1 PARISH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER 3 APRIL 2016 Volmoed Conference and Retreat Centre (A Community of the Cross of Nails Partner), South Africa, 23 to 27, February 2015 In the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen. We, a group of Anglican Bishops from dioceses across our global Communion greet our sisters and brothers in Christ throughout the Anglican Communion on this most Holy Day, Good Friday. On this day, when our Saviour poured out his very life for the world, we share the following statement in a spirit of sacrificial and reconciling love. The covetous desires of people and nations to possess what is not their own, Father, forgive the greed which exploits the work of human hands and lays waste the earth, Father, forgive. At this time of unprecedented climate crisis, we call all our brothers and sisters in the Anglican Communion to join us in prayer and in pastoral, priestly and prophetic action. We call with humility, but with urgent determination enlivened by our faith in God who is Creator and Redeemer and by the pain of our people’s experience in our dioceses and provinces, and their need for seeds of hope. In different ways each of our own dioceses are deeply impacted by climate injustice and environmental degradation. We accept the evidence of science concerning the contribution of human activity to the climate crisis and the disproportionate role played by fossil-fuel based economies. Although climate scientists have for many
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PARISH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER 3 APRIL 2016
Volmoed Conference and Retreat Centre (A Community of the Cross of Nails Partner), South Africa, 23 to 27, February 2015
In the name of God, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, Amen. We, a group of Anglican Bishops from dioceses across our global Communion greet our sisters and brothers in Christ throughout the Anglican Communion on this most Holy Day, Good Friday. On this
day, when our Saviour poured out his very life for the world, we share the following statement in a spirit of sacrificial and reconciling love. The covetous desires of people and nations to possess what is not their own, Father, forgive the greed which exploits the work of human hands and lays waste the earth, Father, forgive. At this time of unprecedented climate crisis, we call all our brothers and sisters in the Anglican Communion to join us in prayer and in pastoral, priestly and prophetic action. We call with humility, but with urgent determination enlivened by our faith in God who is Creator and Redeemer and by the pain of our people’s experience in our dioceses and provinces, and their need for seeds of hope. In different ways each of our own dioceses are deeply impacted by climate injustice and environmental degradation. We accept the evidence of science concerning the contribution of human activity to the climate crisis and the disproportionate role played by fossil-fuel based economies. Although climate scientists have for many
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years warned of the consequences of inaction there is an alarming lack of global agreement about the way forward. We believe that the problem is spiritual as well as economic, scientific and political, because the roadblock to effective action relates to basic existential issues of how human life is framed and valued: including the competing moral claims of present and future generations, human versus non-human interests, and how the lifestyle of wealthy countries is to be balanced against the basic needs of the developing world. For this reason the Church must urgently find its collective moral voice. Over the past year, facilitated by the steering group of the Anglican Communion Environmental Network (ACEN) we were invited through email, personal study, and virtual conferencing, to begin considering how we might live out, with urgency and in hope, the Fifth Mark of Mission “to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.” Our reflections entered a new depth when, in February 2015, ACEN chair Archbishop Thabo Makgoba graciously hosted a face to face meeting in South Africa. This gave us further opportunity to share the experience of our dioceses and, within a context of daily Eucharist and prayer, to hear again God’s calling in Scripture and in Creation (Psalms 104, 148, 24) and to discern ways forward. We held fast to our hope in the promises of God, the one who will restore all creation (Romans 8:18-25) and who will make all things new (2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 21:5). We listened to stories from dioceses affected by increasingly strong and more
frequent extreme weather events; changes in seasonal weather patterns; rising levels of seawater; acidification of seawater and depleted fishing grounds; the devastating impacts of pollution; deforestation, and destructive mining and energy extraction and transportation practices. We lamented the displacement of people because of the effects of climate change and environmental degradation, and the consequent loss of culture, identity and belonging. We know that God committed the care of creation to us, God’s children (Genesis 1:28-29, 2:15) but we have been care-less (Jeremiah 2:7). Therefore climate justice for us as Christians demands a faith response. Together we struggled with the practical and spiritual dimensions of climate justice in light of the insights and imperatives of our Christian faith. We recognized that some of us serve in cultures and nations that are major contributors to global warming, while others live in places which contribute little to the problem but are disproportionately affected by it. We also acknowledge in humility the cultural, political, historical and theological differences between us that we struggle to set aside in framing a united response to this crisis. The language we use to confront this issue and the interests and powers we must confront vary significantly from place to place. The crisis is however shared, and its resolution can only lie in increasing unity of thought and practice in order to demolish hurdles to inequality and injustice in our common life.
