Features

“The 19th century is the last time when it was possible for an educated person to admit to believing in miracles like the virgin birth without embarrassment.” While the dismissiveness of Richard Dawkins’ remark in his well-known work The God Delusion is characteristic of New Atheist thought specifically, it reveals a more widespread view that a belief in miracles is ...

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned photographs and some names in this article may contain images/names of deceased persons which may cause sadness or distress. Keenkanaman-a, aak ke’an yippakan wun-a, nil WIKan aak nathpalman wun-wun, murkanim anman, nilam Jesus.an. (Than Jesus.an waa’in nunang ke’ WIK anman ngampar, puth nil wik God.antaman waa’-waa’ ngampar, a’ nilan waa’-waa’ ngampar nil ...

Alongside Sigmund Freud, Carl Gustav Jung is considered one of the pioneers of psychoanalysis, but unlike Freud was far more sympathetic to religion and its place within society. Rev Dr Neil Pembroke explores Jung’s relationship with Christianity and the soul. Carl Jung (1875–1961) was a Swiss psychoanalyst famous for his innovative development of the pioneering work of Sigmund Freud. Jung ...

While the rest of the nation voted, the Queensland Synod was sowing the seeds for the future. Journey recaps the 34th Synod in Session. What legacy will we leave for the next generation? When the 34th Queensland Synod of Australia’s first homegrown church met at Alexandra Park Conference Centre from 17 to 20 May, there was a palpable sense that this ...

Our Journey snapshot brings together stories of how local churches responded to the unprecedented flooding in North Queensland in February. The tropical north is no stranger to rain, but the devastation caused in North Queensland by the deluge early this year caught everyone by surprise. Local Uniting Church congregations, working hand-in-hand with council and local government and backed by the ...

Drought is a slow-moving, insidious natural disaster which affects the very heart of community. When the rains finally come, recovery will be only just beginning. Dianne Jensen explores how Uniting Church congregations are stepping up to support their counterparts in the bush. “Well, it’s still brown,” writes Rev Jenny Coombes from Longreach Uniting Church at the heart of Queensland’s drought-stricken ...

As the famous quip goes you can be assured of two things in life—death and taxes—and we all recognise that in many ways death signals the end, closure, finito. But as Simon Gomersall argues, the death and resurrection of a thirtysomething man thousands of years ago in the Middle East revolutionised our thinking around death and signalled we should never ...

From planning a nativity to hosting carols, Uniting churches across Queensland are creating opportunities to share the joy and hope of the Christmas message. Read about six ways different congregations are helping local communities to rediscover the wonder. Light up your neighbourhood Sandgate Uniting Church has been helping people rediscover the wonder of Christmas for more than 25 years through ...

While a great deal of society tends to focus on material “wants” at Christmas, Trinity College Queensland’s Dean of Formations and Dispersed Learning Rev Nigel Rogers uncovers the relational “needs” at the core of the Christmas narrative, and how God holds the key to a flourishing, abundant life. “Oh, wow, a T-shirt! That’s awesome, thanks so much,” I said as ...

With more than 300 women from across Australia in attendance, UnitingWomen 2018 was an opportunity to weave stories of wisdom and wonder. James O’Callaghan reports. From the opening words of welcome to the closing communion service, the theme of sharing stories about the interweaving of faith and life ran through the third UnitingWomen conference in Brisbane at the end of ...