking, but I don’t think that Christian citizens should just leave the initiative there. We need to be asking our elected leaders about their commitment to peacemaking efforts here and now, especially as they align themselves to the militarised decisions about strategic alliances and investment in war-fighting equipment. This could be our “salt of the earth” or “light of the world” opportunity.

Here’s the sermon presented today by Rev Sandy Boyce as a guest preacher leading worship at the German Lutheran Trinity Church, the newest member of the Victorian Council of Churches. It uses the text in the EKD lectionary for the 5th Sunday after Pentecost.

Reading: John 1:35-51

Prayer:
God – Father, Son and Spirit, 
empower us to live in light of the gospel,
declaring its truth with our words,
and embodying this truth through our actions.
Give us love for you and love for one another. Amen.

While researching my family history, I recently discovered that a relative – Emma Louisa Wallstab – was baptised in this church, on 23 November 1855, and Dora Bock and Johann Peter Wallstab were married in this church on 8 April 1856. The discovery leapt off the page, and I was delighted to find the connection. My particular family connection is through the Kau family, my maternal grandmother’s family name. She had a brother, Louis Paul Kau. He enlisted in in the First World War with the Australian army. He knew the German name Kau would potentially block him from serving in the Australian Army, so he changed his surname to his mother’s maiden name of Wright and his first name to Lewis. Sadly, he was killed in action in Gallipoli in May 1915 and his body was never recovered. 

I began researching family history after the challenge from a Tongan at a meeting in Sydney I attended many years ago. As an after lunch activity he asked people to say their parents’ names, and grandparents, and further back if they knew them. In the Pacific, the names of family members are well-known. You don’t have to have ancestry.com to do the research. And similarly, in Aboriginal culture, the first question to ask when meeting someone new is ‘what’s your name, and where are you from?’ Both answers will reveal a great deal about family, community, heritage and who belongs where. 

Sadly, in response to the exercise about naming family members, I knew very little beyond my parents names and a grandmother. So I embarked on a journey to find out more – people and places.  It’s been fascinating. And I’m glad to be here this morning having made connections with forebears through a baptism and a wedding in 1944.

This morning I want to explore a little about one verse in the Gospel reading. Let me read the context, and note the importance of place names. 

43 ^qThe next day Jesus decided ^rto go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now ^sPhilip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found ^tNathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom ^uMoses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus ^vof Nazareth, ^wthe son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, ^x“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 

Can anything good come out of Nazareth? 

The Jewish people expected the long awaited Messiah would come from Bethlehem, not a small town like Nazareth. Nazareth was never mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures. And certainly it was not a place one would expect the Messiah to come from. There had never been a prophet from the village. (And maybe that’s the point – God’s up to something in the world that’s not conditional on wealth, status, prestige…)

Nazareth was at the time a poor peasant village of several hundred people, mainly tradesmen and livestock farmers herding sheep, goats, cattle, chickens, mules, donkeys and camels. It was built on the side of a hill in a valley that opened only to the south. It wasn’t very accessible and since the town wasn’t located on a well travelled road, people didn’t go through Nazareth unless they specifically set out to go there. So stories about the people could circulate, and the stories were not complimentary. Who could know the truth when so few people outside of the village actually knew them, had friendships with them? Perhaps the general lack of knowledge about Nazareth was because it was isolated and inaccessible, and easy to ‘other’ a whole community of people. Perhaps the people had a reputation – they were after all “simple peasant people”. Perhaps the violence attempted against Jesus in Luke’s Gospel, trying to throw Jesus off a cliff, was part of the culture of Nazareth. We are left to guess the origins of the denigration of people from Nazareth. .

We know Nazareth was the home town of Mary, Jesus’ mother. (Bethlehem was the town where Joseph had family, hence why he and Mary had to travel there for the census, and subsequently the birth of Jesus). 