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We shared the understanding that creation is holy, and that we are called to serve (ebed) and protect (shamar) the earth now and for future generations (Genesis 2:15). We recognized that we have been complicit in a theology of dominion (Genesis 1:26), and realized that human dominion over the earth can only be exercised in the light of Jesus’ command that the greatest is the one who serves (Luke 22.26). We acknowledged that there are large economic and political issues at play in this complex conversation around unexploited fossil fuel reserves and the development of sustainable and renewable forms of energy: including the subsidization of fossil fuel industries and the powerful influence of big business on government policy throughout the world. We believe that the voices of Indigenous peoples, whose relationship with creation remains integral to their spirituality and relationship with God, is of central importance to ongoing ministry on climate justice. We were profoundly moved as we participated in an Indigenous Eucharistic rite which connected Creation, Morality, and Redemption in a biblical, integral and comprehensive way. We were painfully aware that women frequently bear a disproportionate burden of climate change largely because they make up the majority of the world's poor and are often more dependent for their livelihood on natural resources threatened by climate change. The voices and contributions of women are therefore essential in responding to climate change. There is a compelling need to listen to the voices of our youth who will inherit the challenges and catastrophes we fail to address and preempt. We believe we must
be reconciled to Creation and to one another and that there is an urgency to this call. We believe the issue of climate change is a moral issue at its heart. We acknowledged that salvation in Christ calls us to responsibilities beyond ourselves. Especially in the developed world our view of salvation has often focused on our individual souls and journey to heaven. Our responsibility to care for God’s Creation has been overlooked or ignored. We have acted as if Christ only died to save the human race. The truth of the redemption of all things in Christ, which is the message of the life-giving cross, must be reclaimed (Colossians 1:20; John 3:16). Listening to one another we learned that attending to the current and future life and health of our planet will require sacrifices now, both personal and collective, a deeper appreciation of the interdependence of all creation, and a genuine commitment to repentance, reconciliation and redemption. This calls for a profound change of heart and mind. In keeping with 1 Corinthians 12:26, our study and discussions served to underline the connection between lifestyle and use of resources in one part of the world affecting the whole. We discerned a call to revitalize our human vocation that refuses to leave some poor and others rich, and to rediscover our joy and awe in the wonders of God’s creation (Psalm 96: 11-12). We were challenged to go beyond advocacy for action by governments and big business interests, and undertake to practice the way of repentance and restraint, practicing justice between north and south, male and female, human and the more-than-human creation within our own common life as a Church.
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The churches of the Anglican Communion are local and global. Rooted in our theology of creation and in solidarity with one another we can take responsibility for action across the Communion, using all our God-given resources of intellect, spirit and determination. To live in the way of our Saviour, who unites all to himself, we therefore commit ourselves to the following initial actions and to developing a strategic plan of action in the months ahead. The initiatives listed below are important first-steps as we call upon Anglicans everywhere to join us in these endeavours: As bishops in our provinces, dioceses, congregations and communities:
We commit ourselves as brothers and sisters in Christ in humility, and acknowledging our differences of circumstance and polity, to support one another in conversation and in prayer, to continue to discern God’s leading, to develop ecotheological resources and form strategic proposals for global and local action.
We undertake to fast for climate justice on the first day of every month in solidarity with the earth and in acknowledgement that our own common life as a Church has contributed to the current climate crisis. Our fast will continue for as long as we prayerfully discern that we stand in need of repentance as a Church.
We will work to strengthen our ecumenical and inter-faith partnerships globally and in our own jurisdictions standing in solidarity with all people of goodwill in response to the climate crisis.
We will develop and distribute educational resources for everyone (adults, youth and children) on climate change, climate justice, and the ethical and practical principles of sustainable living in global and local contexts.
We will develop and distribute liturgical materials on Care for Creation for use in parishes and other places of worship.
We call for a review of our churches’ investment practices with a view to supporting environmental sustainability and justice by divesting from industries involved primarily in the extraction or distribution of fossil fuels.
We call for the strengthening of ethical investment guidelines to include consideration of justice for the non-human creation as well as the interests of future generations of humanity..
We call for programmes of theological formation for ordinands, and in-service formation for ordained clergy, to include in-depth components of eco-justice and ecotheology.
