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Last Week's Service - CaLM Springwood

Rev Geoffs Reflections

Jesus' Way: The Subversion of Empire

The Pearl, the Treasure, and the Deep Human Yearning A Bedouin sat by the fire of a caravanserai – a desert waystation where travellers pause to rest—preparing a simple meal. As he worked, two pearl merchants arrived at the same moment and began unloading their camels for the night. One merchant, with a subtle flourish, allowed a large pearl to drop from his hand so that it rolled toward the other. The second man picked it up, brushed the dust away, examined it closely, and admired its beauty. “That is a fine pearl,” he said, “as large and lustrous as any I have seen.”

Weeds, Wheat, Forgiveness and Second Chances...

Many of us grew up with stories of superheroes—Batman and Robin, Superman, and the colourful cast of cartoon heroes who filled our childhood imaginations. In those worlds, everything was simple. Good and evil were clearly defined. Heroes were purely good, villains purely evil, and the line between them was bright and unmistakable. The heroes defended goodness through strength and violence, overcoming evil with decisive force. It was a comforting worldview: neat, tidy, and morally uncomplicated.

Extravagant, Reckless, Lavish Love - God's Reign!

The band arrived at the concert hall in the late afternoon, a curious and delightful mix of musicians drawn from different corners of the musical world. They were not celebrities, nor household names, but each was respected in their own field. What brought them together was not fame or ambition but a shared desire to raise funds for a charitable cause close to each of their hearts. Their unity was not in style but in purpose, and that purpose gave the gathering a quiet sense of anticipation.

Jesus: Rest for the Weary, Easing Life's Burdens...

A theologian walked into a coffee shop at the end of COVID lockdown, frustrated by being locked away whilst visiting his wife’s elderly grandmother. He’s bored and starts playing a game trying to work out what the women a few tables over, does for a living.

Christ is Present - In Humble, Vulnerable Love

This week I invite you into a story – actually, into two stories – and through them, into a deeper understanding of what it means to follow Jesus. The first story is one I've told before, about Tony Campolo, sociologist, teacher, and evangelical preacher. One day, he was walking down the main street of his town, dressed in what he called his “establishment gear”—a suit and tie, looking every bit the professional. As he walked along, he noticed, a little way ahead of him, a man who was clearly homeless. The man was wandering along the footpath, holding a cup of coffee, reaching out to people as they passed by and offering them a sip.

The Courageous Way of Love and Justice…

I am in the midst of hanging a painting of Gandhi on my wall – along with one of St Francis of Assisi. I looked at these two small figures but giants of history. They walked to the beat of a different drum, and both were heavily influenced by the life and teaching of Jess of Nazareth

Uniting Church News

Good Governance Should Help

Devin North, Head of Risk, Audit, and WHS at Synod reflects on what years of working across the Uniting Church's governance structures have taught him: that good governance isn't measured by technical correctness, but by a simpler test - does it actually help the people who have to live with it?

Stitched with Care at Kippax

Three years ago, a minister at Kippax Uniting Church left a basket of wool and knitting needles out during worship, inviting anyone to pick it up. Since then, that quiet gesture has grown into a steady stream of handmade blankets, teddies and angels, offering warmth and welcome to people sleeping rough, escaping violence, and rebuilding their lives after arriving as refugees.

Reflecting on Developing Healthy Teams Workshop

As the NSW ACT Synod reshapes itself into three new, geographically and culturally diverse presbyteries, Vital Leadership’s workshop on Developing Healthy Teams has been timely. Led by Ben Gilmour, with a significant contribution from Alicia Benardos, our new head of People and Culture, this workshop contributes meaningfully to our Synod's well-being.

It Doesn't Change God. It Changes Me.

C.S. Lewis once said prayer doesn't change God, it changes us. Michael Earl explores what that means for a church, and a world, in constant flux, drawing on Shadowlands, Scripture, and Sarah Coakley's idea of "prayer as crucible."

What is that in your hand?

“What is that in your hand?” God asks Moses as he calls him to a life of service in pursuit of freeing an oppressed peoples. That same question was posited to a group of Young Adults on the first night of our annual ritual of taking a small group of young leaders to experience and participate in the community outreach work of Alpine Uniting Church in Jindabyne.

Counting What Congregations Do

The 2026 National Church Life Survey (NCLS) gives Uniting Church congregations a chance to record what is happening in their churches and communities, and to use that information to plan for the future.

Communicating Country Through Art

Willoughby Northbridge Uniting Church has recently commissioned congregation member Beniah Brooks, to paint a large wall mural for the interior of the Willoughby Church site.

Are we ready for Gen Alpha?

Think you only just wrapped your head around Millennials and their avocado toast? Or Gen Z and their hyper connectedness? Cue the next generation on the conveyor belt of pointing out what makes us different – Generation Alpha.

Belonging, and the Sacred Work of Seeing One Another

We often begin as strangers, carrying our stories quietly within us. Yet something remarkable happens when people choose to stay present to one another. Through listening, shared meals, stories, and music, the distance between us begins to soften. We unfold.

When Home is Nowhere to be Found

During Homelessness Week (3–9 August), Parramatta Mission is inviting the community to confront this reality through a new campaign that challenges how we see homelessness.

A New World Needs a New Church

Staring into the season of the rural and coastal church it’s hard to understand what the season is, except to know that the season has changed.

So You've Been Thinking About Becoming a Supervisor?

Supervision is a requirement for everyone in ministry within the Uniting Church, Ministers of the Word, Deacons, Pastors, and Pastoral practitioners. It's time set aside regularly with a professionally trained person to reflect on your ministry. But for some, supervision raises a further question: could this be something I offer to others?