Worship lies at the heart of the Wellspring Community's life and concerns. We seek to renew and deepen our spirituality, prayer and worship in our uniquely Australian context.
Our Australian spirituality has much in common with that of other countries, but we are also keen to foster the writing and reflection of particularly Australian experiences and ideas about spirituality and worship.
There is a delight in sensing God in the bush, in the desert, at the coast, on a mountain, in a forest. We value our outdoor experiences, where we read God in creation. We are also involved in our local congregations of many denominations, contributing to and taking part in relevant, modern expressions of worship while valuing the traditions that have been handed down over the centuries.
Above all we are committed to an approach to worship that is participative, affirming and sharing individual gifts and corporate resources, and recognising that we need God, we need each other, and God needs us, for we are part of the Body - God's hands, eyes, feet in today's world.
The Community has a strong interest in Celtic spirituality, in spirituality in general, and especially in the development of a contextualised spirituality that reflects the Australian character and landscape . We seek an approach that sees spirituality not as an exercise in pietistic individualised detachment but rather as a multifaceted engagement or centredness in the life of the Spirit, with a clear social dimension and expression. The link between spirituality and social and political commitment from a Christian perspective is central to the Community's purpose and continuing life.
(Adapted from the Iona Community statement on worship).
Who is it WE want? - a Good Friday reflection
David MacGregor © 2023 (inspired by the reflection: WHO IS IT YOU WANT? in Spill the Beans Issue 38, 2021, excerpt italicised, author unknown)
Who is it you want?
A gentle Jesus meek and mild?
A radical Jesus running wild?
A warrior Jesus armed and riled?
A law filled Jesus to follow the rules?
A teaching Jesus for your local schools?
A fun filled Jesus king of the fools?
Who is it you want?
A Wonderful Counsellor, A Mighty God,
An Everlasting Father, A Prince of Peace.
Who is it you want?
A Lord and Master to rule your life?
A lamb of God to be sacrificed?
A king of Jews to be glorified?
Who is it you want?
Emmanuel the God who is with us?
Christ the anointed one?
Jesus the Saviour of all? …
Who is it you want?
A scapegoat for your sins?
A speaker of truth?
Or someone to blame?…
Who is it we want?
Who is it we want?
A doorstop to an easier religion?
God we can picture frame on our hallway wall?
Spiritual ointment when we’re hurting?
Someone with whom we can bop along to in song?
Someone with whom we can let out all our emotions:
Joy, anger, bewilderment, confusion, frustration, pleasure?
We could go on forever!
Who is it we want?
A saviour there for us when it’s convenient?
A saviour we despatch right out of way if not!
A saviour we’d love to have all-sorted?!
Who is it that we want?
Could it be?
Could it be
A saviour to turn our world completely upside down
To love us so agonisingly, mysteriously,
Sacrificially … forgivingly
To forgive our sinfulness, our brokenness
completely, thoroughly, totally,
Loving us so profoundly
As to cost you, Jesus everything?
as to die a death of deepest pain and humiliation
Yet heavenly,
eternal, inexplicable glory
To show us not only what Love is
But show us who love is all about
Yes who!
For love is you, Jesus!
Jesus, your love does change everything
(way before Andrew Lloyd Webber liked the idea)
Everything! Who is it you want?
Who is it you want, Jesus?
Good question!
You see, Jesus
To demand anything from us
Would not be love
Would not be love at all
At least not love as you are love
Not grace as you are grace.
Sacrifice like you are sacrifice
Sacrificial, all-giving
Agape, wanting nothing
Absolutely nothing in return kind of love
Zero. Nothing.
Nothing, that is,
Except your deepest longing
Let’s call it passion
That we’d be restored in our relationship
With you as your beloved.
Jesus
on that cross
For all humanity
For all creation
The insignificant
The powerful
The insider
The outsider
The weak
The strong
The lost
The proud
The poor
The broken
… I’m in there somewhere!
For all humanity
For absolutely everyone
You gave absolutely everything
You gave your forgiving love
God’s love
Free gift
Pure gift
G-I-F-T … GIFT!
Nothing less
– nothing less, Jesus!
Your love
So unrelentingly for us.
Yes … for us.
To save us
To free us
Drawing near to us
Forgiving us
Redeeming us
Inspiring us.
In all your bloodstained vulnerability.
In your suffering
You meet us, Jesus,
In our suffering right where we are.
You will do everything Jesus
To draw us back into that love relationship with God
Everything
Your Love so amazing, so divine
Despite our musing on a demanding love
Seeking a return benefit
… Your love strangely, wonderfully, convincingly
does demand.
I can’t help but somehow respond!
Jesus – your love
so amazing, so divine
Demands our soul
My soul
Our life
My life
Our all
My all
Now …
Forever …
What do I want?
L-O-V-E … love
Yours, Jesus
Yours!
Easter Dawn Service at Leura overlooking Mount Solitary, Blue Mountains National Park 2019
WEDNESDAYS WITH WELLSPRING
Worship in the Celtic Meditative Creation Tradition
This is a monthly online worship time in the Iona tradition. It is held on the first Wednesday of each month beginning with an optional 15 minutes catch up. Worship begins on the hour or half hour. Everyone is welcome.
Note: There is no worship evening in the month of January.
The zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86344756135pwd=WU1xWDlYUjd4OXRrd0wzNUlWTUNUQT09
Meeting ID: 863 4475 6135
Passcode: 863873
Dial by your location
Meeting ID: 863 4475 6135
7.15pm Qld, NSW, Vic, Tas, ACT, 6.45pm SA, 4.15pm WA
Booklet to Purchase
The New Story of the Evolving Universe
by Jacinta Shailer sgs
This brand-new Wellspring publication contains 3 short talks by Sister Jacinta Shailer sgs, delivered to different groups in 2025. It is a distillation of a lifetime of deepening commitment to Creation Spirituality. Her language is free from religious jargon, and wisely integrates science with spirituality, so relevant today. As she says in the first talk:
‘When we say “God is eternal” we mean God is eternally young, God is ever green, ever verdant, ever flowering. Every action of God is new, for He makes all things new.’ Our evolutionary God is luring us on to new places and new ways of being, to a future of promise.”
You can buy the new booklet from us
To order please email wellspringcommunity2023@gmail.com your name, postal address and the number of copies you require. Then pay the correct amount $5.00 for one copy to
Name of Account: Wellspring Community Inc. Bendigo Bank
BSB: 633 000
Account number: 202878096 Reference: (Your name) and “New Universe”
Liturgical Resources
Resources for Prayer and Liturgies
Recommended Links for Faith and Worship
Sacred Space
Bible Gateway
