Author Archives: CraigT

MtE Update – October 16 2019

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  1. This Sunday October 20 there will be the first of an occasional series of opportunities to engage with the preaching at MtE, beginning this day with Responding to the Ten Commandments series. From 11.30 for about 45 minutes. You can refresh your memory of the series here.
  2. ‘The Bible in my Head‘ is a new project with the children (and others who listen in!) on Sunday mornings, particularly as part of our ‘With the Children’ time. Over the next few months, we’ll be working to build up an understanding of how the Bible holds together. This will involve a number of images and other mnemonic techniques . Most weeks new images or thoughts will be included in the pew sheet and also on this web site, as well as small ‘pointers’ within the order of service itself as to which parts of the Bible are being used at different times.
  3. The latest Presbytery (Oct 15) eNews is here .
  4. If you’ve not had a look a the Hotham Mission website for a while, now might be a good time: here.
  5. ‘Religion in the University’ Seminar, November 1
  6. On Sunday October 27 there will be a Safe Church workshop after morning tea. YOU may well be one of the members required to attend this — you’ve received an email about this if you are — and other interested members are welcome; please see here for more information.
  7. All Saints Day Lunch Sunday 3 November – After Worship. As has been our practice, on Sunday morning, 3 November, we will be celebrating All Saints Day with a lunch after worship. All are welcome – the more the merrier. The lunch is always a great occasion for a good chat, and for enjoying our life together over good food. Most important: Please give your names to Rod or Ann if you can come. AND equally important – please talk with Ann, Mary or Maggie and let them know what you can contribute for the lunch.
  8. The last of the Hotham Mission Bunnings BBQs will be Saturday November 2 (Sydney Rd, Brunswick). Please let Joey known if you are interested to assist – particularly for any period during the busy 11.00-2.00pm time slots!)
  9. THIS SUNDAY October 20 we continue with our reflections from 1 Timothy — 1 Tim 6.6-12.

Other things potentially of interest 

  1. Taize Prayer, October 18

Old News

  1. We have had a new sound system update, making it possible to connect directly into the sound system via hearing aids or headphones — speak to Rod to see whether it will help you in the services!

Advance Dates

  1. Sunday October 20 – Responding to the Ten Commandments series: a ‘sermon feedback’ session after morning tea
  2. Sunday October 27 – Safe Church workshop
  3. Sunday November 3 – All Saints luncheon
  4. Sunday November 17 – Hymn-learning session after morning tea
  5. Sunday December 1 – Responding to the 1 Timothy series: a ‘sermon feedback’ session after morning tea 

Posted in MtE News, UCA News and Other Upcoming Events

The Bible in my Head – Image 2

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(See here for an introduction to ‘The Bible in my Head”)

This week’s image builds on last week’s. Each of these five images corresponds to the five images from week one.

The meaning of these images is this:

  • Five ‘tear toes’ to remind that there are five books in the Torah section
  • The clock face is to remind that there are 12 books in the history/time section
  • The musical staff is to remind that there are 5 book (from the five musical lines) in the songs/poetry/wisdom section
  • The five fingers remind that there are five ‘major’ prophets
  • The 12 spaces in the egg carton are to remind that there are 12 ‘minor’ prophets

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Posted in Bible Memory Palace Images, MtE News

The Bible in my Head – Image 1

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(See here for an introduction to ‘The Bible in my Head”)

This the first image for the BIMH project.

The five items represent the 5 ‘sections’ of the Old Testament: Torah, History, Poetry, Major Prophets and Minor Prophets.

The suggested association of the images to the biblical sections is as follows:

  • Tear drop: first, ‘tear’ sounds a little like ‘Torah’; second, water features at key points in the Pentateuch narrative: the wild waters at the beginning, pre-creation; the waters parted at the Exodus in the middle of the collection; and the water to be crossed (the Jordan) to enter Canann at the end (admittedly, this last occurs in Joshua!).
  • Crown: symbolising the history into and through the kings, even if not all the books in this section are concerned with the kings.
  • Musical Notes: symbolising the poetic nature of the books in this section, often songs themselves (Psalms, Songs).
  • Large Prophetic figure: symbolising the ‘major’ (longer) prophetic books.
  • Small Prophetic figure: symbolising the ‘minor’ (shorter) prophetic books.

At this stage, all that is necessary is to be able to ‘conjure up’ the sequence of images in one’s mind, associating each with the ideas above, and in the correct order. The next stage of the process adds more information to these images, so you’ll want to be sure you’ve got this much in your head already!

The second image is here:


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Posted in Bible Memory Palace Images, MtE News

The Bible in my Head

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‘The Bible in my Head’ is a new (or, re-visited) project with the children in our congregation.

