THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT
12th December 2010
Graphics and cartoons & liturgical material appear only in the printed version
NOT RESPONSIBLE
Hitler was infuriated by anti-Nazi jokes that were popular in Germany as soon as he came to power. He issued an order to the Gestapo: “Find me who is responsible and bring him to me.” A Jewish comedian, Yossel von Goldbloom, was dragged in to the Fuhrer’s presence. Hitler roared: “Did you invent the one about me and the donkey?” “Yes,” admitted Goldbloom. “What about the one about me and the swine?” “Yes, me too,” nodded Goldbloom. “And the one that says the day I die will be a Jewish holiday?” “That too, I am afraid,” confessed Goldbloom.” “You pig of Jew!!” screamed Hitler. “Don’t you realise I am the Fuhrer of the Third Reich - a great empire that will last a thousand years?” “Ha! Ha!” shrieked Goldbloom, falling all over the place, “that’s wonderful. But you can’t blame me for that one - I never heard it before.
RETURNING TO ZIMBABWE (3)
(Andrew Neaum)
The first folk with whom we had arranged to stay in Zimbabwe were Don and Biddy Railton. Margaret and I had got to know them when I was Rector of my first parish, Gatooma (Kadoma now) from 1978-1982. They had came to see me about the baptism of their son James, and from then on they became both good friends and excellent parishioners, delightful and vibrant people. For a while they lived at Empress Nickle Mine, a fair distance from Gatooma and to which, in the darkest days of the civil war, I would travel in armed convoy with an Uzi sub machine gun beside me on the passenger seat of my car.
Borrowdale and Highlands
We had phoned Biddy from the bus to let her know how late we were going to be, and taking account of this she was there, in good spirits, to greet and pick us up at the bus station. Time has dealt gently with her and she was instantly recognisable as a lovely and mature version of the young mum I remembered. She whisked us through the crowds to her car, and we sped off and away from the noisy, teeming humanity that pulsates around all African bus and taxi hubs. She and her husband Don reside in a still fashionable suburb called Borrowdale. In my day it was a newer version of the more established and equally fashionable suburb called Highlands of which my father was Rector for seventeen years. He had moved there from the rural mission at Chikwaka, which he had built and managed, in order to be able to afford to put me through university. This not least because to live in the city would allow me to live at home rather than go into a university residence.
Biddy drove us to her home by way of Highlands and past our old rectory. It is almost thirty years since I was last in Harare, so it is little wonder that changes to the streets and roads, as well as to the whole ethos of the place, made orientating myself difficult. I had left a still well-ordered, tidy, uptight, newly post-colonial country and city, of which Mr Mugabe had been president only for a couple of years. This was different: vibrant, garish, noisy, pullulating, black Africa. There were obvious signs of decay and disintegration as well as much litter, but it was also exciting in its liveliness. Even the well-remembered Enterprise road, up the hill of which I had pottered home as a student so many times in my underpowered black Morris Minor, with a stream of impatient cars behind me, had been bypassed, but the church and rectory appeared much the same as we drove slowly past. The two suburbs, Highlands and Borrowdale were notable, even in the hot aridity that marks the end of the long winter dry season, for well established trees and large splashes of bright colour from abundant jacarandas and profuse bouganvillea creepers.
A lovely home
Don and Biddy’s home is lovely, balm to our travel-weary souls. Set in a large and lovely garden it is a well watered and lawned oasis, even at the very end of the long dry season, thanks to their own borehole. The best of several great trees, a magnificent jacaranda was in full flower to welcome us. The jacarandas in Zimbabwe, unlike most of those around Shepparton, bloom fully before the appearance of any leaves and so are breathtaking, the ground beneath, carpeted with fallen blooms, is as colourful as the trees themselves. The single blooms fall to the ground audibly if you sit their quietly on your own. All houses of any substance in Zimbabwe and South Africa need to pay great attention to security, walls and fences are usually razor-wired and gates automatic. Once inside, however, the home is castle indeed, an island of ordered and beautiful tranquillity.
After much talk, laughter and reminiscing, as well as a delicious meal of beef olives, we retired content, to shower and a comfortable bed where we made up for the fitful sleep of the bus journey. I awoke, as is my wont, at about 5.00am and lay in bed for a while listening delightedly to the toppies and Heuglin’s robins singing and warbling away, and then a little later to the cronking of the purple-crested loeries. These are the exotic and colourful close relatives to the grey loerie, the famous “go away bird”. So well wooded and treed are the gardens and streets of the better and well established suburbs of Zimbabwe and South Africa that they provide what is almost a forest habitat for birds, hence the lovely purple-crested loeries.
