19 March 2024

7 - 13 March

New service at St Paul’s to reach young people ‘calling out’ for belonging – The Melbourne Anglican  

A new city-centre congregation will soon launch in Melbourne, aiming to connect with those among the thousands of young people living nearby. 

Gather at St Paul’s hopes to provide a family-like home for students and young adults in Melbourne, where they can know their identity as God’s children. 

Leaders hope it will reach young people who are desperate for meaning and belonging, especially among those far from their home communities. 

The holy month of Ramadan starts across much of Asia with prayer, before a month full of fasting and celebration – ABC News 

Millions of people across South-East Asia have begun the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when the faithful fast from dawn to dusk and abstain from smoking and having sex in order to focus on becoming closer to God. 

In the Muslim lunar calendar, months begin only when the new moon is sighted, which can lead to variations of a day or two. 

Several Middle Eastern nations declared the month would begin early on Monday, but countries including Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore began Ramadan on Tuesday, after failing to see the crescent moon the previous night. 

Religious objections to vaccines in Africa complicate cholera fight – Religion Unplugged 

At only age 20, Madzimai Yemurai of Mbare, the oldest suburb of Zimbabwe’s capital Harare, is already a mother of three, having been married at 15 as the fifth wife to a man old enough to be her grandfather.  

This is not unusual in their church, the Johane Marange, a hugely popular African apostolic sect whose doctrine opposes Western medicine, instead putting reliance on faith healing and prayer.  

The sect’s doctrine also encourages child-marriages and polygamy. The church is the biggest of a many indigenous sects that are part of a broader religious group that mixes Christian beliefs with some traditional African cultures. 

“I will not tell anyone, let alone my husband, about it,” Ms Yemurai said, referring to her recent secret visit to a cholera vaccination site. 

Thirty years’ experience of women priests — and advice for the next generation – Church Times 

It is 30 years since the Uniting Kingdom’s first cohort of women deacons was ordained to the priesthood, in Bristol Cathedral. They ran the gamut of protesters, police, and the world’s press, and, for security reasons, had to make their entrance through the back door. In the distance, the bells of St Philip and St Jacob, Bristol, rang a dirge. 

For Canon Brenda Dowie, walking into the cathedral on that March day in 1994 had been quite extraordinary, she reflects: “A rare gift from God that remains full of surprises and joy”. She was one of the first, but confesses that she has always felt something of a fraud. “There were women there who had been fighting the good fight for years,” she says. 

Shaun King converts to Islam – Religion News Service 

Shaun King, a onetime Christian pastor who has sparked controversy in the past with his strident liberal activism, converted to Islam with his wife, Rai, over the weekend. 

Video of King saying the shahada, the Muslim profession of faith, appeared on X Sunday evening, as did separate footage of him speaking about his embrace of Islam at the Valley Ranch Islamic Center in Irving, Texas. 

“More than anything it’s been friendship, sincere friendship, and just the deep ocean of faith of the Palestinian people that’s moved my heart,” said King, who has become active in the cause of supporting Palestinian rights since Israel began its ground assault into the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the 7 October attacks. 

Kindness, humility and equality: how the Sikh tradition of Sewa can transcend cultural boundaries and foster unity – The Guardian 

At the core of Sikhism lies the philosophy of selfless service, known as Sewa. 

Sewa is a principle that transcends religious boundaries and holds universal relevance. The philosophy encourages individuals to engage in acts of kindness, compassion and service without expecting anything in return. 

While deeply embedded in Sikh tradition, people of all backgrounds can adopt the principles of Sewa to enhance their day-to-day lives. 

Tattooing has held a long tradition in Christianity − dating back to Jesus’ crucifixion – The Conversation 

Holy Week and Easter are perhaps the most important days in the Christian calendar. Many associate those celebrations with church services, processions, candles, incense, fasting and penances. 

However, there is another tradition that many Christians follow – that of tattooing. Historically, Easter was an important time for tattoos among some Christian groups.  

Today, Christian tattooing happens in many parts of the world and all year around. Some Christians visiting Jerusalem around Easter will get a tattoo of a cross, or a lamb, usually on their forearms. 

Irreconcilable differences? How feminism and religion can overcome their antagonism – ABC News 

If religion and feminism were people, we might imagine them as a long-bickering couple at marriage counselling, writes Susan Carland. Sitting on the therapist’s couch with folded arms and set jaws, they seem to have little in common. They have a long history of distrust, seemingly different life goals, and hurting each other. They often view each other with contempt. 

“You’re selfish, arrogant, and are actively trying to destroy our family”, Religion would hurl at Feminism. “And you’re oppressive, sanctimonious, and a big part of everything I hate”, Feminism would snap back at Religion. “You just don’t understand me!”, they would both huff, turning their backs on each other. 

The Receding Tides of New Atheism – The Gospel Coalition 

“If anyone should tell the story of how secular thinkers are considering Christianity again, it is someone with a front row seat to the show,” writes Pip Witheridge, a student at Moore Theological College in Sydney.  

Witheridge believes Justin Brierley fits the bill.  

Brierley is the host of a podcast titled “Unbelievable?”, where he considers the flaws and strengths of different answers to life’s bigger questions, along with other Christians and secular thinkers.  

The New Boy: Cate Blanchett film tackles faith and colonialism in Australia – BBC News 

It would take a remarkable acting performance to rival Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett on screen. 

But that’s exactly what untried child prodigy Aswan Reid has done in her latest movie, critics say. 

Reid plays the film’s titular character – a nine-year-old Aboriginal orphan with mysterious supernatural powers, whose arrival at a remote monastery in the dead of night sends the place into turmoil. 

The film’s backers say it “explores spirituality, culture and colonisation in a way we haven’t seen on screen before”. 

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