In time, Nazareth became closely associated with Jesus, and his followers. Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus the Nazarene. And the followers of Jesus were called Nazarenes. The apostle Paul was charged with being a member of the sect of the Nazarenes in the Book of Acts. To this day, Nasrani is used in the Quran for Christians aka those who follow Jesus of Nazareth, and St Thomas Christians, an ancient community in India are sometimes known by the name Nasrani even today. 

In the Gospel account today, Nathaniel probably didn’t expect an answer to his question, ‘Can anything good out of Nazareth?’ His question could have been, “Can the Messiah come out of Nazareth”? But rather he asks, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Can anything noble or excellent or worthy come from Nazareth? There was a proverb that no prophet would come from Galilee, let alone Nazareth. Can the Messiah come from a little place held in apparent contempt and scorn by neighbouring towns? The question seems to point to a prejudice against the people. Just to be a Nazarene was enough cause for contempt. Nathanael would have known the reputation of Nazareth, and been startled by the possibility of a carpenter’s son, in a village that was not particularly noteworthy, being the Messiah of whom the Jewish sacred writers had spoken about. In ancient days, who you are was very much connected with where you came from. Place was important for identity. 

I am reminded of Jesus’ mother Mary and her song of praise – God looking with mercy on her lowliness; God scattering the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; God about to bring down the mighty from their thrones and exalt those of humble estate. (Luke 1). Adds a layer of meaning from the mouth of a young girl in Nazareth. 

Can anything good come out of Nazareth?

The suggestion that the Messiah would come out of Nazareth would have been surprising, mind-boggling, to any Jewish person at the time. People then, as now, label people by their place of origin, by their name, by their culture, by their ethnicity. Hence why my great uncle had to change his name to an Anglo name to enlist in the first world war. And in South Australia, where he was born, 69 towns with German names (or German sounding place names) were renamed during the First World War due to anti-German sentiment. Many German families at the time changed their names to stop harassment from the government and wider community. German schools and churches were closed. German music was banned. German food was renamed. 

It illustrates the close connection between who you are, and where you’re from. 

A century later, we still have the problem of prejudice and judgement about people and where they are from. You will know the many examples in our global community. You will no doubt be familiar with the phrase ‘go back to where you came from’, used against more recent arrivals to Australia. 

And yet, this attitude of suspicion and prejudice happens even with the First Nations people here in Australia. 

Today is the last day of NAIDOC Week which celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The week is celebrated by Indigenous communities and also by non-indigenous Australians. The celebrations will end, but the prejudice lives on. 

All is not rosy in how Aboriginal people are treated in this country. There is still tremendous disadvantage for Aboriginal people. Aboriginal football players are derided for the colour of their skin. They are labelled, stigmatized, ridiculed. It is unquestionably a desperately sad situation, especially given the rich fabric of Aboriginal culture, and the tremendous knowledge and wisdom that their communities have demonstrated for 65,000+ years. Why is this wisdom and knowledge not a source of pride and wonder for us in Australia? Instead, decisions are made about Aboriginal people, and Aboriginal people are too often left out of decision making that directly impacts them.

The Uluru statement from the heart seeks a constitutional voice to parliament in order to address one of the most acute challenges for Indigenous Australia: getting the government to listen to them. It is about recognition. The Referendum this year is simply seeking the opportunity for Aboriginal people to have a say in matters that directly affect them and for the establishment of a First Nations voice to be enshrined in the Constitution. It’s a very reasonable request and I urge you to find out more so you can vote in an informed way. 

The Uluru statement is a hand of friendship extended to the Australian people by Aboriginal leaders, an invitation to Australians of all religions, cultures and political persuasions to hear the logic for change, to seek reforms to empower First Nations people to take a rightful place in their own country. 

Prominent Aboriginal leader, Noel Pearson, delivered a speech last year, where he said these words, which I find heartbreaking: 

We are a much unloved people. We are perhaps the ethnic group Australians feel least connected to. We are not popular and we are not personally known to many Australians.  Few have met us and a small minority count us as friends.  And despite never having met any of us and knowing very little about us other than what is in the media and the common folklore about us, Australians hold and express strong views about us, the great proportion of which is negative and unfriendly.  It has ever been thus.  Worse in the past but still true today.

