Image: Pink roses in loving memory of Marg Vazey. A gift from the Vazey family on the occasion of a memorial held at Blackwattle Bay on Saturday, April 29, 2023. Marg was a beloved crew member of dragon boat club Dragons Abreast, Sydney.
What’s on this month
Check this post regularly for events and activities. We look forward to seeing you.
…
Our Sunday services in January will be held at the regular time of 10am. January 7 (in the garden) – our preacher is Karen Banfield. January 14 – Greg will lead a lectio divina reflection. January 21 (includes celebration of the Eucharist) – our preacher is the Rev. Dr Garry Deverell. January 28 (includes celebration of the Eucharist) – our preacher is Heather Robinson.
Thanks to all worship leaders, and welcome presider Kevin McDonald from Beckenham (Mascot Horner) Uniting Church. Please check the online worship roster for opportunities in January.
Download liturgies (in folder marked Epiphany).
Join via Zoom (Meeting ID: 879 3746 4388/ Password: 087151).
…
Our 12pm activities and online Vespers will resume in February.
…
Our arts, poetry and music activities will resume in February.
…
We pray for this year’s Christmas Bowl appeal … and projects in Ukraine-Hungary, Ethiopia, Jordan, India, Thai-Burma … Christmas Bowl donations can be made via donation envelopes in the church or via our SSUC link.
…
Act for Peace – Gaza emergency
#CeasefireNow: Open Call for an Immediate Ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Israel
Congratulations to Blak & Blu 2023 finalists and winners including Al Posimani, Irene Charnas (pictured), Danielle Joy Golding, Hillary Monckton and Matthew Huan. Thanks as always to Blak Douglas for hosting and to this year’s judge Kim Leutwyler.
…
Garden update
Garden activities will resume in February.
Thanks to Ben, Reece, Lee, Naomi and Blair for looking after the garden and hens in January.
Sign up as a Member ($30 for the year) or as a Friend (assisting the working group with various tasks). Please see Naomi or Cathie if you’d like information on ways to participate in the garden.
Thanks, Bob. Safe travels Bob and Kathleen. Love from the Tuesday Crew and all of us at SSUC.
Worship services in the garden, 10am on the first Sunday of the month.
Follow garden progress on Instagram @edencommunitygarden
Read Gardening Hints and Tips by Chris Lodge here.
…
South Sydney Herald
The December issue of the SSH is out now! Visit the SSH website for latest news and online exclusives.
Opportunities for writers, photographers and illustrators, distributors and more … Seeking a First Peoples editor, Politics editor and Advertising manager. We would love to hear from you. Contact sshandrew@bigpond.com
Coming soon …
Learning about our strengths: An invitation to participate
South Sydney Uniting Church is going through a time of change. Andrew is finishing his placement with us, there will be major repairs at the church in 2024, and we are starting to explore possible partnerships with other congregations. Understanding the gifts and skills of our leaders will be helpful at this time, to help us in our discernment for the future. We invite all leaders at South Sydney, and people newer to the congregation who might be interested in a leadership role, to take part in an exploration of our individual and collective leadership strengths. Read more.
…
SPIRITUAL ACCOMPANIMENT
Are you:
- looking for a safe and supportive place to explore where ‘God’ is at work in your life?
- wanting to better align who you are (your values) with what you do?
- needing to make some important life decisions?
- simply wanting to feel more fully alive and engaged in life?
Spiritual accompaniment assumes that God is encountered in human experience, that God is always and everywhere active in this world. We are generally not very well attuned to God at work in ourselves and the world around us. Being accompanied by a spiritual companion can help us become better and better able to notice what in our lives is of God, and what is not.
As a spiritual companion I help people to pay attention to their experiences when they pray, or when they become aware of something deeply moving in their lives.
In spiritually accompanying each person, I listen attentively and respond honestly, compassionately and without judgement, trusting that as we become more and more aware of God’s presence in our lives, we also become increasingly aware of what within us and our environment gets in the way of recognising and living from ‘that spark of divine life that is within each of us’.
Spiritual accompaniment usually involves meeting with your companion for 45 minutes to an hour every two to four weeks, face to face or via Zoom. If you would like more information or a conversation to see if accompaniment is something that might be helpful for you, please email me (kbcarinya@gmail.com) and we can arrange a time to talk.
Kind regards,
Karen
…
AGM – Sunday October 29
Our congregational Annual General Meeting was held on Sunday October 29.
Click here for link to papers and reports.
Reece and Heather share a moment (photo by Kelly).
