Sunday, June 13, 2010

June 13

Today I am reflecting on hospitality. Now that I am in Tasmania and the outsider it is easy to notice what helps me to feel that sense of home and belonging. Its not big things just the little. I have discovered that there are clean public washrooms in every town. Many of these facilities have showers. Bruce commented that he enjoys going out for a meal when he feels that the host feed us like family--good wholesome meals--nothing fancy. A member of the congregation here lives in a small community just outside Deloraine. Once a month he and his wife host, in their home, folks in the community to a pot luck supper. They have a large family room that can hold quite a crowd. We were invited to this gathering last Monday and welcomed as one of the community. We offered a slide show about Innisfail and they really enjoyed hearing about our home as we were welcomed into theirs. You can see many of them in the picture. Deloraine Uniting Church is so accepting of diversity as each of their worship leaders plans a worship service that is uniquely their own. The challenge for me is to fit into all these differing styles of leadership with my sermon. The theme of hospitality will be recurring as I am learning from this congregation about hospitality.
Today was a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon and we went on a drive to the coastal community of Wynyard with a couple from the congregation. At Wynyard we saw Table Cape - a solidified lava lake that plugged an ancient Volcano. We went on a walk and had a great view of the area and saw this interesting forest. We then drove on to Boat Harbour. A delightful beach. It seems great beaches are everywhere. What made these two areas extra special today was that they were where one of our hosts grew up and we heard lots of childhood memories
Happy Birthday United church of Canad. You are looking good for 85 years. Your younger sister the Uniting Church of Australia will be 33 on June 22.
I hope the folks at IUC had a great time out a Wimborne and that the dessert theater is a great success tonight.
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1 comment:

  1. UnknownJune 15, 2010 at 2:19 PM

    Hi Margaret and Bruce; we are really enjoying your comments. It is wonderful to hear in hours rather than the boat-mail of weeks.
    Had a good campout at Wimborne-4 units, plus Sue and Len , the hosts. The worship commitee did a fine job reviewing the history of the Church, for a good number from Innisfail, plus some from Gates in Red Deer. Too much rich food, followed by evening dessert! "Harriet" was amazingly crafted.. she could have been black. I would love to hear her entire programme with an hour of spirituals with the explanation of them.
    Rain, rain and cloud...you wouldn't see Cradle Mtn here either. Helen and Doug

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