Bargara Uniting Church & Burnett Heads Uniting Church in Bundaberg, Queensland | Church

Bargara Uniting Church & Burnett Heads Uniting Church

Locality: Bundaberg, Queensland

Phone: +61 7 4130 5634

Address: Cnr Hughes Road & Blain Street 4670 Bundaberg, QLD, Australia

Website: http://www.bargaraunitingchurch.org.au/

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25.01.2022 Sunday service

25.01.2022 Sunday Service (finally!) Matthew 20:1-16

24.01.2022 Mid Week Journal Matthew 25:1-13 The Kingdom of Heaven On Sunday we looked at the unusual parable of the Ten Virgins, which presents a wedding scene far remov...ed from our own. This parable, and the preceding and following verses, all contain strong messages of 'end times', as well as containing teaching regarding "the Kingdom of heaven". On Sunday, and again today, we focus on the "kingdom of heaven" focus. To begin, spend a moment thinking about the various images you have held for "the kingdom of heaven". What does, or what has, the kingdom of heaven looked like for you over the years? Traditionally, we have understood 'the kingdom of heaven' to refer ONLY to that wonderful place of peace and love which we will go to when we die. However, Jesus clearly teaches another image of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus' 'other' version does not replace the notion of a place that we go to after we die, yet it certainly expands our understanding of the kingdom of heaven. So, what is the 'other image' that Jesus taught? In Luke chapter 17:20-21 Jesus said" "The kingdom of God does not come to you with careful observation, nor will people say "here it is is" or "there it is" because the kingdom of heaven is within you." The Kingdom of heaven is WITHIN YOU. This image that Jesus taught transforms our understanding of heaven - no longer is heaven ONLY a place we go to when we die...it is also our STATE OF BEING right here and now. Spend a few moments considering the above statement, before moving into the following questions: * What does the above image look like to you? * Does it add to or detract from your previous understanding of heaven being only the place we go to when we die? * How does this image impact your life in the present? In what ways? Why? * What might this image reveal to you about your relationship with God? Does it add a new dimension? Jesus teaches us that the kingdom of heaven is an endless and boundless kingdom. It is within us, around us, and is that place we will transcend to after we die. Spend some time reflecting on the wonder and the blessing that is within your own experience and within the experience of all of creation. Many Blessings, Rev Jenny :-)

23.01.2022 MID WEEK JOURNAL Please read: Matthew 20:1-16 The parable of the vineyard owner and his unusual payment methods speak a clear message to us regarding God's love... and justice. Too often we tend to be frugal and stingy in sharing love and justice with others. We believe they should earn it before they are afforded it..we can be reluctant to hand it out to those we don't like or who are different to us. We use measures and rulers on just about everything - deciding what is just, and who deserves love and mercy. This short parable directly challenges our justice and love systems and attempts to stretch our thinking to be more like God's. This parable gives us a clear example of how God's justice and love work - that is, that they are freely given to all people. Regardless of how long you have believed... Regardless of how many good deeds you have done... Regardless of how much you have given... God's love is given freely to all...always. Hearing this can be a blessing or an irritation to us. We can either give thanks to God that 'warts and all' we are saved and are recipients of God's generous love, Or, we can feel annoyed and frustrated that God is giving OTHERS...new believers, people who haven't done as much as us, the same amount of love and mercy. What is your initial response as you read this reflection? What feelings does it stir with you? Do you feel a rising sense of injustice? Or do you breathe a big sigh of relief? We do well to consider our reaction to the parable, and to spend some time reflecting upon God's generous love and mercy, which we have freely received...and to spend some time contemplating how we might better work towards emulating God's justice and mercy as we release our lesser versions of justice and mercy. May God bless us as we dig deep... :-)

21.01.2022 SurfChurch - Nielson Beach 3pm this Sunday 1.11.20 Bring a thermos/afternoon tea. All welcome

20.01.2022 SurfChurch is on this Sunday, 3pm Nielson’s Beach. Short church service. All welcome.SurfChurch is on this Sunday, 3pm Nielson’s Beach. Short church service. All welcome.