Hiring a car
After a good breakfast Don drove us to town and then, although pressed for time, being one of those generous sorts who walks the second mile as a matter of course, he took us out to Europcar, on the airport road, saving us from what would have been a very long walk through dubious parts of town. The car-hire firm proved to be a pleasant and customer-friendly place, cool, elegant, and with real coffee on tap, comfortable chairs and so on. The car we had hired and paid for from South Africa was the cheapest possible. It turned out to be a Citi Golf, a version produced by Volkswagen in South Africa from 1984 until 2009, originally known as the CitiGolf or Chico. It had few if any refinements, no air-conditioning, no automatic gears, no cruise control and what is more, the driver’s door lock was shonky. However it suited us fine because in its modesty it did not draw attention to itself, which is what we wanted. When all was sorted out we headed back to the centre of town. There, many of even the widest streets are one-way and so I nearly wrote the car and possibly ourselves off by forgetting this and so cutting across the path of a car passing us in the parallel lane behind, assuming that this lane carried only traffic coming toward me.
Unnerved a little, and finding parking problematic in the centre of town we headed out to “the avenues” to see if number 5 Hadlow Place in Baines Avenue still existed. This was the rather fine dwelling place of Margaret and myself when we were first married and I was a curate at Harare Cathedral. We discovered that it is indeed still there, though unlike in our day it was too well secured behind walls and gates to allow a really close inspection. We parked the car under a tree there and walked into town, a little journey made daily by me to Mattins at 6.00am and then Mass from 1975 to 1977. The pavements nowadays are lethal because no attempt appears to be made to render them safe for walking. Great holes are left unmarked, obstacles obtrude to trip you up and if a line of slabs has been lifted to repair cables the slabs are put back without proper filling and so dip, break and crack. Sight-seeing is dangerous. Lift your eyes from the ground and you are like to fall and break a limb!
The Cathedral
We made our way to the Cathedral where I was priested and served for three years. We were pleased to find it open. Diana too is not unfamiliar with the lovely building having paid it a visit in 1987 while on a characteristically imaginative journey with many diversions and byways from St Helena to England with her family. The building was as lovely as ever, though with little evidence of much life. Particularly striking are the painted Stations of the Cross and it was moving to sit once more in the stall of St George’s chapel where for so many years I had said Mattins and Evensong.
The Anglican Church in two of the five Zimbabwean dioceses is in a terrible way. It is a complicated story and some of the details are still a little hazy to me, but because it plays quite a large part in our Zimbabwe sojourn there follows an attempted synopsis of the situation. There are two real and two pretender bishops in both the diocese of Harare and Manicaland. The two real bishops are recognised by the Anglican Communion worldwide, the two pretenders are not. Largely because the pretenders are favoured by Mr Mugabe and therefore by the police as well, they have successfully claimed possession of all Diocesan assets and buildings. This being so, nearly every parish is in the hands of the pretender bishop’s priests, many of whom have been recently and summarily ordained, whereas the genuine bishop’s priests have been evicted from their rectories and with their congregations have had to move out of their churches to worship elsewhere. The Cathedral is therefore largely defunct with only one service on a Sunday attended not by its genuine congregation, but by any visitors who happen to attend and a few of the pretender’s disciples. Likewise in my father’s old parish (of which more later) and almost if not all of the parishes in the diocese!
In Harare diocese the genuine bishop is Chad Gandiya, a delightful, friendly and articulate man whom we were to visit on this our first full day in Zimbabwe. The pretender bishop is a man called Norbert Kunonga.
Electing bishops is a tricky business. I know this from firsthand having played a part in the election of two here in Australia. As you would expect, it is not only God who has a say in what is decided, so too does politicking! When at formal diocesan ceremonies I hear the words: “So and so, by divine permission bishop of so and so....” I find myself thinking, “Oh yeah!”