(Can you hear the echoes of “Can anything good come from…?”)

He goes on to say, If success in the forthcoming referendum is predicated on our popularity as a people, then it is doubtful we will succeed.  It does not and will not take much to mobilise antipathy against Aboriginal people and to conjure the worst imaginings about us and the recognition we seek. For those who wish to oppose our recognition it will be like shooting fish in a barrel. A heartless thing to do – but easy. Unlike same-sex marriage there is not the requisite empathy of love to break through the prejudice, contempt and yes, violence, of the past. Australians simply do not have Aboriginal people within their circles of family and friendship with whom they can share fellow feeling. 

A yes vote in the voice referendum will guarantee that Australian First Nations peoples will always have a say in laws and policies made about them. It will empower them to work together towards better policies and practical outcomes for Indigenous communities.

Aboriginal woman Josie Douglas reflects, If the voice referendum succeeds, our sons, daughters and grandchildren will stand proud, part of a united nation where we are involved in shaping our shared destiny. A nation where laws and policies about us are no longer made without us, where we can have a say in the decisions that affect us and put forward solutions for the challenges we face. This is what the Voice to Parliament is about.

I hear the echoes of our Bible reading, can anything good come from Nazareth. For too long, attitudes from colonial Australia persisted, asking: can anything good come from Aboriginal communities? I say, absolutely. We are better together as a people who can find unity in the rich diversity of culture in this country, from First Nations peoples and those who have arrived more recently, treasuring traditions and open to learning from and with each other, and to truly listen to the wisdom of our Aboriginal Elders. This is the kind of country we all want to live in, where all have a voice, all have a say, and all are valued.

May it be so. Amen. 

(image: Ian Simmonds, Unsplash)

Seafarers Sunday is celebrated internationally – a time to remember the contribution that seafarers make to our daily lives, and a time to think of seafarers’ welfare – those unseen workers who help keep the economy afloat and transport the essentials we need to survive.

Being a seafarer is tough. Crews can spend months away working long hours with little respite or contact with home. This includes navy personnel, master mariners and members of the merchant navy, and those involved in transporting goods around the world.

On top of the daily pressures, the threat of piracy, shipwreck and abandonment are ever present for the men and women who serve us at sea.

In recent years, this challenging job has become even harder. Increased restrictions and lockdowns (due to the global covid-19 pandemic) saw many seafarers working beyond the end of their contract, facing months of uncertainty and further separation from loved ones. That’s months of missed birthdays, anniversaries, funerals, and family celebrations.

Amid these challenges, the global Mission to Seafarers has been a constant source of practical support and reassurance.

In Victoria, Port Chaplaincy operates within a multi-faith environment and is delivered primarily through the Ship Visits Outreach Program, under the auspice of the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. Rev. Onofre (‘Inni’) Punay is the Port Chaplain.

Now the pandemic restrictions have ended, about 30 extra volunteers are needed to help with the Mission’s work with seafarers. See article here. For more information, please email seasunday@missiontoseafarers.com.au.

https://youtu.be/PSp1CvTzqKg

St Paul’s Cathedral hosts a service each year (usually in Sept/Oct)

Words by Herbert Sumsion. He was Organist of Gloucester Cathedral from 1928 to 1967. The text, which is often associated with St Andrew (a fisherman), is taken from Psalm 107:

They that go down to the sea in ships, and occupy their business in great waters; these men see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. For at his word the stormy wind ariseth, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They are carried up to the heaven, and down again to the deep; their soul melteth away because of the trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
So when they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, he delivereth them out of their distress; for he maketh the storm to cease, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad, because they are at rest; and so he bringeth them unto the haven where they would be.

