A farewell to Dwelling

This week we release a final episode which marks the close of Dwelling, the official podcast of President Rev Sharon Hollis.

Sharon herself is interviewed in the podcast's last conversation, reflecting on her term as President, the profound and formational moments of the past three years and what's sustained her along the way.

With her retiring address still to take place at the 17th Assembly next week, Sharon offers just one of the final words she'll give to the Uniting Church as President, an encouragement to continue to nourish the treasure we hold.

"I've been reading a book on ecclesiology for ordinary time (Church in Ordinary Time by Amy Plantinga Pauw), and she talks about that Pauline passage - the church’s treasure in clay jars. My word for the Uniting Church would be to really take both those bits of the metaphor seriously."

"Clay is a strong but fragile vehicle. It's an ordinary vehicle. It's an earthly vehicle in which to hold the treasure of the gospel. The church is always being remade. It's never perfect. It has a fragility about it. It should have an earthiness about it. But we do hold some of the treasure of the gospel. We don't have a monopoly on it. The spirit blows where she wills."

"But all of us are earthen vessels. So be tender and gentle with each other … but nourish that treasure.”

Signing off the podcast for the final time, Sharon shared her deep and abiding sense of gratitude for the past three years.

“I do just want to say thank you to everybody in the Uniting Church," she said. "Thank you to the Assembly that called and elected me to this role and thank you to everybody who's been open to the ministry that I've been offering.”

“Thank you to everybody who's made it possible, who's sustained and strengthened me. Everybody who’s prayed for me, supported me, encouraged me, disagreed with me. Thank you. My heart is full at the end of my term.”

Over two years ago, the President began her official podcast as a way to capture rich and deep conversations about life and faith with the inspiring people she meets on the journey.

Since then she has recorded almost 40 conversations with people all over the country, profiling women of the Uniting Church, outgoing Moderators, recently ordained ministers, new staff, people concluding significant roles and many others along the way.

Her conversations have covered a range of themes including new life in Christ, diversity and inclusion, prayer, ecumenism, First Peoples, disability and how to nurture life-giving communities of faith.

You can listen to all 39 episodes on Spotify.