CHANGING TIMES AND CHALLENGING TIMES!
Well it certainly has been a change of times and for many this has been very difficult. For many it continues to be very challenging and this will remain with them for a long time as a result of loss of income through loss of jobs, reduced hours of work, cuts in salaries and for others the loss of their businesses. In the middle of March I prepared a Messenger to be released on March 22. It detailed arrangements for our Lenten activities, Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Day events and the Seniors Easter lunch, the opening of the Easter Garden complete with a labyrinth in the middle which was very carefully painted by Renton Brown. He spent days on designing, preparing and completing that task. Ann Rollinson had set up another beautiful display of Jesus’ journey towards the cross, again weeks of work, the Pukekohe Garden group with some parishioners set up the Easter garden and the Reverend Irene Brodie had prepared a quiet day for us to assist our prayer life and again remind us of Jesus’ sacrifice for the people of his time and for each and every one of us. Thank you so much Renton and the garden circle, Ann and Irene. Many of these resources we will be able to reuse, hopefully next year.
Despite all of this we managed to continue our services via Zoom each day during Holy week, Good Friday and every Sunday during levels 4, 3 and now into Covid-19 alert level 2. This has presented us with a new way of coming together in worship and enabled a couple of people who have moved away to join with us, Libby Davey from Sydney and Janine Baalbergen from Horowhenua. It was great seeing them there and joining in
It is now time for us to begin preparation to gather again. I am preparing this copy of the Messenger in anticipation that those who wish may join us in worship next Sunday, with the size of gatherings being increased to 100. While it would have been great to have had the opportunity to gather with you all I must admit I have been happy to delay that until there had been time to test the social contact spread for three weeks. The almost three weeks since the opening of restaurants and the almost two weeks since the opening of bars means there has been some time to test before we join together. I realise there are people who will not be ready or wanting to rejoin the congregation at this time and so I will be continuing to give Zoom access to the services worship with us. However it was sad that many of our parishioners were unable to join with us during this time. For those who receive the Messenger online I did email the service sheets and sermons. This was initially a little rough but we did manage to improve our system as the days went by. This was a daily communication until Easter day and then weekly. For those who missed these communications and would like to read them I am able to print copies for you. Just let me know if you would like to receive a copy.
It is most appropriate that we recommence our worship on May 31. This is significant because it is the day of Pentecost, the day we celebrate the birth of the church, and I will continue to provide email versions of the service sheet and sermon out each week. If you are unable to access these, or have email addresses but have not received these documents, please email us because this means we do not have your correct contact address. If you don’t have email we are happy to print these for you and leave copies in the desk by the office door.
When we return things will be different from when we last met.
You are asked to sign in on arrival for contact tracing purposes. In signing in you are asked to state that you are well and have not had a fever, cold, runny nose or sore throat in the past three days and you have not been in contact with someone who has been overseas or in contact with someone who is required to be in isolation within the past two weeks. It would be helpful if you do bring your own pen. You are required to sanitise your hands and stay at least 1 metre from anyone who has not been in your bubble. Please make sure you sit in a seat that enables this. It may be that we do not have congregational singing unless this is cleared in the meantime. For communion we will not be coming to the altar rail but will form a line down the centre aisle, again staying at least a metre from the person in front of you. Please hold your hands out and the wafer will be put in them. We will only be offering the bread in our services until the Bishop gives clearance to share the chalice. Even when we are back sharing the chalice it is acceptable to only receive the bread. People’s fingers often go into the wine when they dip their wafer therefore we are refraining from intincting. The Bishop has had wine tested from an intincting chalice and this has shown far more contamination than drinking from the shared cup. While this may all seem a little extreme it is our social responsibility to do our part in trying to minimise the spread of this virus.
As we have just celebrated the Ascension of Christ we have heard again the stories of the resurrected Christ between the resurrection and the ascension. Jesus has been preparing his disciples to work towards the kingdom of God on Earth. We do that by modelling our life on the life of Christ as we seek to follow in his footsteps. Now in this time of challenge for many people we are provided with plenty of opportunity to reach out to others showing the love and compassion of Christ.
It is only through God’s gift of the Holy Spirit that we are given the confidence, encouragement and courage to step out in faith and fulfil the ministry which God has given us.
Thank you for all you do in our community showing love and compassion to others.
Take care of yourselves and others.
Pentecost Blessings to you all.
Jan
As we seek to use God’s gift of the Holy Spirit in our community help us to remember the words of St Francis.
The Prayer of St Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to the consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love,
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
AMEN
PARISH AGM 2020
We were fortunate to have our parish AGM the weekend before lockdown.
We welcome new Vestry members
Julie Perelini, Helen Halliwell and Reanne Broome.
We thank Neville Phillips for his service to the vestry and the parish and we give thanks for the life and work of Philip Meyer who is very unwell at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with Philip, Judith, and their family.
We recognised and gave thanks for the life and work of John Allen and his commitment to vestry and the parish, leading us into a much deeper understanding of sustainability and our need to show greater care of God’s many gifts to us in creation and our need to care for these gifts for future generations.
At this stage we have a vacancy for a Synod Representative. The role is to attend a Thursday evening to Saturday evening annual meeting to assist with the formation of the life and ministry of the Auckland Diocese.
