Marion Uniting Church

11/10/2026

Chris Ellinger from Communitylife SA visited us today, telling us about the crisis response and community programs they offer. Marion UC has been donating groceries to Communitylife SA (formerly Marion Community Life) for many years.
This is a photo of Rev Christa with Chris, with some of the congregation in the hall. This was the Sunday for us to fill out the NCLS surveys.

10/09/2026

Huge shout out to everyone who helped us, and those in our group who were unable to join with us yesterday, in our Out of the Shadows walk. Your contributions will ensure that the vital work done by Lifeline can continue. And remember, they will be there if you need them...

09/09/2026

https://www.outoftheshadowswalk.org.au/fundraiser/marionunitingchurch

Tomorrow, a group of us are joining the Out of the Shadows walk, to remember those lost to su***de and to raise much needed funds to help Australians in crisis.
Today we have installed a banner on our Chapel gate which will stay in place for a month. If you're passing, please consider tying a yellow ribbon or, if you can, click the link to donate

04/09/2026

The Season of Creation has begun in churches around the world this week.
We will be celebrating this at Marion UC during our worship service this Sunday.

The Peace of Wild Things:
When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief.
I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light.
For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Wendell Berry
(RIP Wendell Berry. He died last week, aged 92.)

28/08/2026

A Pastoral Prayer for the people of Nepal.

𝗔 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗹

As we hear of the devastating floods in Nepal, we pause in sorrow and solidarity with all those affected. In the face of lives lost, families separated and communities facing profound uncertainty, we turn to God in prayer. We pray for those who grieve, those still waiting for news, and all who are working to bring rescue, care and hope.

God of compassion and mercy,

We hold before you the people of Nepal following the devastating flash floods in the Bhote Koshi River area.

We grieve with those who have lost loved ones. We pray for the many who are still missing, local people and visitors alike, for families waiting anxiously for news, for those who have been injured or displaced, and for communities facing such immense loss.

Draw near, O God.

Where there is grief, bring comfort.
Where there is fear, bring courage.
Where there is exhaustion, bring strength.
And in these difficult hours of searching and waiting, sustain hope.

We pray for all involved in search and rescue, evacuation, medical care and relief. Protect and strengthen them. Give wisdom to those coordinating the response, and may help reach those who need it most.

Jesus Christ, you entered into the suffering of our world and showed us a love that draws near. Draw near now to the people of Nepal in their suffering.

By your Spirit, weave together communities of care and compassion. Strengthen neighbours supporting one another, families holding one another close, and all who are offering shelter, comfort and hope.

God of life, we entrust to your mercy all who have died. Hold those who mourn. Be near to those still waiting for news. Strengthen all whose lives and livelihoods have been devastated by this disaster, and sustain them through the long journey of recovery.

Hold the people of Nepal in your love —
the love of the crucified and risen Christ,
a love that crosses every boundary,
a love that will not let us go.

Amen.

– 𝙒𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙮 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙍𝙚𝙫 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙖 𝙎𝙪𝙡𝙞

26/08/2026

Next month, a group of us from Marion Uniting Church are participating in the walk for World Su***de Prevention Day. This is a subject that tragically affects so many folk. Please hold us, and all those who are walking, in your prayers. If you are able to contribute with a donation any amount will be greatly appreciated.

Our team is walking in Out of the Shadows for Lifeline to ensure no one has to face their darkest moments alone.

04/08/2026

Did you know that 1 in 2 people living in Australia experience some form of social disconnection?

Today is the start of Loneliness Awareness Week. This year’s theme is ‘Make Room for Connection’.

As individuals, there are simple steps we can take to make room:
🔹 Sit next to someone new
🔹 Wave and stop to chat to those around you
🔹 Invite someone new into something you already do
🔹 Eat with others
🔹 Try a new activity or start an interest group
🔹 Comment or DM instead of simply ‘liking’ someone’s social media post
🔹 Volunteer with a local organisation.

Visit the official website for more info and resources 👉 https://bit.ly/4pBWMmS

Uniting Communities – one of our community care providers – is also committed to addressing the issue through their Overcoming Loneliness project. Learn more here 👉 https://bit.ly/4vLb59Y

19/07/2026

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. We came together to worship Jesus in English, Bahasa and Welsh.

16/07/2026

This Sunday come to consider the Uniting Church in our area, being part of a multicultural society & celebrate in song, Scripture, stories & images. Wear something from another culture eg scarf, hat, shirt. See you at 10am.

10/07/2026

NAIDOC Week 2026 (5–12 July) marks 50 years of honouring the voices, cultures and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Uniting Church, together with the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC), gives thanks for this significant milestone and celebrates the enduring strength and leadership of First Nations peoples.

UAICC National Co-Chair Rev Will Pickett shared a prayer for this week.

“Creator God, Spirit of the land and Lord of all peoples,

We gather today with hearts full of gratitude as we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of NAIDOC Week.

For fifty years, this national movement has called Australia to honour and celebrate the history, culture, achievements and enduring strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We give thanks for all who have walked this journey of truth, justice and reconciliation, and for the witness of First Peoples who continue to share their wisdom, faith and hope.

Today we also give thanks for the witness of the Uniting Church in Australia, and especially for the sacred Covenant between the Church and the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress—a Covenant born not simply from words, but from truth-telling, repentance, relationship and hope.

Lord, we remember that before there was a Church in this land, there was Your Spirit moving across Country—through the songlines, the rivers, the mountains and the ancient stories of First Peoples. You were here. Your presence was never absent.

We acknowledge the pain of the past: the wounds of mission, the loss of language, land and culture, the silencing of voices, and the breaking of families. Yet we also honour the resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their faith, their survival, and their leadership within Your Church.

We thank You for the Covenant—for its call to walk together, to listen deeply, to respect one another, and to seek justice, healing and self-determination. May this Covenant never be reduced to words on paper, but remain a living commitment, calling the Church into truth, humility and right relationship.

As we celebrate this milestone in the life of NAIDOC Week, renew us by Your Holy Spirit. Give courage to the leaders of the Uniting Church in Australia, strength to the leaders of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, and wisdom to all who seek to walk this shared journey.

May we continue to grow in justice, deepen our partnerships, seek healing for Country and people, and become a Church—and a nation—that more faithfully reflects the reconciling love of Jesus Christ.

Ground us in Your truth. Lead us in Your grace. Unite us in Your love. And as First Peoples and Second Peoples together, may we continue to walk gently on this land, honouring the Creator, following Christ, and listening to the Spirit.

In the name of Jesus Christ, who makes all things one.

Amen.”