MY ZEN BOX

Always good to meditate it into existence.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme
and also part of the Blue Monday meme
and also part of the Seasons meme

W for WOMINJEKA

Wominjeka means ‘welcome’ in the Wurundjeri and Dja Dja Wurrung languages of Melbourne and central Victoria.

The Spiritual Healing Trail in the Darebin Parklands was the conception of "Uncle Reg" (Reginald Amos Blow 1939-2012), an Aboriginal Elder. Fortunately he was able to conduct reconciliation walks before he passed away. The idea of the Trail was to unite all Australians spiritually by getting them to walk together:

"Bunjil created Darebin Creek and surrounding bushland for people to find joy and be at peace within themselves and others. The Wurundjeri clan of the Woiwurrung people have cared for this land, and enjoyed it, through many millennia. The Spiritual Healing Trail is a gift from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community as a gesture of reconciliation."

As you enter Darebin Parklands, you are embarking on a spiritual journey, into the realm of nature and possibilities, as you walk toward the gum trees, let the leaves welcome and refresh you, allow them to relieve any stress, tension and division from your mind, to encourage you to focus on the reason for your visit, so Wominjeka!

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

MEDITATION

A serene sunset away from the hustle and bustle of the City, but in direct view of it, at the Eltham War Memorial Park in Kangaroo Ground.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Orange you Glad It's Friday meme,
and also part of the Saturday Silhouettes meme,
and also part of the Scenic Weekends meme,
and also part of the Our Beautiful World meme,
and also part of the My Sunday Photo meme,
and also part of the Spiritual Sundays meme.

ST JAMES' IVANHOE

St James' Anglican Church in Ivanhoe has an evangelical tradition and emphasis on Bible teaching. The church caters for people of all ages, has strong missionary links and outreach active since 1908. The purpose of this church as a Christian Community is to be following Jesus' teachings and loving people, growing connected communities which are Strong, healthy and vibrant. A variety of worship services, ranging from the traditional such as the Thursday morning Holy Communion Service where the 1662 Prayer Book is used to more contemporary worship at some of the other services. A Chinese Mandarin Service is held at 1.30pm on Sunday. All services are reflective focusing on the Word of God, prayer, praise and worship.

This post is part of the Spiritual Sundays meme,
and also part of the  inSPIREd Sunday meme,
and also part of the  Monday Mellow Yellows meme,

and also part of the Blue Monday meme,

and also part of the Through my Lens meme.

HOLY SPIRIT CHURCH, WATSONIA

The Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit is found at 80 Watsonia Road, Watsonia. It is a modern building of modest proportions which seems to be light and airy given that it has quite a large area of glass in the walls and windows. The interior consists of a central devotional area and on either side, dual multi-use spaces put to good use by the parish.

This post is part of the Spiritual Sundays meme,
and also part of the inSPIREd Sunday meme.

CHRIST CHURCH, BRUNSWICK

Christ Church is an Anglican church in the busy centre of Brunswick, just twenty minutes by tram to the north of the Melbourne CBD. The first part of the building was dedicated in 1857 and reached its final form in 1875, and has been used for weekly and daily worship since that time.

Christ Church has a proud tradition of Anglican worship in the Catholic tradition in the Northern Region of the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, a diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia. Preaching and sacraments are at the centre of worship at Christ Church. Services at Christ Church blend the old and the new, drawing on the Book of Common Prayer (1662, revised 1928) and A Prayerbook for Australia (1995).

The parish is involved in the local community in various ways, including the Op Shop, Villa Rustica Cafe, inter-church activities with the other churches in the area, and through connections to Trinity College, and St Paul's Cathedral.

Christ Church is classified by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and is also listed on the State Government of Victoria Heritage database. Christ Church is a good example of Italian Renaissance architecture, although the campanile alone is of Romanesque design. The Nave was built in1857 (Architect: Purchas & Swyer, Builder: Peter Cunningham); The Transept, Chancel & Vestry in 1863-1864 (Architect: Smith & Watts, Builder: Dry & Co.); The Campanile in 1870-1871 (Architect: Smith & Watts, Builder: Martin & Peacock); The Apse in 1874-1875 (Architect: J. Wyatt, Builder: Pickering & Dolly).

This post is part of the Spiritual Sundays meme;
and also part of the inSPIREd Sunday meme;
and also part of the Scenic Weekends meme.

ALL SAINTS CHURCH, NORTHCOTE

All Saints' Anglican Church at 14-16 High Street, Northcote is a beautiful heritage church built in bluestone. In 1857, a committee was formed to discuss the construction of an Anglican church in Northcote. They held their meetings at the Peacock Hotel. The meetings were productive and the foundation stones of All Saints' Church of England (Northcote) - situated at the corner of High and Walker Streets - were laid in January 1859 by the Governor Sir Henry Barkly. The church held services from August 1860.

