Cowes, Phillip Island
The Church of St John,- Fisherman and Apostle -
MINISTERS :- THE MEMBERS OF THE CONGREGATION
Pastoral Christmas letter from Rev. Jennie Dec 19th, 2024 P.O. Box 126 Wonthaggi, 3995
Hello to all; Residents, Shearwaters and Friends,
Greetings in the name of Christ, who comes to us, born as one of us.
There is a lot going on in the world right now, and much of it is cause for despair. Wars, abuse and misuse of power, climate change, erosion of respect for difference and for the value of each life, …. In a way it seems almost wrong to celebrate Christmas when our planet and so many of her inhabitants are struggling to survive. And yet, we do.
This year, I encourage you to hear the angel’s words; “I bring you good news of great joy to all people.” This was good news of great joy delivered in a time of struggle. This was good news for all. Good news delivered not directly to the seat of power, but to the ones on the outside, the shepherds on the hills. What did they do with it? They shared it. This good news is just as important to hear today as it was when Jesus was born. We need to hear it and to share it.
The good news is that God has reached out to us, in the flesh and blood of a vulnerable human child who knew all our delights and dangers and showed us how to live in love. This is an act of imaginative, incredible, incongruous creation, which is the opposite of war and destruction. This is the mystery of God’s love for us. We can participate in this rebellious act of counter-culturalism and be spreaders of the good news, by choosing to be makers of peace and co-creators of love.
We do not need to participate in the propagation of pain, separation, dispossession, domination and distress, there’s enough of that! Enough! We are children of the God who reaches out to us in love, so we can do the same. Each decision we make about how we live our lives, how we spend our time, our money, our thoughts and energy, it all adds up. If we invest it in the good news, the simple acts of loving-kindness, inclusion, generosity, hospitality… then we participate in this radical act of defiance against oppression, love against apathy, creation against war, that we celebrate at Christmas.
May you hear the good news again this Christmas, and may you share it as best you can,
Blessings all,
In the name of Jesus the Christ,
who came so that we might have life,
Jennie
Rev. Jennie Gordon
Minister, St John’s Uniting Church, Cowes, Millowl, Phillip Island.
St Johns Uniting Church Community Meal put on a Christmas feast to remember – December 2023
The tables were all set, done up like Christmas Day, because it was! A team of more than 15 volunteers had worked for days preparing, cooking, baking and making. After the morning worship service, there was a quiet pause, a few reflective moments of wonder, and then our dinner guests arrived, and the party was on.
Christmas lunch, held by St John’s Uniting Church Community Meal was a wonderful celebration; a big and noisy event, where everyone who came had a place at the table. Friends and strangers merged into table groups of chatter and chomping. Approximately 60 people were seated and served: nibbles, charcuterie board, seafood entrée, roast meats and vegies with salad for main course and then the quintessential Christmas pudding with custard, and chocolates for those who still had space. Each one left with the gift of a Christmas glass with hand-made biscuits and a blessing.
Comments as guests were leaving, and those we have received since are notes of deep appreciation. “Probably the best Christmas dinner I’ve ever had!” “Thank you to all who gave their time to make this special day wonderful!” “You gave me somewhere good to share this day, it’s not an easy time for me.”
This meal was made possible by a generous donation from the Phillip Island and San Remo Rotary Club and the immeasurable contribution of time and talents of the volunteers. Planning had been going on for weeks. Some spent almost all of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day working in teams to prepare the food and the space. PICAL took bookings and allowed us to use their new kitchen, frequently traversing through the gate between our properties. Thank you all.
The church was open, candles lit, and some took advantage of the quiet space, while others not connected with the meal wandered in and simply sat in the stillness. It was particularly hard to celebrate the birth of Jesus this year, with so much struggle and violence happening in and around his birthplace and other places in the world, including those closer to home. This Christmas meal was a beautiful reminder that when we gather and make space at the table, when we listen to each other’s stories and share in delicious food so carefully prepared, we are blessed to be celebrating life together and sharing the gift of love, the essence of Christmas.
