Double header "I Am Mine" Pearl Jam

"Sirens" Pearl Jam

"Don't You Give Up On Me" Lissie

"Kimberley Calling" Dan Sultan

Easter Monday Playlist done "Song for Someone" U2

Easter Sunday Playlist #02 "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" Florence + the Machine

Celebration, reflection, big sound...

Easter Sunday [in case you missed it]

Welcome + Acknowledgement

Introit TiS 381 “This Joyful Eastertide” v1 and chorus

Call to Worship

He is Risen!

He is Risen Indeed!

What a joy it is to celebrate the love of God

We are called to be Easter people

Darkness cannot claim us

Fear cannot bind us

Christ is risen

Christ is risen, indeed 

Amen

Jesus is alive again.... 

And we join with all those down the centuries who place their hope in this story of life

Today across the world thousands of people recommit themselves to putting faith into action

To live out God’s grace, compassion and love

Refusing to believe that what can be seen is all there is

Like the sun hitting you in the face, we are warmed into wondering what it all means

Song #01 TiS 370 “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”

Opening Prayer

Storybook “Hunwick’s Egg” by Mem Fox onscreen and shared at the front

[also crayons etc in the space and cardboard 'bricks' to draw/write on]

Song #02 TiS 380 “Yours Be the Glory

Bible Reading/s Isaiah 65: 17-25 Luke 24: 1-12

Video “Rev.” 3min 14

Reflection

Song #03 TiS 390 “Alleluia Give Thanks to the Risen Lord” v1,2,3,5

Announcements/Concerns [only essentials]

Offering

Prayers for the World

‘The Mystery Gift’ explored 'cardboard box at Christmas now opened by the kids]

Song #04 TiS 242 “Lord of the Dance” v1,2,3,5

Sending OUT

Recessional TiS 779  “May the Feet of God Walk with You”

THESE WERE THE NOTES I STARTED WITH BUT DID EXPAND [BRIEFLY]

Easter Sunday Reflection 

[1] Jesus is alive again?  You must be crazy, you’re talking nonsense!!

At least that’s what Jesus disciples thought when Mary, Joanna, Mary

and the other women returned

At v11, “the words seemed to them an idle tale” [literally meaning delirious]

[2] And let’s face it,

If it’s not hard to believe, maybe we’re not really trying…

And as Christian communities I think we sometimes miss a huge opportunity

to say to each other… You know what, if it’s a bit hard to believe,

come on in, you’re amongst friends

Let’s be part of a movement, gathered, trying to work out what it means…

Working to play our part in God’s mission in the world…

[3] 24But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb,

taking the spices that they had prepared…

Nobody expected it to be otherwise BUT

2They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,

3but when they went in, they did not find the body.

THEY DID NOT FIND THE BODY

[4] We can speak in metaphors,

we can define how we speak about God differently,

OR we can claim a ‘simple faith’…

BUT the only way I know how to respond to the RESURRECTION,

To God beating death and showing again the strength of unfathomable love IS...

What happens to people and communities when they live it as a reality

And as defining and shaping and sustaining…

 [EXAMPLES GIVEN...]

KIND OF LIKE “HUNWICK’S EGG… HE WORKS OUT IT’S NOT AN EGG,

IT WON’T HATCH, BUT IT’S BECOME THAT CONNECTION IN HIS LIFE

WITH SOMETHING BIGGER BEYOND HIMSELF AND IT BRINGS COMFORT,

LIFE AND PURPOSE… it's not in the expected form but it's real...

[5] When God’s spirit turns up,

whole communities are transformed by HOPE,

[explain] ETERNITY [National Museum]

“To hope is to dream. Of what might or will be. Of the possible and the mere possible — hope against hope. To hope is to strive for the best.

To build on glimmers of new beginnings. To hope is to never give up.

To remain expectant, against hopes dashed, disappointments, falsities.

To hope is to believe there is a way.”

4While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes

stood beside them.

These women are grieving, numb, they would be in the ‘in between space’ regardless

In the middle of that struggle come the words of hope…

[expand]

Remember what he said,

“Why are you looking for the living mong the dead?”

He is not here, but has risen. 6Remember how he told you

8Then they remembered his words, 9and returning from the tomb, 

they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest.

