A newsletter from Jon and Lisa Owen

Above: Jon with Nathan Reid (Global Interaction) and Michael Frost (Morling College) at Tinsley Lecture and “Muddy Spirituality” launch Below: Our current household including Jazmin (17) and Jesse and Chelsea Size (submerge students)

Mark 4:35-41: On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’

This story about Jesus and the disciples is a perfect analogy for Lisa and I as it relates to our own discipleship journey here in Mt

Druitt. Jesus invites us on the journey, and soon we find ourselves deep in the storm with no option of turning around. Yet, he is still with us in the places that we fear, both in our lives and those of our neighbours. Far too often we forget that and find ourselves trying to navigate the storm alone. We fail to recall that he is with us, all we need to do is call out to him, for he can calm the storm – both around us and within us. Truth be told, it is only he who can.

Only he can provide the quiet place of peace and stillness that we all yearn for.

We celebrated Easter with a service in our neighbourhood. The weekend was hauntingly and poignantly framed by the discovery of missing girl Kiesha Abrahams’ body, hastily buried in a shallow grave a few kilometers behind our suburb in bushland. The subsequent news of the arrest of her mother and step-father was met with a lot of anger, yet, as we have come to learn, anger is largely unprocessed sadness, which wears like a heavy cloak around the shoulders of many of our friends.

Easter Sunday

This garment was worn into the Easter Service and it was no surprise that there was conflict between neighbours. It was stormy, and if we tried to fix it, it would have been without success. Instead of trying to “talk the women around” Lisa chose instead to “wake up Jesus” and ask him to solve it. Lisa chose to continue to pursue a relationship with each of the parties involved in the conflict and God performed a miracle. There was an apology followed by restoration of relationships. There is calm after the storm. I feel like the next task of discipleship now is to point to Jesus at work so that our neighbours are aware of the part he has played in calming the storm and the power he has to heal the hurts that rules over their hurting lives.

The task of sharing in God’s work in this world is one that continually draws us to praise and gratitude. We thank God for sending you into our lives to equip, support and encourage the extension of God’s healing, calming presence into the storm of our neighbours’ lives.

Please join us in thanking the Lord:

* For the opportunity to celebrate Easter with 23 adults and 33 children

* For the pampering of the Mums on Mother’s Day

* That the Tinsley lecture and Muddy Spirituality have been well received

* For the provision of a new office space

Please Pray:

* For Jazmin as she studies year 12 and grieves the loss of her mother late last year

* For wisdom as to when to have more intentional worship gatherings

* For discernment as to whether Chelsea and Jesse Size move to join the “Mt Druitt Central” team

* For families with DOCS (children’s services) involvement

From Jon, Lisa, Kshama and Keirra Owen