Craig Mitchell shares about the worship service that he co-led at Blackwood Uniting Church on Reconciliation Sundy 26 May.
People of many homelands –
will you join us beside the river
and bring your memories of place
your wisdom of country
to this place and this time
in the hope that this land
might become more truly
our shared home?
Yes, we will come
People of many languages –
will us join us beside the river
and bring your stories of old
your dreaming wisdom
to this place and this time
in the hope that today’s telling
might become more truly
our shared story?
Yes, we will come
People of many customs –
will you join us beside the river
and bring your ways of living
your lore and learning
to this place and time
in the hope that we might learn
to live more truly into
our shared kinship?
Yes, we will come
People born of water and earth –
will you join us beside the river
and bring your hearts and hands
your discernment and desire
to this place and time
in the hope that together
we might become one
in Spirit and in truth?
Yes, we will come
Words by Craig Mitchell, 2024
Today, Sunday 26th May is Reconciliation Sunday, and it’s a significant annual event at Blackwood Uniting Church where I am currently doing supply ministry part-time. Each year there is a community walk down to Colebrook Reconciliation Park and an afternoon of truth-telling and cultural activities organised by the Blackwood Reconciliation Group who meet in our church. It is of course also Trinity Sunday.
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For the service, the church ususally invites a guest speaker. This year we have invited Aboriginal singer / musician Vonda Last. Vonda is a proud Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara (Western Desert) singer-songwriter, born in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, now living on Kaurna (Adelaide) land. She has over 40 years’ experience as a songwriter and performer. The church service is usually attended by a number of visitors, including First Nations people, some of whoim may have been residents at the Colberook childrens home after being taken from their families.
Vonda has written and recorded a number of songs, a couple of which mention rivers. So as worship curator I decided that we would meet around a waterhole and a riverbed. So we created a river in the church. I also created a soundscape with recordings of bush sounds, a river running, and frogs calling – four iPods and speakers around the church.
Read the full post on Craig’s blog here.