[6] Rev Adam Smallbone BBC TV Series 3

St Saviours in the Marshes...A struggling suburban East London congregation

All episode Adam is reminded he volunteered to lend the timber cross

He finally carries it through town and up to the small hill

He is struggling with his mission, questioning, he’s made some mistakes

AND he is wondering what to do, he’s given up…

HE IS MET IN HIS SINGING BY THE MYSTERIOUS CHARACTER

IN A terrible lime tracksuit [beautifully cast as Liam Neeson]

[7] GOD meets Adam in his worst moments/ reminding him it’s in ALL moments

For me this scene is a telling one about faith in a resurrected JESUS

That GOD meets us in all moments of our life

In this scene Adam is reminded “It’s OK” “I’m with you”

OUR TRUTH TO SHARE IS HOW GOD MEETS US,

When we tell our story, when we live it together,

Others might rush back to the tomb, see the folded linen clothes

And go home amazed at what had happened…

and yes, I forgot the Lord's Prayer... on Easter Sunday [says all you need to know about my drive to make room for context and inspiration] BUT we include it 'most weeks' just not all...

Luke 24:1-12

24But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,

3but when they went in, they did not find the body. 4While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them.

5The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.

6Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.”

8Then they remembered his words, 9and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles.

11But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

12But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

Easter Sunday Song #01 "Miracles" Chris Martin from the credits of the film "Unbroken"

Couldn't yet show the acoustic version at the Film party but this is the song...

TV/Movies I’ve Caught Up with or Watched Recently

TV/Movies I’ve Caught Up with or Watched Recently

Way too many of these have been while working on my Mac at the same time but it’s been a rich catch up of an evening when no TV of note has been on or in an afternoon of admin tasks or just for fun!!

James Bond Spectre

Concussion

Joy

The Hateful Eight

The Revenant

Sicario

Steve Jobs

The Dressmaker

Brooklyn

Deadpool

Spotlight

Whiplash

Better Call Saul

House of Cards

11.22.63

I hope to catch Batman/Superman, Hail Caesar and a few others soon...

Easter Saturday #2 "Pedestrian at Best" Courtney Barnett

Easter Saturday #1 "The Thing About Grief Is" Claire Bowditch

Thinking of a few people today I know are struggling...

Good Friday at 'Church in the Trees'

And there was 'Good Friday' ...
Acknowledgement + Informal Welcome
Introit TiS 730 “Jesus Remember Me” (x2)
Reading Part #01 John 18: 1-32
Song #01 TiS 342 “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”
Extinguish the Candle + Prayer “This Easter”
Call "This Easter God" too long to write here
Reading Part #02 John 18: 33-40 and 19: 1-16 [first part]
Song #02. TiS 717 “Give Thanks”
Reading Part #03 John 19: 17-30 and 38-42
Brief Reflection
Song #03 TiS 256 “From Heaven You Came Helpless Babe”
Paper Cross Prayers
with music soundtrack “I Grieve” Peter Gabriel
Final Prayer
Video “Way of the Cross” 2min 50
Sending OUT then
Song #04 Unaccompanied Cello Suite 1 in G (Bach) by Yo Yo Ma
Looped a few times for people to stay/sit or go...

Easter Thursday Reflective Worship

For those playing at home:
Thursday night from 7pm at 'Morisset Uniting Church in the Trees' we got things together
to spend a reflective time...

Led in with "Dona Nobis Pacem" Yo Yo Ma
Acknowledgement/Welcome
Entering into the Story/Introduction
Prayer [one word contributions]
We listened to
"For You Deep Stillness" Robin/Dorothy Mann
"Believing the Impossible" Michael Toy Poem
Reader One: Luke 17: 20-21 and Luke 13: 18-20
Reader Two: Luke 18: 31-34
We listened to
"Stories of Hope" Rob Hanks/Phil Newton
with lyrics onscreen
A Story Luke 22: 7-23 from 'Mystic Bible'
+ sharing what Easter means to you
Reader Three: Luke 22: 24-27
Reader Four: Luke 22: 39-46
{Take What You Need" Prayer Activity [tear off the page]
We listened to
"Will You Walk This Path with Me"
Rads Sukumar-White Ben Cross
Sending Out

If I has to plan tomorrow for next year I'd suggest closer focus on Readings with a 'pot luck' dinner to share and bread cob/cup eucharist...

"Bad" Luka Bloom Good Friday

Good Friday reflection...

Uniting Church Prez Stuart McMillan's Easter Video

The President of the Uniting Church in Australia Stuart McMillan has appealed for a serious national conversation on Indigenous Sovereignty in his 2016 Easter message.

UCA Moderator's Easter Message 2016

BRIT Awards Icon Award and Tribute

After the bloated and self important Grammy Awards, the BRIT Awards are always a reminder that not all pop culture eminates from Los Angeles... wonderful tribute to David Bowie all-round but especially his band with Lorde!!

