Jonah Blurs Lines Between Satire and Racism

Australian Comedian Chris Lilley continues to raise eyebrows with his newest satirical series on the ABC "Jonah from Tonga". Following on from the character's appearance in "Summer Heights High" and "Angry Boys" Lilley's character continues to blur the lines between satire and offence; especially amongst the Tongan people.

Rev Jason Kioa

Last week the Chair of the Uniting Church’s Tongan National Conference Rev. Jason Kioa, said the portrayal of Jonah sent the wrong message on so many levels. This opinion was backed up by the Church President Rev Professor Andrew Dutney. “Notwithstanding the program makers’ assurances of benign intent, the depiction of the character Jonah is offensive to our Tongan brothers and sisters.” Rev Dutney said in a statement. 

“As members of the same body of Christ we share that pain that their nationality has been singled out for ridicule on the national broadcaster. Young Tongan leaders make an amazing contribution to our Church and our country. They deserve our pride not this kind of prejudice."

The Uniting Church isn't alone in airing some concerns about the series with numerous news reports showing opinions both for and against Lilley's brand of humour from within the Polynesian Community. 

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/backlash-over-chris-lilleys-jonah-from-tonga-as-protest-movement-gains-momentum/story-e6frfmyi-1226918651717

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/jonah-from-tonga-deemed-racist-by-polynesian-community-9379280.html

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/05/15/chris-lilley-facing-social-media-backlash-over-racist-jonah-tonga

Rev Jason Kioa shared his thoughts on ACU Wired Radio.

No Gift Without Its Corresponding Service

The Christian Church has its history woven amongst the service and sacrifice of the ANZACs. From the shores of Gallipoli and then the first Anzac Day in 1916, to the ships on border patrol in Australian territorial waters; padre’s have long had a place alongside troops looking after their spiritual wellbeing.

Carina Salvation Army Corp lead the 2014 Anzac march

In modern times, the Church continues to interweave with the traditions and remembrance of Anzac Day. Paragraph 13 of The Uniting Church Basis of Union states “The Uniting Church... acknowledges with thanksgiving that the one Spirit has endowed the members of Christ’s Church with a diversity of gifts, and that there is no gift without its corresponding service” These gifts could be music, prayer or general service of others. 

The Ekibin Memorial Park service organised by Yeronga – Dutton ParkRSL has always had strong representation from the local churches. Every year the Carina Corp of the Salvation Army lead the short march and provide musical accompaniment for the hymns during the service and ministers from the local churches lead prayers in annual rotation.

Rev David McGregor

Another element introduced by the Wellers Hill Tarragindi Uniting Church (WHAT UCA) is free tea/coffee and Anzac Biscuits. On a cool Autumn morning, a hot drink and a snack is just what is needed by the veterans and the general public. With biscuits donated by local supermarkets and congregation members and the tea, coffee, milk and sugar all donated through the church; this would be the perfect opportunity to raise money for the church. 

The WHAT UCA do put a donation bucket out, but every cent is given over to the local Legacy branch to assist them in their mission to care for the widows and children of diggers that never return. 2014 was another humbling year for the church with the local community donating $722 to assist Legacy in the local area. The model of Jesus is alive and well in the modern church as it seeks ways to give back to the community to which they belong.

 Lest We Forget

Crazy Love hits Toowoomba

Easterfest front entry - Queens Park Toowoomba QLD

For 16 years, Toowoomba has been the hub of easter activities for lovers of Christian music. Easterfest brings together some big names from Australian and overseas Contemporary Christian Music and joins them with smaller independent and local performers to create a weekend of live music, entertainment and fellowship.

Easterfest branded the festival with a theme of “Crazy Love” in a way to sum up the message of Easter and to also highlight some of the other changes including a brand new layout and more of a focus on a whole city event not just a concert in a park. Over the last few years, Easterfest has expanded from having its activities concentrated in Queens Park in the centre of the city, to including cafes, restaurants, pubs and Shopping Centres; bringing not only live entertainment but also a major revenue boost for local retailers. Toowoomba City has reciprocated with more local businesses opening up over the long weekend, even on public holidays, to an appreciative and enthusiastic patronage.

