Opinion

Lent is a special time in the church’s calendar for prayer, reflection and repentance. Journey uncovers five things you may not have known about the period and its traditions. Why do we call it Lent?  The term “Lent” has its roots in the Old English words lencten (spring season) and lenctentid (springtide) which also are associated with the “lengthening days” ...

At Christmas, we celebrate an interruption to our ordinary existence and to what we had planned for life. The birth of Jesus was a disruption for Mary and Joseph: a challenging one that threatened their relationship and their standing in their community. Yet it was a disruption that gave them purpose, hope and fulfilment like they had not known, nor ...

While there’s seemingly no escape from the onslaught of consumerism during the Christmas season, Cath Taylor unwraps the act of giving in a theological context.  Australians give a lot of gifts—about $8.9 billion worth last year, apparently. But how good were they? A jaw-dropping $500 million worth ended up back on eBay within a month and quite a few of ...

It’s a word we hear almost daily in some form or another but Dr Gilbert Bond explores the history behind “sorry” and how we can forgive others when confronted by horrific acts of inhumanity. On any ordinary day one hears the word “sorry” uttered on numerous occasions. Without “sorry” the friction of ordinary interactions between people would eventually generate intolerable ...

There was an old bumper sticker that said, “Think global, act local”. Our faith speaks about the great universal themes of creation, of reconciliation, of salvation. The Uniting Church, particularly, is energised by the large and broad issues that humanity and the nation are facing—anthropogenic climate change, the global refugee crisis, the world economic order. Yet for many of us, ...

What’s so bad about being good? Journey examines the traditional list of seven heavenly virtues, and how they might continue to guard our hearts from the perils of the contemporary age. Chastity With almost 80 per cent of couples living together before marriage, this is one virtue that contemporary western Christians can find awkward. Let’s reclaim the virtue of the ...

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, one in five Australians aged 16 to 85 live with some form of mental health issue. Journey looks at five ways you can raise awareness and dialogue around mental health issues in October to coincide with Queensland Mental Health Week (9–15 October). Organise an art exhibition Scott Guyatt recently wrote in The Scoop ...

Disability is everyone’s business. Following her feature on disability and faith, Sue Hutchinson shares five of the most insensitive comments someone could make to a person with disability. Never say “It’s God’s will” or “It’s all part of God’s plan”.     Never imply that disability is punishment for sin.     Never relate the disability to faith, such as “a test of ...

From nude selfie sharing to hard drugs, there’s an abundance of dangerous temptations for today’s youth. Rev Tom Kerr grapples with sin and guiding our young people with a Christ-like love. You’ve seen the news headlines about violence at out of control house parties, teen nude photo sites and the Ice epidemic. Youth, sin and theology. I think we’d better ...

October, the month the jacarandas come out, when students see the signs and start studying for exams, when storms roll across the land. It’s the month when we start planning for the end of the year and look forward to what we will focus on in the new year. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse will ...