When services started in August 1860 the Colony of Victoria had existed as a separate colony for only 10 years. The event of separation gives its name to ‘Separation Street’. It was only 7 years after the first permanent domestic house had been built in Westgarth. There was no gas street lighting in High Street. It would be 15 years before the bridge was built across the Merri, to bring the gas across the creek. It would be 20 years before the coming of a cable tram. The gradient of Rucker’s Hill had to be completely rebuilt before a tram line would be possible.

The church building (excluding the vestries and re-built bluestone chancel) is registered by the National Trust with a ‘local’ classification, meaning that it has cultural and historical significance in the context of the region. The church is in the Early English Gothic style and distinguished by the use of Bacchus Marsh freestone dressings on a body of squared snecked bluestone rubble. It is one of only two churches in Northcote to be registered.

This post is part of the Spiritual Sundays meme,
and also part of the inSPIREd Sunday meme.

The Church in 1889

The Church in 2015

ST ANDREWS CHURCH

St Andrews is a town in Victoria, Australia, 36 km north-east of Melbourne's Central Business District. Its local government area is the Shire of Nillumbik. At the 2011 Census, St Andrews had a population of 1,138. St Andrews is well known for its alternative market, which is open every Saturday from 8am to 2pm. It also contains a hotel, primary school, bakery, CFA, general store and a community centre, as well as the small church from which the town takes its name.

Originally called Queenstown, the area was surveyed in 1858 and a town proclaimed on 25 February 1861. St Andrew Post Office had opened earlier on 1 January 1856 and was renamed St Andrews in 1923. It experienced population growth during the Victorian gold rush, when prospectors mined the hills around the town. The first discovery of gold in Queenstown was recorded in The Herald on 9 and 11 March 1855 and was attributed to a George Boston and two Scotsmen.

On 7 February 2009 a major bushfire destroyed houses on Ninks, Muller, Jacksons and Wild Dog Creek Roads, as well as Buttermans Track and Olives Lane. Its progression toward the town centre was halted by a southerly wind change, which saved the rest of the town, but drove the fire front further east, destroying the towns of Kinglake and Marysville.

This post is part of the Spiritual Sundays meme,
and also part of the inSPIREd Sunday meme,
and also part of the Scenic Weekends meme.

WESLEY CHURCH, LONSDALE ST

Wesley Church is a Uniting Church in the centre of Melbourne, in the State of Victoria, Australia. Wesley Church was originally built as the central church of the Wesleyan movement in Victoria. It is named after John Wesley (1703–1791), the founder of Methodism. Today Wesley Church is the home of two Uniting Church congregations, the English-speaking Wesley Church, and the Chinese-speaking Gospel Hall. In 1902, the Wesleyan Church in Australia combined with four other churches to form the Methodist Church of Australasia. In 1977, the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational Churches further combined to form the Uniting Church.

The present Wesley Church, in Lonsdale Street was built in 1858. The Superintendent, Daniel Draper, strongly proposed a grand gothic design with high quality architecture. This design was criticised by many Wesleyans as too ornate, too Gothic and too Anglican for a Wesleyan Church. However, Draper's design prevailed. The foundation stone was laid on 2 December 1857, and the Church was opened on 26 August 1858. This Church was the central congregation of the Wesleyan Church for Victoria, where the Conferences met, and where ministers were ordained. It was located in a poor part of Melbourne, and pioneered many initiatives in Community Service. In the 1880s, a team of Biblewomen were appointed to work with people experiencing serious poverty. One of these was Mrs Varcoe, who established Livingstone House, a home for homeless boys in Drummond St, Carlton.

Wesley Church was designed by Joseph Reed, who also designed the Melbourne Town Hall, the Scots' Church and the Independent Church (now St. Michael’s in Collins St. The church is in the English Gothic style and takes the shape of a cross. The church is 50.3 metres long from north to south and 23.5 metres across at the transepts. It has an octagonal spire rising 53.3 meters above ground level. Wesley's organ was the first pipe organ in Melbourne. It was built in England, and arrived in Melbourne in 1842, being moved to the present church in 1858. It was largely rebuilt in 1957. Inside the church are two paintings by the noted Australian painter Rupert Bunny (1864–1947): "The Prodigal Son" (Luke 15:11-32) and "Abraham's Sacrifice" (Genesis 22:1-14), which Bunny gave to Wesley Church in 1934. The statue of John Wesley A statue of John Wesley stands in front of the church. It was sculpted by the British sculptor Paul Raphael Montford in 1935.

This post is part of the Spiritual Sundays meme,
and also part of the inSPIREd Sunday meme.