Category: Events

Eucharist – the practice of union

Whether you understand Eucharist as a commemoration of Jesus final supper with his closest followers

… or as a survival of an ancient ritual to reweave the covenant between the Divine and the human, between heaven and earth

… or as a communal space of contemplation

… or as the service of praise in which we stand as angels around the Throne of God singing hosannas…

… it doesn’t matter – Eucharist is a mystery, endlessly generative of sacred meaning.

Each time we gather, we offer ourselves, our words, our love for each other, we listen, we pray out loud and in silence and we welcome the Presence as deeply as we’re able.

Each person makes their own sense of it. But we stand together in our practice of it.

Come. Give thanks and praise!

Event Details

Event Program Jul-Dec 2018

Here’s what’s going on for the rest of the year.

12 Aug Dinner discussion
9 Sep Dinner discussion
28 Oct Eucharist – the practice of union
11 Nov Dinner discussion
Late Nov Introduction to contemplative prayer
22 Dec Agape meal

Dinner discussions serve both a social and educational purpose. They’re an informal time to meet and get to know each other, but also to discuss what we’re reading, ask questions, and share ideas and experiences. We’ll be holding these somewhere public (the venue may roam a little) on the second Sunday of the month.

If you want to get updates about venues and discussion topics – sign up to the mailing list.

Eucharist is a core part of Johannite spiritual life. Liturgy brings us into the shared presence of the divine. This is a traditional service known by many names in different churches – Mass, Holy Communion, The Lord’s Supper, The Divine Liturgy – but we all share a common practice of bread and wine, though our understanding may be different.

Introduction to contemplative prayer is a one-day workshop about meditation – or contemplative prayer as well call it. How is it prayer? How do you do it? What does it? Why should you do it? Get your questions answered and get started with a modern form of an ancient practice that goes beyond mindfulness.

Venue and date to be announced. Sign up to the mailing list to stay informed.

What else is happening?

  • Bishop Tim will be in Melbourne on 25 August for a Eucharist service and workshop with Holy Sophia Narthex.
  • Johannite School continues to grow. New courses on spiritual practice and an introduction to gnosticism are coming over the next few months.
  • An online video course about the Apocryphon of John is happening very soon. We’ll announce sign-up details via the newsletter.

Sign up to the newsletter for news and updates

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Photo by Simon Rae on Unsplash

Eucharist – the practice of union

Whether you understand Eucharist as a commemoration of Jesus final supper with his closest followers

… or as a survival of an ancient ritual to reweave the covenant between the Divine and the human, between heaven and earth

… or as a communal space of contemplation

… or as the service of praise in which we stand as angels around the Throne of God singing hosannas…

… it doesn’t matter. Yet it matters crucially. Eucharist is a mystery, endlessly generative of sacred meaning.

Each time we gather, we offer ourselves, our words, our love for each other, we listen, we pray out loud and in silence and we welcome the Presence as deeply as we’re able.

Each person makes their own sense of it. But we stand together in our practice of it.

Come. Give thanks and praise!

Event Details

An Exploration of Love

For Saint Valentinus Day, I led an online workshop about the many meanings of love in spiritual life – hosted by St Teresa of Avila Gnostic Community in Brisbane. Click the image at the bottom to get to the recording on their YouTube channel.

It’s now also available as audio-only on The Lectern podcast.

In our tradition, we use February 14 to remember one of the most significant figures of early Christian gnosticism – Valentinus. His teaching was so influential, it let to a whole school in early Christianity with its own scriptures (like the Gospel of Philip) and several other influential teachers.

One of the central themes in Valentinian teaching is love – not cool, charitable compassion – passionate, erotic, human love as a central symbolic reflection of spiritual life. This theme echoes through countless saints over the last two thousand years.

So, on Sunday (a few days after Valentine’s Day), I’m hosting an online discussion about love and the spiritual journey. Why is it such a significant theme? What are its dimensions? What does it mean to you?

(Click the image to get to the YouTube recording)