Most weeks from October 2019 the ‘With the children’ time in Sunday worship will feature a developing set of images and ideas intended to help cement in the children’s minds a sense for the flow of the scriptural narrative.

The imagery for each stage in building up this understanding will be included in the pew sheet each week, and then added to the web site with some explanation as to how it works.

The first image (October 13 2019) is here.


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Posted in Bible Memory Palace Images, MtE News

MtE Update – 10 October 2019

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  1. This Sunday October 13 we will start to use the final addition to our Mark the Evangelist communion setting – the Gloria. A number of us learned this after worship last Sunday, but for those who didn’t and would like to have a look in advance, a simplified draft of the sheet music and the words is available here (PDF download), and you can listen to the tune here (should open a player on your computer or phone). 
  2. This Sunday October 13 our series on the Ten Commandments concludes: ‘You shall not covet…’, supported by Micah 2.1-3, Psalm 10, Romans 7.7-12 and Luke 18.18-27.
  3. The most recent Synod eNews (October 10) is here.
  4. On Sunday October 20 there will be the first of an occasional series of opportunities to engage with the preaching at MtE, beginning this day with Responding to the Ten Commandments series. From 11.30 for about 45 minutes.
  5. On Sunday October 27 there will be a Safe Church workshop after morning tea. YOU may well be one of the members required to attend this, and other interested members are welcome; please see here for more information.
  6. All Saints Day Lunch Sunday 3 November – After Worship. As has been our practice, on Sunday morning, 3 November, we will be celebrating All Saints Day with a lunch after worship. All are welcome – the more the merrier. The lunch is always a great occasion for a good chat, and for enjoying our life together over good food. Most important: Please give your names to Rod or Ann if you can come. AND equally important – please talk with Ann, Mary or Mepandi and let them know what you can contribute for the lunch.
  7. The last of the Hotham Mission Bunnings BBQs will be Saturday November 2 (Sydney Rd, Brunswick). Please let Joey known if you are interested to assist – particularly for any period during the busy 11.00-2.00pm time slots!)

Other things potentially of interest 

  1. Taize Prayer, October 18

Old News

  1. We have had a new sound system update, making it possible to connect directly into the sound system via hearing aids or headphones — speak to Rod to see whether it will help you in the services!

Advance Dates

  1. Sunday October 20 – Responding to the Ten Commandments series: a ‘sermon feedback’ session after morning tea
  2. Sunday November 3 – All Saints luncheon
  3. Sunday December 1 – Responding to the 1 Timothy series: a ‘sermon feedback’ session after morning tea 

Posted in MtE News, UCA News and Other Upcoming Events

Illuminating Liturgy – Mark the Evangelist Communion I

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Over 2019 the Congregation refined a new sung communion setting, composed within the congregation. This is in the final stages of finalisation and will be made available to the wider church, likely after Easter 2020.

The setting is written with singability in mind and for use by congregations without the support of a choir. The setting is principally in E-minor, making it particularly useful for Advent and Lent but will work for any time of the year. The music will be provided in a standard piano score with supporting chord symbols, and in transposed versions for Bb instruments.

To be notified when the new setting is available, subscribe to the ‘Illuminating Faith’ email list.

Posted in Illuminating Faith, Illuminating Liturgy

October 12 – Elizabeth Fry

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Elizabeth Fry (1780-1845), renewer of society

The year was 1813. As Elizabeth entered the Women’s Cell of the Newgate Prison in England she saw a child, dead. Beside him were two women stripping the corpse of the clothing. The clothes were then placed on another child, who might have been five years of age.

This experience prompted Elizabeth to speak to the prisoners from her own perspective of motherhood and in so doing gradually brought about radical prison reform. And radical reform was needed. In Newgate there were three hundred women prisoners with their children. The prison was indescribably filthy. Prisoners were unclassified and unemployed. Favours, and what money was available, brought ample quantities of liquor into the women’s prison. In those days prisoners were treated as if they were less than human.     Hundreds died of starvation, and of disease caused by foul air and cramped quarters. And once when a fire broke out in an Irish gaol, fifty-four prisoners were left to perish. Men and women, murderers, those suffering severe psychiatric disorders, debtors, pickpockets and children were thrown together in stinking underground cellars without light or bedding.

Elizabeth Fry grew up in a Quaker home which was not ready for her determination, commitment and passion for the wellbeing of the prisoners of Newgate. Her father actively tried to dissuade her. But aided by her husband Joseph she kept an open and frugal house from which she fulfilled her ministry. She arranged schools for the poor and the distribution of garments, medicine and food to the destitute. And all this in addition to the work of prison reform for which she is justly revered.

In 1817 Elizabeth founded the Association for the Improvement of Female Prisons. The beneficial work that the Association did soon became known right around the world. She travelled to many European countries in the cause of prison reform. And this reform included the prison ships that brought convicts to Australia. At her urging the colony of New South Wales had to organize appropriate housing and work for the new arrivals.

