Sharing God's love through Beauty, Truth and Goodness with the people of Canberra’s Inner North

Tag: Creation service

bicycles and cycling options displayed at switched on cycles stall

Creative festival connecting community, faith and sustainability

In a spirit of community building and healing, the faith communities of Holy Cross Anglican and St Margaret’s Uniting in Hackett in Canberra’s inner north recently hosted a festival focussed on sustainability.

Stall with seed packets and stallholder demonstrating seed sourcing
A stallholder from Canberra Seed Savers shares the fruits of their work

The ‘Sustaining Our Future’ Festival on the weekend of September 19-20 brought together local groups and speakers to offer information on climate change and inspiration on how to reduce one’s individual or household waste and carbon footprint. 

“During these pandemic times, it’s even more important we find ways to get together safely and discuss common concerns, be inspired and make a difference,” said Reverend Chris Lockley of St Margaret’s.

People were able to test ride electric bikes and learn about composting. There was also a concert in the church featuring  singer-songwriter Lucy Sugerman and local youth bands, a visual arts exhibition, and an ecumenical ‘Celebration of Creation’ worship service.  

Dickson College students facilitate the ACT Candidates' Forum
Dickson College students facilitate the ACT Candidates’ Forum

The program included an ACT election candidates forum moderated by Dickson College students. 

“It was a great opportunity for our young people, who have a lot invested in a low-carbon future, to quiz local candidates about their sustainability policies ahead of the October poll,” said Reverend Tim Watson of Holy Cross.

This event, the first of its kind in Hackett, demonstrated the potential of the venue for more community events in the future where people can gather for spiritual and personal resourcing, community development, and to encourage each other in working for the Common Good.” 

The Festival was organised as part of Holy Cross/St Margaret’s joint Carbon Action Project, launched earlier this year. Both churches have committed to make their operations carbon neutral within two years, and to help church members and the local community take climate change seriously through local action and engagement.

The once-fixed pews in the ecumenical Hackett church were recently removed to allow for more dynamic and mixed uses of the interior worship space. 

Audiences enjoying the live music concert at the end of a great day

“The event was joyful and inclusive, and it put our mandate to evangelise as followers of Jesus into practice in so many different ways. It was a real celebration of beauty (art, music, God’s creation), truth (political debate, scientific and practical learning) and goodness (community, social and environmental action)”, said Reverend Watson.

“It also resonated with Bishop Mark’s encouraging comment about enabling people to return to church after lockdown: ‘re-integrating people to community through community, and helping us think about how we could implement similar steps with people who’ve never been part of our gathered worship’,” Rev. Watson added. 

The two ministers also thanked volunteers who worked hard to make it happen. 

“So many people made the event work. There were many hours served planning it and then during – to ensure it was safe and kept the festival moving along,” said Rev. Lockley.

Large glass and recycled metal snail pedalled on the church lawns
Pedal Powered Snail by Kinetic Sculptures

Creation Sunday and climate change

A post from a young parishioner:

On Sunday at church we talked about how God is behind creation and all living things. Rachel did an amazing talk on how our beautiful planet is heating up, increasing the number of species of animals that are extinct, and how we can learn from Aboriginal people to care for the earth. It got us all thinking. Will we have a planet to live on in a decade or two? 

Will my children be able to survive in such an environment? How can we save what God has given us before it’s too late?

I myself have been thinking about these things already but this got me thinking deeper, because if governments are not going to do anything then it’s up to us too.

Global warming is a BIG problem! We need to start acting. There are little things to do to make a difference to stop our planet heating up more:

We can eat less meat.  Even though meat is good for you (in most cases) it is adding to the pollution of our environment. I am a flexitarian which means I eat meat only sometimes. When I am older I want to be a full vegetarian, but for now, as I am growing, I need protein. Livestock farming is crashing our environment because cows and other non-native animals are  contributing to severe drought which at this rate we’ll see a lot more of across the world!

We can walk places. I walk home from school about three day a week. I’m not perfect because I do get dropped off places quite a lot, but I’m trying to improve every day. Walking or bike riding  helps the environment because when you use a car that uses fossil fuel petrol it adds to pollution in the air and global warming. It adds to the invisible bubble surrounding the earth. This bubble lets heat in but DOESN’T easily let it back out again. Electric cars are better. 

When I’m older I’m 110% going to own an electric car. My family has a hybrid car which is pretty good. If we want to get out of this climate mess than we should have an electric (or solar) car (if we are going to have a car at all) or take public transport!

On that morning of Creation Sunday, we made craft using natural materials to celebrate nature and we wrote a letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison letting him know that he is not doing enough about climate change and that it’s NOT ok. Whether he listens or not is up to him but honestly I think that deep down everyone, including him, is scared. We all just have different ways of showing it. But if are going to get out of this mess we all need to decide to stand up, fight back for the planet and not let climate change ruin something that was never ours alone to ruin.

Creation Sunday at Holy Cross and St Margaret’s

Celebrations in Spring

Join us as we enter spring:

15 Sept Holy Cross Day with Bishop Mark;

22 Sept Creation Service & Trinity Labyrinth Blessing with St Margaret’s;

19 Oct Tuckerbox building opening & BBQ

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén