Central Church Port Kembla

Together we reflect on forgiveness, what it might be and what it might not be, and then we do an examen considering what we might need to send away, let be or move away from in our lives. Ambient background music is by karlverkade.bandcamp.com/

This contemplative service leads us in reflecting on some quotes and poetry that invite us into wholesome confession, honesty, truth-telling and vulnerability. Ambient background music is by https://karlverkade.bandcamp.com/

Luke and Caro share together to kick off our series on forgiveness and we begin by looking at being people of humility who are able to confess our mistakes as well as what a healthy apology looks like.

Research highlights the many health benefits of immersing ourselves in nature. This connection extends beyond the physiological and psychological to touch on a deeper spiritual level. We aren't merely coexisting with nature; we are an integral part of it. Returning to nature, akin to returning to a Garden, is crucial for our well-being. In this message, Oran examines the link between nature and humanity from both scientific and spiritual viewpoints, while also exploring how the lack of nature in our lives relates to the concept of sin.

Caro looks at the way the Bible speaks of creation as an active participant in God’s world, and how mysticism opens us up to seeing all creation held together in Christ… along with humanity. We consider how this challenges the idea of human superiority and how it may inform the choices we make and lives we live.

Bryony explores different passages of Scripture that highlight the ways that Creation teaches us about God. We then reflect on what it’s like being a student of creation and what we’re learning.

Parables are like riddles, they can be difficult to understand and may have multiple and unclear meanings. They often leave us feeling challenged and uncomfortable. In this podcast, Oran looks at the parable of the wheat and the weeds and considers the lenses in we approach this parable through, and if there is more to Jesus' story than the separation of the saints and sinners at the end of days.

Caro unpacks the parable of the net and helps us discover a way this parable can fill us with hope instead of fear.

This month we're wrestling with the parables of the kingdom in Matthew 13. Caro starts by unpacking the nature of parables before looking at the strangeness within the mustard seed, yeast, hidden treasure and pearl. The whole point of parables is to leave the listener thinking, provoked, confused or even annoyed. So we draw no conclusions but aim to let the strangeness sit with us and do its work.

Adam joins us for this Sunday at the end of NAIDOC week. He shares how Western, Indigenous and Biblical perspectives on fire can weave together to bring wisdom to our lives.

This Sunday we asked our young people to curate the service and they chose to discuss the topic of God and suffering and wanted a panel style discussion. This is what unfolded as people shared their experiences of God in the midst of their suffering. **Content Warning** this episode does contain some explicit language.

The art of lamenting is not often practiced by the modern day Christian. Yet, it is a sacred, age old form of spiritual practice, possibly the most raw and honest way we come to God. In this message, Oran looks at the godly nature of lament and using Psalm 10 as an example, walks through the four movements of the lament psalm.

More than any other book in the Bible, the Psalms teach us how to be human. They reveal to us that our humanity is not a flaw, but the very means by which we encounter God. Using Psalm 25, Caro invites us to consider how we might carry the unfinishedness of our lives in a way that helps us to remain open to God's grace.

Becca introduces us to Walter Brueggemann's pattern of the life of faith. We are always moving in different ways (and perhaps even in different parts of our life) from: * secure orientation - where life makes sense, all seems well, we're in a state of equilibrium; to * painful disorientation - where life is chaotic, disordered, things don't make sense, we're swept off our feet by something unexpected (or unjust) and we feel disoriented; through to * surprising reorientation - where things begin to feel 'new' again, not a return to what was, but a movement towards surprising grace, risky hope, unexpected regrounding. We are rarely in control of when or how this reorientation comes. The Psalms as a whole book contain the full spectrum of human experience and emotions, and even within any given Psalm we can see the movement from secure orientation to painful disorientation or painful disorientation to surprising reorientation. The Psalms give us permission to be ourselves, exactly as we are, raw, honest and

Becca hosts Laura, Bekk and Kim as they share their thoughts and experiences with the motherheart of God. They share ways in which seeing God as mother has been healing, and also the ways they see God as beyond gender. This is a really authentic and honest discussion and highlights the ways each of us have an individual and unique relationship with the Divine.

The Myth of Redemptive was a term popularised by Theologian Walter Wink in 1945, in his book The Powers That Be. It is the idea that war brings peace, might makes right, and out of violence and chaos comes peace and order. We see this myth at work all throughout human history and still today in our everyday lives. We think that if we, the good guys, can just hit the "bad guys" hard enough, there will be justice. But this only perpetuates the violence, not stops it. In scripture we see Jesus' whole ministry as a push back against the Myth of Redemptive and instead shows us redemptive suffering on the cross. In this podcast, Oran looks at this myth and how it has influenced us over history, including scripture and theology.

How does Jesus' post-resurrection encounter with two people who don't recognise him speak to our own experiences of loss and grief?

Becca shared about how Jesus' resurrected body still carried the wounds from his past, giving us courage to be honest about the wounds we still carry.

The Sacrament of the Present Moment is the practice of being present and aware of God within the individual moments of our lives. This reminds us that God is everywhere, all the time, always waiting to engage us. In this message, Oran looks at how we might practice this sacrament in our daily lives, and observed the writings of Jean Pierre de Caussade and Eckhart Tolle.

This week we talk about the mysterious power of Christ’s death not as an historic event but as a real energy at work in us and the cosmos. How can we trust in death and resurrection in our own lives?