And after Jesus had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea... Matthew 14:23-25
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Matt Julius - Cafechurch member and UCA ordination candidate - led the session about the Trinity on 21/7/20. Check it out
Image: The true Trinity in true unity, Hildegard of Bingen, Date: c.1165
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Recently the Christian interwebs were set a-twitter by a few high profile leaders saying that they had lost, or were losing, their faith. I was particularly struck by Marty Sampson's story. He was a worship leader at Hillsong church, and a big figure in the Pentecostal world. You can read what he has to say about his faith at Relevant Magazine (the original Instagram post seems to have been taken down.)
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Anne writes: This coming Tuesday we will engage with how we can be community for one another in this time, through guided prayer and sharing. As Robyn Whitaker (Senior Lecturer in New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity) wrote in The Conversation in March at the start of the lockdown, 'how do you "love your neighbour" when you aren't supposed to be near them?'
Here is the guided meditation. You will need two cups, one with water in it.
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What does it mean to be Jesus' disciple? I haven't quite decided which of the weekly readings I'm going to go with for Tuesday. Either the troubling and mysterious story of the time God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, or Jesus' instructions to his disciples before he sent them out two by two. Either way, it should be an interesting evening.
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This week at Cafechurch, Rev Dr Sally Douglas, minister of Richmond Uniting Church and associate faculty at Pilgrim College will be resourcing our conversation about the female Divine.
The evidence indicates that in the earliest church Jesus was celebrated in the language and imagery of the female Divine, Woman Wisdom. We will dive into this evidence and explore some of the potential implications of re-engaging with this ancient understanding today.
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Once upon a time, long, long ago, an aged couple sat at the entrance to their tent, near a famous grove of oaks...
What does this ancient story have to do with us? Why would a promise made to a (definitely legendary, and possibly fictional) nomad sometime in the time before history have anything to say to us today - even if life does feel a little more medieval just now than it did say six months ago
7pm on 9/6/20, hit us up for a Zoom link. The resources will end up on this page, for your convenience
Here is the Change Gear
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Is the idea of the Trinity just some outmoded bunkum, an insistence that people believe "three impossible things before breakfast"? Wouldn't it make more sense to think about God as one thing, rather than with all this theological nonsense? These are all good questions - some of which I daresay I'll have a bash at answering, and some I will ignore, this coming Tuesday (2/6/20) at Cafechurch. Hit us up for a Zoom link - and there is some limited space available in housegroups for those who never want to Zoom ever again in their entire lives.
I suggest this for a change gear
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Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also.” John 14:6-7a
There is a legend about the great Mughal emperor Akbar. He was a great and wise ruler, and famously not only tolerant of, but actually interested in religion. He had conquered himself a realm which contained a great many different religions and sects - who were continuously squabbling. One day, the story goes, he decided to set a test....
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Jesus said that he came to bring life in abundance. I don't know know about you, but I don't feel like my life is especially abundant right now. I feel like I'm stuck in the belly of a giant fish like Jonah. What does it mean to have an abundance of life which isn't crushed by something like COVID-19? What does abundance look like in the midst of suffering?
Tuesday 5/5/2020 at 7pm via Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/190315168?pwd=eEV1QkZ5Mi9BK25hWVE4K25DYVltQT09
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To contact us, email Alister: info [at] cafechurch.org or call 03 7019 3135. Cafechurch is part of the Chalice - Northcote Congregation of the Uniting Church in Australia
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