An Easter Like No Other Every Other Church, Is ‘Closed for Sbusiness’
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Easter Vigil COVID-19 and Isolation and Changing culture for Eid: celebrations Eucharist mental health social justice Safe Church of Islam page 4 page 7 page 8 page 9 page 10 TheAnglican Gippsland Volume 117, Number 4, May 2020 Published in Gippsland Diocese since 1904 Sue Fordham t Peter’s in Paynesville, like An Easter like no other every other church, is ‘closed for Sbusiness’. No onsite services, no Sunday community, no parish groups meeting to provide cohesion. What might then be a barren time, especially at Easter, has turned out to be far from that. Fortunately, we have had particularly good locum priests since the parish fell vacant. Parishioners have received information almost daily during Eastertide, including meditations crafted by locum Bishop Jeffrey Driver and information about ‘We are attempting to get around the parish on the excellent online diocesan services. a weekly basis offering Holy Communion, prayer, The reserved sacrament for Easter written copies of readings, homilies, children’s bulletins – hopefully something for everyone.’ Day was distributed to about 20 people Anne Perryman, Wonthaggi who requested it and the church had its Good Friday and Easter Day livery set up. We may not see it, but God can. Pastoral care has been strengthened by five volunteers who coordinated a contact list of all parishioners, and the finances have been addressed by contacting parishioners about regular collections. We have never been busier or more involved in the life of our parish. It is a hard time but also an empowering time for us. Brian Norris cutting the simnel cake ‘Peter ran to the empty tomb’. One of the 12 ‘Peter windows’ created by artist Bruce Hutton at Holy Trinity, Yarram at St Peter’s Paynesville. Photo: John Rigg ‘I put the lights on at Holy Trinity just before 6 am on Easter morning.…we are all safe and well, so must be content.’ Glenda Amos, Yarram ‘We delivered 112 Easter care packages across The Rev’d Tracy Lauerson is delivering the parish including palm cross, consecrated a Sunday Service Stream in Warragul in lieu communion and Easter eggs.’ The banner outside St Paul's Cathedral in Sale Easter at St John’s, Bairnsdale of in-person gatherings Belinda Seabrook, Leongatha www.gippsanglican.org.au From the Bishop TGA Index active in what they do and really present in what Turning the page they eat and drink … The From the Bishop 2 privileged ways in which elcome to what I isn’t there, about spreading God is present cannot Prayer Diary 2 believe is the first out the paper on the kitchen fully be replaced by other ever online-only bench with a cup of coffee and forms of presence. Around rural Victoria 3 W edition of The Gippsland feeling it between your thumb As the consulting editor Anglican in its 116-year history. and forefinger as you turn of this fully online journal, Around the Diocese 3–7 The editorial committee has each page? I have never found Bishop Richard Treloar Hamilton can hardly be made this move primarily as reading online as pleasurable accused of being a ‘luddite’ Social justice 8 a cost-saving measure during as the touch and smell of a years now, but I still love either. Though he surely makes COVID-19 restrictions, and book or hard copy journal, the printed volumes that fill an important point, and a Across the ages: 9 is grateful to editor Sally and then there’s the toll the a shelf in my study from its number of people have written Changing culture Woollett for adapting quickly screen starts to take on one’s earliest days of publication. to me in recent weeks who are for Safe Church to new conditions. eyes, especially if camped in In a reflection posted in both deeply appreciative of Even before the coronavirus front of seemingly endless early April, ‘Present from our online liturgical offerings Ecumenical and 10 pandemic began to bite, we Zoom meetings as some of us afar’, he wrote: and yet who miss terribly interfaith: Eid had already started asking are these days. In the [c]atholic tradition the sacramental experience how TGA’s online presence If that makes me sound faith is tactile. At its heart of holding the bread of the could improve, and we hope like a ‘luddite’, please don’t is a God who in Jesus Eucharist, and drinking from Editorial 10 that in addition to the full misunderstand me. We are Christ joined our world, the cup of salvation – those PDF version of each edition able to continue to worship walked among us and outward, visible and tactile Reflection: 11 available via the diocesan corporately in some sense, to had skin in our game. signs of these inward and Deep sea diving website, you will notice in the stay connected pastorally, and