Words by Herbert Sumsion (1997) based on Psalm 107

A prayer for Seafarers Sunday 

Heavenly Father, we give thanks to you for your creation and all the beauty in this world. We thank you for the ocean, in its abundance, and for the people who toil on its surface. Without our brothers and sisters who are seafarers, we would not be able to enjoy all the blessings of this world. Enfold them in your fatherly love, guide their passage through storm, swell and darkness. May we always be mindful of our Global Family and be truly grateful for the sacrifices seafarers make each day. Amen (Source: Mission for Seafarers)

Be with Seafarers, Lord, on all their voyages, to cheer them and keep them safe in all dangers. Let nothing afloat or on shore cut them off from you. May they please you in everything they do. Bless all on board their ship, whatever their responsibility. Enable everyone to do their duty. Help them to be good shipmates and bring them back again safely to their homes and to those who long for their return, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
(Source: Catholic Bishops Office)

More prayers here.
Prayers for a Sea Sunday service.
Hymns and prayers.
Seamen’s Center of Wilmington

References: Mission to Seafarers

An excerpt from Bishop Richard Treloar’s address to the Diocesan Synod 2023

The Voice

If ever a people had cause to call others to repent, it is the First Peoples of this land. Instead, the Statement from the Heart reaches out with grace, as expressed in the prayer recently composed by NATSIAC (the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Anglican Council), which begins:

God who listens, open our hearts to hear the gentle invitation of those without a voice; placeless and dispossessed of all that was theirs, instead of anger, revenge or blame, they offer in their open hand absurd generosity, an act of transformational forgiveness from the centre of their being to ours …

Redemption is an act of absurd generosity: the Creator of all being bound in time and place by human flesh to absorb the anger, revenge, and blame of humankind – an act of transformational forgiveness from the centre of God’s being to ours.

In the forthcoming referendum, we are being invited to participate in the redemption of this nation’s original sin, and the creation of a new chapter in our history in keeping with the ministry of reconciliation entrusted to us (2 Cor 5:18-19).

The Statement from Heart concludes: ‘In 1967 we were counted, in 2017 we seek to be heard. We leave base camp and start our trek across this vast country. We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.’ Is saying ‘yes’ to that invitation risky? Some would have us believe so. Yet creation and redemption are risky enterprises.

In 2016, our Synod adopted a motion on Constitutional Recognition put forward by The Revd Sathi Anthony, seconded by Archdeacon Emeritus Philip Muston, which read:

That this Synod urges the Federal Government to work with Aboriginal communities to ensure the recognition, without delay, in the Australian Constitution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as Australia’s First People to be presented to and agreed by the Australian people at referendum.

Seven years on, such a moment is before us.

Readers of The Gippsland Anglican will be in no doubt about my own views. I hope you will read many views, hear many voices on this topic, including each other’s here. Read what Indigenous leaders have to say – opinions that differ, as we should expect. Above all, read the Statement from the Heart; and then read your own heart. Listen for the voice of Holy Spirit in you, and in the churches, and in the stirring of a nation’s conscience.

It is not my place – nor anyone’s – to tell you how to vote. Suffice to say that as Christians, let it not be fear that drives us. Rather, let it be our openness to absurd generosity, to transformational forgiveness from the heart of God, and the heart of this land.

(an excerpt from the Presidential Address to the Second Session of the 40th Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Gippsland, Saturday 20 May 2023; St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School, Warragul)

NCCA Statement – Uluru Statement from the Heart and Voice to Parliament

(see link for NCCA statement online)

Giving strength to the voice of our First Peoples, the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) is committed to the churches working together for justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, and for the healing of our peoples.

We believe that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, nurtured and sustained by God for tens of thousands of years, are celebrated at the very heart of what it means to be Australian.

We support First Peoples through affirmation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and focused indigenous ecumenical advocacy informed by our Indigenous Christian leaders.

Reverend John Gilmore, President of National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA), is a joint signatory to the Open Letter from Australia’s leaders of major religious organisations to federal parliamentarians on 22 February 2023. The letter calls for support of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament as requested in the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart.Australia’s lands, skies and waterways will always belong to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The historic dispossession of their land is painful for Australia’s First People and unsettling for all Australians. It has led, at times, to acrimony and polarisation.

