Canterbury Balwyn Road Uniting Church

04/06/2026

𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟮: 𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁

God of life,
Holy Spirit, poured out on all people (Acts 2:17),
You speak in every language and gather all, into one body in Christ.

As we approach the 49th Anniversary of the Uniting Church in Australia, we pause as one Church
to pray, to listen again, to be renewed, and to be made one in You.

Quiet our hearts, Lord,
so we may hear Your voice, in stillness and in the voices of one another.
For Your Word calls us to be “quick to listen” (James 1:19)
and reminds us that we belong to one body
(1 Corinthians 12:12).

Teach us to listen across cultures and stories.
Open us to the gifts of CALD communities, whose faith and resilience enrich Your Church.
Form in us humility, patience, and love.

(Samoan) 𝗜𝗮 𝗲 𝗮‘𝗼𝗮‘𝗼 𝗶 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗼𝘂, 𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝘁𝘂𝗮 𝗲, 𝗲 𝗳𝗮‘𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗼 𝗺𝗮 𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗹𝗼,
𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀.
We give thanks for the First Peoples of this land and the covenant we are called to honour. Guide us to walk humbly, act justly, and love mercy (Micah 6:8).

𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗮 𝗣𝗮‘𝗶𝗮 𝗲, 𝗳𝗮‘𝗮𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘂 𝗘𝗸𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗮,
𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁, 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵.
Heal division, widen our listening, and draw us together in Christ,
who breaks down every dividing wall (Ephesians 2:14).

𝗜𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗶 𝗶 𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼𝘂 𝗶 𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗳𝗮 𝗼 𝗞𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼,
𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁.
Weave us together as many voices, one Spirit, a people of renewal, reconciliation, and hope.

In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amene.

𝗥𝗲𝘃 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗺 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗹𝗮𝗻
𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺
𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮, 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗱

02/06/2026

𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟭: 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂

Beloved God,
Holy One - Sacred Three
𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀
Bringing us home to you,
𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵
and to ourselves
𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲.

Through the fire of Spirit continue to sanctify your church:
Burn away our fears
𝗨𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀
Dissolve our anxiety about survival
𝗠𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿
Free us from inertia
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲.

Make us, together, more like Jesus the Christ so that we may:
Share our food and wealth with the hungry and disadvantaged
𝗪𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀
Use our power for healing and truth telling
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀.

And as messy communities of sinners and saints may we continue to:
Worship You, Holy One - Sacred Three, in spirit and truth
𝗕𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹
Delight in Your beauty
𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗽𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲-𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴
Give love and receive love, give love and receive love, and give love and receive love
𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀, 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱, 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿, 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆.

May it be so,
Amen.

𝗥𝗲𝘃 𝗗𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗹𝗮𝘀
𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗿: 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀
𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗺 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲, 𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲

31/05/2026

17/05/2026

Ahead of the Week the Prayer for Christian Unity (17-24 May), President Rev. Charissa Suli joined Heads of Churches and Christian leaders from across Australia for an Ecumenical Prayer Service at the Mary MacKillop Memorial Chapel in Sydney.

Hosted by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, the gathering brought together leaders from many Christian traditions in prayer, fellowship, and a shared commitment to hope, justice, peace, and unity in Christ.

Rev. Suli reflected:
“Even across our differences, we are united in Jesus Christ and called to walk together in hope, love, justice, and peace.”

During the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we continue to pray for a world longing for healing, compassion, and reconciliation.

30/04/2026

🙏🥹💙🙏🥹💙🙏🥹💙🙏

With heavy hearts, we share a reflection from our President, Rev. Charissa Suli, on the passing of Rev Professor Dr Jione Havea — theologian, mentor, and faithful servant of the Church.

Jione was a son of the Pacific whose voice shaped how many across our Church read Scripture — honestly, prophetically, and through the lived realities of those too often pushed to the margins. He was a trusted companion to the UAICC - Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, a devoted colleague in the NSW/ACT Synod, and a teacher who helped generations of leaders trust that their stories matter in the life of the Church.

His loss is felt deeply — personally, culturally, and theologically.
We hold in prayer his wife Monica, his daughter Diya Lakai, the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga, and all who mourn him across our Church and around the world.

In our Pacific understanding, when one of our own is called home, they are not lost — they are returned. Returned to God, to the ancestors, and to the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us.

Read the President's full reflection at the link below.

Folau ā, sevāniti tōnunga 'a e 'Otua, pea ke mālōlō 'i he nonga mo e fiemālie 'a e 'Otua.

'Ofa lahi atu mo e lotu.

Link | https://uniting.church/a-reflection-for-dr-jione-havea/ |

06/03/2026

World Day of Prayer 2026 at Canterbury Balwyn Road Uniting Church 🇳🇬

25/01/2026

Moderator Rev Salesi Faupula has released the following statement ahead of Australia Day:
Tomorrow, January 26, is a day that calls us to theological honesty.
For First Peoples, this day is known as 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘆, marking the beginning of dispossession, violence and ongoing injustice.
As the Church, we acknowledge this truth.
We honour the enduring sovereignty, resilience and wisdom of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and we commit ourselves again to listening, truth-telling and repentance where we have been complicit.
This year, the day is also held in deep grief. In the wake of the violence in Bondi, communities will gather in 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, holding sorrow for lives lost and for the rupture of safety felt across our nation.
Our faith gives us language for such a moment. Scripture teaches us 𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, not as despair, but as a faithful refusal to look away from pain. In Jesus Christ, God does not remain distant from suffering.
Through the 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, God takes flesh and dwells among us, sharing fully in human vulnerability and loss.
In this light, we also name a hard truth: racism is not always loud. It is often quiet, expressed through silence, defensiveness or the blending of Christian faith with nationalism.
When love of nation overshadows love of neighbour, when comfort is protected at the cost of justice, the Church drifts from the way of Christ.
Following Jesus calls us to examine not only what we say, but what we fail to say, and whose pain we have learned to ignore.
In this moment, we choose to stand where Christ stands: with the grieving, the wounded and those whose voices have too often been silenced.
We pray in lament.
We remain present in love.
And we hold fast to hope — a hope grounded in God’s promise of justice, healing and new life.
May God hold all who grieve, strengthen all who seek peace and guide us as a Church to walk humbly, truthfully and compassionately together.

13/01/2026

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

In a world marked by conflict and heartache, we give thanks that we can turn to Almighty God to shape our thoughts, words and actions.

We invite you to pause, reflect and pray today, asking the Holy Spirit to guide us all into lives of love and faithful witness.

09/01/2026

🙏❤️❤️🥹🥹🙏🙏

As bushfires continue to cause devastation in north-east Victoria, Moderator Rev Salesi Faupula has offered the following words:
"As fires continue across our region, involving North East Victoria Presbytery and spreading, the situation remains uncertain and we pause as a Church to wait together before God. We hold in prayer all who are at risk, all who have been displaced, and all who are responding to the ongoing emergency.

Faithful God,
As fires continue and the outcome remains uncertain,
we wait upon you.
Hold in your care all who are at risk,
all who have evacuated,
and all who watch and wait with anxious hearts.
Grant protection through the night and steadiness in the days ahead.
We pray for those responding to the fires:
give them strength, wisdom and safety
as conditions change and dangers persist.
In this time of waiting,
keep us attentive to one another,
rooted in compassion,
and trusting in your abiding presence.
Through Christ,
who walks with us in every trial.
Amen"
(Image: destroyed buildings in Ruffy-Facebook)