GordonMoyes.com

This year Boys’ Brigade celebrates it’s 125th year of operation.
From humble beginnings on the 4th October 1883 at the Free College Church Mission, Glasgow the Boys’ Brigade has grown to an organisation with in excess of 750,000 young people the world over.

I have been reading Malcolm Prentis’ new book, “The Scots in Australia”(UNSW Press 2008). He points out that Scottish Presbyterians were on board the ships of William Dampier and James Cook, and that the first Presbyterian worship service in Australia was held in 1793. Their first church, Ebenezer, was erected in 1802 and still stands on the Hawkesbury.

Christians are required in every congregation to help other Christians mature in their faith. There is great need for experienced Christians to come alongside and assist others mature. Some Christians are new to the faith and still need to grow. Other Christians have not had the opportunity to become mature Christians and need help. Other Christians have been hurt by the sufferings of life and slipped back in their assurance.

This week is the anniversary of my commencement of working among the poor in the slums of Melbourne. For 52 years I have worked among the poor, and for most of that time I continued the tradition of the Wesleys who cared for the poor through Wesley Mission, Sydney. The Wesleys established credit unions, free schools and dispensaries, attacked factory work conditions and parliamentary laws allowing economic exploitation, slavery, war, piracy, gambling and political graft.

Water is a basic element of life. Our scientific generation can understand water in its three basic forms. It is the only substance of earth that is a liquid we drink, a solid as ice, and a gas as steam. Its molecular structure is the simplest a young student learns: H2O. Water consists only of two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. Yet we cannot make it simply or cheaply.

I have been making a study of the political strategy of Barack Obama for the past two years. I have read his two books and have noted every article by journalists. Last week I returned from a month in USA where I more closely observed his campaign. He has totally rewritten the strategy of successfully campaigning for elections.

During 2001, seven years ago, I was a Keynote speaker at the Homelessness Summit held at Parliament House Sydney. The Summit was a joint venture between people who are homeless, community organizations, peak bodies, government agencies, unions and Members of Parliament, who in a non-partisan environment, wanted to take a fresh look at issues affecting the growing crisis of homelessness and assisted housing, with a view to making policy recommendations.

On Sunday 25 May, Rev Dr. Moyes was the guest speaker for the National Thanksgiving Day Service at Bexley Uniting Church. The theme of his sermon is “Being Part of the Thankful Ten Percent”.

My wife Beverley and myself, have long had a great appreciation of the Christian Church in Korea which has remained faithful to God even under persecution and war. The Australian Korean Churches have a great deal to teach the other churches through the Korean example of faithfulness in prayer, in evangelism and personal witnessing.

Here on the oval of the Berkeley Vale Rugby Club, the title that was given to me for this presentation on Africa – Gorillas in the Mist – sounds like after a hard match, the Berkeley Vale Rugby Club scrum is seen coming out of the hot showers!