20.01.2022 The Fisherwomen Drama - accompanies today sermon :-)

20.01.2022 Sunday Service - Prayer

16.01.2022 Matthew 14:13-21 Last Sunday we reflected upon Jesus feeding the 5000. We considered this experience to be a type of communion a time in which Jesus fed the p...eople. In viewing it this way we thought about Jesus’ views on feeding people, and our own views on welcoming people to be fed by Jesus. In the story we clearly witness that Jesus: DID NOT ask the people if they believed in him before he fed them. He DID NOT insist on the people conforming to church creeds/rules/regulations. He DID NOT permit only the morally good to eat. He did not exclude those who might ordinarily be excluded the young, women, tax collectors. INSTEAD he welcomed everyone to his open-air table under the heavens. We then considered the following questions: How do WE respond to the open table of Jesus? How do we open it up further to include others? Do we gratefully take up our own place at the table? Do we recognise the blessing that is ours in being there? Do we pull a chair out for others to join us? Jesus’ table was always open to all people. Jesus is the God of inclusivity. How we respond to Jesus’ invitation to ourselves is vital in how we then live out our faith journey. How we share Jesus’ invitation to sit at the family table of God is vital when we consider sharing God’s love and blessing with others. I invite you to sit with the reading and the questions above. Note your thoughts to each of the points about Jesus. Note your responses to the questions about yourself. Then spend a minute reflecting upon how these impact your own faith life journey, and also the faith life journey of others. Many Blessings, Rev Jenny

14.01.2022 Mid week journal

14.01.2022 Can you help SurfChurch Stoked children's surf program?? We plan to purchase caps for each child to decorate at each Stoked. The caps will have STOKED printed ...on the front. The cap will become a memorabilia item for the children. We need funding to make this possible. We plan to purchase 200 caps initially (for 2022) and need to fundraise hundreds of dollars to achieve this. CAN YOU HELP US IN ANY WAY - LARGE OR SMALL? If you can, please pm me. Blessings :-)

14.01.2022 Sunday Service The Kingdom of Heaven

14.01.2022 Hey everyone, how's your weekend? Sunday afternoon BELLS Online service is at 5.30 and we're pulpit sharing with Caloundra City Baptists, because two pastors mi...ght be better than one! Phil and Gordon will be yarning their way through a Bible passage about how we see and treat others, how that reflects our life's purpose, and how that makes EVERYTHING new. If you check our 2 Corinthians 5: 14-20.... ask yourself, "Can whole communities be made new (not only individuals)?".... because of course the question then is for us as a missional community doing life with those around us. 5.30 right here, on the live stream from BELLS Caloundra.

14.01.2022 Sunday Service Please read 2 Chronicles 20:1-30

14.01.2022 SurfChurch is on this Sunday 3pm, Nielson Beach. All welcome. Beach Mill Cafe is open so no need for a thermos. SurfChurch is on this Sunday 3pm, Nielson Beach. All welcome. Beach Mill Cafe is open so no need for a thermos.

13.01.2022 Sunday Service God Is Love

12.01.2022 Mid Week Reflection Please read Luke 5:1-11 The story of the miraculous catch is an amazing miracle story in which we witness tired fishermen encountering Jesus... THROUGH this miracle, and subsequently experiencing the entire course of their lives being changed as they transformed from fishermen to disciples. Our faith journey follows a similar path: we too have an encounter with God (directly or indirectly), and our lives are also transformed by such an encounter. Pause and consider how your life has been transformed and altered through your encounter with God? What changes do you note? What mindsets are now different? The disciples discovered that life on the road with Jesus: 1) was sometimes messy 2) required commitment 3) sometimes needed them give things up 4) but despite all of the above was totally worth it! In what ways, or in what areas of your life do you notice the same things? Which of these are a struggle? What would you like god to assist you with as you journey with him? Finally, imagine you are sitting in the boat that has now filled with fish, along with the other disciples. You are looking at the young rabbi Jesus, realizing that he is the one who has created this miracle. Hear Jesus say the same words to you that he spoke to the disciples: FOLLOW ME. Spend a few minutes with Jesus, reflecting upon what he is calling you to follow him into, and asking him to help you realise your own ministry/mission call. Many blessings as you engage this reflection. Rev Jenny :-)

