Features

Whenever two or three gather together in God’s name there will be at least that many views on how to worship. Add different generations into the mix, and being one in the Lord is a challenging task for any worship team. Dianne Jensen reports. We know that there are big differences between age cohorts, but why is it so difficult ...

The ancient practice of Christian meditation is experiencing a revival, and Uniting Church members are among those rediscovering the value of silence. Dianne Jensen reports. When the street noise and the background chatter finally fade into nothingness, there is silence. And in this place of deep stillness, all subterfuge cast off, we may find that the peace of God does ...

Investing ethically is all well and good, but the realities of it are more complex than you may think. Mardi Lumsden explores. Prior to the last Queensland Synod meeting in May 2013 the New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory Synod in Session resolved to divest from stocks and shares in corporations engaged in the extraction of fossil fuels and to redirect ...

We interviewed Betty about her life and faith on Friday 27 June and sadly advise that since this article was written and went to print Betty has passed away. We have been informed that Betty did have the opportunity to read the article before her passing. She died on Wednesday 6 August 2014 after a short illness. How does a self-described shy ...

Are you prepared to die? New research shows Australians are dropping the ball and not planning ahead. Ashley Thompson explores the world of life before death. Twelve years ago a palliative care unit at Brisbane’s Wesley Hospital did not exist. Today, Ward 4A buzzes with nurses and chaplains committed to journeying with patients through the end of life phase. UnitingCare ...

Dianne Jensen talks to Dave Andrews, Charles Ringma, Lin Hatfield Dodds and Sue Hutchinson about why they keep working for social transformation. “Many people start out with the fire in their belly to set the world alight when they are young; but very few people still have the fire in their belly when they are old,” says Dave Andrews. The ...

Following John Green’s inclusion in this year’s Time 100 and the adaptation of his latest novel into a blockbuster movie, Rohan Salmond talks to him about church, community, teenagers and the universe that wants to be noticed. There are thousands of John Greens in the world, including lawyers, teachers, politicians and even a Bigfoot expert. But John Green the novelist ...

Data from the 2013 census of the Uniting Church in Australia has been released just in time for its 37th anniversary. It reveals an organisation facing some tough decisions. Dianne Jensen reports. Thirty-seven years down the track, Australia’s first home-grown church is facing a mid-life crisis familiar to any adult wondering where the kids have gone and what lies ahead. ...

The Destiny Together week of prayer and fasting is over. Bruce Mullan looks at what’s next in the Uniting Church’s journey of reconciliation with First Peoples. The paint was washed off the foreheads and the chairs packed away but for those who participated in the Canberra prayer vigil and at other Destiny Together—Justice for First Peoples events around the nation, ...

Professional communicator and Uniting Church member Dr John Harrison talks to Dianne Jensen. Sons and daughters of the manse grow up living and breathing the mantra of mission and service. As adults they can end up living out their own Christian witness in surprising places. Dr John Harrison is Senior Lecturer in Journalism and Communication and Undergraduate Program Director at ...