The
monthly Anglican Diocese of Bendigo
april 2015
issue 109
I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? - John 11: 25-26
Reflect on the meaning of Easter with the Rev’d Professor Mark Lindsay of Trinity College - page 9
Inside:
Cathedral restoration continues page 3
Mental health first aid page 4
Robyn Davis on lifestyle choices page 8
Media Matters - a good funeral page 11
The Bishop writes Titanic. No one believed that such a magnificent enterprise could end up in such tragedy. Complacency was the final mistake. Overwhelmed by mismanagement and ineptitude on all sides, perhaps the most striking thing of Burke and Wills’ expedition is not that it failed, but how close it came to success.” (p. 343)
Dear Friends,
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very now and then I find myself waking early and listening to Trevor Chappell on ABC Overnight. At about 5.40am the programme features a book reading and recently featured the well-known book, ‘The Dig Tree’ by Sarah Murgatroyd. It’s the story of the Burke and Wills’ expedition in 1861 to cross Australia from south to north. Although I thought I knew a lot about the expedition I found I couldn’t put the book down. In many ways the book is about a journey to death and interestingly the author dies at a comparatively young age in 2002 a few weeks after the book was published. Murgatroyd is fascinated by the central character of her book and leader of the expedition Robert O’Hara Burke. Born of Protestant background in Ireland, he came to the goldfields and was officer in charge of the police initially in Beechworth and then Castlemaine. He headed an expedition to cross Australia that was better resourced than many other
As I read the book I couldn’t help but think of two other journeys that led to death. Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, and the journey of tens of thousands of young Australians to Gallipoli - the centenary of which falls this Anzac Day. All three events have a little in common, and that is people had great hope and expectation about what each would achieve; Burke and Wills conquering the interior of this vast land, the Anzac expedition achieving a quick military victory, and Jesus bringing a new world order. Think of the crowds cheering Jesus on Palm Sunday as he entered into Jerusalem, but within days the mood of the crowd turned to one calling for his death. Amazingly all three events are now celebrated in a strange way as huge achievements; Burke and Wills became Australia’s first true heroes with over 100,000 people lining the route for their funeral cortege and monuments being erected in numerous towns to commemorate their feat, such as in Castlemaine and Bendigo. The celebration of the centenary of Anzac Day will be marked across our nation, New Zealand, at Gallipoli and around the world. The death of Jesus and
“Burke’s errors of judgement were exposed by a run of misfortune. Good planning would have overcome some of his mistakes, but equally, just a tiny piece of good luck could also have saved him. Once events began to spiral out of control, the Burke and Wills saga became the expeditionary equivalent of the 2
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Wright brings a hopeful and positive tone to the events of Easter and sees the Resurrection as transforming shock and horror into the possibility of a new way of life for people and the world. The journey of Burke and Wills and the events of Gallipoli, at the time, left a nation in deep shock, but in time they have each contributed enormously to the building of our nation and its values. As Christians this is not an unfamiliar experience to us because we are a people that proclaim: Alleluia! Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia. With every blessing for Easter,
Spirit The
Monthly newsmagazine of the Anglican Diocese of Bendigo
“Easter is meant to be a surprise. It is certainly not a happy ending after the horror of the cross, though sadly some churches treat it like that. Mark 16 (the Resurrection) doesn’t read like a happy ending. It reads like a
Address: The Spirit, PO Box 2, Bendigo 3552 Member, Australian Religious Press Association Telephone: 03 5443 4711 General: thespirit@bendigoanglican.org.au Editor: Sarah Crutch Co-Editor: Charles Sherlock Committee Chair: The Revd Canon Bryn Jones The Spirit is published in the first week of the month (excluding January). Advertising rates are available from the Editor. All advertisements are accepted at the Editor’s discretion; acceptance does not imply endorsement of the product or service. Contributions are welcome, and will be edited. Email contributions are preferred. Anonymous articles will not be considered for publication. Photographs should be sent in digital form to the general email address above. Full size, ‘raw’ files are necessary. Physical photos are normally not returned. The Anglican Diocese of Bendigo and the Editor are not responsible for opinions expressed by contributors, nor do these necessarily reflect the policy of the diocese. Contributions for the next issue must be submitted by Friday 17 April.
april 2015
www.bendigoanglican.org.au
All three events have a little in common, and that is people had great hope and expectation about what each would achieve previous explorers, and yet Burke and Wills both perished. She writes:
shocking new beginning – which is what Mark, intends. The story is not over. In fact it’s just starting. A new way of living, a new way of being human, has been launched upon the world, a way that people thought impossible then and think impossible still today, but a way that has caught up millions and transformed their lives beyond recognition.” (From Lent for Everyone p. 174).
his Resurrection will also have been celebrated across our nation and around the world. Bishop Tom Wright puts it this way:
CMS Autumn Weekend with Pakistani Dinner Barry Rainsford
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feature of this year’s CMS Autumn Weekend at Flora Hill is a Pakistani Dinner on Saturday 18 April at 5.30pm. Guest speakers will be Steve and Jenny Sonneman who have served in Pakistan for the past 13 years. Everyone is welcome to this and other parts of the weekend.
