MORE than 2000 people have gathered across Brisbane archdiocese in recent weeks to explore their relationship with Jesus.
That is the total number of people who have attended an ecumenical series of six “Living Jesus” gatherings.
The sixth and final gathering was held at the Uniting Church, Robina, on April 12.
People from various faith communities have attended and listened to five Christian Church leaders -Roman Catholic Archbishop John Bathersby; Uniting Church Queensland Moderator Reverend Bruce Johnson; Anglican Archbishop Phillip Aspinall; Lutheran Church in Queensland President Rev Noel Noack; and Queensland Baptists General Superintendent Rev David Loder – share about their passion for and faith in Jesus Christ.
Mission development officer with Brisbane Catholic archdiocese’s Faith and Life Vicariate Mike Humphrys, who was one of the co-ordinators of the series, said the personal testimonies of the leaders, related with humour and humility, “spoke about their relationship with Jesus and how they strive to nurture it amidst the flurry of their busy lives”.
“Reflecting on the words of Scripture, seeing Jesus active in the lives of others and taking time for prayer and conversation were the common threads identified by each speaker as the ways in which they grow closer to Jesus,” Mr Humphrys said.
“The uniqueness of these ecumenical gatherings was that our Christian leaders and the lay witnesses shared honestly and vulnerably about how important Jesus is in their lives.
“The warmth of Christian hospitality, the sharing of Christian worship, the impact of the Living Jesus multimedia, the openness of these Christian leaders and the camaraderie of those attending all contributed to these joyous and inspiring gatherings.
“Those attending were encouraged to share their ‘Jesus’ story with members of their families, friends and work colleagues.”
Rev Johnson, in response to a question, said “that’s how others can come to know Jesus”.
“The more we talk about our friendship with Jesus, the more likely it will engage others to reflect on who Jesus is for them,” Rev Johnson said.
The gatherings were planned by an ecumenical consultative committee with representatives from each of the five participating Christian churches.
This committee was supported by staff from Faith and Life Vicariate – Mr Humphrys and Commission for Ecumenism and Inter-Religious Relations executive officer Margaret Naylon (co-ordinators) – Catholic Communications Office manager Adrian Taylor (media and promotion) and archdiocesan web services officer Matt Cassidy, who created the “Living Jesus” website which can be viewed at www.livingjesus.org.au
Mr Humphrys said one of Archbishop Bathersby’s dreams, mooted after the “Knowing Jesus” regional gatherings last year, has taken shape and hopefully, inspired many people to talk more openly about their relationship with Jesus.
“I am thrilled that together with other Christian leaders we have shared about what is core to our faith and our life – the driving force that makes sense of our lives – our personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” Archbishop Bathersby said.
