Waranga Uniting Churches

Colbinabbin, Murchison, Rushworth, Tatura

FAITH | HOPE | MEANING | GRACE | COMMUNITY

Advent 3: Joy

Sunday 15th December- Streaming from Murchison- Led by Brian Spencer

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

This Advent, we are invited to join in “The Song of Christ’s Coming”—a melody that begins softly with a note of hope and crescendos into the harmony of love. Through the lighting of candles and the telling of ancient stories, we listen for this sacred song that echoes through history, preparing our hearts to welcome Christ anew.

Each week, the song grows stronger:

  • Advent 1: We begin with the note of hope, a spark that pierces the silence.
  • Advent 2: Then comes the chord of courage, calling us to prepare the way for Christ.
  • Advent 3: Joy joins the melody, swelling into a chorus of gladness at the good news of His coming.
  • Advent 4: Finally, the song finds its fullness in the harmony of love, as we marvel at the gift of Emmanuel, God with us.

​This week -Advent 3 – the song swells into a joyful chorus as we hear the good news of God’s kingdom. This week, we celebrate the deep joy that comes from knowing Christ is near, bringing healing and restoration. As we light the candle of joy, we rejoice in God’s faithful love and the hope of new life.

Advent is a season of waiting and preparation, but this Sunday we pause to celebrate the deep and abiding joy that comes from knowing God is with us.

This joy is not the fleeting happiness of perfect circumstances, but the assurance of God’s presence and promises, even in the midst of life’s challenges. As the prophet Isaiah declares, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).

We will light the candle of Joy, remembering that Christ’s coming brings light to the darkness and gladness to our hearts. May this joy strengthen us as we await the fulfilment of God’s kingdom.

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...

read more

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...

read more

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...

read more

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.