Leura is located in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales,
100 kilometres west of Sydney.
Leura Uniting Church is located on the corner of Grose and Megalong Streets, Leura.
Our Congregation
Our congregation is chaired by the Reverend Dr William Emilsen. More details can be found by following the Our Community link.
We embrace diversity, and welcome all who seek to know more of God.
Leura Uniting Church, in addition to this website of information and activity pages, has a Facebook page.
The web address is https://www.facebook.com/LeuraUnitingChurch , or, just search for Leura Uniting Church on Facebook.
Service Times and other Activities
Our regular service is on Sundays at 9.30 am. The first Sunday of every month is a Contemporary Service, the third is a Communion Service. We also have a children’s group, a youth group, a Taize service, a reflective service and various community support activities. Details of services may be found by following the Services and Activities link.
At the bottom of this page are links to dedicated pages for some of the Services and Activities.
Hall Bookings
The hall of Leura Uniting Church is available for regular and occasional bookings. Please contact Ross Neville on 0247 031 761 or by email, rossneville01@gmail.com
What’s happening….
. October
Tues 15 Painting the Stars 7.30pm
Sat 19 Mt Solitary 8 am
Sun 20 Taize 5 – 6 pm
. November
Sun 3 Public Forum at LUC, “Where is the human species going?” 2 pm
see note at end of page
Sun 3 Nominations close for Church positions
Sat 23 Day Retreat, see Day Retreat link
. December
Sun 1 Congregation Meeting
A list of Leura Activities for 2019 are at the bottom of the page.
Reflections on this week’s Bible readings
from the Bulletin …
Pentecost 18 Luke 17:11-19 13 October, ‘19
The Gospel reading for today contains two stories. The first in verses 11 – 14 is a story of healing. The ten lepers cry for help: “Jesus, Master have mercy on us!” They obey his instruction to go and show themselves to the priests as the laws of Judaism of the day required. In their act of obedience they are healed.
The second story in verses 15 – 19 is one of faith and healing being embodied simultaneously in the Samaritan leper. He is a foreigner and he is the only one who comes back to thank Jesus and express his gratitude. It is to him alone that Christ says “your faith has made you well.”
Are we open to the foreigner, the stranger in our midst and also within ourselves? Do we need to remind ourselves of the link between healing and faith? What is the gift in this passage for us?
The Benedictine spiritual writer Esther de Waal, in Lost in Wonder, The Spiritual Art of Attentiveness writes, “When we fail in wonder we fail in gratitude.” She quotes the Welsh poet James Nicholls, “And the seeing will be praise/To God as ever.” How may we see more clearly and express gratitude more fully in our faith and in our lives?
Carolyn Craig-Emilsen
Quiet reflection, … Jesus and the Samaritan leper
There are many situations in life and many experiences that feel more like curses for which it would be difficult, if not impossible, to feel grateful. But perhaps gratitude is also a way of acting, a way of living. What I have in mind is a way of acting which presumes upon the grace of God. Gratitude is a way of living that never lets go of living in dependence on God’s grace. The psalmist, for example, will often times lament a terrible situation for which it would be difficult to have the feeling of gratitude. But the psalmist nevertheless makes the lament to God. The psalmist continues to presume, to call upon, God’s grace”
Other nearby Uniting Churches
Katoomba – Sunday Worship 9.00am – Contact Ann Palmer 4782 1880
Blackheath – Sunday Worship 10.30am – Contact Bob Hendy 4787 7007
Hazelbrook – Sunday Worship 9.30am – Contact Marjorie Leggatt 4759 1228
Other Uniting Church Congregations
To view other Congregations of the Uniting Church in Australia follow the link,
Find a Church
Current Activities
Links, in red, lead to pages with more details about the activity.
Day Retreats An opportunity for renewal and refreshment of faith. Restarts on 6th April 2019.
Drawing and Painting Group see Weekly timetable on Services and Activities Page.
Leisure Learning – Sew & Chat see Weekly timetable on Services and Activities Page.
Open Table a sharing place to assist all members of the Mountains community.
Pilgrimages we seek God, and spiritual refreshment, walking in the bush. Starts from Leura Uniting Church at 8am. Restart date for 2019 to be advised.
Playtime 10am-12noon on Mondays during school term.
Primary Learning Support Centre see Weekly timetable on Services and Activities Page.
Quiet Reflection a guided meditation and reflection on the readings for the week.
Taizé Service renewal through common prayer, singing, silence and personal meditation. On the 3rd Sunday of the month. Restarts on 17th February 2019.
Blue Mountains Centre for Faith & Public Issues
Public Forum
Sunday 3 November, 2019
at 2pm in the Leura Uniting Church
“Where is the human species going?”
Reflections on Yuval Noah Harari’s View of History
by Emeritus Professor Garry Trompf
Is ours just the history of an irresponsible animal?
Is history just the product of our arrogant opportunism?
Is there ultimate meaning in history?
Are we as clever animals better replaced by more clever machines?
Enquiries William Emilsen: wemilsen@gmail.com