"A Mile in My Shoes"

What a great idea like my 'Meaningful Soles' project but the next step.... literally!!

A collection of anonymous shoes with audio stories so you put on the shoes and walk a mile listening to the original wearers own story!! Here

Hear more on the podcast of Triple J's 'Hack'... thanks for 'heads up' Darren Wright!!

"Oh Canada" Missy Higgins

Speaking to our souls and hoping the words and images soften hearts to the plight of our most vulnerable people

Walker's Chips... how much do you love them

Despite my disappointment Smith's just rebadged this Walker's advert it's still a funny commercial!!

TED Harry Baker Slam Poet

OK Go do it again...

Or maybe see it here

Super Bowl 50 Kevin Hart Hyundai TV advert

Superbowl 50 BUD Light Advert

Superbowl 50 KIA advert

Happy 'Australia Day' 2016

And a song worth celebrating...

Doodle for Google Winner

Winner for Oz Day 2016

"Stolen Dreamtime"
Ineka Voigt, Canberra High School, ACT
"If I could travel back in time I would... reunite mother and child. A weeping mother sits in an ochre desert, dreaming of her children and a life that never was... all that remains is red sand, tears and the whispers of her stolen dreamtime."

MY Poem from 2011 Happy Australia Day Tomorrow

My Country
The love of field and pruning
Of green tree shaded lanes
Of pommie woods and gardens
Is the backpackers domain
Putting up with grey-blue distance
Brown streams and that low sky
Is nice to sometimes visit
But we could pass it by

I love a sunburnt country
Across the great western plains
Of bushwalkers mountain ranges
Of droughts and flooding rains
I love our far horizons
I love the Bar Beach sea
The beauty and the terror
The wide brown land for me

A stark white ring-barked forest
The loggers lop in tune
The sapphire misted mountains
The midday sun breaks through
Annoying spikey shrubs
Lantana and pesky weeds
A bunch of 40 dollar natives
A protea is all you need

Core of our soul, our country
The levelling blue sky
One minute cattle are dying
But then the grey clouds gather
And we can dance again
That sound on tin roofs clapping
The steady soaking rain

Core of their soul, their country
Land of the Rainbow snake
For flood and fire and famine
The dreaming stories make
Sand through the hand is poured
Lingiari was his name
The greenness will return
When they the land can claim

An opal hearted country
A willful, lavish land
We celebrate Australia
With coasters and board shorts
The flag we hold in hand
Brawls, beer and Hot 100
Disrupt our reflective or family time
We revel in the ANZAC
And sadly 'turn the boats around'

"My Country" Midnight Oil

"My Country" Midnight Oil written by Rob Hirst
Was it just a dream, were you so confused
Was it just a giant leap of logic
Was it the time of year, that makes a state of fear
Methods were the motives for the action

And did I hear you say
My country right or wrong

Did you save your face
Did you breach your faith
Women, there were children at the shelter
Now who can stop the hail
When human senses fail
There was never any warning, no escape

Did I hear you say
My country right or wrong
My country oh so strong
My country going wrong
My country right or wrong

I hear you say the truth must take a beating
The flag a camouflage for your deceiving
I know, yes I know
It's written on your soul
I know, we all make mistakes

This is not a case of blurred vision
It's a case of black holes, pocket holes, soul holes

And did I hear you say...

A song about misplaced patriotism and hiding behind the flag on the part of any country. In relation to Australia, do we have the maturity to become a republic, to make different choices to the US in the Gulf/Middle East and could we do things like 'recognising' indigenous people in our Constitution and moving on then to a conversation and action about soveriegnty. I won't bother to ask if we could open our borders to refugees and asylum seekers, take kids out of detention and find a new solution... that's just crazy talk!!

Ideas and Resources Creating Worship with Children and Families

Resources
Seasons of the Spirit here
A Joyful Path here
Spill the Beans here
Godly Play here
Holy Moly here
Re:Form here
Sticky Faith here
‘Deep Blue’ website here

Re:Form here 
Proost UK here
Worship House Kids here

Music
Together to Celebrate here
All Together Series here
Fischy Music here
Seasons of the Spirit [available from Mediacom]
Seasons website here
Beth Barnett Resources here
As One Voice here
Carols in the Sun here

Storybooks

Digital Orthodoxy here
The Children’s Book Review here
Australian Book Review here 
The Book Chook here
The Children’s Book Council of Australia here