God is understood to be spiritual graces. months ahead a few different to provide essential services present in thingy, face to When the time comes Book review: 12 features with respect to from the Registry Office face ways – in gatherings to turn the page from the Worship beyond individual articles. largely because of the wonders of friends and strangers, COVID-19 ‘crisis’ chapter to Sunday morning We are conscious of those of the available technology, rich and poor; in eating the chapter that narrates the regular TGA readers who may which is itself a function of the bread and drinking wine, longer term rebuilding it will Art extra 13 not be reading this edition divine gift of human reason. teaching and listening, certainly entail, there will be because they do not have Yet it behoves us to reflect joking and being serious, many positive and unexpected internet access or a device or on these differences in our in the pouring of water learnings for us to take from sufficient familiarity with the current experience of worship and anointing with oil, in the pandemic and apply to GIPPSLAND DIOCESE technology to view it online. especially: what are we shaking hands and hugs. the ‘new normal’, some of VACANCIES A number of clergy and lay missing, and why? The central symbol and which we’re already starting volunteers have kindly offered One of my former teachers, ritual of this understanding to grasp – not least the great Drouin to print some hard copies and Jesuit priest Andy Hamilton, is the Sunday Eucharist potential of technology as an Paynesville deliver them to households is a regular contributor to the where people gather to instrument of mission. Wonthaggi/Inverloch where this applies. journal Eureka Street. It has pray, eat and drink in the And there is something, been online-only for several belief that Christ is really Continued on page 3 The Gippsland St Andrew, Dumbalk Anglican Prayer Diary: around the parishes St Andrew (Union Church), “That we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith...” (ROMANS 1:12) Tarwin Lower Member of Australasian Religious Archdeacon Graham Knott KORUMBURRA worship online will strengthen drop-in centres, mainly music, Press Association and The Rev’d Belinda SOUTHERN REGION and encourage members occasional services such as Seabrook Registered by Australia Post and may there be a feeling baptisms and funerals, coffee/ Print Post Number 34352/00018 St Paul, Korumburra of belonging. Pray for chat at a local coffee shop, All Saints, Poowong Following a Parish Council The Gippsland Anglican is the official deepening connection with afternoon teas with guest Priest-in-Charge: Away Day early in January, newspaper of and is published by Poowong community as we speakers organised by Social The Anglican Diocese of Gippsland, The Rev’d Fran Grimes we designated this year to be 453 Raymond Street, work towards a community Group and Missions, Men’s a Year of Mission. Numbers Sale, Victoria, 3850. Please pray for St Paul’s in garden at the back of our Breakfast, Emergency Food of conferences, events and www.gippsanglican.org.au Korumburra and All Saints church building. Collection, aged care services, activities were planned to Editor: Sally Woollett Poowong with our ministry Meals on Wheels and an bring growth and to connect 0407 614 661 LAKES ENTRANCE annual school concert. with a fresh group of people. [email protected] extending to Loch and Nyora. Pray that our connections with AND METUNG Please pray for these We are currently praying Layout by Devine Design each other will be strong in EASTERN REGION ministries, especially in the about how we can best deliver this time of social isolation. pandemic setting where so mission possibilities in a very Printed by Rural Press St Nicholas, Lakes Entrance May we continue to much has to take place via changed context. Further, we St John, Metung The editor reserves the right keep in touch with the local email, YouTube, hard copy are trying to involve as many of final choice and format of Rector: The Rev’d Canon distribution; for people who from the congregations in material included in each issue. community. We pray for our Philip Muston The Gippsland Anglican and mainly music families and for begin to feel the stirring of pastoral, prayer, discipling the editor cannot necessarily our team, and for our monthly Lakes Entrance is a seaside God in different ways; for and teaching opportunities. verify any material used in this parishioners now in residential publication. Views contained in community meal patrons and resort and fishing port; Metung Like many other parishes, we care; and for the incumbent, submitted material are those the volunteers, that they would is a picturesque village located have had to make hard choices of contributors.