Her work did not stop with prison reform. In the notably severe winter of 1819/20 Elizabeth organized shelter and soup kitchens for the homeless in London and in Brighton. Aware that some occupations, like the Coastguard Service, could at times create idleness and boredom, she started a library service to relieve that problem.

Some of Elizabeth’s convictions are worthy of note even now, especially now. She protested against solitary confinement and the darkness of prison cells. “Solitary confinement”, she said, “was too cruel even for the greatest crimes, and sufficient to unhinge the mind.”

Elizabeth Fry died on 12 October 1845. In the words of one biographer “Elizabeth lit, in the black hell of women’s prisons in Europe, a spark that was to grow into the floodlight of reform.”

Grahame Ellis

Posted in LitBits, LitBits - People to Commemorate

Illuminating Faith – Advent Studies on the Song of Songs

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What has this surprising biblical book got to do with the idea of God’s coming-to (‘ad-vent-ing’) us? The central themes of longing and desire in the Song of Solomon which connect the book with Advent.

It has been said that the Psalms are God’s Word to us in our words to God – our own songs and poems and prayers given back to us as God’s revelation of Godself. In thinking about Songs we ask after something comparable: in what way might our words to each other – for that is what love poetry is – become God’s Word to us?

The studies are concerned with what it is we desire, and how that desire works in us – in, for and against others and God. The issue is not whether we do or should desire, or not. Longing and desire – the beautiful and possessing it – are at the heart of Solomon’s Songs and at the heart of all that we do and say, whether or not we are conscious of it. We cannot but desire; the question is simply one of pressing towards the ‘appropriate’ object of desire, longing, yearning. Advent is a season for the training of desire.

The studies are designed for small group use in a ‘read and discuss’ format. Though originally conceived as a series for Advent, they could be used at any time.

Download Now!

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llluminating Faith studies are occasionally edited for corrections and other minor adjustments. The version date is incorporated into the file name of the download – check that you’ve got the most recent version!


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Posted in Illuminating Faith, Illuminating Faith - Advent Studies, Illuminating Faith - Scripture Studies, Illuminating Faith - Theology, Illuminating Faith Studies

Illuminating Faith – The Apostles’ Creed – A lively text in a world made strange

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Bruce Barber’s The Apostles’ Creed is a reading of the Creed for today, with particular focus on the assumptions the modern mind brings to the Creed and how the Creed, and the faith it symbolises challenge those assumptions.

The study is supported by guiding questions and is suitable for personal or small group use; it could be comfortably be covered in a 7 week study series, although groups may find they want to move more slowly through the material.

Download Now!


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llluminating Faith studies are occasionally edited for corrections and other minor adjustments. The version date is incorporated into the file name of the download – check that you’ve got the most recent version!

Posted in Illuminating Faith, Illuminating Faith - Lenten Studies, Illuminating Faith - Theology, Illuminating Faith Studies

MtE Update – 3 October 2019

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  1. THIS SUNDAY October 6 there will be another hymn-learning session after morning tea, with a special focus on the final element (the Gloria) of the communion setting we learned in Lent and have been using since.
  2. On Sunday October 20 there will be the first of an occasional series of opportunities to engage with the preaching at MtE, beginning this day with Responding to the Ten Commandments series. From 11.30 for about 45 minutes.
  3. On Sunday October 27 there will be a Safe Church workshop after morning tea. YOU may well be one of the members required to attend this, and other interested members are welcome; please see here for more information.
  4. News from the Justice and International Mission Cluster
  5. All Saints Day Lunch Sunday 3 November – After Worship. As has been our practice, on Sunday morning, 3 November, we will be celebrating All Saints Day with a lunch after worship. All are welcome – the more the merrier. The lunch is always a great occasion for a good chat, and for enjoying our life together over good food. Most important: Please give your names to Rod or Ann if you can come. AND equally important – please talk with Ann, Mary or Mepandi and let them know what you can contribute for the lunch.
  6. THIS SUNDAY October 6 our series on 1 Timothy continues, with a focus on 1 Tim 1.12-17.

Old News

  1. We have had a new sound system update, making it possible to connect directly into the sound system via hearing aids or headphones — speak to Rod to see whether it will help you in the services!

Advance Dates

  1. Sunday October 6 – New hymn-learning session after morning tea
  2. Sunday October 20 – Responding to the Ten Commandments series: a ‘sermon feedback’ session after morning tea
  3. Sunday November 3 – All Saints luncheon
  4. Sunday December 1 – Responding to the 1 Timothy series: a ‘sermon feedback’ session after morning tea 

Posted in MtE News, UCA News and Other Upcoming Events
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