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Tag Archives: Easter

Update on Vodka O in Paddington Uniting Church.

Yesterday had an interesting dialogue via email with Justin Whelan the Chairperson of the Uniting Church Paddington’s Church council. Earlier yesterday Justin left a comment on my blog post on the party in the church. I can confirm that the party was held in the church not the hall or other venues and that the church council is as outraged as I was at this occurrence. The church council was not approached or informed of either the intent or content of this product launch. They are currently investigating matters and especially to see how it happened and if any staff were involved.

My impression is that the church community is deeply saddened by this event and will not let this matter rest until they have pursued it thoroughly and have put procedures in place that will ensure nothing like this happens again. I know a lot of people have felt outraged by this attack on our faith at our most precious time of year but just imagine how the congregation of this church must feel. It is such a pity as they have a strong outreach program to the community and definitely appear to be a church where deeds not just words are important.

Words however can deeply hurt and I can well imagine that they are now on the receiving end of a lot peoples displeasure. They shall probably come under serious scrutiny in the future from the public. The politics within church hierarchies are no different to those outside the church, some people have ambitions and jealousies and past hurts and the only difference I have seen is that often in churches the people involved in these things are too nice [read cowardly, past experience talking] to speak to the people involved in the issue they often find a way around problems rather than facing up to and addressing these issues. I did not get this impression from Justin, he actively sought to comment on my blog after I would assume trying to find what was being said about the debacle. Now that in itself is what has really impressed me about this matter, the way the church is being up front about their outrage and using all means to communicate this to the public. They have a statement on their website for all to read about their take on this and it is powerful.

I believe as I said before the main fault here lay with the people behind the product launch who knowingly subverted a church as a means to make money at the time of year that would get them the most press coverage. Then we have the Sun Herald for not considering that Amy Cooper and her coverage of the party of the week, which was featured on Easter Sunday would be morally offensive to the public and to the many Christians who in attempting to honour their faith in this age of materialism have not chosen an easy path.

Finally one strange thing to come out of this is that I have been outed as a Christian online. Not that I was keeping it a secret for sinister reasons but because I believe in deeds being more important than words. Not that I am above using words when they are needed…. look 590 words!!! There are a few things that I will take a stand over however and this type of thing is one of them. I recently said no to a friends daughter’s 21st birthday party invitation as it was a devils in angels clothing costume party, obviously a fifty plus woman would look ridiculous and also just could not do it, it went directly to my interior monitor of what I will do as a Christian.

Oh by the way Justin pointed out that Vodka O is spelled with capitals so there was nothing sinister in their use but I think it was the way they were used that was offensive, in the context of the Lord’s Prayer etc.

What makes churches prostitute themselves for money?

Imagine my horror as I ate my white chocolate Easter bunny around brunch today while reading the S entertainment section of my Sunday paper The Sun Herald, to see this

PARTY OF THE WEEK

Vodka O Passion for Purity commitment

ceremony Paddington Uniting Church

Various highlights of the evening according to Amy Cooper of S5 of the Sun Herald were an invitation only crowd of Sydney party circuit goers, many wearing virginal white, crosses and even veils being greeted at the door by Father Ben. There was a massive bar laden with vodka cocktails, hymns were played and a version of the Lords Prayer was said “Thy kingdom come, Vodka O will be drunk, on earth as in heaven” Then a weird version of the ten commandments was followed by Vodka O being poured into the baptismal font and the “virgins, a scantily clad man and woman dressed in white swimmers” were anointed with it by a huge nun, who was in fact a man in drag .Then to cap it all off the lights went down and flames erupted from behind the cross, some clever ploy by bartenders setting Vodka alight. A DJ then appeared in the pulpit and the music of Madonna blasted out of the church.

So that was all from the paper but to fill you in a bit the church in question is not a decomissioned church, I checked online and they do have worship services there and also provide a long list of services to the needy but it appears that over the years they have compromised themselves to do those good works. I found out here that they applied for a liquor license in 2005 for the church hall as they hired that out to various parties for entertainment purposes that I assume provides income for them. So they have a history of doing unconventional things for I guess what they see is the greater good.

However I see no greater good here, in fact all I see is a perversion of what at this time to Christians such as myself is a most important and joyous time, Holy Week. You may have noticed that vodka in the Sun Herald story had a capital letter, the way we have for God or the Son or the Father. Many things concerned me about this article apart from the obvious, I wonder if anyone left this service or were they all so ignorant of the sensitivities of Christians that it did not occur to them? Maybe they were unchurched as some people where we used to go to church used to say…and were not aware of what was occurring or maybe it is just what I most fear, that pursuit of parties and fun and being seen in the right places is more important than whatever conscience or morality they may have.

Interestingly a few weeks ago my husband and I were watching an episode of the British programme Lewis and they showed a gay nightclub based in a decommissioned church in Oxford, so it must be a new thing in the entertainment field, shock venues, although we are way behind the times in that case as that episode of Lewis was from 2005.

I have sent emails to the head of The Uniting Church and to the Minister of that church telling them of my concerns that they would knowingly rent out a church that is used for worship for such purposes. I am aware that in Britain some Catholic churches have social clubs that serve alcohol but believe them to be more for keeping the community together than being used to subvert the Christian message. Wil of the online SMH was pretty disgusted, thank goodness a few people are unafraid to speak out.

So I say shame on you Ben Anderson, aka Father Ben, who created the vodka brand O for exploiting something that is very precious to Christians and all in the name of the glorious god, Money.

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