Waranga Uniting Churches

Colbinabbin, Murchison, Rushworth, Tatura

FAITH | HOPE | MEANING | GRACE | COMMUNITY

We came looking for a king
— and found a man on a donkey.
We gathered around a table
— and he knelt to wash our feet.
We feared the cross would be the end
— but it was just the beginning.
We came to the tomb with spices
— and found it empty.

This Easter, we remember that God’s ways are not our ways.
When our hopes unravel, when our vision is too small —
God meets us in the unexpected, and love breaks every boundary.

Join us as we reflect, worship and share together.  The services will led by Brian Spencer.

All services, except for Maundy Thursday will be livestreamed and will start at 9.30am. The live Zoom “room” will be open for you to log-in to from 9.00am.
The Maundy Thursday Service will not be livestreamed.

Click on the link below to join the Waranga Cluster Zoom Church Service or watch it on Facebook.
Click the link to join Zoom Meeting
The link above should work without the need for a password, but if it doesn’t you can use the meeting id and password below.
Meeting ID: 932 9667 8964
Password: 491339

 

Palm Sunday

Not the King They Expected

Sunday 13th April- Streaming from Murchison- Led by Brian Spencer

On Zoom at Tatura, Colbinabbin, Rushworth, and for folk at home.

Jesus enters Jerusalem not on a warhorse, but on a donkey. The crowd expects revolution, victory, and political power — but Jesus embodies peace, humility, and nonviolence.

We explore the mismatch between our expectations of what salvation looks like, and what God offers. A king, yes — but not like the ones we know.

All are welcome—whether you’re joining us in person or online, we look forward to welcoming you this Sunday. Join us as we sing, pray, and reflect together on these stories. Let us open our hearts to the ways God is transforming our lives and the world around us. And remember, the most important things in the world are not things at all; they are love, hope, joy, courage, grace, faith, peace, perseverance, and friendship.

The live Zoom “room” will be open for you to log-in to from 9.00am.  Log-in, chat to others, be the church!

Click on the link below to join the Waranga Cluster Zoom Church Service or watch it on Facebook.
Click the link to join Zoom Meeting
The link above should work without the need for a password, but if it doesn’t you can use the meeting id and password below.
Meeting ID: 932 9667 8964
Password: 491339
______________________________________________________________________________________
 

 

Maundy Thursday

Not the Meal They Expected

7.00pm Thursday 17th April- Live at Tatura- 115 Hogan St.

Led by Brian Spencer

The Passover becomes something new. Instead of leading an uprising, Jesus kneels and washes feet. Instead of rallying troops, he offers broken bread.

God’s presence is revealed in brokenness, humility, and service. Jesus surprises his disciples again — not by taking control, but by laying everything down.

All are welcome—whether you’re joining us in person or online, we look forward to welcoming you this Sunday. Join us as we sing, pray, and reflect together on these stories. Let us open our hearts to the ways God is transforming our lives and the world around us. And remember, the most important things in the world are not things at all; they are love, hope, joy, courage, grace, faith, peace, perseverance, and friendship.

______________________________________________________________________________________
 

 

Good Friday

Not the Ending They Expected

9.30 am Friday 18th April- Streaming from Rushworth- Led by Brian Spencer

On Zoom at Tatura, Colbinabbin, Murchison, and for folk at home.

The one they followed is executed as a criminal. The disciples scatter. Everything falls apart. But even here, God’s love is at work.

The cross looks like failure — but becomes the doorway to new life. What we thought was the end becomes, in God’s hands, the seed of something new.

All are welcome—whether you’re joining us in person or online, we look forward to welcoming you this Sunday. Join us as we sing, pray, and reflect together on these stories. Let us open our hearts to the ways God is transforming our lives and the world around us. And remember, the most important things in the world are not things at all; they are love, hope, joy, courage, grace, faith, peace, perseverance, and friendship.

The live Zoom “room” will be open for you to log-in to from 9.00am.  Log-in, chat to others, be the church!

Click on the link below to join the Waranga Cluster Zoom Church Service or watch it on Facebook.
Click the link to join Zoom Meeting
The link above should work without the need for a password, but if it doesn’t you can use the meeting id and password below.
Meeting ID: 932 9667 8964
Password: 491339
______________________________________________________________________________________
 

 

Easter Sunday

More Than We Could Ask or Imagine

Sunday 20th April- Streaming from Colbinabbin- Led by Brian Spencer

On Zoom at Tatura, Murchison, Rushworth, and for folk at home.

No one is expecting resurrection. The women come to mourn. The tomb is empty. Even when Jesus appears, he is not immediately recognized.

God moves in ways we don’t anticipate. The resurrection is not a return to normal — it is something entirely new. Even our wildest hopes fall short of what God can do.

All are welcome—whether you’re joining us in person or online, we look forward to welcoming you this Sunday. Join us as we sing, pray, and reflect together on these stories. Let us open our hearts to the ways God is transforming our lives and the world around us. And remember, the most important things in the world are not things at all; they are love, hope, joy, courage, grace, faith, peace, perseverance, and friendship.

The live Zoom “room” will be open for you to log-in to from 9.00am.  Log-in, chat to others, be the church!