We call for Anglican educational institutions to integrate issues of environmental sustainability and ethics into their curricula and community life and by teaching a theological approach to climate justice.
We encourage Anglicans everywhere to:
Join in prayer and fasting for climate justice on the first day of each month as an integral part of life and worship.
Implement energy conservation measures in church buildings and moving to renewable energy sources as quickly as possible.
Take measures to conserve, recycle and collect water around church buildings and properties.
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Nurture biodiversity on church land by creating safe habitat for indigenous species.
Support local communities by sharing water, energy and arable land resources for local food production.
Support sustainable land use initiatives, including a halt to the clearing of native forests.
Advocate for sustainable water, food, and agricultural practices in our communities. It is imperative to take into account the interwoven relationship of food, water and energy systems.
We call upon political, economic, social and religious leaders in our various constituencies to address the climate change crisis as the most urgent moral issue of our day. We urge them to:
Work with all possible commitment and speed toward fair, ambitious, accountable and binding climate change agreements at national and international levels.
Develop policies that genuinely assist environmental and climate refugees and promote mechanisms of intergovernmental co-operation that ensure their human rights, safety and resettlement
In conclusion We affirm our belief with the words of the Creed “We believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth.” And we affirm that this statement is foundational for the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord. Our declaration is offered in prayer, with thanksgiving to God, creator, sustainer and
redeemer of all to whom be glory and praise, now and forever. Almighty God, You created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. And you created humankind in your own image and it was very good; Grant us the courage to recognize our failure to maintain your creation. And by your grace help us to halt the degradation of our environment. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who came that we might have life in all its fullness. Amen. The Initiative was attended by the following Bishops The Archbishop of Cape Town and Primate of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, the Most Revd Dr Thabo Makgoba The Bishop of Edmonton, Anglican Church of Canada, the Rt Revd Jane Alexander The Bishop of Western Kowloon, Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui, the Rt Revd Andrew Chan The Bishop of Davao, Episcopal Church of the Philippines, the Rt Revd Jonathan Casimina The Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church and Bishop of St Andrews Dunkeld & Dunblane, the Most Revd David Chillingworth The Bishop of New York, The Episcopal Church, the Rt Revd Andrew Dietsche The Bishop of Northern Argentina, Anglican Church of South America, the Rt Revd Nicholas Drayson The Bishop of Harare, Church of the Province of Central Africa, the Rt Revd Dr Chad Gandiya The Bishop of Salisbury, Church of England, the Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam The National Indigenous Bishop, Anglican Church of Canada, the Rt Revd Mark MacDonald
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The Bishop of Eastern Zambia, Church of the Province of Central Africa, the Rt Revd William Mchombo The Bishop of Johannesburg, Anglican Church of Southern Africa, the Rt Revd Stephen Moreo The Bishop of Namibia, Anglican Church of Southern Africa, the Rt Revd Nathaniel Nakwatumbah The Bishop of Madhya Kerala and Deputy Moderator of the Church of South India, the Rt Revd Thomas Oommen The Bishop of Vanua Levu and Taveuni, Fiji, Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand & Polynesia, the Rt Revd Apimeleki Qiliho The Bishop of Swaziland, Anglican Church of Southern Africa, the Rt Revd Ellinah Wamukoya The Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Perth, Anglican Church of Australia, The Rt Revd Tom Wilmot The Moderator Bishop, Church of Bangladesh & Bishop of Dhaka, the Most Revd Paul Sarker, and the Bishop of Amazon, Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil, the Rt Revd Saulo Mauricio de Barros, and the Bishop of Iglesia Episcopal de Cuba, Bishop Griselda Delgado have participated in the initiative but were unable to attend the meeting. The statement and its contents are Copyright: The Anglican Consultative Council and the Anglican Communion Environmental Network 2015. Permission is given to reproduce portions for publication. Copies may be made for distribution with appropriate citation. We acknowledge with gratitude the support of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Anglican Communion Fund and Tearfund in making this initiative possible.
News from your group or ministry at St Mary in the Valley would be a welcome addition to Exalted! Please send your contribution to [email protected] – thank you.
