It is sad but true that there are lots of Christians who are not living in a way that is consistent with what would be expected of mature disciples of Jesus. But what to do with that reality? A few weeks ago one of the readings for Sunday was 1 Corinthians 1: 1 – 9. In that passage Paul is waxing lyrical about this great church in Corinth; always thanking God for them because of the grace they had received, how they have been enriched in every way, and through all the gifts present in them are testimony to the effectiveness of the gospel he has preached. In fact they will be presented blameless on the day of the Lord Jesus - sounds hard to get any better than that!

But wait a minute! This is the crowd that Paul then goes on to fight with, accuse of undermining and distorting the gospel and of being led astray from the true faith. What’s going on here? A revisit to the first few verses of this letter makes it clear that Paul is not just addressing those with whom he has fond relations. He is writing to everyone - those who are beacons of faithfulness and those who let the side down. What Paul understands is that we are all capable of displaying a range of faithfulness and understanding. No one gets it right all the time; but that doesn’t mean we drop in and out of discipleship. Rather we have to come to terms with this mixed nature of the church and to deal with it realistically and effectively.

There are a variety of places we could go for advice on how to nurture faithfulness and the various means of grace that are available to us. But today I thought I would offer the bold and categorical foundation that lies behind Paul’s ability to claim that even these Corinthian Christians are signs of God’s work and held in faithfulness. In verse 9 he says “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” At the end of the day our faith rests in the faithfulness of God, and God is faithful.

If there are times when you are inclined to harshly judge the faithfulness of others perhaps you might care to recall the people at Corinth and church leaders like Simon Peter and instead choose to give thanks to God for the grace those people have received and to remember that God is faithful.

This is the chance to find out what life is like for local people and to experience some of the challenges of village life together with the rich community and culture they share. Don’t miss this chance to experience faith in a cross-cultural context and to be challenged and inspired in new and different ways. You will participate in worship with the community on the Sunday.

The program will include traditional meals and village accommodation on Saturday 14 May and Sunday 15 May, and an unwind and debrief back at an eco resort or local hotel on Monday 16 May, and then a Tuesday night stopover in Port Vila before returning to Australia on Wednesday 18 May.

Registrations for the event in Vanuatu close on April 15th. If you miss out on this one and would like to attend one of the others go here for details.

The survey is designed to assist the MEC to identify the range of contexts in which Lay Preachers serve and their roles and tasks. This will include understanding the processes and standards for training and assessment of Lay Preachers and what currently is in place to supervise and support Lay Preachers. The survey also seeks to understand the roles and recognition of non-accredited lay preachers and worship leaders.

The survey results will form part of a review that the MEC is conducting this year. All accredited Lay Worship Leaders & Preachers and non accredited lay worship leaders and preachers are invited to participate. Go to this link to complete the online survey or go to

The closing date for contributions to the survey is May 31.

Plus two leaflets that can be used at times of bereavement, one for Funeral Directors (Partners in Caring) and the other for families (When we lose someone we love) An article on using music in worship is also available.

These resources can be found here.

In addition, there is a liturgy first used at the 2011 Conference of the Australian Academy of Liturgy. It is intended for occasions of ecumenical worship when it is not possible to celebrate the Eucharist. It can be found here.

Under this new initiative, the month of September will be a time when ministry agents, congregations, and other interested parties are encouraged to become involved in interfaith activities. This may be as simple as forming a study group to explore one of the books recommended by the Working Group (study guides will be made available to provide material for discussion). Or, the more ambitious might like to host an interfaith gathering or panel discussion.

The 'tool box' for all of these options, and much more will become available in July and can be accessed via the Relations with Other Faiths website.

UCCJ has established an emergency committee who have been able to set up a relief hub within an undamaged student centre in Sendai, one of the worst affected areas. The Church aims to provide food and water, medical supplies, safe shelter and pastoral and counselling services.

John Barr, Associate Director for Church Solidarity – Asia, will visit Japan in the next week to connect with our partners and see first-hand what is happening in the aftermath of the disaster.

For further information, and the latest updates, on UnitingWorld’s appeal and how you can get involved please visit our website.

UnitingWorld is excited about the opportunity for churches to engage in reflection, and action, of God’s call to mission across the world; raising awareness of issues of poverty and injustice, and connecting Australian churches with our partners across Asia, the Pacific and Africa.

UnitingWorld Blogs currently feature a variety of posts from participants of Lent Event reflecting on their experiences and the importance of Lent Event in their spiritual journeys.

Visit: Act, Reflect, Connect

Your Church to the World

Lucky Kalonta [organiser], Bp Nuim Khayahat and his wife, Rev Ann Honey [UCA Traralgon], Representative of the Indonesian Consul General for Victoria and Tasmania, Tony F, Wife of Rep Consul General, Geri Kalonta.

There was dancing and a parade of traditional clothing from several Indonesian cultures. Several songs in Bahasa Indonesian featured, along with Waltzing Matilda. One hundred and five people from diverse cultures were gathered, including a significant number of children and young people. And there was time set aside for speeches and conversation.

The fellowship was warm and very friendly. The atmosphere was one of joy, excitement, and deep interest [though there had been some background concern about having ‘Muslims in a Christian church complex”], and the conversation ‘buzzed’!

