A story of bushrangers, commercial and industrial development, the evolution of transport, and the aftermath of the postwar housing boom. By Rod Benson North Rocks Road is one of the principal routes connecting North Parramatta, North Rocks and Carlingford, but its significance reaches well beyond transport. The road extends from the junction of Church Street …
Is the Uniting Church in danger of mission creep?
Mosaic depictingย Moses and the Burning Bushย at Saint Catherine Monastery, a Greek Orthodox monastery at the base of Mount Sinai in Egypt. Rod Benson The Uniting Church does many things well. It advocates for justice, runs major community services, supports vulnerable people, promotes reconciliation, addresses ecological responsibility and contributes to public debate. Yet its breadth and …
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Morning prayer for Wednesday 2 September 2026
Invocation + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Pause for reflection Good morning, heavenly Father.We worship you, the creator and sustainer of the universe. Good morning, Lord Jesus.We worship you, Saviour and Lord of the world. Good morning, Holy Spirit.We worship you, sanctifier of the people …
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Katoomba Christian Convention and the changing ecology of Australian evangelicalism
Dawn mist in the Jamison Valley, Echo Point, 1935. Photo: Harry Phillips. Blue Mountains City Library. Rod Benson To arrive at Echo Point, Katoomba, for the first time is to discover that photographs have concealed the scale of the place. You approach through an ordinary mountain town, walk toward the edge of the plateau, and …
Why bring climate change into Christian worship?
"They Said No." Acrylic on canvas by Lisle Gwynn Garrity. Inspired by Exodus 1:8-22. If Christians can support climate action on ordinary moral grounds, why do priests, pastors and ministers bring climate change into sermons, prayers, hymns and liturgies at all? Why not leave climate policy to scientists, governments, journalists and citizens, and allow public …
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