Pitt Street Uniting Church E-News

Pitt Street Uniting Church E-News
A progressive faith community of justice-seeking friends in the heart of Sydney
Thursday 2 April 2015
Dear Pitt Street Community,
For our church, the season of Easter brings us back to the central
story of Jesus and the impact of his life and death on his friends
and those who have told his stories in the generations since he
died.
As I reflect on Holy Week, I find this quotation from Marcus Borg,
who sadly died earlier this year, very helpful.
Jesus’ self-understanding did not include thinking and speaking of
himself as the Son of God whose historical intention was to die for
the sins of the world and his message was not about believing in
him. Rather he was a spirit person, subversive sage, social prophet,
and movement founder who invited his followers and hearers into
a transforming relationship with the same Spirit he himself knew,
and a community whose social vision was shaped by the core
value of compassions.
I am so grateful that my life is shaped by this story and by the
communities of faith who have nurtured me in that vision and
opened me to that Spirit. May resurrection life infuse our
community as we seek to follow in this Way.
THIS WEEK AT PITT STREET
Friday 3 April
9 am Good Friday
Bystanding or Standing in
Solidarity?
Sunday 5 April
2 am Daylight Saving Ends
10 am Easter Sunday
Songs, Stories, Communion
Morning tea
Tuesday 7 April
5.30pm –6.45pm
Sydney Sings
Wednesday 8 April
7 pm Resourcing Group
Sunday 12 April
10am Sunday Gathering
Morning tea
I hope that you will join us at services on this Easter journey. If you
are away from Sydney over the Easter weekend, travel safely and
return to us soon.
Peace, Margaret
Pitt Street Uniting is a congregation of the Uniting Church in Australia. The gathering at 10 am on Sunday is
the heart of our community life but we are also a place of welcome and hospitality for the wider community of
Sydney for spirituality, justice, arts, music, meetings and events.
Notices and Coming Events
RECOMMENED EASTER READING
Tim Winton's Palm Sunday plea: Start the soul-searching Australia
Last Sunday Australian author’s powerful article about Australian asylum seeker policies was published in the
Fairfax newspapers. If you haven’t already read it, I thoroughly recommend reflecting on it over the Easter
weekend.
Palm Sunday commemorates the day an itinerant prophet spoke truth to power. Jesus of Nazareth
arrived at the gates of Jerusalem in a parody of imperial pomp. But he was a nobody. Instead of a
stallion, he rode up on a borrowed donkey. In place of an army, he had a bunch of lily-livered
misfits throwing down their cloaks and palm branches as if he was a big shot. Street theatre, if you
like. And a week later he was dead. He was there to challenge the commonsense of the day.
Armed with only an idea…
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/tim-wintons-palm-sunday-plea-start-the-soulsearching-australia20150329-1ma5so.html
If the link doesn’t work, paste it in to your browser.
STABAT MATER
Radhika Sukumar-White and Claire Wright, candidates for ministry from the Sydney North
Presbytery, will be offering a series of liturgical performances during Holy Week, at which they will
be singing Giovanni Battista Pergolesi's seminal work, Stabat Mater, along with selected works
from John Rutter's Requiem. 2pm Fri 3 April, St Andrew’s Uniting Church, Cnr Kenneth & Christina
Sts, Longueville; 8pm Fri 3 April, MCC Sydney, 96 Crystal St, Petersham. Tickets at the door: $15. All
proceeds going towards causes nominated by each venue.
UNIQUE GOOD FRIDAY - ANZAC SERVICE
A simple Good Friday Evensong which will include Anzac hymns and prayers for peace (no sermon) – an
Australian first? will be held at 2pm Friday April 3, at the historic Old St Thomas Chapel, Narellan. Voluntary
donation for Syrian Christian refugees (though Chaldean Catholic Church). For more information contact:
Chaplain John Bunyan, [email protected] 02 4627 2586.
Saturday 4 April, 12 pm
17 Sydney Rd. Manly
(outside PM Tony
Abbott’s office, in the
mall)
(note: this is a public
prayer vigil, not a civil
disobedience action)
INTENSIVE JOURNAL LIFE CONTEXT WORKSHOP
In this workshop you will be introduced to a process of writing that enables greater awareness of inner
strengths and resources and offers a dynamic method for dealing with issues and concerns. Eremos event
led by Kate Scholl. 9:30am-5pm Saturday 18; 9.30am-4.30pm Sunday 19 April, Centre for Ministry, 16 Masons
Drive, Nth Parramatta. Cost: $150 (Eremos Members $130) $20 less for concession. All materials and morning
and afternoon tea provided. Please bring your own lunch and a 3 ring binder. Bookings essential by 12 April.