Norbert Kunonga, the pretender bishop of Mashonaland and a Mugabe goon is by all accounts a man of notable mediocrity. One of my best friends taught him as a student and vouches for this. Clever politicking, however, appears to have circumvented God’s will and secured him election as bishop. This is not a purely African problem, it needs to be said. To me it appears to be something like what happened in Australia with the election of the last Bishop of the Murray, now resigned amidst much scandal! What precipitated Kunonga’s actual fall from grace, however, was that both he and the bishop of Manicaland, without fulfilling the legal requirements for so doing, withdrew their dioceses from the Church of the Province of Central Africa. The reason they gave for this was a supposed diocesan softness on the question of homosexuality, but it appears to have had more to do with power than anything else. (to be continued)
Online as one continuing article:
http://www.andrewneaum.com/articles.htm
V PURGATORY
Purgatory is not an ante-room in which morally mediocre types sit around performing various degrading penances until their number is called and they shuffle shamefacedly forward into paradise. For Christian theology, it is the moment of death itself, when you discover whether you have enough love inside you to be able to give yourself away with only a tolerable amount of struggle. This is why martyrs - those who actively embrace their deaths in the service of others - traditionally go straight to heaven........there can be no life in hell, which is a state of pure annihilation. There could no more be "in" hell than there could be anyone in a material location called debt or love or despair. For traditional theology, to be in hell is to fall out of the hands of God by deliberately spurning his love, if such a condition is actually thinkable. In this sense, hell is the most florid compliment to human freedom one could imagine. If one can even reject the blandishments of one's Creator, one must be powerful indeed. But since there can be no life outside God, who is the source of all vitality, the finality of hell is a matter of extinction, not perpetuity. If there is such a thing as hellfire, it could only be the fire of God's ruthless love, which burns up those who cannot bear it.....
(Terry Eagleton’s Book “On Evil”: Yale University Press)
THIS AND THAT
Gail is away for this week and next and so the presence of Kasey is all the more valuable. I trust everyone is enjoying her positive outlook, energy, ability and youth. She is ready to tackle anything and it is a privilege to have her with us for a couple of months from Wednesday’s to Sundays. She will resume her theological studies in mid February.
On Friday I have yet two more of my teeth out and so am likely to be less than my amiable self. Bear with me and rejoice that I am unlikely to be inclined to chew your ear off.
At the 10.30am Eucharist today the youngsters will be putting on a simple and short little nativity play. Many thanks to them all and especially to Susan Lear for her good work throughout the year with Children’s Church and also in arranging this lovely event. Don’t forget the lovely Children’s Eucharist on Christmas Eve at 5.30pm.
There is a little Turkish grocer’s shop on Fryers Street between Corio and Oram Streets. Diana and I discovered some very different and spicy samoosas there recently, as well as some interesting spices not widely available elsewhere. Not quite up to Tooting standards in variety or scope, but combined with the little Indian grocery shop on George Road it certainly helps spice up culinary life in Shepparton and at the Rectory.
CONGRATULATIONS
Birthdays
Dora Blackley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13th Dec
Caitryn Foster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14th Dec
Charles Grant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17th Dec
Joy Martin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18th Dec
Anniversaries
Nancy & Maurice Fennell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12th Dec
PARISH MAGAZINE
Hopefully there are copies of “Outreach” available in the narthex. If so please take your own copy and deliver those you are able to. Many thanks to Helen Malcolm for taking on the onerous job of producing our magazine and to those who helped in collating it.
AWASH AT ST MARY’S KATANDRA
We had the most exciting Patronal Festival ever at Katandra on December the 8th. It had nothing to do with the sermon, the fine supper afterwards or even the numbers present. It was all to do with five inches of rain in two days. The road outside was a river and I had to take my shoes and socks off, roll up my trousers and wade my way to church, as did others. We even had a bogged car to deal with. It was a memorable occasion and those who braved the weather to come were rewarded by a lovely service and a great sense of solidarity and camaraderie in facing extreme conditions together with good humour and imagination.
ROSTERS
We are doing the duty rosters for next year. If you wish to go on to or come off a roster please indicate this clearly on the sheets in the narthex.
CHARITY CARD SHOP
Please note that the card shop is open, please give this your support: Scots Church Hall, Fryers Street. Mon-Thurs from 9.30-4.30; Fri 9.30-6.00; Sat 9.30- noon.
CAROL SERVICE
The Carol Service this year will be held on Thursday the 16th of December at 7.30pm. Afterwards, as is usual, there will be a bit of a bash in the Narthex, if folk bring along a bottle or two or a plate or two. This is almost certain to be the very best Carol Service in Shepparton, the readings thought-provoking and out of the ordinary and the music a delight. Please attend and bring a friend, its success does depend upon our own support.
FRIENDSHIP GROUP
Our Christmas Break-up is to be held on Tuesday 14th December at 1.30pm in the Supper Room. Please bring a plate of food and a small gift to the value of not more than $5. We are friends to all and so all are very welcome.
