Dear Friends of the Chapel,
Travelling by public transport offers many opportunities for conversations and interactions. Going home by train at peak hour last week I got on to a quiet carriage and found two rough-sleepers making good use of the peaceful conditions. One of them was laid out down one side of the single-decker section of the carriage, and the other was a bit more cramped, taking up a triple-seat at the end of the bottom deck. Both of them were being given a very wide berth by commuters who were crammed into every other available seat. This came on the back of a conversation I had at The Chapel only the day before with one of our rough-sleepers, who said he was in the habit of catching later, less-filled trains and doing exactly the same thing as these two men. He shared how it wasn’t all that safe, that some people who do it take alcohol or drugs for the journey and aren’t very friendly or considerate once the train rolls into the sidings for the night at the other end. With that conversation in mind, and the only spare seat for me being in the same triple-seat cubicle but opposite one of these men, I decided to sit with him, and privately pray for him for the time we shared the ride. He was a man younger than me, but he seemed to be in far worse shape - his exposed skin was covered in sores. I wondered whether he’d even bother to see a doctor if the $7 co-payment comes in. The first time he awoke to find me there I think my presence startled him, but we shared a smile and then each time he rolled over we had a bit of a chat. How many people do this each night in Australia as a way of having some sort of roof over their heads I do not know, but what I do know is that somehow we have to find a way to do better for our nation’s poor, for those that ‘the system’ fails, for all our sakes.
Tuesday nights is when ‘Music in Mocean’ gets together to share a love of singing and music. Starting at 6, it’s an all-age gathering where you can learn technique and explore composition, as well as just enjoy sharing musical experiences together. It’s kind of spiritual, very inclusive, and all are welcome. If you’d like to be part of things feel free to come and join in, just call Mike on 0403 213 697. It costs $15, and from what I’ve heard of them, it’s money well spent.
On September the 28th we will be celebrating the richness in our diversity with our multi-faith gathering here at the chapel.
Come and join us in this rich and harmonious experience giving you a taste of the beauty of world cultures and faiths.
Thanks for being a friend of the Chapel,
Graham Anson
Minister (In Supply)
[email protected]
Travelling by public transport offers many opportunities for conversations and interactions. Going home by train at peak hour last week I got on to a quiet carriage and found two rough-sleepers making good use of the peaceful conditions. One of them was laid out down one side of the single-decker section of the carriage, and the other was a bit more cramped, taking up a triple-seat at the end of the bottom deck. Both of them were being given a very wide berth by commuters who were crammed into every other available seat. This came on the back of a conversation I had at The Chapel only the day before with one of our rough-sleepers, who said he was in the habit of catching later, less-filled trains and doing exactly the same thing as these two men. He shared how it wasn’t all that safe, that some people who do it take alcohol or drugs for the journey and aren’t very friendly or considerate once the train rolls into the sidings for the night at the other end. With that conversation in mind, and the only spare seat for me being in the same triple-seat cubicle but opposite one of these men, I decided to sit with him, and privately pray for him for the time we shared the ride. He was a man younger than me, but he seemed to be in far worse shape - his exposed skin was covered in sores. I wondered whether he’d even bother to see a doctor if the $7 co-payment comes in. The first time he awoke to find me there I think my presence startled him, but we shared a smile and then each time he rolled over we had a bit of a chat. How many people do this each night in Australia as a way of having some sort of roof over their heads I do not know, but what I do know is that somehow we have to find a way to do better for our nation’s poor, for those that ‘the system’ fails, for all our sakes.
Tuesday nights is when ‘Music in Mocean’ gets together to share a love of singing and music. Starting at 6, it’s an all-age gathering where you can learn technique and explore composition, as well as just enjoy sharing musical experiences together. It’s kind of spiritual, very inclusive, and all are welcome. If you’d like to be part of things feel free to come and join in, just call Mike on 0403 213 697. It costs $15, and from what I’ve heard of them, it’s money well spent.
On September the 28th we will be celebrating the richness in our diversity with our multi-faith gathering here at the chapel.
Come and join us in this rich and harmonious experience giving you a taste of the beauty of world cultures and faiths.
Thanks for being a friend of the Chapel,
Graham Anson
Minister (In Supply)
[email protected]