To register go to: trybooking.com/GSOR More information visit www.eremos.org.au
PITT STREET ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND LUNCH
The congregation’s Annual Meeting will be held after church on Sunday 19 April. We
will review the annual report and plan for the future. Reports will be available at the
meeting. Reserve the date in your diaries. A Quarterly Celebration catered “recovery
lunch” will follow the meeting. BYO beverages. Cost and registration information
coming soon.
Notices and Coming Events
WELCOME REFUGEES - RALLY AND MARCH
Close Manus Island, close Nauru, peace, no racism: Sunday 19 April at
1pm in Belmore Park, Sydney, near Central Station. For further
information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713, Peter Murphy 0418 312
301or Penny Howard
0402 355 205.
INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH ON ATTITUDES TO ASYLUM SEEKERS
Message from UNE master’s student. “I’ve been asked to collect data for a study about
the effect of media documentaries on public perception and opinion as part of my course
at UNE, and I’m hoping you might participate in it. Below, you will find a link to a website
where you will find information about the study, and which tells you all about what you will
be asked to do. Once you have read the information, if you’re still interested you can then
participate in the study. The study has two sessions, with the first (main) session around 30
minutes in duration, and the second around 10 minutes. Your participation in the research is completely
anonymous.” http://tinyurl.com/PSYC200-2015
WEEKLY AT PITT STREET
AA City Group
Meets weekdays, 12.00 – 2.00pm in the Community Room, Level 2, Pilgrim House.
AlAnon at lunchtime
AlAnon meets weekly on Tuesday in the Fellowship Room 12.30pm – 2 pm.
Sydney Sings! Tuesdays 5.30pm – 7pm
All comers community choir.
Buddhist Meditation
Weekly lunchtime meditation, 1pm – 2pm Wednesdays. Led by the Mahasiddha Buddhist Centre.
Co-Dependents Anonymous
Meets weekly at 5.30pm – 7.00pm on Thursdays in the Community Room, Level 2, Pilgrim House.
MONTHLY AT PITT STREET
Interfaith Sydney – 3rd Sundays at 3 pm
Spiritually inclusive services led by Rev Dr Stephanie Dowrick.
Non Smokers
Meet on first Tuesday of the month, 6.00pm - 8.00pm in the Fellowship Room.
Notices and Coming Events
‘THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE’
Ministry
Easter Sunday
Easter 2
1st Reading
2nd Reading
Gospel
Acts 10: 34-43
Contemporary Reading
Mark 16: 1-8
John 20: 19-31
Liturgist
Clare Brockett
Helen Boerma
Reflection
Margaret Mayman
Margaret Mayman
Reader 1
Reader 2
Liturgy Curator
Jolyon Bromley
Warwick Tate
Margaret Mayman
Sheila Walkerden
Pam Batkin
Margaret Mayman
Children’s story
Margaret Mayman
Margaret Mayman
Welcomers (Stewards)
Lynne Lancaster
Cameron Duncan
Elizabeth Groves
Jude Rosonakis
Organist
Ross Johnston
Ross Johnston
Flowers
Dawn Robson/John Thorpe
Robyn Floyd
Set up/put away
Naseer Ahmed
Rebecca Bishop
Lyn Corby
David Fernon
Larry Keenan
Dawn Robson
Lionel Robson
Jeanette Williams
Naseer Ahmed
Jane Barnes
Martin Barnes
John Cox
Annie Howes
Susan Leech
Abdul Quyaum
Cathy Williamson
Jon Williamson
Worship Coordinators
Sue Gehrig
Sydney Cole
Elizabeth Watson
Ben Skerman
Communion
Trina Hodgson
David Fernon
Office:
Office Secretary:
Minister in Placement:
Church Council chair:
Elders Chair:
Minister Emerita:
264 Pitt Street, Sydney 2000, Tues to Fri 9:30 am to 5 pm.
Ilona Day email: [email protected]
Phone: 02 9267 3614 Fax: 02 9238 2068
Rev Dr Margaret Mayman
0408 690 800
[email protected]
(day off Friday)
John Floyd
02 9569 7218
Ron Brown
0411 411 127
Rev Dorothy McRae-McMahon