The Rock
My soul finds rest in God alone.
My hope comes from Him,
He is my rock and my Salvation.
He is my fortress,
I will not be moved
Salvation and honour come from You.
Psalm 62:1-2
When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Matthew 16:13-20 (NRSV)
Broken Hill is known for its rocks and minerals and visitors to town will notice many of our uniquely named street signs are named after minerals.
While the history and wealth of this town was built on mining rocks, the Christian faith is founded on God. The word rock was used as a metaphor in the Bible to describe God and salvation (Psalm 62:1-2). Our faith in God is a trinitarian belief in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the gospel passage, Jesus calls Peter the rock which was both a new name and also a symbolic anchor of the church. Coincidentally, our meeting place for this new community is in St Peter’s hall which is named after the Apostle Peter – the Peter in the story above.
Launching in May 2023, The Rock is exploring a new way of a gathered Christian community but still homed within the Anglican tradition.
We are intergenerational and our gatherings and meetings are all-age appropriate. Children’s experience of God and church are integral to the vision of this new initiative. We will have a Bible story, craft or activity and a song or two that relates to the message of the day.
We will reflect on the Bible story as adults too and discern Christ here: in this land, this history, this people and at this time. We value honest and diverse views as we all grapple with the difficult questions of faith in our time.
We meet at 9.30am at St Peter’s Hall.
If you’d like to be added to the email list for The Rock please contact Katherine Waite via the contact form.
