Celebrating our living of God’s dream

On Sunday, the children and I wove scarves together in an illustration of the gift the Uniting Church is to us, in honour of its 45th birthday this week.
First, we plaited three scarves together. The Uniting Church is formed by bringing us together in our difference. 45 years ago, after decades of work from many people, the Congregational, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches in Australia came together as a new movement.
Then, we added scarves to remember the many different peoples and groups the uniting church makes welcome and through which we tell people you are loved : agencies looking after people in different stages of life – specially Resthaven showing love for our older folk; Uniting Network showing love for our queer folk; Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress showing love by, with, for our First Nations peoples; playgroups and messy church and Mainly Music and more showing love for children.
woven scarves on altar
As we added each, we remembered these groups show us how to love them, help us to make each other welcome in our differences. This is God’s dream, that all would know they are welcome, are loved. This is how the Uniting Church lives out God’s dream.
There are so many more we could have named – Pacific Island cultural groups, the Korean part of the church, the conservative and evangelical groups, the arts groups, padres in rural and outback areas.
We are so glad the Uniting Church was born with its commitment to realising God’s dream that all will know they are welcome and they are loved. Happy birthday Uniting Church.
After that, we danced as the congregation sang. What’s a birthday party without dancing?
The picture is the communion table with candle on a Kuarna memorial candlestick and green decoration, Bible and gold cross, and a bundle of different coloured scarves the children and I wove together.