CALL FOR WINTER CAMP PELICAN LEADERS (Camp Pelican is the Youth Camp program for Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn.) We are really excited to have a new venue for Winter Camp 2016 at Camp Kurrajong just outside Wagga NSW!! Winter camp is for Years 7-12 at school and will run from 11th –15th July 2016 (leaders arrive Sunday 10th). We’re looking for leaders for camp – Uni aged and up. We’d particularly love to have leaders from Wagga and the surrounding region join us for camp! If you’re interested, please contact Andrew at Synergy ASAP on [email protected] or 0437 883 122. As always, any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Blessings Andrew Edwards Director Synergy Youth & Children
MOTHER’S UNION CELEBRATION
MU Canberra and Goulburn (part of the World Wide Mothers' Union) will celebrate at All Saints
Church Ainslie on Tuesday, 5 April, joining the > normal 10am Service, with morning tea to follow. All are welcome.
MYSTERY GARDEN PARTY ST.SAVIOUR’S CATHEDRAL HERITAGE RESTORATION COMMITTEE Invites you to a
Mystery Garden Party, proceeds to our Restoration Fund Tickets: $100 per head. Event will be held in splendid gardens surrounding home of the mystery prominent Goulburn identity. Address 216 Addison Street. Goulburn Guests: Jackie French AM, Warren Brown, Michael Fox AM. DATE: Saturday 9 April 2016 2pm-5pm. Tickets available from St Saviour’s Cathedral office on 02 4821 2206, between 9am – 1pm week days. Credit Card facilities available. No tickets sold at function. Dress: Afternoon semi-formal.
DESERT RETREAT FOR BODY AND SOUL
Sunday after lunch to Friday after breakfast. With Susanna Pain. Come rest, play and reflect in the expansiveness of
our magnificent central desert. Beside ancient red rocks, under giant river gum trees, in the sand, and around open fires we will be silent, move, make art, sing and tell stories that connect us with ourselves, each other and the spirit of the land herself. Immerse yourself… Information and expressions of interest: $950 all inclusive – tuition, materials, food,
accommodation, fuel, TLC. 5 nights, 5 days. $100 deposit to secure a place, special rates for locals. Susanna Pain 0418 637 459 [email protected]
Conference at St Peters Anglican School at Broulee NSW, Friday evening 6pm for 7pm start, 15 April to Sunday 17 April 2016. Guest Speaker: Pastor Warwick Marsh. Warwick and his wife have been living by faith in full time ministry since 1990. They have worked as ministers of the Gospel with their musical family all over Australia and in over a dozen nations of the world including China and Africa. Warwick, with his family and other musicians, has produced and recorded seven of their own albums and also produced 5 albums for other artists. For more information, visit: www.anglicanchurchbbay.org.au/conferences
ANZAC PEACE VIGIL 2016 The Anzac Eve Peace Vigil renews an ancient custom of keeping watch in the night, calling the
spirit of a community to a sacred purpose. All are welcome. At 5.30pm, as dusk falls on 24 April we meet on top of Mt Ainslie and each get a handmade lantern. With lanterns alight we
gather round a fire, singing together. We look over our city, acknowledging the beauty of our country and the wisdom of its custodians through the millennia before us. Elders welcome us. We hear laments and love songs. We remember the terrible cost of war and how much we cherish peace. And together, we listen into the hope in the 'Spirit Songs' that A Chorus of Women sing every year ... From 6.15pm, walkers begin a lantern-lit procession down the mountain track. The idea is to carry a light down into the darkness of grief. Please note, the walk is only for the sure-footed and personal safety is each person's responsibility. We walk in silence. Walkers are greeted with community singing at the end of the walk in Remembrance Park before a procession across the road into the War Memorial grounds. About 7.15 pm we meet round the peace fire for personal storytelling, poetry and song in the forecourt at the front of the Australian War Memorial. Around 8.15pm the lantern lit procession continues down Anzac Parade towards the Lake to a campfire outside West Block for stories, poetry, singing and conversation all through night. Warming soup will be offered, and also after the Anzac Dawn Service next morning. Remember to BYO mug, rug and chair.
Simply Alive! Creative space for busy people - a weekend retreat.
Come together with a small group of spiritual companions to rest, play and explore your body's wisdom - through silence, art, poetry, clay, music, movement, and storytelling. Led by Susanna Pain spiritual director, dancer, retreat leader, InterPlay Facilitator, Anglican Priest.
Friday 29 April 730pm - 930pm
Saturday 30 April 930am - 4pm
Sunday 1 May 930am - 2pm Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, 15 Blackall St, Barton. Cost: $180 Early bird rate $130 (pay before 24 March 2016) there may also be limited places for sessional enrolment. To register: [email protected] mobile: 0418 637469 "Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what's inside you, to make your soul grow." — Kurt Vonnegut
2016 LAY MINISTRY CONVENTION
The 2016 Lay Ministry Convention with Mike and Sally Breen is called, Listening to Jesus.