12.01.2022 Mid Week Journal READ John 14:8-27 What things stand out to you from this reading? Note any particular thoughts.... This reading talks about concepts and realities that Jesus was trying to help the disciples understand: Jesus’ CONNECTION to Godhis ONE-NESS with God. Our CONNECTION to GODour CONNECTION to each other. The fact that the HOLY SPIRIT lives with us and within us as a permanent connection with God. 1) What thoughts come to mind? What words or phrases stand out to you? 2) What is ‘new’ news for you? 3) What do you not understand or would like to discuss more? 4) How do you conceptualize the one-ness that Jesus is speaking about? Notes On The Reading: Jesus was trying to teach the disciples something life-altering and life transforming. He was trying to teach the disciples that what they were looking for was NEVER GOING TO BE FOUND in the external...what they were looking for could only ever be truly FOUND and OWNED by them realizing that everything EVERYTHING revolved around the fact that they were one with God and Jesus in the same way that God and Jesus were one. AND, that they were so intimately part of God’s ONENESS that God’s own Spirit was going to come to the earth and dwell personally with humanity. Further to this, Jesus wanted them to know the FULLNESS of life that resides within themselves BECAUSE of their one-ness with Godbecause of the Spirit living with and within them. The reality and the concept of INTERCONNECTEDNESS with God through Jesus and through the indwelling of the Spirit of God is as VITAL for us today as it was for those early believers. A good, honest, and vital relationship with God hinges upon our understanding of this teaching of Jesus. For example: If we view ourselves as EXTERNAL to Godas SEPARATE to Godas INDEPENDENT to Godthen our relationship might be one in which we view God as the puppet-master. We are the puppetGod is the puppeteer. But if we understand ourselves as PART of Godand that God is part of us (within us)and that God’s own spirit lives with usthen our relationship might be one in which we better understand our worth, our purpose, and our life journey. Understanding our ONE-NESS with Godour unbreakable connection to God is life transforming and relationship changing. When we live our lives from this premise, rather than with the view that God is the puppet master and we are the helpless puppets, we more purposefully live out our faith journeywe more easily see with god’s eyeswe more readily act with compassionwe more passionately seek justice Why? Because we have realized that we are permanently and intricately interwoven and connected with the God who IS. Friendswe are one Jesus prayed that the world may know God through our displays of one-ness with each other. Jesus passionately wanted us to understand and step into our one-ness with God.

12.01.2022 Stoked is in Bundaberg Now!

11.01.2022 Sunday Service Please read: Luke 5:1-11 Please watch The Fisherwomen drama which is posted below. Many blessings. :-)

