A Service of Lamentation
We acknowledge and pay respect to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community as the traditional and original owners and continuing custodians of this land on behalf of our Almighty Creator, and acknowledge Elders past and present and emerging. We acknowledge and welcome all other Aboriginal peoples that join us through the blessing of technology in this service today.
We promise to walk softly and gently on this land.
It’s reconciliation week in Australia and race is at the forefront of the global conversation. We’ve curated a guided response to the present moment in America, Australia and the world.
We invite you to join us for this service of lament.
It’s about race, truth, justice, faith and hope. You’ll hear a hard-hitting song by Ben Harper, a profound poem of confession by Joel McKerrow, a call for compassion from Aboriginal Christian leader Brooke Prentis, and local pastor Kim Beales will share a personal response to this moment.
There will be space to lament and to pray for our world.
At the heart of it all, is truth, hope and mercy. Come join us as we lament.
Call it what it is
This is a hard-hitting song from Ben Harper. Feel the conviction. This is the only video that may have an ad… skip it after 5 seconds… we felt it was worth sharing.
Confessions: The White Part
Australian poet Joel McKerrow wears the reality of profound injustice and with no beating around the bush he says sorry, and in his confession he finds himself at the foot of the cross.
The Good Samaritan
Aboriginal Christian Leader, and Common Grace CEO, Brooke Prentis shares a powerful reflection, inviting us to see our neighbour who is hurting and who does not feel loved.
The Beatitudes
Matthew 5:1-12, read by Lu-Yee Millar, a member of St Mark’s Bellerive.
In the beatitudes Jesus conveys how he perceives reality. Everything is turned upside down. The poor are lifted up, the mourners are comforted, and the meek inherit the earth. We discover that peacemakers are called the children of God. And we see that the thirst for justice is to go hand in hand with mercy. In these words we find the heart of God and everything we hear is what the world so desperately needs.
Response
We invite you to take a moment to pray your own prayers, and then join in the prayer below.
‘When we love our Aboriginal neighbour as ourself’, a prayer by Penny Kleemann
Creator God, Jesus, Eternal Spirit,
as we pray some of your words back to you,
help us to get them right…
The Spirit of God is brooding over the waters
The salt waters
The salt water tears of our God gush down
As He looks upon our nation.
For He wove a beautiful vision
But those of us who came later
Have ripped and torn the weave
And shredded holes in His design
God gave us instruction not to covet or kill or steal
To love our neighbour as ourself
And not to take anything that belonged to our neighbour
Yet all this has been ignored.
“Justice is driven back
And right actions stand at a distance
Truth stumbles in the street
And honesty can’t enter”
Yet God in His incredible grace
Works with us
And we work with Him
To right what is wrong
We, the people of Jesus
Are the body of Jesus in this land
It is our eyes, that see the pain
It is our ears, that hear the cries
It is our voices, that speak up
It is our hands, that reach out in friendship
It is our feet that help defend sacred land
Australia, your progress has been small,
But our hopes and dreams are big
For we know God revels in the small
And we remember that through 12 people
Jesus changed the world
“From little things, big things grow”
When we love our Aboriginal neighbour as ourself
Our brothers and sisters “have hope
And injustice shuts it’s mouth”
When we love our Aboriginal neighbour as ourself
We too feel the pain and grief and the hurt of the 26th of January
And we know that this is not a day for a party
When we love our Aboriginal neighbour as ourself
No longer do we call each other stranger
Now, we call each other friend
Creator God, may we pray and live and work for the day
When our Aboriginal brothers and sisters
Are looked up to, not down to
When they will have peace at sunrise
And joy at sunset
That time can’t come quick enough
That time is now
Be it so.
Thank you for joining us today. We’ve included a few actions you might like to consider in response to our reflection today…
Prayer. Commit to spending some of your regular prayer time reflecting and praying over issues of injustice, and equality in our world.
Common Grace is a Christian organisation pursuing justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. You can give to support to their ministry here. They also have a fantastic list of resources including podcasts, books, theological papers and videos.
Write to your local MP to share what’s on your heart. It’s a wonderful thing to live in a democracy in Australia where we can do this. If you’ve been moved in this time of reflection today, you could write to your local member of Parliament to let them know that racial justice is an issue that is important to you and informs your decision making.
Get informed. One of the most important parts of being a good ally is being prepared to learn and listen with an open heart. There will be things we need to learn, and things we need to unlearn.
Call it out. Redirect the narrative and speak out when you overhear racism from others.
God’s peace be with you.