serving the faith communities of the Goulburn Valley
The World Council of Churches and the Council for World Mission, from 14-17 June, will present online the ecumenical event “Anti-racist in Christ? Ecumenical Christian Repentance, Reflection and Action on Racial Discrimination and Xenophobia.”
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Centrally located in the Iranian capital Tehran, the Vali-e-Asr Mosque’s most distinguishing aspect is the fact that it does not look like a mosque. Designed by Iranian architects Reza Daneshmir and Catherine Spiridonoff of Fluid Motion Architects, the building eschews the stereotypical typology of large domes and tall minarets in favour of a modest horizontality thereby making the mosque harmoniously co-exist with the surrounding buildings and adjacent park. Organically rising from the street level towards Mecca, in a tiered configuration of concave and convex strips that create a spectacular interior, the Mosque’s gentle slope allows the building not only to become part of the public space but to also make it more inviting while enhancing the sense of spirituality.
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Lockdown and mortality arising from the Covid-19 pandemic has caused grief for many. Separation and loss are challenges for us all, and it can be so sad for those left behind with their mourning and bereavement. Skilful actions may help us to manage loss in the family, and loss of dear ones.
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Barney Zwartz, former Religion Editor of The Age writes about teaching punctuation and grammar. It has to do with faith, and uderstanding the purpose of life, according to Barney.
My new T-shirt arrived the other day, from a design-your-own slogan outlet in the US. The three lines are: “Let’s eat kids./ Let’s eat, kids./ Punctuation saves lives.” My grammar obsession dates back decades. In previous lives I lectured theology students on grammar so they could learn Greek, as well as newspaper sub-editors.
I am not puritanical: grammatical guidelines enhance communication, but they are not set in stone and do evolve (go on, split that infinitive!). My T-shirt highlights that a tiny piece of punctuation can change meaning in profoundly important ways.
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First responders are people from the community who serve the community when chaos of one kind or another overpowers the daily sense of order and divinity-in-ordinary that we have all come to respect. First responders undertake specific training and build up skills so that they may save lives, recover those trapped in disasters of one kind or another, and help us repair our lives and remove the chaos. First responders are community heroes. June 9, 2021 is the Australian “Thank a First Responder Day”
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World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is commemorated each year on 15 June to highlight one of the worst manifestations of ageism and inequality in our society, elder abuse. Elder abuse is any act which causes harm to an older person and is carried out by someone they know and trust such as a family member or friend. The abuse may be physical, social, financial, psychological or sexual and can include mistreatment and neglect.
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The University of Melbourne is establishing a Contemplative Studies Centre, which will be the first point of entry into the world of mindfulness, meditation and contemplative practice at the University.
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For many years, it has been brought to both the past and present committees’ attention that the internals of the Mosque & Community Centre needed upgrade works due to age, wear and the greater number of followers using the Mosque in more recent times. The Albanian community now seeks to renovate the mosque, the first in regional Victoria.
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It is the task of humans to respect and care for the Seven Bounteous Creations and to work against evil forces which oppose right order, and in so doing to bring the world back to its original state of harmony. Thus Zoroastrianism requires humans to protect the environment; to avoid harm, pollution, and waste; and to restore what has been damaged.
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It’s hard to believe that we’re here again, staring down the barrel of another lockdown. As Thursday night marked the beginning of Victoria’s fourth lockdown, many of us will be feeling angry, frustrated, sad, anxious, stunned, numb, even relieved – and maybe several of these at once. Here are six steps to get yourself through Victoria’s fourth lockdown
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To understand how to practice mindfulness in daily life, we have to look at all eight steps of the Buddha’s noble eightfold path. In his first teaching at Deer Park, the Buddha praised mindfulness: “The Noble Eightfold Path is nourished by living mindfully.”
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Buddhists all over the world will celebrate the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha today, May 26, a day that is also a public holiday in many south asian nations. However, Vesak Day this year will be a lot more muted once again considering the rise in community Covid-19 cases in these countries. Many public places, including places of worship, have had to stop in-person events and reduce their occupancies significantly. This means that many of the rituals, processions and temple visits that normally happen on Vesak Day will not be able to go on as planned. Despite the changes, Vesak Day is still an incredibly special day for Buddhists.
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Vesak 2021 – Message from the Prime Minister
The Prime Minister of Australia, The Hon. Scott Morrison, gives a message to all on occasion of Vesak, the Buddhist Festival that observes the birth, enlightenment and passing of the Buddha.
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Cummeragunja Station was established in 1888 on the NSW side along the Murray River on Yorta Yorta Country. Cummeragunja became home to many Aboriginal people. Here, we recount the story of the Cummergunja Walk off to the banks of the Goulburn River, Daish’s Paddock, Shepparton-Mooroopna.
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Shepparton Region Reconciliation Group, in collaboration with Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation, the Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative and City of Greater Shepparton will conduct an observance of Sorry Day at Monash Park on the anniversary of Sorry Day, May 26, at 10:10am. With regard to social distancing and Covid-Safe, attendance must be booked online; this event will also be live streamed on Facebook. All community members are invited to join the 2021 Sorry Day Commemoration.
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The Buddhist Association of the Goulburn Valley will celebrate Buddha’s Enlightenment at Queens Gardens, Shepparton, on Saturday 29th of May 2021 from 5.30 pm to 8.00 pm. All are welcome to participate in this event.
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In the Wemba Wemba language Yoo-rrook means “truth”. The Wemba Wemba, also known as the Wamba Wamba, are a people from north-west Victoria and the NSW Riverina.
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Buddhism teaches metta, a concentration practice to cultivate unconditional goodwill for all. In precarious times like these, it’s a way to listen to our hearts. A short meditation for loving kindness is given.
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Stories beyond COVID: A Celebration of Life – is the work of the Islamic Council of Victoria and will be streamed live over several days using Facebook Live, commencing evening 24 May 2021 through evening 28 May 2021.
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The World Council of Churches is following developments in Israel and Palestine with mounting alarm and profound grief at the rising toll of people killed and injured in the escalating violence. We appeal urgently to all parties to step back from the brink of even more deadly and destructive conflict.
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