Our Endless Summer: Australian Father's Day + Lavender Bay

Sunday was Father's Day in Australia and we had heard about the Father's Day service at Hillsong Church, so we headed out there to check it out. Hillsong is a huge church with communities all around the world and a handful of groups in different parts of Sydney. But because we had already gone to their service all the way out in the hills last week, and I really enjoyed being in the family area, we decided at the last minute to make the long trek all the way out there for that service instead of going to the inner city service. We took two different buses to Central station and then a train out to Parrametta. At that train station Hillsong Church had a packed bus to pick us up and take us to their church.

The service was really nice. The pastor spoke of the origin of Father's Day and how it was designed to be a day of remembrance and honor of what our parents have done/did for us. This way it's a way of honoring our parent when they are here AND if they are no longer with us. He reminded us how easy it is to forget things as a human, and that we must have days like Father's Day each year to help us remember. This also includes Sunday as a day for God and to remember what he has done for us and can do for us. I like that reminder, too. I have realized I felt lost in the last few years in not going to church like I used to. I enjoyed so many aspects of my life as a young person involved in my youth group, church camps and Young Life and have so many loving Christian friends back in Johnson City that are still reminders of that. I miss the aspect of centering my life around God vs. around myself. It was something that happened in my twenties, but I think it's time I repurpose my energies. It's comforting knowing I can come back to God. I think I will. :-)

Here are some of the photographs from that day.