Restoration: The completed predella and floor inside St Paul’s Cathedral
Cathedral restoration continues
John Roundhill
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he work inside St Paul’s Cathedral is continuing and showing real progress with the hydraulic altar platform (predella) and wooden floor recently completed. It has taken many months of work to get the building ready for the floor covering. A hole was dug for the hydraulics underneath the predella and then the drainage for the building was sorted so as to reduce, if not stop, the flow of water into the building after a rain storm.
walls. There is also a calm coolness due to the lofty space in front of the organ. It is in this space that the predella sits. When elevated it has two steps up to the platform on which the altar will sit and when flat the whole cathedral floor forms one continuous space.
When these things were completed it seemed to take only a matter of weeks for the parquetry covering to be placed on the predella and for the wooden floor to be reinstalled.
Even more recent pictures are available on the Cathedral Facebook page search for ‘St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral’.
What this has revealed is a marvellous space. There is a warmth to the place due in part to the use of wood and from the lights placed high on the
Donations are still required for the restoration of the interior of the cathedral, with painting and restoration of furniture still required. Visit www. stpaulsbendigo.org.au to make a donation, or call 5443 5061.
Guests: The Sonneman Family Four Bible studies on ‘Joseph: A model of faithfulness’ will be presented by Kevin Pedersen, Vicar of Ormond Anglican. Other speakers are Inpa and Vana Eliezer who have served in Cambodia for the past 17 years. There will be a great children’s program during the Friday and Saturday sessions. Program Friday 3 April Please register by this date if possible Friday 17 April 6.00 pm Dinner 7.30 pm 1st Study Saturday 18 April 9.30 am Vana and Inpa Eliezer 11.00 am 2nd Study 12 noon Lunch 1.00 pm 3rd Study 2.00 pm Free Time 5.30 pm Pakistani Dinner Sunday 19 April 10.30 am Church and 4th Study 12 noon Lunch If you can’t come for the whole weekend, then part of Saturday would be great. Gather for a traditional Pakistani meal and celebrate the Sonnemans’ ministry as they share about their time in Pakistan. For bookings call 5443 3482 as soon as possible. 3
Change a life. Donate now.
“
Social inclusion is about breaking down barriers and giving people the opportunity to lead fulfilled lives.
“
– Bishop Andrew Curnow AM
Donate to St Luke’s a division of Anglicare Victoria
Donate online www.stlukes.org.au Albury • Bendigo • Castlemaine Deniliquin • Echuca • Kyneton Maryborough • Swan Hill
Mental Health First Aid Training Ian Cutlack
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ancy and I are accredited facilitators for the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) 2 day program and would like to offer the course to the church community. The aim of the program is to highlight the extent of mental illness within our communities and to provide education and information. It is most suitable for clergy, people involved in pastoral and spiritual ministry, or who are carers or supporters of carers. Visit www. mhfa.com.au for more information. While people often know a lot about common physical health problems, there is widespread ignorance of mental health. Regular first aid courses are recognised as improving the public’s skills in giving initial and appropriate help at medical emergencies but, unfortunately, most of these courses do not address helping with mental health problems. However, throughout the course of a person’s life, it is highly likely that an individual will either develop a mental health problem or have close contact with someone who does. Why would you benefit from attending the MHFA course? • Mental health problems are common - 1 in 4 people will experience an anxiety disorder and 1 in 6 people will experience depression at some stage of their lives. MHFA provides people with skills which they will most likely use at one point in their lives.
Bencourt Care approves funding for projects within the Bendigo Diocese that provide for the relief of need, suffering, sickness, helplessness or poverty of people in the community. The types of projects funded are:
• Many people are not well informed about how to recognise mental health problems, how to respond to the person, and what effective treatments are available. MHFA will equip them with resources and knowledge.
a a diverse range of community care services eg aged, palliative and respite care, outreach programs, chaplaincy etc;
• Many people with mental health problems do not seek help or delay seeking help. Regrettably the
b seeking out and serving children, young people and adults who are financially, emotionally or socially disadvantaged or marginalised; c establishing and developing charitable work If your parish or group has a project that meets the above criteria please contact Jackie Mullan - Manager at the Registry on 5443 4711 to discuss your proposal and obtain a Bencourt Application form. All applications need to be submitted by Friday, 1 May 2015 for review by the Bencourt Care Board on Monday, 11 May.