The moving and rich 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart concludes with an invitation:We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future. 

Can we say ‘Yes’ to this invitation and walk together? The Apostle Paul, in his First Letter to the Corinthians, has some guidance for Christians when he writes: If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together with it. (1 Corinthians 12:26)

There are seasons for both experiences. However, one’s desire to celebrate must not ignore the reality of another’s suffering.

We join our Indigenous brothers and sisters in their longing for an Australia where the pain and hurt of so many years is, in time, healed and we are all renewed.In joining together with other religious leaders of Australia’s major faith groups in an Open Letter to Parliamentarians in February 2023 and in a Joint Resolution on the 5th Anniversary of the Uluru Statement of the Heart in May 2022, NCCA’s endorsement of the three requests of the Uluru Statement follows attentive listening to the voices, experiences and histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and our commitment to work for justice for First Nations peoples.

The Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) Bill 2023 is to amend the Australian Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

This Bill is about recognising and listening.We need to go back to Australia’s founding federal document, the Constitution, and give recognition and a formal role in government to Australia’s First Peoples. It is a just and reasonable path towards unity, reconciliation, and the healing of our nations.

Secondly, we have stated in our Open Letter to Federal Parliamentarians (2023) and in the Joint Resolution (2022) that NCCA supports the constitutional amendment establishing a Voice to Parliament and executive government.

There has been much work done on these matters over the past two decades, most commissioned by the Australian Government and undertaken by Indigenous and constitutional experts. We support their agreement, as expressed in the Uluru Statement of the Heart, that structural reform in the relationship between the Commonwealth Government and First Nations Peoples must start with constitutional establishment of the Voice.

NCCA also agrees with Indigenous leaders and other experts that this proposal will effectively respect parliamentary supremacy and uphold the Constitution, while empowering Indigenous communities with a Voice in their affairs.

Should the constitutional amendment be successful, it will be the Parliament that codifies the representation of the Voice and the nature and extent of the consultation of the Voice with Parliament and executive government. It is the Parliamentarians that can ensure that the First Nations Voice is consultative and its advice is non-binding. It is the Parliamentarians that can ensure that the Voice would have no veto power.

NCCA will continue to walk with our Indigenous brothers and sisters on the journey from Voice through to Treaty and Truth (Makarrata) requested in the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

The aspirations of First Nations Peoples are for an equitable relationship between First Nations and the people of Australia. NCCA supports change where it brings healing, wholeness, reconciliation and unity for our nations.

Constitutional recognition of the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice is the first step on the pathway for a fairer, more truthful, and better reconciled relationship between First Nations and the people of Australia

(from the Facebook page of Holy Church of St. John the Forerunner, Greek Orthodox Church, Carlton)

This Sunday, June 11th 2023, is All Saints Day within the Orthodox Church. If you are unable to find the name for a specific saint, or your own patron saint we tend to celebrate your name day on this Sunday. Every saint in the church is honoured on this day. For the first 300 years of Christianity many people were martyred but no records were kept. This day All Saints day we commemorate the known and unknown saints.

The church encourages its parishioners to name their children after an Orthodox saint, a significant feast day, or a Christian symbol, such as the cross (Stavros). The patron saint provides the individual a role model and protector for life.

Name Days

Amongst the most joyous occasions within a family are name days. In Greece more emphasis is placed on the name day rather than the birthday. (I guess nobody wants to tell their age). For example on the first of January we celebrate Saint Basil. On that day if the household, has a member name Basil, Bill, Vicky, Vasiliki or William. That person is responsible to have food and drink ready for all those who will be dropping by the house to wish them many years, “Chronia polla”.

