An introduction to cosmology by Louise Mattay

Came across an article in Wellspring publication dated June 2010 written by Louise Mattay, a retired UCA Deacon. 'An introduction to cosmology'makes for an interesting read. She quotes from several authors including Brian Swimme, who describes in The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos – Humanity and the New Story the difference between Cosmology and Science. ‘Science is not the same as cosmology, even when a cosmology is deeply informed by science. Cosmology is the story of the birth, development and destiny of the universe, told with the aim of assisting humans in their task of identifying their roles within the great drama. Science on the other hand is focused on obtaining a detailed understanding of the physical processes of the universe.’ He goes on to state: ‘The great news of our time is the evolutionary story in which we come to realize that we humans are all embedded in a living, developing universe, and that we are therefore cousins to everything in the universe.... Cosmology as an ancient wisdom tradition draws from science, theology, art, poetry, and philosophy, but is, strictly speaking, its own distinct tradition. It is not a question of eschewing scientific or theological terms altogether, but rather of aiming for language arising out of our experience of living within an unfolding cosmos.’
The article invites us to recognize that 'As the new universe story seeps into our awareness, it challenges us to expand the way we think about and respond to the life around us. As clearly as the parables told by Jesus challenged his listeners to ask questions about who they were and what their relationships meant, so the new universe story challenges us. This new world view acknowledges evolution as a creative process urged on from within by the very Spirit of God’.
Fascinating reading. Thanks, Louise!
You can read the full article (and other Wellspring articles)here
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Wellspring Community national gathering

The national gathering of Wellspring Community was held recently in WA. Betty Matthews, retired deacon, was part of the organising committee and other deacons were involved, with Bev Fabb and Frances Hadfield leading worship
and Lesley de Grussa Macaulay leading a post conference trip. Jean Stirling, retired deacon from SA was in attendance. The gathering focussed on working towards a caring future. The first day focussed on Reconcilation with Mark bin Bakar from Broome being the key note speaker, and the afternoon spent visiting the site of the Pinjarra Massacre. In the evening Mary G (Mark's altar ego) entertained the gathering. The second day focussed on building a peaceful future through inter faith dialogue with speakers from a variety of faith traditions. Sustainability was the theme of the third day with Paul Newman, Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University as the main speaker. The gathering ended with a commissioning service for the new leadership of the Community.