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longer people delay getting help and support, the more difficult their recovery can be. MHFAiders can encourage people to seek help early. • There is stigma and discrimination associated with mental health problems that MHFAiders can challenge. • Mental Health First Aid has been found to be effective by a growing number of organisations and individuals. Developing mental health problems covered in the course: Depression, anxiety problems, psychosis, substance abuse problems. Mental health crises covered: Suicidal thoughts and behaviours; non-suicidal self-injury, panic attacks, traumatic events, severe psychotic states, severe effects from alcohol or other drug use and aggressive behaviours. Participants will learn the signs and symptoms of these mental health problems, where and how to get help and what sort of help has been shown by research to be effective. Course Format: This is a 12-hour course (4 modules, each 3 hours). Course participants receive a copy of the Standard MHFA Manual to keep and a Certificate of Completion. Nancy and I believe that the church as a supportive, well informed, caring community has incredible potential in providing effective ministry of hope and acceptance to people affected by mental illness.
Mental Health First Aid Program Where: St Mary’s Kangaroo Flat When: 9 and 16 May 2015 Time: 9.30 am to 5.00 pm both days Instructors: Nancy and Ian Cutlack Cost: $60.00 per salaried participant or $35.00 concession. Includes morning tea and lunch. Electronic payments: Name: Saltbush Community Initiatives Inc. BSB: 633-000 Account no: 131922296 Please provide reference: ‘MHFA – SURNAME’
april 2015
Application process: Complete the application form and return by Friday April 30 2015 with your cheque to:
Saltbush Community Initiatives Inc. P.O. Box 7, LONG GULLY, VIC 3550. Application forms are available from nancycut@bigpond.net.au or 0458 234 071. More course dates available - phone 0458234071 for more information.
www.bendigoanglican.org.au
Come to St Arnaud and retire A one bedroom unit is available to rent at J & O Pilgrim Memorial Homes. One of 8 units all of which are wheelchair friendly. Safety rails in shower and toilet areas. No steps. Carport close to unit. Walking distance to shops, doctors and all churches. Contact Miss Joan Preece for further details Phone 5495 1251
Transfer: ‘Our Shed’ Manager Mark Polsen, Bishop Andrew and Bendigo Access Employment’s Michael Langdon. Photo: Andrew Perryman, Bendigo Weekly.
‘Our Shed’ transfers to Bendigo Access Employment Sarah Crutch
‘O
ur Shed’ Community Centre in Eaglehawk now operates under Bendigo Access Employment (BAE), transferring from the diocesan welfare agency New Horizons Welfare Services (NHWS) on 1 March 2015.
The transfer was celebrated with a morning tea among ‘Our Shed’ volunteers and representatives from both BAE and NHWS.
The move to BAE will allow ‘Our Shed’ access to greater training and support resources to continue its work amongst the Eaglehawk community.
Bishop Andrew Curnow, Chair of the Board of NHWS, said the transfer meant the continuation of services and a sustainable future for ‘Our Shed’.
‘Our Shed’ was established by NHWS in the wake of the 2009 bushfires and has grown to provide a supportive environment and deliver
I am proud that the Anglican Church was able to initiate the program and delighted that Bendigo Access Employment has agreed to merge it into their services - Bishop Andrew Curnow
“The community service known as ‘Our Shed’, located in the heart of Eaglehawk, has become a significant and well established program in the local community. I am proud that the Anglican Church was able to initiate the program and delighted that Bendigo Access Employment has agreed to merge it into their services,” Bishop Andrew said.
meaningful activities to those in need in Eaglehawk and surrounding areas. With the motto ‘everyone equal, everyone with purpose, everyone welcome’, ‘Our Shed’ provides its participants, many who live with disability, an opportunity to work together, share skills and develop new friendships.
The Diocese of Bendigo expects the highest standards of professional service from its Clergy and Lay Ministers.
IF YOU HAVE A COMPLAINT Please call (free)
1800 135 246
A phone call to the above number will mean that your complaint will be handled by the Director of Professional Standards. The Diocese is a full participant in the Victorian Anglican Provincial Abuse and Harassment Protocol. This is an independent, objective procedure adopted by the Diocese of Bendigo.
News from ABM Auxiliary A special appeal has been launched by ABM for Vanuatu following Cyclone Pam. They are hoping to raise an immediate $100,000 to assist with immediate work on the ground. Please go to their website to donate: www.abmission.org or donate via your own parish to ABM. Dean John Roundhill is the contributor to ABM reflections for April-June and this is also available in some pew sheets or on the ABM website. Auxiliary Deanery Rallies begin soon across the Diocese – please look out for one in your local area. Presentation on ‘Paving the way for a brighter future in Myanmar’: Wednesday 13 May at Christ Church Swan Hill, beginning at 10.00 am. 5
Around the Diocese
The Fourth Wise Man Comes to St Mary’s Kangaroo Flat Henry Van Dyke wrote the story of Artaban, the fourth wise man and his search for the light and in the late 1990’s, local musician Valerie Broad came upon the story and was inspired to write a musical drama.
