Fear disappears...

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17 July, 2018

Fear has a way of creeping up on one. It often begins with some small detail getting derailed or something we counted on going awry. One thing leads to another, with the problem getting bigger and more out of control. The insignificant ripple we had tried to ignore becomes a full blown tsunami.

Many children are afraid of the dark. When they awake from a bad dream and cry out, a loving parent goes to them and their fear of the darkness disappears. The dark doesn't disappear, but the FEAR does. WHY? It is because someone is with them, holding their hand.... the fear dissipates.

In the same way, even in the darkest times of our life, when we are in the shadowy and dark valleys, the LORD is still with us (PSALM 23). No matter how large or small your concerns, he wants to comfort you, and calm your heart. He know about emotions - after all he created us in his own image.

He is not only with us, He will not only help us, He will not only strengthen us...….

 but He is the one who's holding us in his hand.


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Love your Neighbour

From the Minister’s desk...

Over recent months, some of us have found ourselves in increasing contact with people who are homeless, or living rough is perhaps another term, with which we have become all too familiar.

In the light of those encounters, I have to say that I continue to be challenged by an extract that came across my desk a little while back. Acknowledging that I am continuing to wrestle with the ideas expressed, I am sharing them with you for you to ponder also.

Thanks - Peter Smale

Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (John 12:24)

If you would ask the Desert Fathers why solitude gives birth to compassion, they would say, “Because it makes us die to our neighbour.”

At first this answer seems quite disturbing to a modern mind. But when we give it a closer look we can see that in order to be of service to others we have to die to them; that is, we have to give up measuring our meaning and value with the yardstick of others.

To die to our neighbours means to stop judging them, to stop evaluating them, and thus to become free to be compassionate. Compassion can never coexist with judgment because judgment creates the distance, the distinction, that prevents us from really being with the other.

[Henri J.M. Nouwen, You are the Beloved]

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Living Jesus' Love

1 Corinthians 1:23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.

When we stop and think about it, this Jesus we worship makes us a bit of an odd bunch.

At the time of this insight being shared with the people of Corinth a popular understanding was more likely to be that the god(s) who were being worshipped were the sort of god that needed to be pleased in order for them to bless someone’s life.

How back to front, how hard to imagine must it have been for them to hear Paul say, that we as Christians worship Jesus, the very presence of God, who gave his life for ours!! Gave his life so that we could have life in all its fullness.

As we continue our journey through Lent may it be impressed on us in fresh ways, the incredible depth of love that is shown to us by God through Jesus.

And in turn, may we find ourselves compelled to be living examples of that love to those we meet along the way.

May God help us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

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Mental Health

Feel like you need some extra support? These services are free or at the cost of a local call….

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Black Dog Institute: https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/

Headspace: (12-25 years) https://headspace.org.au/

QLD Mental Health Hotline: 1300 642255

Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636; https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

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