Rev Hannes Halgren, Minister at Uniting Church in the City, led devotions for members of the 44th Annual Meeting of the Synod of WA, on Saturday evening. He focussed on knowing that God is there with us, giving us hope for the journey.
Hannes asked: What are you full of? What is it that truly lifts within you?
“We are not always in the same place,” he said. “The Bible teaches that too. There is a time and place for everything under the sun. Sometimes we laugh out loud, sometimes we cry very deeply.
“If you really have an honest look towards yourself, seeking your own heart, where is your plate filled?”
Hannes used an image of the Feeling Wheel, a concept developed by Dr Gloria Willcox which helps people identify specific emotions they might be feeling.
“The opposite of being scared means that I feel safe, and then I have peace,” he said. “The opposite of sad is joyful; I feel content and I belong somewhere.
“God wants to fill us with peace and fill us with joy.”
“Blessed are we when we realise our strength is in God.
“Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark. We may not know what tomorrow will hold for us but we know what God is and that he will be part of this journey.”
Hannes ended devotions in prayer.
“As we continue from here beyond, we pray that we will truly be grounded in the hope you bring us as you fill us with joy and peace, so that we can offer hope as you offer hope to us.”
