Image: Pink roses in loving memory of Marg Vazey. A gift from the Vazey family on the occasion of a memorial held at Blackwattle Bay on Saturday, April 29, 2023. Marg was a beloved crew member of dragon boat club Dragons Abreast, Sydney.
What’s on this week
Check this post each week for events and activities. We look forward to seeing you.
Act for Peace – Gaza emergency
#CeasefireNow: Open Call for an Immediate Ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Israel
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We pray for this year’s Christmas Bowl appeal … and projects in Ukraine-Hungary, Ethiopia, Jordan, India, Thai-Burma … Christmas Bowl donations can be made via donation envelopes in the church or via our SSUC link.
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Art Workshop – Saturday, December 9
Regular and new participants welcome. We will be working with clay. All materials and lunch provided. Entry by gold coin donation. 12-3pm.
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The Blak & Blu art prize will be held on Saturday December 9, 3pm. Drawings on A4 paper using black and/or blue and/or red biros. The work should comment on a social or environmental issue pertaining to summer.
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This Sunday (December 10) we celebrate a Service of Word and Sacrament (Baptisms and Reaffirmations of Baptism) for Advent 2. We’d love for you to join us at 10am. All welcome.
Download liturgy (in folder each week by Saturday).
Join via Zoom (Meeting ID: 879 3746 4388/ Password: 087151).
Our 12pm activity will be Meditation. Thanks to Karen for leading. All welcome in the church and online.
Join via Zoom (Meeting ID: 828 4637 5215/ Password: 895602).
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Garden update
Thanks to Reece, Cathie, Svetlana, David and Chris for work in the garden on Tuesday morning – collecting rubbish for removal from garden, sweeping, raking, weeding and cleaning out the hen house. Thanks to Murray for donating the benches and to Naomi for the lattice. Weekly working bees every Tuesday from 8-11am.
Sign up as a Member ($30 for the year) or as a Friend (assisting the working group with various tasks). Please see Naomi or Cathie if you’d like information on ways to participate in the garden.
Weekly working bees every Tuesday from 8-11am.
Image: Thanks, Bob. Safe travels Bob and Kathleen. Love from the Tuesday Crew and all of us at SSUC.
Worship services in the garden, 10am on the first Sunday of the month.
Follow garden progress on Instagram @edencommunitygarden
Read Gardening Hints and Tips by Chris Lodge here.
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Online Vespers (evening prayer) Sundays at 6 for 6.15pm. All welcome. Please find liturgy and Zoom link here.
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Thanks to all worship leaders (please check the online worship roster for opportunities in December – you might like to volunteer as a reader, musician, helper with setup or server of morning tea).
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South Sydney Herald
The December issue of the SSH is out now! Visit the SSH website for latest news and online exclusives.
Opportunities for writers, photographers and illustrators, distributors and more … Seeking a First Peoples editor, Politics editor and Advertising manager. We would love to hear from you. Contact sshandrew@bigpond.com
Coming soon …
Learning about our strengths: An invitation to participate
South Sydney Uniting Church is going through a time of change. Andrew is finishing his placement with us, there will be major repairs at the church in 2024, and we are starting to explore possible partnerships with other congregations. Understanding the gifts and skills of our leaders will be helpful at this time, to help us in our discernment for the future. We invite all leaders at South Sydney, and people newer to the congregation who might be interested in a leadership role, to take part in an exploration of our individual and collective leadership strengths. Read more.
FOR YOUR DIARY: Gospel Conversation on Thursday December 14, 7pm at the manse. We will enjoy a movie and discussion. More details next week.
FOR YOUR DIARY: An exhibition of drawings by Adrian and Andrew (curated by Catherine) on Saturday December 16, from 5pm. Live music by Tomas Lorenzo.
CHRISTMAS EVE: Christmas Eve is on Sunday December 24. Our service will be held as usual at 10am. Our preacher will be Akosita Tangi.
CHRISTMAS DAY: A special service of readings and carols on December 25, at 9.30am.
You are welcome to join us for a picnic in Redfern Park at 12pm on Christmas Day. What to bring: hat, sunscreen, picnic food and drink to share.
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SPIRITUAL ACCOMPANIMENT
Are you:
- looking for a safe and supportive place to explore where ‘God’ is at work in your life?
- wanting to better align who you are (your values) with what you do?
- needing to make some important life decisions?
- simply wanting to feel more fully alive and engaged in life?
Spiritual accompaniment assumes that God is encountered in human experience, that God is always and everywhere active in this world. We are generally not very well attuned to God at work in ourselves and the world around us. Being accompanied by a spiritual companion can help us become better and better able to notice what in our lives is of God, and what is not.
As a spiritual companion I help people to pay attention to their experiences when they pray, or when they become aware of something deeply moving in their lives.
In spiritually accompanying each person, I listen attentively and respond honestly, compassionately and without judgement, trusting that as we become more and more aware of God’s presence in our lives, we also become increasingly aware of what within us and our environment gets in the way of recognising and living from ‘that spark of divine life that is within each of us’.
Spiritual accompaniment usually involves meeting with your companion for 45 minutes to an hour every two to four weeks, face to face or via Zoom. If you would like more information or a conversation to see if accompaniment is something that might be helpful for you, please email me (kbcarinya@gmail.com) and we can arrange a time to talk.
Kind regards,
Karen
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AGM – Sunday October 29
Our congregational Annual General Meeting was held on Sunday October 29.
Click here for link to papers and reports.
Image: Reece and Heather share a moment (photo by Kelly).