The outcome was greater understanding and the removal of a great deal of mystery and misinformation. Growing respect and wonder replaced misunderstanding and its accompanying uncertainty. Common humanity was the most prominent feature and not ideology or sensationalist images so often used in Australian and world media. Here committed and faithful people encountered one another and were surprised by their common values, hopes, dreams and compassion. Formulaic descriptions and generalisations were strongly challenged – and for some were broken open completely.

The gathered community represented two of the Abrahamic faiths – Islam and Christianity - two of the six religions formally recognised in the Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia Two speakers addressed the central convictions and underlying themes of their respective religious commitments and focussed on speaking ‘as a Christian’ and ‘as a Muslim’ rather than ‘for’ either religion.

Bp. Nuim Khahayat, a broadcaster with ABC National Radio, introduced the gathering to underlying themes in the Holy Koran and Islam, including dealing with many preconceptions about violence, jihad, and the place and role of women. Revd Dr Tony Floyd, National Director for Multicultural and Cross-cultural Ministry in the UCA Assembly spoke of the key differences in Christianity and of the place of relations with other faiths in the life and witness of the UCA,

The Christian Scriptures and the Holy Koran featured in the presentations, and discussion examined texts supporting violence and war in the Koran (frequently cited) and the reality of violent, war encouraging texts (often ignored) within the Christian sacred texts also. Questions and concerns, uncertainties even ignorance and fear also featured in the questions and discussion.

For many of the non-Indonesians in the gathering this was their first ‘encounter’ face-to-face with a Muslim. However for most Indonesians, such encounters are so normal as to be almost not commented on. But for some this encounter was special. Never before had they had opportunity to listen to someone articulate clearly key elements of the holy book of Islam. Never before had they heard someone articulate the rich heritage of Islam and the relationship between Islam and Christianity with such respect and simplicity.

The gathering and its setting created a space where it was safe for women and men to voice their questions and uncertainties, even their deep fears to people whose common humanity and commitment were clear for all to see. This was a place and among people who would answer truthfully and respectfully, and challenge, not feed their fears or prejudices.

The evening was organised by the Traralgon Uniting Church Council, Indonesian members of the UCA and of the Indonesian Muslim community in Melbourne. The Indonesian Consul-General for Victoria and Tasmania saw the event of sufficient importance to be formally represented. The evening was video taped and an edited version presented on Community Television the following weekend. It was another living and lively example of a public affirmation made by the UCA at its first Assembly in 1977:

“We affirm our eagerness to uphold basic Christian values and principles, such as the importance of every human being, the need for integrity in public life, the proclamation of truth and justice, the rights of each citizen to participate in decision-making in the community, religious liberty and personal dignity, and a concern for the whole human race”. (Statement to the Nation: 24th June 1977)

Tony Floyd: National Director, Multicultural and Cross-cultural Ministry

"Between 2008 and 2009 Australians spent $12 billion on poker machines. Gambling on poker machines is a regular activity for a relatively small number of people.

"The social costs are high – relationship breakdown, mental health issues, unemployment, debt and financial hardship, theft and social isolation. These costs are estimated at $4.7 billion a year.

"Gambling is a product that causes a problem for 30 per cent of regular users. This is not a benign product. It is a dangerous product for many. The Australian Churches want to see measures which, if people choose to gamble, will help people to do more safely.

"A national pre-commitment scheme that is mandatory in all gaming machine venues is one effective consumer protection measure.

"Mandatory pre-commitment measures will require all electronic gaming machine venues to install the technology. It will help people help themselves to set and stick to their limits," Reverend Macrae said.

The Australian Churches Gambling Forum is calling on all states and territories to sign on to legislation that will ensure all gaming venues have mandatory pre-commitment technology in place by 2014.

UnitingJustice, with the help of Uniting Church staff and volunteers from around Australia, has produced a set of resources to assist Church members in marking this day – the pack features educational information about the importance of and risks to forests, suggestions for liturgy, a theological reflection and sermon starters, and activities for children and making a positive difference in your community. You can find these resources on our website. 
or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  or 02 8267 4236 if you would like a soft copy or print-out.

These high-level meetings of the Stakeholder Liaison Group will provide a forum for information –sharing and feedback between the Department and community and business organisations, particularly on   the work being done by the Multi-party Climate Change Committee. The first meeting was attended by a number of senior public servants including the General Manager of the Macroeconomic Modelling Division of Treasury and the Australia’s Climate Change Ambassador.

The major issues for discussion included Australia’s system of mandatory detention and plans for a regional framework for processing asylum seekers. UnitingJustice will continue to take these opportunities to engage with our politicians on these and other issues important to members of the Uniting Church and our work in advocating for policies which better serve the needs of people and the planet.

The submission from UnitingJustice focused on the need to implement the human rights standards Australia has committed to uphold internationally in our domestic laws (in line with the Church’s support for a national Human Rights Act), the importance of implementing the principles of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and improving the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers so as to protect their human rights. You can find this submission here on our website.

Congregations are encouraged consider creative ways to celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity this year. Some activities to consider include ecumenically worship held either on Pentecost Sunday or during the preceding week. Another possibility is a luncheon or a dinner with a speaker sharing their ecumenical experiences or sharing a vision for Christian Unity today. A range of other activities may be appropriate in your local context