Blog Action Day: 15 ideas to learn and do

Blog Action Day is an annual nonprofit event that aims to unite the world’s bloggers, podcasters and videocasters, to post about the same issue on the same day. Our aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion. Here are 15 ideas of what you can do to learn about poverty, and practical ideas of what you can do to make a difference. Continue reading ‘Blog Action Day: 15 ideas to learn and do’

Federal A.G. launches crime prevention DVD

‘We are Ethnic; we pay taxes and we are committed to achieving a safe and secure society for all Australians’ is the theme of The Law of the Land a new crime prevention DVD, produced by ECCWA, and launched by federal Attorney-General Senator Robert McClelland.

The DVD is an opportunity to educate new and emerging communities about the law and justice system of Australia.  Some of the subjects addressed are family and domestic violence, identity theft, substance abuse, traffic offences etc. The DVD has been dubbed into 12 languages other than English based on the Dept of Immigration and Citizenship’s humanitarian entrants over the last five years as well as the projected destination points next year. This DVD can be used either as a self-education tool or by service agencies for new arrivals. There is no cost for the DVD and anyone dealing with CaLD communities can access them from ECCWA. Continue reading ‘Federal A.G. launches crime prevention DVD’

Events for the Heart and Mind – 24 September

In this edition:

Discovering Balance – An international conference on prison reform, restorative justice, and human rights; Beyond Occupation? Examining the New Reality in Israel and Palestine; Anti Poverty Week; Christ & Culture; The Law of the Land. Continue reading ‘Events for the Heart and Mind – 24 September’

Sustainable September

Sustainable September is an annual campaign in Western Australia that highlights the many different threads that are necessary to weave a sustainable future. Sustainable September demonstrates and celebrates sustainability in action. Continue reading ‘Sustainable September’

On the way to Christian Unity

Biblical Meditation: an Orthodox perspective
Be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus… (Philippians 2, 2-5)
Though the content of the text from Philippians does not refer directly to the nature of the unity of the Church we seek, it refers to the process, or rather to the attitude one may adopt during the process of common search for Christian unity.
1. The key words which are coming out from this text is so familiar to both Orthodox theology and spirituality: humility, love, service and care for others.
Though the search for unity remains a commitment for all those involved in ecumenical encounters and dialogue, the difficulties persist as different parties understand and approach it differently. For some, the dialogue is accepted as long as the different identities, as they are understood and lived in their historical developments, are not threatened. There is a fear of loosing one’s particularity; there is a fear that in the process of searching for unity, some may gain some may loose. And no one wants to be a loser.
There is, at times, a power struggle of offering one’s “truth” over against the “truths” of the others. For the people with such thinking, attitudes and approaches, the dialogue is accepted and promoted as long as it leads to and remains to the level of “cooperation” , but does not imply any notion of change or transformation.
The problem is that some of us behave, at times, as the two disciples from the Gospel text of the day. They asked to be put of the right and left hand of Jesus when He will come in His Kingdom. However, some of us involved in the ecumenical dialogues and in search for Christian unity behave as being already placed at the right and left hand of Jesus. And from there we speak arrogantly to the others.
2. Christian truth is not an ideology; it is not a system of thought, a collection of right formulations in conflict or competition with other ideological systems. The Christian truth is to be found in the person of Christ who offered Himself as being the truth, the way and the life. The Christian witness refers to the witness of the fullness of Christ. Through Christ, we have relation to the Father and are partakers of the koinonia of the Holy Spirit. The formulations of the early ecumenical councils were not innovations or additions or further doctrinal developments of the apostolic Kerygma, but affirmations and articulations about the fullness of Christ when it was challenged or disputed. Even then, it was not the intent of clearly putting in antagonism the bad and the good verbal formulations. The main reason for such formulations was related to the issue of salvation, which was very much dependent on the fullness of life in Christ. [read more...]

September Happenings

Social Justice Sunday in September

Social Justice Sunday Statement 2008. This year’s statement, A Rich, Young Nation: the Challenge of Poverty and Affluence in Australia, can be ordered now from the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council using an online form at
www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au
A summary is posted on the website which will also host liturgy notes and teachers notes as Social Justice Sunday, 28 September approaches.
Continue reading ‘September Happenings’

Events for the Heart and Soul 27 August

REFUGEE & MIGRANT SUNDAY – 31 August – RESOURCES NOW AVAILABLE
This year the NCCA’s Refugee and Migrant Sunday resources focus on Iraq. Please visit this website to access the resources.
Continue reading ‘Events for the Heart and Soul 27 August’

Green Church – Sustaining creation

The Uniting Church of Western Australia have made available a number of resources to be used during Sustainable September under their “Green Church” banner. Available are a four-week bible study, prepared by Rev Professor Bill Loader, and Liturgy resources prepared by Gail Cresswell.

You can download these resources at the UCA’s Green Church Website

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