The result is a compelling story of the fourth Magi’s 33 year journey in search of his King. Two performances on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 March were well attended. In his welcome, Canon Bryn Jones made reference to the irony of a Christmas tale being presented in the weeks leading up to Easter. The appreciative audience certainly saw the strong link between the journey of Artaban and that of his Lord. Proceeds in excess of $1,200.00 were donated to Act For Peace in support of cyclone victims in Vanuatu. Jeff Wild, from Act for Peace, attended on the Saturday and thanked the congregation for their generous support. It was a wonderful opportunity to see the newly built church being used for a performance of this nature. - Geoff Young
“Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25.40)
Heathcote celebrates riveting music In early February the Sanguine Estate Music Festival was held. As part of that, a community concert was held in St John’s Heathcote on the morning of Saturday 14 February. We had the great pleasure of having top musicians playing beautiful music. The quartet featured Paul Dean on clarinet, Chris Howlett on cello, violinist Paul Wright and viola player Tobias Breider. The music was riveting. We were just so fortunate to have such talent playing in our church, in our town. It was a lovely use of our building, and its acoustics. - Pam Mason
Quartet: Playing inside St John’s Heathcote
Multi Faith Dinner in Bendigo
On Wednesday 18 March around 100 people gathered at the All Seasons for a multi faith dinner focussing on Freedom of Religion and Belief. The guest speaker, Professor Gary Bouma, focussed on three areas in his address. Firstly, acknowledging that freedom of religion is held in tension with other freedoms. Secondly, the need for an inclusive civic vision and leadership which encourages and seeks to include a diverse population and thirdly, the value of a forum such as the Bendigo Inter faith Council where people of various faith traditions can learn to know and trust each other and provide a shared wisdom for the local community. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011, in the City of Greater Bendigo: the number of non religious persons experienced the greatest change (+5,748) compared to Christians and non Christians from 2006 to 2011; Roman Catholic numbers increased by some 1934 persons, Anglicans decreased by 148, the Uniting Church lost 535 and Baptists increased by 429. Amongst the religions other than Christian, Islam increased by 73 and Hinduism increased by 117 and Buddhism increased by 332. 6
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- Heather Marten
april 2015
Inter Faith: The panel of religious leaders
www.bendigoanglican.org.au
Around the Parishes
50th Anniversary of Christ Church, Fenton’s Creek Fenton’s Creek celebrated its 50th Anniversary on Sunday 22 March in Christ Church where about 40 people came to honor the life of this church community in times gone by up until the present. There were a few people at the service who vaguely remembered the day that Christ Church opened fifty years ago, and they remembered it as being a ‘beautiful day’. Christ Church came to be known for the way it is built in the shape of a fish. The people that built it were local men, whose photo is still up in the main entrance of the building. It was built during 1965, which we learned was a period of time when new churches were ‘booming’ all across Australia. After the service there was a lunch provided down the road at Fenton’s Creek memorial hall. It was great to see men and women of different generations, and children gather together to celebrate this special occasion.
50 years: The congregation outside Christ Church Fenton’s Creek
- Erin Tuineau
Bishop Andrew installed as Fellow of Trinity College Bishop Andrew was installed as a Fellow of Trinity College, the highest honour the College can bestow, at a Choral Evensong at Trinity College Chapel on Sunday 15 March. The election recognises his contributions to the life of Trinity College and the Anglican Church over many years. “It was an honour to be recognised in this way,” Bishop Andrew said after being installed. “I’ve had an association continuously with Trinity since I became a resident student there in 1968 initially studying Commerce and then Theology.”
Installed: The Rev’d Canon Professor Dorothy Lee with Bishop Andrew
He has overseen the development and strategic direction of the Theological College as an Executive Member of the Board of Trinity College Theological School since 1997, Chairman of the Theological School’s Committee of Management from 1995 - 2012 and he also served as a member of the College Board from 2003 to 2011. During these years he played a key role in the re-birth of the Theological School in 1998. - Sarah Crutch
Homework Club thrives at Northern Mallee
In 2013 we identified a need to help out young people in our community with homework. Fast forward to 2015 and our homework club is well into its second year. Over 20 kids meet every Tuesday in the church with tutors from across the parish to read, do homework, play strategic games, use iPad apps to enhance math and English skills along with craft activities. All of these focus on learning new skills and consolidating English and comprehension We thank the Mildura Rural Council and CEBs for funding to buy iPads, story books and SRA English programs, and also our volunteers who give their time and skills. - Kris Hopkins
Learning: Parishioners helping tutor
Coffee, Cake and Conversation Monday 27 April from 7.00 pm at St Peter’s Church, Eaglehawk Focus on Myanmar - Ronda Gault shares her experiences of her recent visit to a Karen camp on the Thai-Burma border Enquiries to Pam Fittock on 5441 1184 or Rodger O’Hara on 5446 8991
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Keith Cole Lifestyle choice? Diocesan Library Whose choice? What choice? Robyn Davis re-opens am staying at home today, a The communities I visit do not have
Charles Sherlock
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ust seven years since it was moved from the cathedral hall to Registry, the Keith Cole Diocesan Library is finally fully sorted out and open for business!