Toowoomba Daily Newspaper “The Chronicle” quoted Southern Qld Country Tourism CEO Mary-Clare Power as saying "These events are very important for tourism in Southern Queensland Country, and are one of the 'hero' experiences for Southern Queensland Country - the experiences that give us the edge over competitor destinations." Local business Bon Amici Café (also an Easterfest City Live venue) reported an increase on last year’s patronage over Easter with owner Wayne Luchterhand telling “The Chronicle” "We didn't think it was going to be as busy as it was so we'll be even better prepared for the next one because we'll know what to expect."

In a first for Easterfest, Mainstage was undercover in 2014

In the Park precinct Festival Director Dave Schenk’s vision of a completely fresh look for the festival payed off with patrons and store holders alike commenting on the increased flow of traffic, the new look and feel of an undercover mainstage and an increase in community areas. “Thanks to the Major Event status given by the QLD government, we were able to do a comprehensive independent study after last year’s festival with the results revealing that the majority of people coming to Easterfest came not for the music or the ministry exhibitors, but for community” Mr Schenk said. 

“So what we’ve tried to do is create a festival that encourages patrons to stop and enjoy each other’s company, and I think the new layout certainly was successful in that.” Another bonus to Mr Schenk’s vision was the lack of complaints from local residents “We only had about 1 noise complaint across the entire weekend, which means that our state of the art sound system and undercover stages achieved what we wanted”.

A variety of artists playing across a number of stages both in Queens Park and in the city kept patrons entertained with a mix of rock, pop, folk, heavy metal and more. Artists spoke openly about their Christian faith, the message of Easter and joined in discussions and worship across the site. Artists with mainstream appeal like Bec Laughton, Evermore and Dami Im were drawcards while Easterfest veterans Alabaster Box, Compliments of Gus and Scat were always guaranteed to draw a crowd. With big names Peter Furler and Switchfoot announced for 2015, its sure to draw more people back to Toowoomba for Easter.

Bec Laughton brings back the Drum Line for her 2014 Mainstage appearance.

Record Attempt Sends Aircraft to Timor

Parkes Regional Airport was a hive of activity on November 2^nd last year for a record attempt by a former Missionary Pilot.

Ron Watts, at the age of 64, was attempting to break an Australasian record for the most take off and landings by a single pilot in a single day. The target was 140 and at the end of the day, a new record was set with an average of 3 minutes between each landing.

A replica of the GA8 on display at Easterfest 2014

“We started the effort at 6am and by 4:30 that afternoon we had done it” Mr Watts said “It was a beautiful day in Parkes and the people were just fantastic”.

But this is only the beginning of the story. The record attempt also doubled as a fundraiser for Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) who needed to make up the shortfall to pay for a second aircraft for Timor Lestē. 

 
A whopping $191 000 was raised, completely funding the $500 000 cost of the GippsAero Airvan 8 (GA8 Airvan).

Ron has been with MAF for almost 40 years. He's seen the difference light aircraft can make to remote communities and especially to the remote country of Timor Lestē where the only fixed wing aircraft in the entire country is a MAF GA8 Airvan.

MAF board chair Pam Condie poses with Ron at Easterfest

“The second aircraft would enable MAF to double the capacity to serve these people” Mr Watts explains, “We currently have 1 aircraft and 2 pilots flying missions that have regularly saved lives. Over the past year MAF have flown over 100 Medivacs, about 1 every 3 days, there are 30 aid agencies currently working in-country relying on our aircraft and our pilots to transport equipment and personnel across rugged and unforgiving terrain”. 



This is just the beginning of the work that MAF do with the Government of Timor Lestē also chartering the aircraft as required.

Mr Watts is looking forward to being part of the ferry team that will deliver the aircraft in June this year; “we’ve had to have a new engine fitted to the aircraft which has delayed the arrival, but I’m really excited about the way this second aircraft will boost the work of MAF to share the gospel through very real and practical service”.

Fame and Notoriety have its perks

In 2013 a shy music teacher from Brisbane blew away seasoned professionals and Australian television audiences when she competed on the reality television talent program X Factor. Dami Im went on to win the competition and in doing so gained a record deal with Sony Music and instant celebrity status.

