Dear Friends of the RMIT Chaplaincy
Someone once said that life kept interrupting their plans! RMIT Chaplaincy tries to plan offerings, gatherings and activities to enhance and deepen the RMIT experience, and still leave time for life to make its amazing interruptions. Here’s what we’re putting in place for in the coming semester.
First, a lot will be going on at the Spiritual Centre. Tuesday’s at 12:30 will be the first weekly meeting for “The Loop,” now known as “Opening Conversation”. It is a time to see where spirituality meets the road as we talk through the most important things: movies, money, politics, poetics, sex, drugs, rock and roll, economics, ecology, education, and taking care of yourself and others. We’re aiming to bring a variety of viewpoints, traditions and tastes together as we discuss some ways and means to make our lives livelier and better. So bring your opinions and your lunch for some good times together.
But it is not just talk at the Spiritual Centre this semester. We are joining forces with the Counselling Centre to sponsor weekly opportunities for group meditation. “Opening Silence” happens every Tuesday at 3:30 and every Thursday at 12:30. These gatherings are open to students and staff and provide a good place to begin or deepen a meditative or contemplative practise. We will be offering some old and new ways and means to enhance your silent time and you are always welcome to attend. We will be having a weekly 12:30pm Eucharist beginning this coming Wednesday, 2 August, when the Rt. Rev. Philip Huggins, Bishop of the Northern Region, Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, will join us in this ancient and wonderful rite. Our regular celebrant thereafter will be the Rev. Tat Hean Lie, a chaplain at St. Vincent’s Hospital and RMIT alum.
Libby Austin continues to officiate at “Morning Prayer” on Tuesday morning at 10:00 with a group that finds that the weekly gathering of Psalm, Scripture, Reflection and silence wrapped in prayer a good and enriching experience. There will also be a multi-faith prayer time on Friday morning at 10:00 to put the week to rest. This is open to people of any and no particular tradition or belief and will emphasize a time of prayerful presence to all people, those who are known to us and those unknown, all who are suffering and in need in the world. The Islamic Students are using the Spiritual Centre for their worship every Friday as well, so speech and silence, petitions and prayers for all kinds and conditions of people and places are finding a venue at the Spiritual Centre and we rejoice in this.
The Chaplaincy Centre in Building 11A has several regular activities in addition to the regular round of tea and biscuits, conversations and caring that have been a long tradition in that space. This semester we have new series called “The Table, the Journey, the Breath of Fresh Air” which will meet every Wednesday from 3:00 to 4:30 in a six week series of meetings aiming to help you “to consider memories, messages, meaning and hope…looking for the place where past, present, and purpose meet.” The group is co-facilitated by Counselling and Chaplaincy and is open to present RMIT staff and students. It is without charge but is limited to 12 people. For further information, call Jillian Bull (Counselling) at 9925-4365 or Robert Whalley (Chaplaincy) at 9925-2043.
And finally, every Thursday @ 5:00 pm we will be meeting in the Chaplaincy and “Opening the Gospels!” in a weekly hour-long gathering to listen, read, pray, explore, agree and disagree, question, and learn more about that portion of the Gospel read in many churches on the following Sunday. Again, everyone is welcome and tea, coffee, biscuits and sherry will be served! For more information, call the chaplaincy at 9925-2043.
We’re looking forward to a wonderful semester for the Chaplaincy at RMIT and hoping that you will be a part of it!
Peace,
Rob
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