 Spirituality and WorshipWorship lies at the heart of all the Community's life and concerns. Whenever Members gather they worship together. Each Sunday we seek to renew and deepen our spirituality, prayer and worship in the uniquely Australian context.In worship we celebrate the love of God, and we celebrate our own life together as a gift of God. We seek to discover new ways through which worship may come alive, and a new understanding of God. We are committed to an approach to worship that is incarnational - expressing the belief that there is no part of life that is beyond the reach of our faith;
 Above all we are committed to an approach to worship that is participative, affirming and sharing individual gifts and corporate resources, and recognising that we need God, we need each other, and God needs us, for we are part of the Body - God's hands, eyes, feet in today's world, as St Teresa's famous prayer puts it. The Community has a strong interest in Celtic spirituality, in spirituality in general, and especially in the development of a contextualised spirituality that reflects the Australian character and landscape . We seek an approach that sees spirituality not as an exercise in pietistic individualised detachment but rather as a multifaceted engagement or centredness in the life of the Spirit, with a clear social dimension and expression. The link between spirituality and social and political commitment from a Christian perspective is central to the Community's purpose and continuing life. (Adapted from the Iona Community statement on worship). ReflectionThe God of the new spirituality is intimate, intense and immanent, rather than remote, detached, interventionist and supernatural. God is seen as "a mystery at the core of ordinary reality." (p. 164). "Spirituality does not ask for proof of the existence of God, because the proof is in the experience itself." It is enough for spirituality to realise that there is mystery and presence in the ordinary world.As Tacey writes: "God reveals itself to us not only in scripture, creation and tradition (the three official sources of revelation), but also in the minor revelations of everyday life, in our encounter with the known, which is made mysterious and wonderful when we see the known as an analogy of the unknown, that is symbolic and sacramental." ( p. 164) Peggy Goldsmith - Under the Great Cross - The Spirituality Revolution. Wellspring Community. ReadingsPsalm 24:1,2 | Luke 7:36-50Prayer"As winter treesstretch out bare arms to a dark sky, we stretch out into the darkness to find the touch of love. As snowdrops turn their gentle faces to the sun, we long to find in that warmth the promise of peace. As the fire breaks the shell of the seed, so may our pain break the shell of isolation that protects us from ourselves. In the security of darkness, the warmth of sunshine, the promise of fire, may we blossom anew in the miracle of your saving love O God." From "The Pattern of our Days." Edited by Kathy Galloway. p.159. Photo used with permission from Weetabixx |
 
Isolated Members and Friends
Wellspring seeks to support and encourage members and friends who are isolated. For more information send a message by clicking here The Wellspring Community has a Facebook group. For more information about Facebook click here. If you want to look at the Wellspring group then first you need to sign up. When you've signed up use the search function and you should find the Wellspring group. You'll need to ask for permission to join the group. That will come to the Wellspring office for approval. Wellspring Book Publication "Campfires and Wellsprings", a great read to supplement the urban pilgrimage. |