Cessnock Bellbird Uniting Church

28/05/2026

𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟯: 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁
𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: Genesis 9:16 (The everlasting covenant) or Ephesians 2:14.

Jesus Christ, our Brother and Redeemer,

You are the cornerstone of our unity, the one who breaks down the walls of division. We bring before You today the Covenant between the UAICC and the Uniting Church in Australia—a sacred promise to walk together, to share power, and to seek truth.

We confess that fulfilling this covenant is hard work. It requires us to face painful histories and uncomfortable truths. Give us courage, Lord. Do not let us settle for a cheap reconciliation that bypasses justice. Where trust has been eroded, pour out Your healing balm.

We pray that the wider Church will honour this covenant not as a document on a shelf, but as a living, breathing relationship. Woven together in Your love across cultures and boundaries, may we become a true reflection of Your kingdom—where First Peoples are respected in our sovereign identity, and Second Peoples walk beside us in humility and truth. Renew our shared vow to be a destiny-bound people.

Amen.

𝗥𝗲𝘃 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗿 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼-𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗨𝗔𝗜𝗖𝗖
𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮

24/05/2026

They Thought I Was There to Steal Their Men

We were helping Miriam move house when she pulled me aside and apologised. She'd been unkind to me, she said. When I was a new Christian. She was sorry. I told her it didn't matter. That it wasn't a big deal. I laughed it off and packed up another box.

Except it did matter.

And it was a big deal.

When I first went to church I was an addict, newly sober. I was in serious debt. I had recently tried to jump off a bridge. I wasn't there to make friends. I wasn't there to find a hobby or join a social club. I was there because I was trying to stay alive.

Some of the young women were not entirely welcoming.

Looking back, I understand more than I did at the time. They had grown up inside a Christian bubble. They were good girls. Most of them didn't drink. They didn't own push-up bras. They thought acid was something you used in cooking. And they definitely couldn't do winged eyeliner properly.

And then I walked in.

I think they thought I was there to steal one of their men. I was actually there so I didn't try to jump off any more bridges.

When some excluded me, I was just bewildered. And hurt. Which is its own kind of absurd, if you think about it. Being excluded from a place you didn't even want to be. Getting rejected from a club you never asked to join.

Of course it still hurt. Being left out always hurts. Even when you're standing there thinking, I don't even want to be here, I just need to not die.

Today is the Church's birthday. Today we remember that Jesus sent the Spirit of Truth to help us. He did not leave us alone. He sent us a Spirit of fire and wind that opened everyone's eyes. And we have turned that into the church.

But here's the thing. I kept going back. Even when it was hard and unwelcoming and I didn't fit. I kept going back. And that broken, imperfect, sometimes unkind church became the place that saved my life.

We are the church. Imperfect, broken, still-figuring-it-out people. It is where we gather and figure out how to be in Christ together.

And we get to decide, every single week, what kind of church we're going to be. Because when I unlock the doors on a Sunday morning, I'm not just opening up for my parish. I'm waiting for a young woman with too much make-up and a push-up bra to walk in off the street instead of jumping off a bridge.

Who are you keeping the door open for?

Bless you, Rev Jessie

PS. I did eventually marry one of their men. The best one, as it turns out. Sorry about that.

PPS: If this landed for you, would you share it to your story? I know, it's vulnerable. But it's how this finds the people who need it most.

23/05/2026

19/05/2026

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.