Draft plan for 2010
Where there is a link, it means you can read the reflection which was offered.

Feb 7: The two Genesis creation stories live today, which will you choose? Dominion vs serving.

Feb 14: (Valentines Day).  Love.  God, self, and all our neighbours

Feb 21st Aunty Em (Emily Walker) is a Gumbanggyir elder, a Christian, and a very “earthed” woman.  She will share her story and maybe some poems.

Feb 28th: Call me chicken!   Exploring Pastor Joseph Tauer's parable. You can read it here or watch it on youtube here.

March: Drawing on excerpts from Worshipping Evolutions God
The evolution creation story: humbling and affirming.The Fall? Original Sin versus Inherent Needs.  A bit about brains. Exploring insights from the sciences about what we really need. Sin as what we do when our true needs aren’t met, and finding good news in this context.

April: Easter of course- Jesus' version, not Paul's. Then Jane takes the helm, followed by humility and footwashing with Rachel, and finally a visit to Nell's wonderful garden (as it turned out, in pouring rain!)

May: Creation Spirituality. Matt Henry guides us through the positive, negative, creative and transformative aspects of Matthew Fox’s creation spirituality.

June: Saving the World- why bother.  What’s in it for us, our neighbour, and God?

July: Sex and relationships: in evolution, in Old Testament, the New Testament, and now.

Aug: The four themes from the Season of Creation?  Francis of Assissi and maybe an animal blessing

Sep: TBA, or a random collection of member contributions.

Oct: Food.

Nov: Green Jesuses.  Looking at portraits of Jesus in the gospels, Paul, and church history.  How green is he?

Dec: putting it all together, and Christmas!

And on 5th Sundays (May, Aug, Oct) we might serving creation by serving our creek (in collaboration with LandCare).

Here's what we did in 2009
February
Why are we here? (Why is life here)
Aboriginal eco-faith with Aunty Em Walker (rescheduled for later)
Evolution Sunday
Why are we here? (why are humans here)

March (lead up to Easter, critically revisiting the traditional stories of salvation)
Salvation for...
1. (some) humans at the expense of animals (Noah)
2. Abraham at the expense of the Canaanites + Intnl Women's Day
3. obedient Jews at the expense of disobedient ones and slaves
4. Jesus' alternatives: rejecting, not fulfilling "sacrifice"- you forgive
Maundy Thurs- naming our fears, sorrows, deaths
Easter Sunday- new life. Evolution as a history of resurrections. Our life as a series of resurrections.

April-May
Doing instead of don'ting. Jesus as a do-er not a donter.
Matt led- why are we here (as individuals)
Group reflection: how has ecofaith challenged/affirmed us? Will we keep meeting?

June
World Environment Day- the groaning of creation. Romans 8 today.
Jane: You are wonderful and the Earth is hiring
Beauty 1 & 2.

(click here for activities outside Sundays at 4)

Many organisations and people in the Bellinger Valley are already hard at work helping humans renew the Earth (ecobello lists just some). Rather than introduce another competing commitment, what we "do" at ecofaith is hopefully support and encourage people in those endeavours.

We hope in part to be a community which encourages the pursuit of our divine passions during the week, and allows God to feed us on our journeys.

So we gather each Sunday at 4 (map) for a combination of breathing exercises, contemplation, input, prayer and sharing, with some simple singing at times. There may be a children's book or story, and the kids either sit with us or play in the park and creek around us (old clothes are a good idea).

Then at about 5 we eat and drink and chat and people wander off as it suits them. Its a good idea to pack the kids a "dinnerbox" so they can start early if they need to, and you know they will at least eat some of what you want before they hit the shared table. Adults tend more to just share, but if your diet is limited, feel free to byo.

Group members take turns to lead some of the weeks, and Jason does the rest.

The actual format for each Sunday varies, to fit the theme and depending on who is leading. Following is a sample, to give you some idea of what to expect. Everything is an invitation, not an expectation.

Breathing. A time of gentle breathing and movement, to help us connect with the place and our bodies in it.

Acknowledgment: Of the Gumbaynggirr and their ancestors, living here with God for tens of thousand of years before Jesus or any of the world religion's leaders were born. Of the creatures who lived here before them, and which we still hear around us. Of the God who was here from the formation of the earth, and remains here with us all: beyond us, one with us, within and amongst us.

Often a reading. Sometimes a "kids" book or story
we find they've often gone off doing their own thing already though!

The five directions contemplation/prayer A time to reflect on the theme for the morning, using the past (East), the present (North), the near future (West) and our legacy when we are gone (South). An invitation to explore the theme with the others gathered (the centre).

Share around the circle: Our names, and perhaps something that occurred to us in the 5 directions.

Maybe a reading or a simple song

Affirmation/prayer
God is beyond us; one with us (or became one of us); within us; amongst us
or God is love. The world is loved. I am loved. Help me love. Help me receive love.

A reflection, 5-10 mins, sometimes more.

Option for 10 mins
either wander alone, praying and contemplating.
or in pairs, deep listening for 5 mins each.

Group sharing
Blessing
Eating and drinking

That's it really! Feel free to come and join us. Kids and friendly pets welcome.