Sea of Faith — Dunedin

Food will be available

A two minute period of silence.

Our Chair is continuing the tradition of having a member of the Dunedin Sea of Faith Local Group on the National Steering Committee. That will be vital for the October 2014 Conference – well done Gretchen.

It’s good to report that Margaret Feist is settling in well at her new Summerset home

12/36 Shetland Street
Wakari
DUNEDIN 9010
New Phone: 950-3012

As with us all, the problem of what to do with so many books is like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

Jim Veitch writes… I will build on my last talk about the Historical Jesus: the Jesus of history is a Jew of his time who grabbed the attention of a small group who turned his thinking and his ideas into a story for change that challenged the legitimacy of Roman rule and questioned the relevance of the integrity of the Judaism practiced at the time. So how and why was a historical Jewish man divinised to become God – the Christ – and the focus of a new religious tradition: and what does all this mean for a modern day celebration of Christmas?

From time to time, the discussion at Sea of Faith (in Dunedin, at Conference and in the Steering Committee) has turned to the idea of doing something – but that has become a sticking point as we don’t have a creed (and I don’t think it would be in the interests of Sea of Faith to go down that road). Some of our members are involved with political parties, some with churches, some in Social Action Groups such as The Howard League for Prison Reform and I’m sure most of us give money to worthy causes. In all these ways we are part of a movement for Social Justice – creating a better Society (as Jesus talked about).

On 31st October, Andrew Bradstock’s former Department, Theology and Public Issues, jointly with the Dunedin branch of the Howard League for Prison Reform, held a panel at University on the topic of severing the link between Alcohol and Prison. One of the Keynote Speakers was Sir Geoffrey Palmer QC and he also spoke at a Howard League dinner later that night. Frances, Robin and I went along. It is clear that despite the fact that Government acted on 134 out of the 154 recommendations from the Law Society-led Commission on Alcohol Reform, the ones not acted upon are the major ones that still need to be fixed.
We can note that the abolition of smoking in public places was community-led not Government-led, so too with the same-sex marriage legislation. Alcohol reform will not come about by politicians who often have a three-year view of issues, but by pressure from our communities making change acceptable and inevitable. Changes can take place at a local level too.
Recently the DCC refused permission to have a tent selling alcohol at a primary school function.
The ODT for 5th November carried a report of a plan to reduce the allowed alcohol level in the blood for drivers. Minister Gerry Brownlee is reported as saying this is in response to pressure from the public.
Anyone who knows me is aware that I’m not a wowser or a leader in any Temperance Movement, but I am concerned at the repeat offending (drivers over the allowed blood-alcohol limit) and the numbers of folk in prison who have alcohol dependency problems. The Vice Chancellor at the University of Otago doesn’t wish to stop students drinking but to drink less and enjoy more.
One of our Christchurch Sea of Faith leading lights, Prof Doug Sellman, will be in Dunedin to give an address

– Local councils might succeed where central government has failed!

At pact Office, 80 Filleul Street. Dunedin.

Please ring Margaret on 477 4312 to secure a seat.

This is the last meeting for this year (we start again on 27th February 2014). My thanks to those who have switched from having a posted paper copy of the Newsletter to an e-mail version. The Dunedin Local Group has not charged for those and the budget has been about $200 per year until recently, when new postage rates have pushed the cost to $230. Since it will now take three days to have a copy of the Newsletter delivered across town, more folk are being pushed towards the new technology and it won’t be long before everyone will be doing that.

Schools are now realising that they don’t have to have expensive computer rooms any more as students are going along with their own computers in their pockets (cell phones) and typically have a machine at home. I know that some of our members use e-books as it is easier to hold a lightweight e-reader than a heavy library book, especially when arthritis in the hands becomes painful.
Change is one true sign of life. I know that all of us have a changed view of our faith since we were younger – that doesn’t frighten us – neither should computers.
Best wishes to everyone for a peaceful Christmas and the best of health that can be reasonably expected in 2014.