WWW.THESENTINELNEWS.COM.AU From the Parson’s Pen As I get older – past the ‘shop ‘till you drop’ age – with children and grand kids living overseas – I now spend more time thinking about the details of the Christmas story. Sometimes – after an incident like the recent Bondi Beach shooting (and many other wars and incidents) – why God bothered to send Jesus to us at all, as we seem to be so stubbornly determined to do the wrong thing. It was a brutal world then and often appears not to have changed much for the better. I think of all those things that are counted as ‘God’s gifts to us’ – Joy, Peace, Love etc and see that many people treat these like room sanitisers; hung up and releasing pleasant fragrances to dispel unpleasant odours. I have come to see these gifts as more like gardening tools – looking good hanging on the wall of a shed but – if you want your garden to actually be dug up, you have to put the effort into actually using the tools to achieve an end result. As a Defence Force Chaplain (Army) of nearly 30 years I found on three deployments that Christmas fell during that time. These deployments were (1) Bougainville, (2) Solomon Islands, (3) Baghdad and (4) Defence Force personnel. Bougainville. A very religious people. After 10 years of civil war – ‘woke up’ – to see the devastation they themselves had wrought – from having the most developed infrastructure to being back to the stone age. They saw their actions as sinful – requiring confession, forgiveness, healing, reconciliation, compensation. They saw Christianity as providing the way towards true and lasting peace. To be able to celebrate Christmas in peace (I was told) was to see God in Jesus as God giving them another chance – with the challenge to ‘do it God’s way and not their way. Did this top all wrongdoing? Of course not – after all, we are still human and we all sin. For me it was an outstanding time of learning looking through ‘different eyes’. Solomon Islands. Also a religious people. There’s was the collapse of civil infrastructure – gross corruption. People kept asking “how could this happen here; how could our respected leader do this to us?” Sitting in church I heard comments like - “ … I hope these high representatives are actually listening to Jesus’ words” – making their confession – preparing a public apology for their betrayal of our trust – give up their corrupt ways. Baghdad. While Saddam Hussein was in power there was allowed a freedom of religious groups to practice their faith. Of course, all were watched. With his fall the dominant group (Shia – backed by Iran) set out to wreak havoc on everyone else; Sunnis (of Saddam’s group) – revenge – Jews and Christians because of who they were (non-Muslim)seen as supporters of the Western Coalition. 8 N & S HARPER MOBILE MECHANICAL REPAIRS Proudly servicing Clarence Town and surrounding districts since 1990 with friendly affordable Service Phone Neville and Sue 0438 192 736 We come to you for your convenience. License No. MVRL29983 From the Parson’s Pen The Christian Church has routinely in years gone by been regularly consulted on all manner of social and ethical questions that society raises. Generations that have come and gone have all have had their contentious issues that the Church has attempted to speak into and, give where possible a response that (if done wisely) seeks to enrich our lives. Invariably this requires those church representatives who speak into the public square on matters of practically any subject, need to explore the big questions of our generation through the lens of that which is known to us as the very Word of God. This will require an element of thoughtfulness as we look at each problem or contentious issue by analysing what the Word of God tells us in a Creation, Fall, Redemption, New Creation paradigm. What does Scripture have to say about issue X when we consider all that we know about God’s Creation? What does the fall of humanity mean for issue X and its impacts, what does the redemption we find played out by the coming of Christ say in response to an issue like X, and what will the coming of the new creation mean for issue X? Of course, this method relies on a number of assumptions, namely that we are not merely evolved accidental pond scum, that God exists, he created all things, he has spoken through his prophets, and most recently via his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ as recorded in the Old and New Testaments. But then this is the ‘Parson’s Pen’ after all. The method above can be an incredibly useful and powerful tool when speaking into life’s complexities. Especially in our own eneration, where uniformity of opinion seems to be a more significant endeavour for certain activists than freedom of speech ever was. This sad development has at its core a reluctance to be corrected over anything. A reluctance to listen carefully to another point of view or allowing one’s own preconceived ideas to be freely challenged with intelligent discussion. It seems in many quarters, as