Mike and Sally are world class leaders who will teach and train us to live out the life of the Kingdom of God practically every day. 29
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Because the Kingdom is so important to all Christians this convention is open to anyone, whether lay or ordained, who is interested in exercising their call in God’s world, the marketplace, family or congregational life more effectively. To register online visit the www.trybooking.comJPPU
MONKS AND MYSTICS DANCING IN THE DESERT RETREAT
A retreat for Body and Soul led by Betsy Beckman and Susanna Pain from 30
September to 4 October 2016 at the Campfire in the Heart Alice Springs. Betsey Beckman MM comes to us from the US bearing sacred body wisdom and soulful dances. With Christine Paintmer at Abbey of the Arts, she has produced a body of work exploring the ministry of Monks and Mystics, including books, CDs, and DVDs. Betsey holds a Masters in Ministry, a Certificate in Movement Therapy, and is regularly featured as artist presenter across the US. This is her first time down under and she is over the moon to create, play and pray in the beauty of the desert! Susanna Pain is a midwife of transformation, an Interplay facilitator, dancer, storyteller, and priest with
extensive experience working with creative forms of spiritual and life formation. She was a founding director of Interplay Australia and particularly loves playing in our land’s rich orange desert landscape. Dancing in the desert: For monks and mystics throughout time, the desert has been a place for encountering the divine presence. We invite you to come into the heart of our own magnificent central desert to rest, play, reflect, and create reflective (or raucous!) ritual in community. Beside ancient red rocks, under giant river gum trees, in the sand, and around open fires we will be silent, move, make art, sing and tell stories that connect us with ourselves, each other, the spirit of the land and the divine presence infusing all. $1200 all inclusive: tuition, materials, food and accommodation. $1000 early bird pay before 30 June 2016. 4 nights, 4 days. $200 deposit to secure a place. For more information or to register, contact Susanna Pain m. 0418 637 469, or email [email protected]
ST MARY IN THE VALLEY EVENTS RECENT UPDATES INCLUDED FOR YOUR DIARY:
Dedication of the Centre for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation, TBA
School Holiday Film at Friday Morning Cuppa, 15 April 2016 (10.00am)
Pentecost services and Parish Welcome Lunch Sunday 15 May 2016
Trinity Sunday 22 May 2016
Clergy Conference 23-27 May 2016
Breakfast Saturday 28 May 2016 with speaker Rev’d Susanna Pain (8.30am)
Queen’s Birthday Holiday 13 June 2016
Wine and Cheese Night – a “winter warmer” Saturday 18 June 2016
Indigenous family place walk (celebrating NAIDOC Week) Sunday 3 July 2016 (Noon)
School Holiday Film at Friday Morning Cuppa, 8 July 2016 (10.00am)
Patronal Festival & lunch Sunday 14 August 2016
Clergy Retreat 15-19 August 2016
High Tea and Vintage Fashion event, Saturday 3 September 2016 (3pm)
SYNOD 9-11 September 2016
Breakfast Event with speaker Archdeacon Wayne Brighton, Saturday 17 September 2016 (8.30am)
Social Justice Sunday, Connect2Church Sunday and special Parish Welcome Lunch 25 September 2016
Public Holiday 26 September 2016
St Michael’s Day Service Thursday 29 September 2016
Public Holiday 3 October 2016
School Holiday Film at Friday Morning Cuppa, 7 October 2016 (10.00am)
Church Picnic at Lanyon Homestead Sunday 23 October 2015 (12.30pm)
All Saints Sunday and Defence Sunday 6 November 2016
Community Fair, Sat. 12 November 2016
Christ the King Sunday 20 November 2016
Christmas Decorating Friday 25 November 2016 (6.30pm)
First Advent Sunday 27 November 2015
Volunteers’ Thankyou event Sunday 4 December 2016
Sunday Kid’s Club presentations Sunday 11 December 2016
Calwell Community Carols Friday 16 December 2016
Parish Centre Anniversary BBQ and Christmas Carols Service Sunday 18 December 2016
ALSO CHECK REGULAR SCHEDULED EVENTS (SEE PEW SHEET) Would you like to book in an event? Please fill out an Event Risk Management Declaration Form (to be found under the health & safety notice board) & it will go to Parish Council for approval