10.01.2022 Mid week Journal I hope that you have all had a lovely week. Time is certainly flying by, and soon we will have slipped into Spring. The passing of time, wit...h the flow through the seasons, is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with God as we look for the signs of God within each different season. In summer we may notice the handiwork of God in the long drawn out sunsets or the scent of heat in the wind, and we are reminded of the beauty and creativity of God as we witness the earth in ‘full bloom’. Summer is a happy, busy time. We might reflect upon the busy-ness of our own lives; we might marvel at the way we perceive God within the social and fun times of summer; perhaps we feel closer to God as we enjoy the vivid sunrises and long drawn out sunsets marveling at our place within the vastness of God’s creation. In autumn we start to feel the cool of winter approaching, just faintly and still a way off in the distance. Autumn reminds us that the busy and long days of summer are concluding, and we begin to slow down just a little, and start to turns our spirits slightly more inwardly as sense God moving within our lives in a different way. The slightly slower pace, the shortening days, the changes within the natural world around us remind us that our lives are ever moving and changing. As we slip from summer into autumn perhaps we begin to notice different aspects of God at work; perhaps we are reminded of God’s steady presence. In winter life on the earth slows even more. The days are shorter, yet they feel less frantic for those living in hot climes. Darkness comes earlier in the evening, and the sun sleeps longer in the morning. The coolness restricts some of our activity, and even we (hurrying humans) begin to slow down. The winter sky is blue and vast, the air is clear and clean, the colours around us are vivid and green. In winter we can sense a call to move inwardly; to dig more deeply into the chambers of our soul; to hunt for what lies beneath the surface testing our thoughts and motives. Winter can be a time for reflection and introspection. A quiet and cool time to think, to ponder, to be. And before we know it spring has sprung. The world which has been sleeping appears to come alive again. Flowers bloom, leaves on the trees thicken, and life surges forward again. Spring provides a time to look ahead, to leave behind the introspection of winter, and to plan our pathway forward. Spring can remind us of God’s faithfulness as we recognise God at work, renewing and re-enlivening the world around us. Perhaps re-enlivening us. Although we can recognise God in all God’s glory at all times in our lives, intentionally following the seasons and using them as a tool for spiritual growth can be helpful and rewarding. Spring is almost here. This provides us with an opportunity to pauseand to engage one final round of introspection. Perhaps we could use the following questions to assist us to reflect: As winter draws to a close, and the slow and sleepy pace of life comes to an end, as the sleeping earth begins to awaken, what works of God have I witnessed in my life and my discipleship journey? Where has God’s activity been evidenced in my winter journey? Have I made the most of the quietness of winter? Have I assessed my faith journey? What have I discovered? As I move forward towards spring and the renewal that it brings, what are my personal hopes for renewal in my life, in my faith journey, in my relationship with God? What new growth do I recognise, slowly budding within myself? What new growth would I like to see? Spend some time with God, reflecting on the winter that will soon be past, and looking ahead to the renewing spring which is almost upon us. Where can you see signs of God’s handiwork in your life? Where would you like to see more? Perhaps you might like to pray the following short prayer: God of the seasons, I thank you for your handiwork in the natural world around me. I thank you for your handiwork within me. Help me to take one last winter look into the depths of my spirit, and to release that which does not serve my highest good. Help me to gently open my hands and my heart and surrender all. Help me also to recognise those winter places within my life where you are always at work, blowing onto the coals of the embers of my faith and hope, igniting them once more. Help me also to transition into the new life that spring brings, recognising that same new life budding within me, bringing peace, love, and growth. Help me to seize with positivity the new life opportunities that come. God of the seasons, I give you thanks that you come to me in so many ways, helping me to understand you more deeply, and to recognise you within my life more fully. Amen. See more

10.01.2022 Sunday Service Please read: Psalm 27 1 Samuel 16:1-13 and 2 Samuel 5:1-5

03.01.2022 Mid Week Journal Please read Exodus 14:13-14 The Hebrew people had escaped from captivity in Egypt, and were camped by the sea awaiting instruction from Moses. ... The Egyptians were hot on their heels, ready to take them back to slavery in Egypt. Their journey to this point had been a very difficult struggle. Life in Egypt as slaves had been a struggle...yet here they were, trapped by the sea...potentially awaiting a return to Egypt and punishment. The people were tired. Worn down physically and spiritually. And now they were trapped and desperate. Into this situation Moses spoke, and said: Do not be afraid. Stand firm. The Lord will fight for you. You need only to be still. In our lives we face many battles, many dry gullies, many desperate situations. At these times we can feel abandoned; angry; sad; lonely; desperate. At times we don't know what to do. At times there really is nothing we CAN do. The words that Moses spoke all those centuries ago, resound with an important message for us to hear and grasp onto: In our battles, in our struggles, in our desperate times, we can be encouraged because...We do not need to be afraid...we can stand firm...because God will fight for us...all we need to do is to ask god to help us, and then BE STILL. To us reflect upon this simple yet profound message we might ask ourselves: * What are my biggest struggles? * How am I currently dealing with them and coping with them? * If I were to be still, and to allow God to work within my lifes situations, what would that look like? What would I need to release, to let go of? * What does it mean, in practical terms, to be still and to allow God to move? * How might I foster more "being still and trusting God" in my life? Letting go...being still...allowing God to move in our lives brings peace beyond understanding. May we stop today, and consider how we might engage this message within our own lives. God bless you each richly. :-)

03.01.2022 Please read 2 Samuel 6:1-5 and 12-19

01.01.2022 Sunday Service & Communion Please read: Psalm 17 and Matthew 14:13-21 Many Blessings :-)