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rare privilege for me. I have the choice of doing whatever I want; gardening, painting, visiting family and friends, wandering to the shops or dare I say it – doing some house work!
This library, named in honour of its creator, the Revd Dr Keith Cole, is cared for by Charles Sherlock. In the years since its move, it has been culled and restocked three times, thanks to donations of money and books, and some sales. Over half the books have been added in these seven years.
I will sleep in the bed I slept in when I was a child, in the house my grandfather bought a century ago, on the land my family have lived on and worked for thousands of years. I am home. I have an unbreakable connection to this land. This is my home - I cannot be anywhere else.
As it is now, the library includes up-to-date dictionaries, accessible commentaries on each book of the Bible, a basic coverage of Anglican sources and church history (with a stronger focus on Australia and Bendigo), and good collections on parish ministry and Christian discipleship. The catalogue was lost during the move, but the shelves are now clearly marked by topic, and Registry staff can explain this if necessary.
I have the luxury of two supermarkets, newsagent, butcher, hardware shop, hospital and medical services, running water, electricity and many other services and clubs. I drive or use public transport to the big town to shop for things I can’t get here. What choices I have!
There is also a growing number of DVDs, including the excellent Christ Files and Men’s Series (from the Centre for Public Christianity, Sydney), and First Steps, a 12-minute DVD for use with people exploring baptism for a child. The magazines from each Australian Anglican diocese, plus Church Times (England, weekly), and The Tablet (England, RC monthly) are held until the next issue or two replaces them. Journals include Zadok Perspectives and Zadok Papers (aimed to help Australian Christians be better equipped for daily life in Christ), the Journal of Anglican Studies and Theology (both with good book reviews). And there is a good collection of Grove Books – on Worship, Ethics, Pastoral Care and Spirituality.
I also have the choice of travelling to communities who do not have the same choices. I see many of them as I visit different communities every year. Their people have the same connection to the land. They also have lived on and worked the land they belong to for thousands of years. It is their homeland: they also cannot be anywhere else. But they have been forced into small communities with limited choices. They no longer have the choice to hunt and gather, to perform ceremonies and conduct important cultural business. To gather the bush medicines that make them well. The land has been sold off to private enterprise or mining companies. There was no choice here.
the same choices I have. One privately owned store, which also sells fuel and anything else deemed necessary for living, where can you go with your voucher? No choice here of cash – your pension comes as a voucher card, you can’t be trusted with real money. There is no choice of fresh food, no fresh meat, fruit or vegetables. A loaf of frozen bread will cost you $6.50. The only potatoes are frozen chips, and all vegies and meat are frozen. Mince or sausages will cost you almost $20 a kilo and the only drinks sold are cans of sugary soft drinks for $4. No choice of fresh juice here! No toothbrushes, pens, pencils, books or anything not seen as essential. Most of the community does not have a car so the choice of driving to the next town is non-existent and no choice of public transport. The next big town where there are choices is 600 kms away – a two day round trip. Are we going to limit their choices even further, Prime Minister? As I write, I realise today is National Close the Gap Day – how ironic! This government initiative of Close the Gap aims to raise the health and life expectancy of Indigenous people to that of the non-Indigenous population within a generation; to close the gap by 2030. How can that be achieved by forcing people from their homes, cutting off essential services and medical care causing untold damage to an already damaged people? Where are our Christian values? What has happened to us as a country? Do we not love our neighbour as our selves anymore? Where do you stand? Will you stand up and be counted?
The library operates on an honour system, and is available for use or borrowing by anyone: just fill in your contact details and works borrowed in the book held at the Registry desk. The Keith Cole Diocesan Library is open for business whenever Registry is open! 8
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www.bendigoanglican.org.au
Why Easter? The Rev’d Professor Mark Lindsay Trinity College
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s the annual cycle of chocolate eggs and people wandering around shopping centres dressed up as over-sized rabbits comes upon us, it is timely for the Church to ask herself afresh: what actually is the meaning of Easter? That may seem like a question to which the answer is terribly obvious. But given that Easter, as with Christmas, has now become so mainstream, so secular in its orientation and promotion, the Church does herself - and the culture in which she lives - a very great service by again making clear what this season is in fact all about.
