Chaplain's Chat

Reconciliation Week

Please see the information below from Common Grace. For more information regarding 'Reconciliation as Love in Action' and other resources for people pursuing Jesus and justice go to - www.commongrace.org.au.

National Reconciliation Week is a national annual celebration that is held from 27 May to 3 June each year and encourages us to continue to build relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples of all cultures in these lands now called Australia. This year’s National Reconciliation Week theme is “Be Brave. Make Change” and Common Grace is leading us as Christians in these lands now called Australia with the theme “Reconciliation as Love in Action”. During National Reconciliation Week all Australians are invited to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories, to share that knowledge and help us grow as a nation. 

Common Grace is a growing movement of over 50,000 Australian Christians pursuing Jesus and Justice. Common Grace invites us to be led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Christian Leaders to pursue friendship and Reconciliation in our lifetime.

Do you know the significance of National Reconciliation Week? National Reconciliation Week runs from May 27 being the anniversary of the 1967 Referendum that effectively gave Aboriginal peoples full citizenship rights by finally being counted in the national census, until June 3 being the anniversary of the 1992 Mabo decision that effectively overturned the lie our country had lived of ‘Terra Nullius’ – ‘empty land’ or ‘land belonging to no one’.

And do you know how National Reconciliation Week started? The 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody had 339 Recommendations – only a handful have ever been implemented. The final recommendation, Recommendation 339 said, “Initiate a formal process of reconciliation between Aboriginal people and the wider community.” But it was Christians that led the way when in 1993, the International Year of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, Christians started the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation which was supported by Australia’s major faith communities. In 1996, society caught up to the churches and we had Australia’s first National Reconciliation Week.

Join us in prayer this National Reconciliation Week as we are led by Gureng Gureng and South Sea Islander woman Tahlia Smith - https://www.youtube.com/embed/TjtCs30fkJ0 

Ascension Day and Pentecost

The image below shows the different seasons and celebrations within the Church Calendar. The season of Ascension covers a period of 40 days after the celebration of Easter. After the empty tomb and the resurrection of Jesus, the Bible tells us that Jesus spent 40 days with his friends. He ate with them, he taught them and after giving them final instructions he ascended into Heaven. 10 Days after this the Church celebrates Pentecost. Our Primary and Secondary Chapel services this term have focused on these two important occasions.

The content below was taken from my Secondary Pentecost Chapel. (Pentecost will be celebrated in Churches this Sunday).

Have you seen the latest James Bond movie? I am a bit of a James Bond fan and was excited when they announced the production of another movie. Of course, it was delayed by COVID, but at the end of last year it was finally released. We pre-bought tickets and were all set to go. I even thought about dressing up in a dinner suit for the occasion. Anyway, due to COVID restrictions at the time I was unable to go, while my friends and family went off to the cinema without me. I have since seen it and want to refer to the final scenes. If you haven’t seen it, you won’t need to after this because I am going to tell you how it ends.

James Bond has a choice to make – stay on the island, save the world and give up his life; or leave the island, save himself and watch the consequences unfold from the evil actions of those seeking their own power and control. He chooses the first and the movie ends with a Bond under a shower of missiles. It then cuts to this scene where ‘M’ pays tribute to Bond.

            https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zcpax0AZENk 

In this Chapel we remember that before Jesus ascended into heaven he gave his friends some final instructions. He told them to go out and share the Good News of forgiveness through faith in Jesus. They were also to teach people how to be followers of Jesus and live God’s way. It was like Jesus saying that it was now their job to keep doing the things he had done. When Jesus was on earth he showed us how to live and taught people about God, and now he wants them to continue this work. In the final scenes of the movie, after acknowledging and toasting Bond’s life and contribution, ‘M’ says, “Right, back to work”. Life continues on, without Bond, but not without his memory. And the story of his life is told to his daughter. The movie ends and the credits roll. So, there it is. You don’t need to watch the movie now.

Have you ever stayed and watched right through the credits at the end of a movie? In my final years at school I had an English teacher who said it was rude to leave the cinema before the end of the credits. Because of that there have been many times that I have stayed right through the credits and several times I am glad I did. Watching ‘No Time To Die’ was one of these times. Let’s watch the credits to find out.

            https://www.youtube.com/embed/7sPIARHDoKU 

What were the closing words? James Bond will return. So, now I am interested. How is this going to happen? Dead guys don’t just come back to life.

I wonder if this was how Jesus friends felt when he ascended to heaven, because before he left them Jesus said that he would be with them. How can he leave them and be with them?

Well, 10 days later Jesus returned to be with them … not in human form, but in a spiritual form, the Holy Spirit. This is the celebration of Pentecost. In the book of Acts, Luke tries his best to describe what these people experienced – seeing bits of fire, hearing a roaring wind and witnessing God’s power working through every-day humans. The Holy Spirit would help them to live God’s way and do the good things that Jesus instructed them to do. From the time of Pentecost on, we see that the work of Jesus continues on earth. The Holy Spirit would help believers live God’s way and continue Jesus work on earth.

Mr Stuart Martin

School Chaplain