Central Church Port Kembla

Steff Fenton is a writer, speaker and pastor who spent an evening with us at Central sharing about their journey of finding a faith outside of the gender binaries, both of self and God. It was an absolute delight to listen to Steff share their story with us.

Trauma is indifferent to morality. It does not weigh guilt or innocence; it leaves its mark based on impact, not intention. Paul, once a fierce persecutor of the early church, likely carried deep trauma after his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus. In this message, Oran explores signs of trauma reflected in Paul’s writings and considers what we can learn from his journey as both the one who inflicted harm and the one who later bore its weight.

Liminal space is that strange and often uncomfortable place we find ourselves when the old has ended but the new has not yet begun. It can be a time marked by confusion, uncertainty, and even anxiety. Though we may be tempted to avoid it or rush our way through, liminal space plays a vital role in our growth and transformation. It is also said to be the place where we most profoundly encounter God. In this message, Oran explores the meaning of liminal space, examines its presence throughout Scripture, and considers how we might learn to wait well in these shadowy in-between places.

With seven weeks of 'ordinary time' left in the church calendar before Advent, how do we stay awake to God's presence while living in unprecedented and extraordinary times? Becca shares about Jesus' relationship to time and how nature can be a non-anxious presence that supports us to resist acedia and embrace this mystery of our life and times.

We engaged with the writings of French priest and paleontologist Pierre Teihard de Chardin who once said that to plunge into matter is to plunge into God. In honoring the Season of Creation we meditated on a chosen leaf, flower, shell or strawberry and then finished with a Lectio Divina on some of Teihard’s writings on trusting Gods slow work in our lives. Ambient background music is by https://karlverkade.bandcamp.com/

We looked at the disorientation of desert seasons in our life, used Lectio Divina to reflect on a passage from Isaiah 35 and meditation on images on deserts across Australia and how those places might connect to our own lives. Background music to use: https://karlverkade.bandcamp.com/track/db-pad-base