Most obviously, perhaps, although too often the unspoken element in the Church’s Easter remembrance, is the fact that Easter is, quite literally, a ‘moveable feast’. Because the Gospel narratives tell us that the crucifixion of Jesus occurred during or near the Passover, the early Church sought to secure this calendrical link with the Jewish Pesach. Since the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, where it was decided that Easter be celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox, a certain regularizing of the Easter date has occurred. Nonetheless there has
remained an intentional connection between the date of Easter and the date of the preceding Passover. This serves as a valuable testimony to the indissoluble kinship that the Church has with the Jewish people, no matter how loudly the Church has in the past tried to deny it. The dating of Easter, though, is far more than just a neat alignment of different calendars. In fact, it illuminates a much wider Gospel truth. “Salvation is from the Jews”, says Jesus in John 4:22. By locating the Christian event of redemption in the closest proximity to the Jews’ remembrance of their own salvation from Egypt, the Church is reminded that what God has done for the world in Jesus is the extension and fulfilment of what He had already done for Israel. Our recognition of Easter’s meaning is also greatly helped when we remember that Easter is not so much an event but a season. Reflecting Jesus’ own final journey to Jerusalem - during which the Scriptures tell us he was both resolute and troubled (Matt.16:21; Matt.26: 38; Mk.10: 32) - the 40 days of Lent that precede Easter are also a journey of the soul. They are a time of penitence and selfreflection, and of facing up to one’s frailty of body, mind and holiness. Just as Jesus approached Jerusalem with resolve, and yet also with a realistic awareness of what was about to take place, we also approach Easter with appropriate solemnity, and with
“Indigenous Evangelists: past and present” Hear the Revd Dr John Harris, author of One Blood speak at the Victorian BCA Annual Dinner on Friday
1st May at
All Saints, Greensborough
14 Church Street, Greensborough (Melway Ref: 20 J2) Also speaking, Revd Neville Naden BCA Indigenous Worker, Broken Hill 6.15pm drinks/nibbles for a 6.45pm Annual Meeting 7.30pm Prime Stud Gourmet Spit Roast dinner Child Care will be available (please advise) Only $30.00 per person. RSVP Friday 24 April P: 03 9457 7556, E: victoria@bushchurchaid.com.au
humble acknowledgment of our need of God’s great gift of forgiveness. Holy Week itself is a journey within this broader journey. From Palm Sunday to Maundy Thursday, Good Friday to Easter Sunday, we are reminded of our own fickleness in response to God. Like the disciples themselves, who shared supper with Jesus and then fled in terror and betrayal, we too lurch from enthusiastic adoration to cynical disdain. The crowds in Jerusalem, and Jesus’ own friends, reflect our inconstancy – by them, we are urged towards a more steadfast discipleship. But the climax of Easter, of course, is the two-sided event of cross and resurrection. Just as the shadows stained the sky while Jesus hung on the cross throughout that first Good Friday, we are compelled to acknowledge that humanity – indeed the whole of creation – is similarly stained by sin and sorrow. It was for this that Jesus, through whom all things were made (Jn.1:3), came and died. It was the Creator who made all things good – and so it was the Creator who had to make all things good again, which had become tainted by the sin of evil, and the evil of sin. This Jesus did on the cross. Entering into our history and therefore into our death, he took it to be his own, so that we could share in his history and therefore in his life. The resurrection of Jesus, then, is the sign that indeed all things have been made good again; there is a new creation – the old has gone, the new has come (2 Cor.5:17). Easter is the Church’s powerful witness to what the Swiss theologian Karl Barth has called God’s great ‘Nevertheless…’ Despite our sin and stain, and not for a moment underestimating the gravity of the world’s old and present troubles, new life emerges from death. Jesus’ death puts a final ‘sunset clause’ on the world’s sin and suffering – such things, even in their terrible pain, no longer have the final say. Jesus’ resurrected life - his emergence from the tomb - provide us, and the world in which we live, with the hope-filled future that we all ultimately crave. Because of the cross, and then the empty tomb, we are able now to say, in and with Jesus: ‘I was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore’ (Rev.1:18). This, more than any egg or rabbit, is what the Church celebrates at Easter. 9
Feeding Faith Lemons Coral Crook
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was recently given some magazines to read. One had an article on lemons. It began with “It was only a little lemon”. My mind wandered to the song ‘Lemon tree, oh so pretty’ which was on the first album of Peter, Paul and Mary. Peter Yarrow, Paul Starkey and Mary Travers were an American folk group from 1961-1970, and toured Australia in the 60s. Yarrow had a conviction for which he received a pardon from President Jimmy Carter; the group reformed in 1978 until Mary’s death in 2009.