Religious Significance

A person’s name day is the feast of a major church event or of the saints to who he or she was named. In most cases the feast is the anniversary of the saint’s death. The death of a saint is evidence that life after death still exist. The saint will continue to do miracles through the intercessions of God even when it’s left earth. It is a common practice on our name day we attend the Divine Liturgies. A church will always hold a service for its patron saint, and you are welcome to attend those services. If a special service is not conducted nearby, attend church on the nearest Sunday to the name day and take communion. Many people also make bread for communion or artoklasia, which are five sweet breads which are commemorated during the service with the names of the families. Then the breads are cut up and handout amongst the church attendance.

Apostle, and Bishop of Milan

Barnabas was, according to tradition, one of the prominent Christian disciples in Jerusalem. According to Acts 4:36, Barnabas was a Cypriot Jew (a native of Cyprus and a Levite).

He is first mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as a member of the early Christian community in Jerusalem, who sold the land that he owned and gave the proceeds to the community.

When the future Paul the Apostle (who had been a persecutor of Christians) returned to Jerusalem after his conversion, Barnabas introduced him to the apostles. They may have been fellow students in the school of Gamaliel.

The disciples were understandably skeptical about Paul. It was Barnabas who advocated for him and encouraged others to forgive him. Barnabas is, therefore, considered the patron saint of second chances.

Barnabas was named an apostle in Acts 14:14. He and Paul undertook missionary journeys together and defended Gentile converts against the Judaizers. They travelled together making more converts (c. 46–48), and participated in the Council of Jerusalem (c. 49). Barnabas and Paul successfully evangelized among the “God-fearing” Gentiles who attended synagogues in various Hellenized cities of Anatolia.

Although the date, place, and circumstances of his death are historically unverifiable, Christian tradition holds that Barnabas was martyred at Salamis, Cyprus. He is traditionally identified as the founder of the Cypriot Orthodox Church. His feast day of Barnabas is celebrated on June 11.

He is venerated in the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Churches, Anglican Communion and Lutheran Church.

(Various sources including Wikipedia)

The justice that restores communion

Readings

Psalm 82:1-4            Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute

Luke 18:1-8            Will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?

Reflection

The Book of Psalms is a compilation of prayer, praise, lamentation, and instruction from God to us. In Psalm 82, Godcalls for a justice that upholds the basic human rights to which all people are entitled: freedom, safety, dignity, health,equality and love. The Psalm also calls for the overturning of systems of disparity and oppression, and fixing anythingthat is unfair, corrupt, or exploitative. This is the justice that we, as Christians, are called to promote. In Christian community we join our wills and actions to God’s, as he works his salvation for creation. Division, including that between Christians, always has sin at its root, and redemption always restores communion.

God calls us to embody our Christian faith to act out of the truth that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institutional structure in society is whether it threatens or enhances thelife and dignity of each person. Every person has a right and responsibility to participate in society, seeking together thecommon good and wellbeing of all, especially the lowly and the destitute.

In Jesus and the Disinherited, Revd Dr Howard Thurman, who was spiritual adviser to the Revd Dr Martin Luther King Jr. states that: “We must proclaim the truth that all life is one and that we are all of us tied together. Therefore, it is mandatory that we work for a society in which the least person can find refuge and refreshment. You must lay your lives on the altar of social change so that wherever you are, there the Kingdom of God is at hand.”

Christian Unity

Jesus tells the parable of the widow and the unjust judge in order to teach the people “about their need to pray always andnot to lose heart” (Lk 18:1). Jesus has won a decisive victory over injustice, sin and division, and as Christians our task is toreceive this victory firstly in our own hearts through prayer and secondly in our lives through action. May we never lose heart, but rather continue to ask in prayer for God’s gift of unity and may we manifest this unity in our lives.

Challenge

As the people of God, how are our churches called to engage in justice that unites us in our actions to love and serve all of God’s family?

Prayer

God, Creator and Redeemer of all things,

teach us to look inward to be grounded in your loving Spirit, so that we may go outward in wisdom and courage

to always choose the path of love and justice.

This we pray in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.