Uniting Church’s Day of Mourning

Since 2018 the Uniting Church marks a Day of Mourning prior to Australia Day to reflect on the dispossession and ongoing injustices faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Last Sunday 23rd January many churches in the Yass Parish held worship services that reflected on the effects of invasion and colonisation on First Peoples.

The Rev Sharon Hollis (President Uniting Church in Australia), and Rev Mark Kicket (Interim National Chair Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress), explained the key principles of the Day of Mourning, namely that the Church:

• recognises a covenant relationship to stand together with, and listen to the wisdom of First Nations people in their struggle for justice
• affirms the sovereignty of First Peoples and honours their culture and their connection to country
• reaffirms our understanding that First Peoples encountered the Creator God long before colonisation
• confesses and seek forgiveness for the dispossession and violence against First Peoples
• recommits to justice and truth-telling.

Many services began on Sunday with this beautiful call to worship: “Our land is alive with the glory of God; desert sands hum and gum trees dance.

Brown grasses sing and mountains breathe their stillness. All created things add their rhythms of delight and even stones rap out their praise.

Let our voices mingle with those of the earth; may our hearts join the beat of her joy, for our triune God is with us: the Source of all being surrounds and upholds us. Christ Jesus walks beside and before us. The Spirit moves within and between us.

Blessed be God, our wonder and delight.”

To see a video about the Day of Mourning please go to: Day of Mourning 2022 - Uniting Church Australia

• Topics:

• Australia Day
• Religion