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT JESUS WAS EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT?
By Zara Wallace
Mark 1:9-11
The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus in this reading, how?
It is shown through him because a dove descended from heaven and it tore through the sky. It says exactly this in the Bible:
“At that time Jesus who came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
This, I think, was to show all of the non-believers that he was the son of God and not an imposter. He Was The Real Deal.
Matthew 12:22-28
The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus in this reading, how?
It empowered Jesus because no ordinary person would be able to make someone see and hear again.
It says exactly this in the Bible.
Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons. Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.”
If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you .
Matthew’s explanation
“All the people were apparently astonished and I think that would probably convince them that it was Jesus and he will look after you no matter what you do or what you are like.”
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PLEASE REMEMBER SOCIAL DISTANCING IS REQUIRED WHEN YOU ARE NOT WITH SOMEONE FROM YOUR BUBBLE.
ONLY 1 BUBBLE IN THE OFFICE AT A TIME PLEASE.
WANTED: PYJAMAS PLEASE
If you are able to help us it would be so appreciated.
We have approached the principals of our lower decile primary schools to ask for the numbers of girls and boys who would benefit from a new or clean good condition second hand pair of pyjamas to help them to keep warm at night and reduce their likelihood of being admitted to hospitals with respiratory health issues. To do this we need around 600 pairs of pyjamas to provide one pair for each of the children. We are hoping to get the pyjamas to the schools as soon as possible as the nights are getting colder.
To support this project we have drop-off points in Pukekohe at Top Notch, King St; Pukekohe Travel, King St; and Pukekohe Anglican Church office, or we are happy to collect them. If you would prefer to donate the money for us to buy pyjamas you can donate to Pukekohe Community Action, identifying your donation as being PYJAMAS, and we will make the purchase on your behalf. The account number is 12-3023-0071016-00.
Charitable trust receipts will be issued if you let us have your contact email or address.
This is an initiative of the Franklin Health Forum which is under the umbrella of Counties Manukau District Health Board and is being co-ordinated by Pukekohe Community Action.
Any questions contact Jan Wallace 0274521366 or email pukekohecommunityaction@xtra.co.nz
HELP NEEDED
If you have some time to help with any of these ministries please let Jan know.
Assisting
- in the Op Shop one morning a month or more often if you would like
- with the Selwyn group on a Tuesday or Thursday morning
- with morning tea or welcoming at our play group Monday or Friday morning.
NOW WE ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE GATHERINGS OF UP TO 100 PEOPLE MANY OF OUR ACTIVITIES WILL BE STARTING AGAIN. HOWEVER, THINGS WILL STILL BE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THEY WERE BEFORE THE PANDEMIC STARTED.
The Op Shop reopens this Friday and many people are looking forward to having access to cheap, quality winter clothing. It operates from 9am to noon every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Space for You and Your Baby, which has been running online, will be restarting in the halls after Queen’s Birthday.
Seasons for Growth will begin the after-school programme next week too, and we will be returning to complete the programmes we started in Term 1 as soon as the schools are permitted to allow us back. It is important that we finish these sessions well because so often the children we work with have people who make commitments to them but then fail to follow through.
Services will start again on Sunday May 31 but it is yet to be decided if we will have congregational singing.
PARISH DIRECTORY
Vicar: The Rev’d Jan Wallace 238-7723 Home
238-7228 Office 0274-521-366 Mob
Email. jan.wallace@xtra.co.nz
Vestry
Wardens Pauline Brown 021-1823703 Glenis Kerr 238-5136
Synod Reps Vicky Mee
Vestry members Alistair Parke (Secretary), Jocelyn Brodie, Renton Brown, Richard Gibbons, Philip Meyer, Neville Phillips, Philip Watson
Karen Stevens (Treasurer)
Buckland Reps Jim Moore, Vicky Mee
Parish Ministry Team
Vestry Wardens 9.30 am Service Glenis Kerr
Family Gael Crimmins Communications Cecily Daroux
Community Vicky Mee Sustainability
Mission
Education, Worship, Pastoral Care Jan Wallace
8am Service Alistair and Judith Parke
Administration
Treasurer Karen Stevens
Central Vestry Trust Board Treasurer Ros Phillips
Parish Recorder Keith Gardner (Parish Envelope Scheme)
Parish Office Louise Le Fleming
Office Hours Monday to Friday | 9.30am ~ 12.30pm
Address 43 Queen St, PO Box 338, Pukekohe
Phone 09-238-7228
Email address pukekoheanglicanchurch@xtra.co.nz
Op Shop 9am ~ 12 noon | Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
Regular Worship Times
St Andrew’s
8am & 9.30am Holy Communion
1st Sunday 11.15am Holy Communion (Nora Brown Hall)
1st Wednesday 10am Holy Communion
St Paul’s Buckland | 2nd & 4th Sundays 11.15am Holy Communion
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Automatic Payments
There are automatic payment forms ready for completion on the table at the back of church if people would like to contribute to the life and work of the Parish by Automatic Payments. Many thanks, Vestry
The Messenger
If you do not receive an email copy of the Messenger this month or there was not one in the basket in the church foyer with your name and address on it, please complete one of the Parish Membership forms from the back of the church and post it through the slot by the office door.
Many thanks, Jan