News from around Australia

Hi folks

It's very exciting to hear from Jeanette that the Godly Play workshop in Melbourne on 15 August is now fully booked.

There is still room in the Sacred Stories, Poetry, Wonder & Weaving Retreat on Saturday 17 August - click here for the flier, or email Jeanette.


Sarah has been talking stories - stories as gift, opportunity to share meaning, as entities that have life of their own - with Tricia Karp: click here to listen to their conversation.


Margaret is working on the next edition of TABS, which will feature stories of our gathering, among other stories, so watch this space for that.


Let us know of your experiences and events sharing stories around Australia, so we can share them and encourage each other in our passion and our work (click to email Sarah, blog administrator, or Margaret, TABS editor).

spaces for renewal and creativity

Two opportunities are coming up in August to wonder, play and create. Contact Jeanette Acland to register - places are limited. Click on the forms to download. 

gathering, praying, singing, remembering

Rina and Sarah both used the prayers and music of Trisha Watts, from Sanctuary (available from MediaCom, among other retailers). 

Gathering participants also asked about prayers from our Eucharist celebration on Sunday morning.

'Before we pray' is by Cheryl Lawrie, and is published in Hold this Space (available through proost); 'Welcome' is from Mark Berry and the Safe Space community, available in the Navigatio pocket liturgy from proost; and this is the liturgy for the Eucharist that I wrote for the occasion:

Eucharist

those who gather at this table have chosen to follow a story

the story of God, who loves

who, from an eternal well of love,

created all that lives – created humans for love,

and invited us into a relationship for life: full, rich, life.

The story is a story of human turning away, and returning,

of prophets calling, men and women singing,

God forgiving and restoring, again and again.

The story of this table, this meal,

is the story of Jesus, who we follow;

who was born under a special star,

inhabited by the Sacred Spirit.

Jesus looked at women and welcomed, men, and healed,

children, and delighted.

The story of Jesus is a story of love,

of peace and justice and courage.

On the night when he was betrayed –

for not all understood, or accepted –

he took the bread they were to eat, gave thanks and broke it.

He looked at his friends and said, this is my body, breaking for you

Eat, and whenever you eat, remember me.

At the end of the meal he took a cup and gave thanks.

He said, this cup is a new covenant made through the spilling of my blood.

drink, and whenever you drink, remember me.

We pray that the Spirit, ever present, will bless this bread and this wine,

will bless us, making these gifts the body of Christ in us.

break bread, distribute

The story is told again and again with this reenacting at tables all over the world.

It is a world still yearning for justice,

for courage, peace and love.

May the story we have enacted here shape our living beyond this moment;

May the Christ we have remembered be our Wisdom Guide,

may the Creator scatter seeds and birth ever new, renewing, life,

and may the Spirit breathe in us and through us, peace, deep peace. Amen.

(Sarah Agnew)  

gathering, inspiring, telling, breathing

Obviously, after Friday, the gathering picked up intensity, and I didn't find any time for blogging.

Saturday was full of stories and insights from Megan, as she took us deep into the Gospel according to John and its chiastic / parallel structure, the centrality of the story of Lazarus and our place with Lazarus as the beloved disciple, and challenged, moved and inspired us with her invitation into story worlds.

Megan's current tour Down Under includes some work in New Zealand - and she has provided some resources that we are also welcome to access from the Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington.

Saturday also included our epic telling of portions from the Gospel according to John, and so together we entered into the story of Jesus through the poetry and imagery of this gospel account.

In between all this, when there were moments to spare, we enjoyed the labyrinth, sweeping lawns, and warm sunshine at Santa Theresa Spirituality Centre, Ormiston, Brisbane.

gathering, hearing, shattering

The gospels hit us like a hammer shattering rock. At a public address in Mt Cravatt Megan told us a story of a baker a rabbi and sharing bread, meeting God in our neighbour. She introduced us anew to the gospel according to Luke, with his focus on food and Jesus' breaking open of cultural boundaries to welcome all and teach the disciples. 

What did we hear? What did we feel? 

The meaning is in the hearing. 

So we heard the story again. 

and how the gospels shatter us with the challenge to share what we have beyond enough ... 

a story to finish reminded us that many of the people who pick the resources that make our food never taste it ... 

gathering, going deeper

rain stick shiver, music, silence, nature's beauty. a prayerful pause from which to launch into our gathering.
welcomes and introductions, orientation and explanation. enter the space as you feel comfortable.

the first two workshops invited us to explore how we use senses to learn and share stories, and how we engage with the Holy Spirit.

stories have been shared in the intervening time as we get to know many new friends, and reconnect with old friends.

we are about to eat our dinner - quickly - before heading off site for a public address by our speaker, for which we are to be joined by another 80 or 90 people!

the gathering, the beginning

well, folks, the Network of Biblical Storytellers Australia / New Zealand Gathering is kicking off tomorrow (Friday). The board members arrived early and discussed structural and administrative matters, including finishing the meeting not as a board, but as a Network Council! And of course, we enjoyed catching up on our stories, as it's been a while since we were all in the same room together!

The venue is great - a Catholic retreat centre in Brisbane, on the water - stillness, beauty, and gorgeous weather (it's winter down here, and it was cold and rainy last weekend, so fine and mild is very welcome).

We are very much looking forward to embracing old friends, welcoming new friends, sharing the stories, and hearing from Megan McKenna.

In the morning, the people will gather: let the stories begin!