a society we have lost (or at least are losing) the art of disagreeing well, a principle that has historically separated civilised society and barbarians. The sad fact is that a society that encourages and majors in merely uniformity of opinion, does so at the peril of truth. Truth no longer has traction in a society where uniformity of opinion reigns supreme, and as a result things like justice, freedom of expression and freedom of speech - die. Author and critic of soviet era Communism, Alexander Solzhenitsyn knew well the effects of uniformity of opinion when taken to its logical conclusion. His book the Gulag Archipelago is chilling in its description of what can happen when freedom and truth is replaced with State enforced uniformity of opinion. Why do I mention these things? Because it was the Lord Jesus himself who claimed to be the truth. “I am the way, the truth and the life” Jesus said. In John 8:31-32 he also said, “If you hold to my teaching, you really are my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Our society needs to hear these words of our Saviour as much now as in anytime of the past. Courage to be obedient to God’s Word is what it takes, and a resolve the withstand the negative press, loss of privileges or outright persecution that comes our way when we do. Christianity is still changing peoples’ lives, and many are being saved for an eternity of paradise by the grace of God. But all that comes at a cost, as indeed it should. After all, our Lord stayed faithful and obedient to the Father, obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Each time we are criticised or maligned for our opinion based on our Christian faith, in some way we participate in the sufferings of Christ. And while that hurts, we are called to stand firm, knowing it is for the sake of the truth. The Truth that is personified in the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Cor 1:2 In Christ, Rev Allan D Welch Clarence Town Presbyterian Church Christ Church, Dungog. Dungog Mother’s Union thanks the Dungog High School teacher Mrs. Louise Knight and her students for coming to entertain us on Thursday 10th August. The students sang by themselves and in groups, played guitar, drum and piano, and we also had a dancer. For some it was the first time they had performed in public. We thank them all very much for coming and helping us to raise funds to send to our mission projects later. We all enjoyed a lovely afternoon after the performance. We have our Markets on the 2nd of September and also the 30th of September as that is the October long weekend and we have a Country Music Festival and Sculpture on the Farm on that weekend. We will also be having Markets on the 7th October and 4th November. Our Church Services are Friday 10.30 am at Christ Church and Sunday 8.30 am. Sunday Nite Church at Christ Church is on the 4th Sunday 27th August and 24th September at 5 pm and St Peter’s in the Paddock is on the First Sunday 3rd September and 1st October at 5 pm. Everyone is most welcome to come along. Cuppa N Chat in the hall at 51 Dowling St, Dungog from 9.30 am to 11 am. Op Shop open each Friday 8.30 am to 2 pm and on Market Days 8.30 am to 1 pm. Thanks Margaret Flannery St. Patrick’s Catholic Church 41 Rifle St, Clarence Town Pastor: Rev Andrew Doohan Service Times: Every Sunday 8am The Parishioners of St. Patrick’s would like to wish everyone in our wonderful area of Clarence Town the joy and blessings of a wonderful New Year. We pray for a year of peace and prosperity in the world. Congratulations to all those who organised the Carols and Markets in December. They were wonderful. May God’s Grace bless us all in 2026. Marilyn Amos Christian clergy and males were assassinated and places of worship targeted. Worship took place in ‘secure and guarded locations’ – fearful – holding onto their faith, while wondering what the future held for them. Celebrating Christmas while really looking beyond to the image of the suffering/ crucified Jesus. Defence Force Personnel. First thoughts – a long way from home – desperately missing family – questioning “why are we here?” A mixed faith (and no faith) group – one person questioned me as to why I (the Padre) was part of the Christmas organising committee – what has religion got to do with Christmas? Produced incredulous looks from others in the group – trying to organise appropriate denominational services – going to worship in helmet, armoured vest, weapons, half expecting and attack of some sort or another. Padre. There to remind people of what is ‘normal’ (and what is not) – preaching peace without taking it for granted. As I said in the beginning – it’s easy to see all the bad things and to wonder why God doesn’t lose patience with us. But I know that God doesn’t lose patience with us because when I look around I see all of the people who strive to be better, to love, to care and know these things are not easily accomplished – we need God’s help. Rev. Greg Clarke
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