St Michael's Uniting Church

120 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000

Ph: (03) 9654 5120
Fax: (03) 9650 3863

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March 2011 theme: The Minefield of Your Emotions

  • Melissa Iddles
    4th May, 2011
    4:24pm

    Dr Macnab’s address about Forgiveness, 13 March 2011, focussed on how we respond to wrongdoing. He gave examples of crimes by people against people. He discussed the complex issues of how we forgive others; and also how we forgive ourselves. Dr Macnab’s address echoed Jesus’ call for us to help each other to be better human beings and a better humanity, because God is a god of acceptance and compassion.

    I have a complimentary view of forgiveness. I believe that to forgive (whether ourselves or others) is to Let it Be. For example, someone that I love (‘X’) caused dreadful suffering to another person that I love (‘Y’). Justice has been enacted against ‘X’ but what about ‘Y’? Even with faith and counselling she may be forever traumatised and left with scars. However, Y is a good example to me in my life. She has been able to “accept what has occurred”, as Dr Macnab said. It might be too much to ask of ‘Y’ to forgive ‘X’, in the old-time religious sense of the word. But I can see that ‘Y’ is not carrying any disease from the wrongdoing. She has Let it Be; and let it go. She accepts her condition and she knows that God accepts her. She is beautiful.

    I have a prayer: “God forgive me ... And help me to forgive myself ...” The word ‘forgive’ could also be ‘accept’. I use this prayer when I am having destructive feelings that are inhibiting my life. And I detail them in the prayer. It helps me to experience “release”, as emphasised in Macnab’s address.

    Before we can forgive, we need to know what we are forgiving. What is sin? I believe that sin is anything that inhibits Life/God. So it’s true, as the bible says, that we are all sinners. We do things that compromise our own health, the health of our planet, the lives and happiness of other people and animals. We have thoughts and feelings that inhibit our own growth. We can be dejected, jealous, self-deprecating, scared, hateful, uptight, disingenuous, etc. And we experience longing and shame.

    How beautiful that Jesus said: Your sins are forgiven!

  • John Abbate
    23rd March, 2011
    4:02pm

    Dr Macnab's March Sunday addresses at St Michael's:

    March 20: The minefield of your emotions: Does faith play a part?

    March 13: The minefield of your emotions: Forgiveness

    March 6: The minefield of your emotions: He is so ANGRY

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