‘Lemon tree’ was a song about human love: a father called his son to take a lesson about life from it. The chorus was about the flower looking pretty, but the fruit being impossible to eat. This song was based on a Brazilian folk song, and written by Will Holt (1929-), an American singer songwriter who also writes musicals. The article I read was about chopping, slicing and de-seeding citrus fruits like lemons in preparation for making marmalade. The emphasis turned to the profusion of seeds. One seed could be the beginning of another tree with lots of fruit and the profusion of more seeds. This profusion pointed to the generosity of God and all the Lord does with creation, and especially in giving “his only Son” for the world. The article went on to refer to a chorus I learnt as a child - “Count your blessings”. So reflecting on the generosity of God in lemon seeds led to meditating on our salvation. Food for thought: lemons, marmalade, my reaction to God. I’ll never look at lemons in the same way again - will you? Many seeds in a lemon and many blessings in one’s life - all from the God of love who created, preserves and saves. My thanks to the writer of the original article that set my mind wandering from lemon seeds to my blessings, and to thanking God for this marvellous creation and love for me. 10
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Beating around the bush
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Patience required outback
wonder if you are a patient person. Patience is a quality that I observed in many of our sisters and brothers who live in the outback.
Bishop Ron Stone I don’t think outback folk could survive without this gift – and I know of those who have not survived!
and to have enough money to pay the bills. The greatest need of Anglicare is for experienced counsellors who will put their feet under outback kitchen tables, and lead targeted field days to help resource people in the face of their hardship.
If you are in tune with the outback, especially the part I know and care for deeply, the outback of Western Queensland, you will know of their current hardships, calling for much patience.
Against this background, there are outback people who demonstrate the most amazing and humbling faith and patience. Their attitude is summed up in a saying I often heard ‘out west’: “All good things come to those who wait.”
The prolonged drought continues. The wet season has failed for the third consecutive year. As I write the temperature remains around 43 degrees, where it has been, without
For some of us, because of our personality and lack of patience, this saying does not help when we are doing the waiting. What I learned from outback people was that waiting
What I learned from people in the outback was that waiting really demands patience. From people of faith in the outback, I learned that patience relies on trusting God’s timing. relief, for a very long period. There is little or no grass for cattle and sheep. Properties have had to de-stock. The 2015 Longreach cattle sales were cancelled because there were too few animals to attract buyers. Fauna are suffering too, with kangaroos, emus and brolgas coming into outback towns after anything green in gardens. The latest testing of outback folk’s spirit is the arrival of the locusts in plague proportions, stripping any remaining greenery. Will you spare a prayer for the people experiencing the hardship, please? I recently spoke with the Regional Manager of Anglicare Central Queensland, based in Longreach. Thank God for this ministry, and the services it offers, especially at this critical time. The greatest need of many on the land today is to remain hopeful,
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really demands patience. What I learned from outback people of faith is that patience relies on trusting God’s timing. What are you waiting for? For the weather to change, perhaps for some pain to end, or some hurt to heal? For an answer to your prayers for a loved one or for yourself? Whatever the waiting, patience is required, and trust in God’s timing. If you, like me, find waiting hard and patience difficult, let me end with the words of a ‘pass it on’ card I was once given, for which I am thankful, and now carry with me in my wallet. It reads:
Trust in God’s timing. Rely on God’s promises. Wait for God’s answers. Believe in God’s miracles. Rejoice in God’s goodness. Relax in God’s presence.
www.bendigoanglican.org.au
Letter to the editor Who defines responsible speech?
I read with interest Peta Sherlock’s article “Je suis Alan Jones?”(The Spirit, February 2015). While it is no doubt an honest and frank expression of her views on ‘free speech’ and how she believes instead in ‘responsible speech’, the question has to be asked: Who defines what is responsible speech? Is it the author or artist who determines this? The recipient who is sensitive to any critique or satire? Governments, judges or lawmakers? Media pundits perhaps? While Charlie Hebdo has a history of publishing often vile cartoons skewering most religions, and I wouldn’t be one to buy their magazines, would the Prophet Jeremiah’s satirical rant against idolatrous religion (Jeremiah 10) be labelled ‘responsible speech’ in politically-correct circles today? Would modern-day pagans be justified in mounting defamation cases against Christians who (rightfully) preach against false religions in the public square? The other aspect of Peta’s article that I and others take issue with is her repetitive description of the founder of the Islamic religion as ‘the Prophet Mohammed’ or simply ‘the Prophet’. Maybe this is simply unintentional and just a reflection of how our massmedia write of him? But since it is clear from Islamic scriptures and traditions that essential doctrines and creeds of Christianity are rejected by Mohammed – such as Jesus’ death and resurrection and his divinity – is it problematic for professing Christians who affirm these truths about Christ to describe Mohammed as ‘the Prophet’? Can we afford to compromise and undermine the Christian faith and refrain from sharing the Gospel for the sake of not trying to offend some Muslims who might take issue with the naming of their founder as simply ‘Mohammed’? These are questions we need to ponder seriously in our multicultural society. - Richard Bath, Flora Hill
media matters I
A really good funeral
n February 2015 Bishop Barbara Darling of Melbourne died. She was much loved in all spheres of her life and ministry, as teacher, parish priest, senior canon of St Paul’s Cathedral Melbourne, bishop, and a beloved family member and friend. Peta Sherlock Her death was especially unfair, as she had just retired, unpacked the last box in her retirement home, and was about to go on a cruise.
