<p>I realised I've now been around here for several years and tooted a ridiculous number of things so it's time for an updated intro to pin to my profile. </p><p>I'm Joanna. I live in Melbourne on the lands of the Kulin Nation. </p><p>I'm a legal administrator for a conservation not-for-profit. It makes me really happy that my spreadsheet wrangling helps protect threatened creatures and landscapes. In my spare time I'm a (very) amateur but enthusiastic birder- I'm sure neighbours who see me pointing cameras up at trees think I'm strange. I'm obsessed with <a href="/tags/eurovision/" rel="tag">#eurovision</a>, get a lot of joy out of trashy dance music and have been getting into <a href="/tags/musicaltheatre/" rel="tag">#MusicalTheatre</a>. I'm always interested in <a href="/tags/book/" rel="tag">#book</a> recommendations. I post quite a bit about things happening in <a href="/tags/melbourne/" rel="tag">#Melbourne</a> and love discussing what might make this place better. Long walks through Melbourne make me happy. I'm an amateur <a href="/tags/photographer/" rel="tag">#photographer</a>, mostly of <a href="/tags/architecture/" rel="tag">#architecture</a> and cute animals (instagram links in bio). I'm also currently trying to learn to speak <a href="/tags/indonesian/" rel="tag">#indonesian</a> </p><p>Some other interests I probably won't post that much about but would be interested to follow discussions on are <a href="/tags/christian/" rel="tag">#christian</a> <a href="/tags/theology/" rel="tag">#theology</a> and spirituality, <a href="/tags/linguistics/" rel="tag">#linguistics</a> and Indigenous history and culture.</p>
christian
<p>I truly believe that Tradition is a balm for our broken world and us as individuals. </p><p><a href="/tags/tradition/" rel="tag">#Tradition</a> <a href="/tags/episcopal/" rel="tag">#Episcopal</a> <a href="/tags/anglican/" rel="tag">#Anglican</a> <a href="/tags/church/" rel="tag">#Church</a> <a href="/tags/christian/" rel="tag">#Christian</a> <a href="/tags/spirituality/" rel="tag">#Spirituality</a> </p><p><a href="https://catecheticconverter.com/radically-traditional" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="catecheticconverter.com/radically-traditional"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">catecheticconverter.com/radica</span><span class="invisible">lly-traditional</span></a></p>
<p>We’re among the many who appreciate First Presbyterian Church of Monterey as a peaceful rest stop <a href="https://bikemonterey.org/rest-stop-tip-jay-bartow-memorial-garden-monterey.html" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bikemonterey.org/rest-stop-tip-jay-bartow-memorial-garden-monterey.html"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">bikemonterey.org/rest-stop-tip</span><span class="invisible">-jay-bartow-memorial-garden-monterey.html</span></a> (and more). </p><p>Last Sunday, an unhoused man was found resting in the church courtyard during Sunday service. Read about the response of the congregation. As Pastor Mark Peake wrote in the church newsletter, "It was the gospel lived in real time.”</p><p><a href="/tags/montereycounty/" rel="tag">#MontereyCounty</a> <a href="/tags/church/" rel="tag">#church</a> <a href="/tags/presbyterianchurchusa/" rel="tag">#PresbyterianChurchUSA</a> <a href="/tags/christian/" rel="tag">#Christian</a> <a href="/tags/whatwouldjesusdo/" rel="tag">#WhatWouldJesusDo</a> <a href="/tags/homeless/" rel="tag">#homeless</a> <a href="/tags/stranger/" rel="tag">#stranger</a></p>
![Excerpt from First Presbyterian Church of Monterey's 18 Nov 2025 newsletter reads as follows. Names have been redacted.
"In the middle of all the normal rhythms of worship & coffee hour, we discovered a homeless gentleman asleep in our courtyard. He was cold, unwell & clearly in need….Before I could even finish assessing the situation, [a member] stepped forward without a moment of hesitation. He cleaned the space around the man & treated him with the dignity that reflects the heart of Christ. Right behind him was [another member], who quietly gathered food & whatever comfort he could offer. He helped the man get settled in Fellowship Hall so he could rest safely & regain a bit of strength out of the rain.
[Two more members] offered to drive to a motel & secure a room for the night. They did so with calm kindness, making sure everything was arranged so this man would not be left uncared for. And while all of this was happening, many of you [gave what money] you could. The total came to just over $600, enough to cover his motel stay & immediate needs. Anything left over will replenish our Deacons' benevolence fund, so the next person in crisis will not be turned away.
I stood there watching all of this unfold & felt my eyes well up. Not because it was dramatic or planned, but because it was simple, instinctive compassion. It was the gospel lived in real time. No fanfare, no spotlight, just quiet love offered to a stranger because that is what we believe God asks of us."](/proxy/post_attachment/178001/d67f18a191.jpg "Excerpt from First Presbyterian Church of Monterey's 18 Nov 2025 newsletter reads as follows. Names have been redacted.
\"In the middle of all the normal rhythms of worship & coffee hour, we discovered a homeless gentleman asleep in our courtyard. He was cold, unwell & clearly in need….Before I could even finish assessing the situation, [a member] stepped forward without a moment of hesitation. He cleaned the space around the man & treated him with the dignity that reflects the heart of Christ. Right behind him was [another member], who quietly gathered food & whatever comfort he could offer. He helped the man get settled in Fellowship Hall so he could rest safely & regain a bit of strength out of the rain.