Click on the link below to join the Waranga Cluster Zoom Church Service or watch it on Facebook.
Click the link to join Zoom Meeting
The link above should work without the need for a password, but if it doesn’t you can use the meeting id and password below.
Meeting ID: 932 9667 8964
Password: 491339
______________________________________________________________________________________
 

 

Watch on Facebook Live Streaming

Watch the service here on Facebook

Watch on Facebook

Watch the recorded service later

Facebook records the service and it will be available to watch later or share with others in your family and friendship circle.

 

Rather stay anonymous?

We understand that you may prefer to remain anonymous.  It may have been a while since you went to church, maybe you’ve never been to church and are just curious. We understand that you don’t want to be hassled just because you were curious.

If you want to remain anonymous there are four ways you can do it.

  • Choose the “Join without video” option. You will be able to see, hear (and talk if you want to)
  • Your name also appears in the bottom left of their picture in Zoom. This name will be the one you entered at sign-up. At any time in the meeting you can right-mouse click on your name and change or delete it.
  • You can choose to attend via the Livestream option.
  • You can watch the recorded service later on the website

Our church needs your support.

Please consider donating your offering online via the button below
or by direct bank transfer:

Account name:
Waranga Uniting Churches.

Bendigo Bank:
BSB 633-000
Account No:162 446 371.


About us

The Waranga Uniting Churches comprise congregations from the towns of Colbinabbin, Murchison, Rushworth, and Tatura.
You are welcome to join us at any of our worship services or activities.

Many faces… Many places… Many forms
Our congregations throughout the district are caring communities to which all people can belong.
Some of our congregations may be a tiny community of a dozen people, but they are warm vibrant and alive.
They have many faces. There are older people and young, families and single people, people of one culture or many.

While our congregations can be different, each aims to embrace all people… to unite them with each other and with God. This is expressed in part by our having an open table for Holy Communion, to which all baptised people are invited, welcoming children for baptism and being willing to marry those who are divorced.

We are by no means perfect, but we know that God loves us as we are and as we grow. Our congregations are communities in which people seek to follow Jesus, learn about God, share their faith, care for each other, serve the local community, and seek to live faithfully and with real joy. This is the kind of engaging church to which we belong.

Quixote Thinking Blog

Quixote Thinking “sees things different” I live my life by it 

Carry that weight

Carry that weight

One of my jobs on a Sunday, after I get back from church, is to get the fires going. Firepits are a feature of our cellar door and over winter they are a vital accompaniment to conversation, music and a glass of wine or beer. Standing around a fire, watching the...

read more

Beyond Urgency

In the bustling narratives of the Gospels, particularly the Gospel of Mark, we encounter a Jesus who is always on the move, always in a hurry. The term "immediately" or "straight away" appears with striking frequency in Mark's account, especially in the first chapter...

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The Cycles of Life and Julian of Norwich’s Wisdom

In the gentle stillness of dawn, as the first light casts a soft glow over the bare canes of the vineyard, a profound sense of peace prevails. The rows of grapevines, many already pruned back to just a few buds, remind me of the resilience needed to thrive and bear...

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Why Imperfect Is Better Than Perfect

The Beauty of Idiosyncrasies In the film "Good Will Hunting," a poignant scene unfolds where Robin Williams's character, Sean Maguire, shares a personal story about his late wife with Will Hunting, played by Matt Damon. This conversation becomes a pivotal moment for...

read more

Carry that weight

One of my jobs on a Sunday, after I get back from church, is to get the fires going. Firepits are a feature of our cellar door and over winter they are a vital accompaniment to conversation, music and a glass of wine or beer. Standing around a fire, watching the...

read more

Reading the signs

"When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging!" This age-old adage speaks to our instinctual behaviour in challenging situations, however, it seems that many people have adopted a different approach, akin to a scene from The Simpsons. In an episode of “The...

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Quixote Thinking

Don Quixote is a character in a novel by Miguel de Cervantes, first published in 1605. In the “real world” of La Mancha, Spain, Quixote is known as Alonso Quijano, a thin country gentleman, familiar to all as kind and friendly. He lives with his daughter and two servants. As a gentleman, he spends time studying medieval romance stories, full of knights, chivalry, castles, and jousts. This all goes to his head to the point where he goes crazy and actually starts outfitting himself as a knight. He believes that he has been called by voices to change the world and right all wrongs.

At this point in the story, art imitates life and life imitates art as the innkeeper doubles as a duke of a castle who dubs Don Quixote officially as “knight,” and a peasant girl at the inn becomes the princess and lady love for our knight errant. Don Quixote then goes out to fight perceived foes, both real and imagined in the name of his ladylove who stands for purity and perfection. Don Quixote has selective vision of the real world. Windmills are giant brutes, sheep are attacking armies, and slaves are oppressed gentlemen. Quixote is an idealist seeing things through rose-colored glasses at times. He fights impossible symbolic battles while the rest of the world says it can’t be done and mocks him for trying. It is ironic that a crazy man is showing humanity the “right way” to live. This character has survived the centuries demonstrating his universal appeal to all. Don Quixote is something of a Jesus figure, who saw meaning and purpose beyond the surface but endured mockery and humiliation from the crowd. This “fight for the right without question”, having moments of clarity in a sea of confusion and a belief in the transformative power of a crazy vision is what the essence of Quixote Thinking.