12 year old Sakthivel - Noah's sponsor child of 6 years

Along with her husband Noah; Dami has been sponsoring children through Compassion Australia for the last 7 years and so approached the organisation to offer some help. “We’ve always been passionate about doing something for God and maybe something to help the people in poorer areas. Since we’re sponsoring through Compassion anyway lets contact them and see if we can help.” Dami said “They were really surprised as they had wanted me to be their ambassador and had sent me an email which I hadn’t checked because of all the craziness.”

14 year old Somoli with Dami

As an Ambassador for the Compassion Child Sponsorship program, Dami visited India in March 2014 to see first hand how Compassion 'release Children from Poverty in Jesus name'. “I was really surprised at how short they are, especially considering despite being female and Asian I’m actually pretty tall” laughed Dami, “but because of their malnourishment when they were younger, these children were shorter than me. Its like a whole different world and really conflicting seeing the people and the slums…I really felt like we need to do more about this and I’m really proud that I’m an Ambassador for Compassion because the work they are doing is really really making a difference, breaking the cycle of poverty for these kids.” Dami also got to meet Somoli, her sponsor child of seven years face to face.

Dami’s husband Noah said to her that they should do a trip like this every year and despite her fatigue agrees that it helps put everything into perspective and gives more meaning to what she does.

Dami Im is performing on Mainstage at the annual Easterfest in Toowoomba on Sunday night, "before winning X-factor I sang in different churches and haven't had the opportunity to do much of that since. It sort of feels like going back to that community and still embracing whats happenied to me recently. I want to be the bridge between the Christian community and what I do in the mainstream world and still use the mainstream music to bring glory God". 

Sakthivel and family with Dami & Noah Im

Dami will also be at the Compassion tent on Saturday afternoon to talk more about her visit to India and the work of Compassion.



Special thanks to Compassion Australia for the photographs contained in this article.

  

Communicating Easter to Families

“Easter and Christmas… the 2 major points of the Christian Calendar.”

Rev Jock Dunbar is the Minister of the St Marks Uniting Church, a small church in suburban Brisbane. Jock has witnessed first-hand the way his community connected to a friendly family based event in the form of Christmas Carols in the church grounds for the past few years and was inspired to try to connect with the same people or others at the other major point of the Christian calendar – the remembrance of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus - Easter.

Families have different priorities to other people so engaging them takes activities that kids love like hunting for chocolate eggs, craft and even a Donkey!  Two Sundays before Easter, the St Marks congregation ran their very first Easter Family Fun Day. Kids and their parents engaged in the Easter message at every turn during the event, but never in a forceful or intimidating way. 

 

The message was clear in the craft, the music and of course in the story telling. Kids had a great time getting messy, being creative and even getting to ride a real life donkey.

St Marks volunteers chatted over sausages and hot cross buns, helped spread glue and paint on to cardboard and assisted small hands in moulding shapes to communicate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 



This congregation is making the effort to show the community they care and want to be in relationship with them, but most of all are willing to not just talk about the real meaning of Easter but demonstrate it as well.  

Rev Jock Dunbar reads Dave the Donkey as part of the fun day activities.

A Destiny Together: Uniting Church laments treatment of Indigenous Australians.

From the 17th - 23rd March 2014, the Uniting Church in Australia called upon its entire membership to engage in a week of prayer and fasting for the first people of Australia. Entitled "A Destiny Together" this week was the church's way of responding to the stories told to members of the national council of the church in Adelaide in July 2012. These stories highlighted the struggles of indigenous Australians living in areas affected by the Federal Government’s ‘Stronger Futures’ legislation and the ‘Intervention’ before that.

Part of the week of prayer and fasting was a public prayer vigil and service of lament held on the lawns of the Australian Parliament in the Nation's capital. Every state was represented at this public gathering, both indigenous and non-indigenous, attracting approximately 200 people. The service was led by the President of the National Assembly, Rev Prof Andrew Dutney and Chair of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC) Rev Rronang Gurrawurra.

Pastor Stuart McMillen, the President -Elect of the Uniting Church National Assembly highlighted to Vision Radio that this was a historic moment for the Uniting Church "I believe this is very historic. I don't believe there has been another time in our history as the Uniting Church in Australia that the entire church has been called to prayer."

The mood of the gathering was hopeful and respectful. It was treated as a time of prayer and worship and more than that it was seen as a coming together of first people and second people for a common cause; a cause of social justice.



A Destiny Together from Matt Gees on Vimeo.