Anzac Day Reflection for Queensland Baptist Women 2020
by Karen Haynes
This year I, enter my fourth year of service and my second year of ministry at RAAF Base Williamtown, the home of the fighter jets and 3800 uniformed Air Force members. Each day I meet people who see the crosses on my shirt which starts a conversation.
In ADF chaplaincy I’ve found a challenging and exciting place to minister. A place where my uniform gets me in the door but I need to make every conversation count to earn the right to speak into people’s lives. Members will give me a chance, but as they face mortality, strained relationships, difficult work and tough decisions, they need compassion, wisdom and insight, quickly!
Most members learn in the first conversation that I’m from Queensland. If my expressions don’t give me away, it will be that I’ve somehow managed to talk about the place I learned to trust in Jesus.
ANZAC Day is a time for many Australians to reflect on what Service and Sacrifice really mean, and it is also a great time to speak about the Service and Sacrifice of Jesus, who lay down his life in Service of his friends; all of us.
Commemorations have changed greatly over the years, including the resurgence of attended and a range of video streamed options over the last decade. This, year, 2020 will be different again, with Australians making the sacrifice of not physical gathering, in order to protect life.
Currently, serving members of the ADF continue operations, adjusting as government requires, but without the comforts and camaraderie of eating and meeting together. Queensland Baptist Pastors, serving as chaplains in the ADF continue to minister in these ever changing circumstances.
This Anzac Day, as you reflect on the wars fought and operations undertaken by the Australian Defence Force, we ask you to also pray.
- Pray for those serving in uniform and the families.
- Pray for veterans that they would be welcomed to and into a civilian life of meaning and purpose. Pray for your church’s welcome to veterans.
- Pray for our chaplains, including Queensland Baptist chaplains (Kerry Larwill, Stephen Thomas, Wayne Ross, Troy Urlich, Haydn Lea and Karen Haynes) who seek to follow Jesus in their service of members of the ADF.
Karen Haynes is serving as a Chaplain with the Australian Defence Force. She previously worked with Global Interaction.
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