Easter

Easter Greeting 2017

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Welcome to the season of Easter. Yes, it runs much longer than tomorrow’s public holiday and the end of Easter specials on offer.

Thanks to joy filled Christianity there are 50 days for the greetings, the chocolate, the hot cross buns, and the ‘Alleluia” refrain that will echo with hope in worshipping communities.

As we Christians complete our Easter celebrations on June 4th we will join our sisters and brothers of Islam who will commence their holy season of Ramadam on May 27 .

Truly this is a season of new life, peace among peoples and universal hope for the future of our planet, May this time of renewal and f33cf-fullsizerenderpeace find a home in our hearts.

The tee-shirt I wore to services on Good Friday and for the Easter Vigil. Alongside the First eoples image of the cross is the sticker placed on each of us who attended the Lamentations at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Dormition of Our Lady, Mt Gravatt

The Easter spirit is captured in the burst of light across the top of the tee.

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Holy Week 2016

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This week in the Christian community of the West is known as Holy Week. it is a time of intense drama and memory retold in story and ritual. It has the power to shatter our self image as much as the original story recorded in the Gospels.

The ancient texts proclaimed this week tell of the “turning away” both of the imperial might of Pilate and the loyal followers of Yeshua of Nazareth.

It has been the turmoil of history in the Church as prophets and outsiders challenged Popes, clergy and civic authorities who turned away from the vision of a new world founded on justice and peace.

In our own days we witness the “turning away” of religious leaders from the long history of sexual abuse in the name of religion.

It is not unusual that the voices that challenge come from outside the structures of religion. That has been the pattern of reform from the time of Abraham and Sarah.

The powerful lyrics of Pink Floyd won’t make their way into the formal liturgies of this week. But they will touch the hearts of those who have seen the signs and heard the words that lead to life.

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Easter Invocation

Welcome Refugees

 

May the blessings of the Easter Season surround us with courage and confidence. May we stand against the religion of Empire and proclaim the liberating anarchy of the teachings of Christ. 

May we roll away the stones of fear and prejudice in our lives.May we open our tombs and walk in the light of justice,compassion and solidarity with the poor of the earth.

May we sing “Alleluia” with voices that cry out against economic and political exploitation of vulnerable people.

May we walk gently on our mother earth in lives of nonviolence and find the harmony of life that is written in the stardust of our being.

May the love of the Easter story invade our hearts to welcome those who come to our shores as Refugees and Asylum Seekers.

May the mystery of the Easter story call us to live “Dadirri” in solidarity with the First Nations people of our land.

May we proclaim the Risen One by our public commitment to housing the homeless, feeding the hungry and thirsty, liberating prisoners,welcoming the stranger in our midst and standing against the powers of economic and political newspeak.

 

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