ANGLICARE CHRISTMAS APPEAL
We will be collecting gifts for families in need for Anglicare, all ages from Babies to Grandparents. A list of ideas/suggestions can be obtained from Pat and John Griffin if you need one.
ADVENT STUDY
The Advent Study group with the Rector is on Tuesdays from 7.30pm in the Library. We are considering poems appropriate to Advent.
“MOVING ON”GRIEF SUPPORT
On Tuesday 14th December at 7.30 in the supper room. Topic to be considered: “What was my loved ones gift to me”
GARDENERS
The Garden Working Bee for December takes place n Saturday 18th Dec at 8.30am. We look forward to a good roll up for this pre-Christmas working bee. Barbara Whyte
PARISH COUNCIL
The Parish Council Meeting this week, on Wednesday at 7.30pm will be held in the Rectory. Please bring either a bottle of something worth drinking of a plate of something worth eating.
DATES FOR THE DIARY
Dec 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “Moving On” Grief Support Group
Dec 14th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Friendship Group
Dec 15th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parish Council
Dec 16th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carol Service
Dec 19th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Blessing Candlesticks
REQUESTS FOR PRAYER
At the beginning of each month this list is cleared and ALL names need putting down again on the list in the narthex and signed in. No names should be listed without a person’s permission.
For prayer: Norma Anderson, Jeffrey Andrewartha, Deb Bagley, Jan & Neville Black, Tom & Val Downie, Ian Carmen, John Green, Kath Grills, Frank Harder, Margaret Kidman, Hilder Lidgard, Albert Oxenbury, Isabelle Richards, , Suzanne Singh, Peter Swindells, Patricia Sparkes, Xavier Vale, David, Dawn, Robbie, James, Lynn, David & Judith, Stewart,Charles.
Rest in Peace: Evelyn Smith
Anniversary of death:
Alma Watts 12th, Anna McInnes, Videt Ball 13th, Bernard Bazeley 16th.
Duties for Sunday 12th December
Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Liz Gyles, Bev Condon
Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Christine Evans, Charlotte Brewer
Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Michelle, Beth
Servers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frank, Joe, Zebedee
Intercessors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bev Condon, Children
Euc. Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bev Condon, John Griffin
Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Christine Evans, Jenny Pleming
Welcomers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Beryl Goodfellow, Bev Ralph
Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lesley Kenna, Jenny Moran
Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gwyn & Merv Cowland
Sidespeople10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alan Akers, Charlotte Brewer
Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Val Bambrook
Welcoming Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dorothy
Lawn Mowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .none this week
Duties for Sunday 19th December
Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Norm Mitchelmore, Victoria Heenan
Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan McCann, Verna Pestell
Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Beth, Michelle
Servers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jenny, Bethany, Sophie
Intercessors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Victoria Heenan, Andrea Fisher
Euc.Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carole Henderson, John Horder
Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jenny Pleming, Greg Pestell
Welcomers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Heather Nichols, Anita Saville
Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nola Brewer, Gloria Wayman
Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bev & Max Ralph
Sidespeople 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nola Brewer, Lesley Kenna
Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Val Rose
Welcoming Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Judy
Lawn Mowing 18thNov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Pleming, John Wellman
THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
Monday 13th December Rector’s Day off
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
1.30pm Funeral (Salvation Army) - St Augustine’s
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
Tuesday 14th December
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
10.00am Playgroup - Roz’s Room
12.01pm Bishop in Council etc - Wangaratta
11.00am Shepparton Aged Care
1.30pm Friendship Group - Supper Room
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
7.30pm Advent Study - Library
7.30pm “Moving On” Grief Support Group
Wednesday 15th December
7.45am Mattins only- Lady Chapel
10.00am Eucharist - St Augustine’s
12.30pm Deanery Meeting - Yarrawonga
3.30pm Evening Prayer - The Rectory
7.30pm Parish Council - The Den
Thursday 16th December
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
9.30am Eucharist- Hakea & Acacia
11.00am Eucharist- Harmony Village
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
5.30pm Choir Practice
7.00pm Carol Service
Friday 17th December
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
Saturday 18th December
7.45am Mattins and Eucharist Trad Rite Lady
6.00pm Vigil Eucharist
Sunday 19th Dec fourth Sunday in Advent
8.30am Eucharist - St Augustine’s
10.30am Eucharist - St Augustine’s
8.45am St. Luke’s Dookie
10.45am St. Mary’s Katandra