Barbara had been in the second group of Melbourne women deaconed in 1986, in the first group priested in Melbourne in 1992, and the second Australian woman to be consecrated bishop in 2008. As well as being an historian herself, she was and is now part of church history. Preparing the liturgy and running such a funeral was not a job for the fainthearted, with so many liturgical experts looking on. The Dean of Melbourne was up to the task. Many who knew Barbara well were asked to contribute, but given limits. (One hundred words spoken takes one minute). Funerals are probably the main way the Church now relates to the world, so they should be liturgy at its very
Jesus...has come down fully to our level, to where things are shapeless and meaningless, in a state of vulnerability and unprotectedness... where might you expect to find the baptized? In the neighbourhood of chaos...where humanity is most disordered, disfigured and needy. (pages 4-5) That summed up my spirit at Barbara’s funeral. I was participating in the completion of her baptism, namely her death and burial. In my heart was disbelief, personal loss, unfairness, waste, deep sadness, my own mortality - all the chaos of death and grief. But I was one of hundreds of others who share the Christian faith and were there to gather around the coffin. Being together in this chaos was to be at the very first moments of resurrection and healing, albeit still deep in the tomb. We should not rush too quickly from the depths of Good Friday into Easter Day. As one used to leading funerals, and not usually having space to fall apart myself, I was grateful for space to be in touch with the chaos that is
Funerals are probably the main way the Church now relates to the world, so they should be liturgy at its very best – and this funeral was good.
best – and this funeral was good. The ministers involved trusted the liturgy to do its work with dignity, and without needless explanation.
both baptism and death in my own breast. I trust God for healing and peace to come. That funeral was an excellent first step on the road.
Bishop Kay Goldsworthy preached an elegant twist from Mark’s not-quiteresurrection narrative, reminding us that the women at that tomb were too afraid to speak the good news, but that Bishop Barbara was not afraid. It was a service in which women’s participation at all levels was simply normal.
I am convinced that something important happened that Sunday evening - I am still wondering what it was. Bishop Andrew agreed it was “a landmark moment”. I am waiting for the prophets of the Church to help me work out just what happened.
For Lent I have read Rowan Williams’ short study book, Being Christian. Baptism, Bible, Eucharist, Prayer (SPCK 2014). In the chapter on baptism, he writes;
Perhaps it is simply this: Barbara Darling was the first Australian bishop who is a woman to die. Now the leadership of women really is normal. We are born, we are baptised, we are called, we minister, and we die – in Christ. 11
Where in the world...
is this church ?
If you can name the church and where it is located, you could be our monthly winner! Send your entries in to thespirit@ bendigoanglican.org.au or post to The Spirit at PO Box 2, Bendigo, VIC , 3552. Last month featured the Church of Transfiguration in Israel. There were no correct entries.
what’s on events calendar
Clergy Conference Monday 13 - Wednesday 15 April, Mildura Induction of George Hemmings Friday 17 April, 8.00pm, Echuca Mental Health First Aid Training Saturday 9 and 16 May, Kangaroo Flat Council of the Diocese Tuesday 12 May, 4.45pm, Golden Square CMS Autumn Weekend Friday 17 - Sunday 19 April, Flora Hill
Milestone: Frances Bonsey (centre) with great-grand-daughter Ava, the Revd Terry Templer (rector), Heather Zakrzewski, Bp Jeremy Ashton, Pam Mason, Sue Turner and Judy Jones.
Frances celebrates centenary birthday Pam Mason
S
t John’s Heathcote parishioner Frances Bonsey recently celebrated her 100th birthday, enjoying an afternoon with family, friends and colleagues from the Thirst Order of St Frances. Frances and her husband, the late Revd Thory Bonsey, migrated from England in their late 50s to be closer
to two of their three children. They served in various parishes in England, as well as running a Retreat House. In Australia they were part of Canberra and Goulburn diocese until retirement. Most important in Frances’ life are her faith and her family. Her advice to pass on is to follow your star, your dream, your passion, and take up every opportunity that comes your way, to experience and to live life to the full.
Synod Thursday 28 May, 5.00pm, Flora Hill Synod Friday 29 May, 9.00am, Flora Hill Got an event coming up? Send the details to thespirit@bendigoanglican.org.au
Caring at a time of need
151 McCrae Street Bendigo 12 Victoria Street Eaglehawk
P. 5441 5577
www.williamfarmer.com.au
A tradition that continues...
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Spirit The
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www.bendigoanglican.org.au