[Two more members] offered to drive to a motel & secure a room for the night. They did so with calm kindness, making sure everything was arranged so this man would not be left uncared for. And while all of this was happening, many of you [gave what money] you could. The total came to just over $600, enough to cover his motel stay & immediate needs. Anything left over will replenish our Deacons' benevolence fund, so the next person in crisis will not be turned away.
I stood there watching all of this unfold & felt my eyes well up. Not because it was dramatic or planned, but because it was simple, instinctive compassion. It was the gospel lived in real time. No fanfare, no spotlight, just quiet love offered to a stranger because that is what we believe God asks of us.\"")
<p>God wants us to be <a href="/tags/human/" rel="tag">#human</a>. Nothing less. And nothing more.</p><p><a href="/tags/theology/" rel="tag">#theology</a> <a href="/tags/christian/" rel="tag">#Christian</a> <a href="/tags/episcopalian/" rel="tag">#Episcopalian</a> <a href="/tags/anglican/" rel="tag">#Anglican</a> <a href="/tags/church/" rel="tag">#Church</a> <a href="/tags/bible/" rel="tag">#Bible</a> <a href="/tags/davidbazan/" rel="tag">#DavidBazan</a> </p><p><a href="https://catecheticconverter.com/god-wants-humans" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="catecheticconverter.com/god-wants-humans"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">catecheticconverter.com/god-wa</span><span class="invisible">nts-humans</span></a></p>
<p>Let’s get a little weird for the weekend! This is my first longer blog post and I’ve been doing a fair bit of reflection on <a href="/tags/theology/" rel="tag">#Theology</a> and <a href="/tags/technology/" rel="tag">#Technology</a> these days…</p><p><a href="/tags/jesus/" rel="tag">#Jesus</a> <a href="/tags/christian/" rel="tag">#Christian</a> <a href="/tags/church/" rel="tag">#Church</a> <a href="/tags/linux/" rel="tag">#Linux</a> <a href="/tags/episcopal/" rel="tag">#Episcopal</a> <a href="/tags/weird/" rel="tag">#Weird</a> <a href="/tags/spirituality/" rel="tag">#Spirituality</a> </p><p><a href="https://catecheticconverter.com/gods-technology" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="catecheticconverter.com/gods-technology"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">catecheticconverter.com/gods-t</span><span class="invisible">echnology</span></a></p>
<p>On this tenth anniversary of the <a href="/tags/obergefell/" rel="tag">#Obergefell</a> decision, and given the renewed debates around same-sex marriage coming from certain Christian sectors, it seemed right to share this:</p><p><a href="/tags/lgbtq/" rel="tag">#LGBTQ</a> <a href="/tags/church/" rel="tag">#Church</a> <a href="/tags/marriage/" rel="tag">#Marriage</a> <a href="/tags/episcopal/" rel="tag">#Episcopal</a> <a href="/tags/anglican/" rel="tag">#Anglican</a> <a href="/tags/christian/" rel="tag">#Christian</a> <a href="/tags/bible/" rel="tag">#Bible</a> <a href="/tags/theology/" rel="tag">#theology</a> </p><p><a href="https://write.as/frchazzz/same-sex-marriage-and-the-church" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="write.as/frchazzz/same-sex-marriage-and-the-church"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">write.as/frchazzz/same-sex-mar</span><span class="invisible">riage-and-the-church</span></a></p>
<p>On the fifth day of <a href="/tags/christmas/" rel="tag">#Christmas</a> my true love gave to me... the commemoration of a man who should probably be the patron saint of England: Saint Thomas of Canterbury.</p><p><a href="https://catecheticconverter.com/on-saint-thomas-of-canterbury" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="catecheticconverter.com/on-saint-thomas-of-canterbury"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">catecheticconverter.com/on-sai</span><span class="invisible">nt-thomas-of-canterbury</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/church/" rel="tag">#Church</a> <a href="/tags/england/" rel="tag">#England</a> <a href="/tags/episcopal/" rel="tag">#Episcopal</a> <a href="/tags/anglican/" rel="tag">#Anglican</a> <a href="/tags/christian/" rel="tag">#Christian</a> <a href="/tags/theology/" rel="tag">#Theology</a> <a href="/tags/history/" rel="tag">#History</a></p>
<p>Since today is the Feast of the Annunciation and I'm a priest at a church dedicated to Our Lady, figured I'd write a little something about the day (that also aims to challenge the traditions a little bit).</p><p><a href="https://catecheticconverter.com/on-the-annunciation-and-the-incarnation" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="catecheticconverter.com/on-the-annunciation-and-the-incarnation"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">catecheticconverter.com/on-the</span><span class="invisible">-annunciation-and-the-incarnation</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/jesus/" rel="tag">#Jesus</a> <a href="/tags/mary/" rel="tag">#Mary</a> <a href="/tags/anglican/" rel="tag">#Anglican</a> <a href="/tags/episcopal/" rel="tag">#Episcopal</a> <a href="/tags/catholic/" rel="tag">#Catholic</a> <a href="/tags/church/" rel="tag">#Church</a> <a href="/tags/bible/" rel="tag">#Bible</a> <a href="/tags/christian/" rel="tag">#Christian</a></p>