Rambling for Kirwan Uniting Church Keeping in Touch pew sheet May 29 2022

A good mate in Perth, WA, has his birthday today. I sent him a greetings text, and posted on his Facebook Wall. Aside from Leisa’s family and a couple of her High School chums in Brisbane, our dearest friends in this hemisphere are in WA and New Zealand. As it happens, Leisa is in Brisbane this weekend and will catch up with one of those NZ friends who is guest lecturing at St Francis Theological College. And she’ll meet up with her oldest High School friend. For most of the time, we rely on Facebook and other cyber-channels of communication to stay in touch. While travelling to be with each other in person is expensive, and until recently was impossible because of the pandemic lockdown, it still brings incomparably more joy than digital chat.
I was reminded of this when Peter Ireland sent an article by Philip Yancey, read it at https://philipyancey.com/why-go-back, reinforcing that the best online services are a poor substitute for Real Life™ gathering together for worship and fellowship. Remember how happy we were when we recommenced in-person services at KUC after lockdown?
So, I have some leave to use up, and I should plan a trip across to the west. The biggest problem there is that all of my sandgroper pals are clergy, so I have to make painful choices about whose church I don’t attend.
It isn’t only the WA gang who will enjoy us getting together. Other revellers at the Rose and Crown in Guildford (highly recommended, a proper old pub, it even has its 19thC camel stables) will observe us sinking Feral Ales and evidently being delighted with each other’s company, and will share vicariously in our fun. Which is a point made by someone commenting on Philip Yancey’s piece.

“Attending public worship is also a witness to the watching world that there is a Living God worthy of praise and devotion!” 

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