Richard's Ramblings

In two weeks, it will be Easter. Among the bible texts that we turn to, is Job 19:25, “I know that my Redeemer lives”. We might even dig out the Messiah CD or .mp3 which we played during the Christmas season, fast forwarding to the lovely soprano aria. But there’s more to Job’s story than his firm assurance that “in my flesh I shall see God”. The internet abbreviation, TL:DR stands for “Too long, don’t read” (or “didn’t read”).  Lots of us append that to the first 18 chapters of Job, particularly chapters 1 and 2 when Satan tells God that, first, Job only trusts Him because he (Job) is well off, and then, after Job loses all of his wealth and family, that second, Job still trusts God because he has his health. In the story, one of the oldest parts of the Hebrew bible, God allows Satan to take away Job’s health, too. We are in a better position, unfortunately, to have insight into Job’s predicament as we isolate ourselves for self-protection and community protection for the duratio

Like most churches across the world in countries where novel coronavirus is pandemic, Kirwan Uniting Church has taken baby steps in video-casting a service. Our first video is too large to post as a blog, but here is its URL. I’ll post a link as new services are recorded. Make yourself comfortable! https://vimeo.com/399569139

Well, what has been on the cards for a couple of weeks has come to pass, and our “In church” services are cancelled for an indefinite time. You might have heard cheerful folk looking on the bright side, and pointing out that: When Shakespeare was quarantined at home because of a plague outbreak, he wrote King Lear. And, When Cambridge University was closed in the 1700s because of another plague outbreak, Isaac Newton had to work from home and that was why he was in his garden when an apple fell on him and he propounded the Law of Gravity. And, When the Pevensie children were stuck in their evacuation home during WWII, they found a secret, magical wardrobe, which led them to talking animals who joined them in the fight against an evil witch, and they reigned for many years with a divine Lion in His kingdom. All in the space of a morning. Paul ministered primarily in the synagogue when he first came to Ephesus in Acts 19. However, he soon faced opposition which forced him

Reading around the Bible for passages to complement Matthew’s and Luke’s “Give us today (or give us each day) our daily bread”, I couldn’t miss Exodus 16 and the institution of manna, or daily bread, for the wandering Children of Israel. Moses kicks off his explanation to the moaning Israelites that OK, God will provide food at both ends of the day: ‘In the evening you will know that it was the  Lord  who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the  Lord’. I love this congregation, and Leisa and I like Townsville more and more as time passes and our familiarity with all that it has to offer, grows. But one thing I miss from a country town is taking the ANZAC Day services, the Dawn Service and the later Parade Service. It was a great privilege for a pom soldier to be able to honour Australian and New Zealand sailors, soldiers and airmen. A piper’s lament followed by the bugle’s haunting Last Post sends shivers down my spine. And then, after a sile

Psalm 24 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands … I’ve put a couple of handwash bottles at the entrance to the church. Pretend it’s holy water, but instead of crossing yourself with it as you come in, squirt and rub vigorously on your hands. I’m sorry that precautions against COVID-19 have intruded into our fellowship together, but we have to be like the disciples in Matthew 10, to whom Jesus said, “  I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” The coronavirus makes wolves look like your favourite fluffy puppy. We should make some changes in the way that we greet each other, too. Perhaps elbow bumps instead of handshakes, or air high fives or air fist bumps instead of the real thing.   At the Peace before Communion next month, we’ll turn round and greet each other from our seats instead of our usual sacramental walkabout.   We don’t offer communion by intin