SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
20th March 2011
Graphics and cartoons & liturgical material appear only in the printed version
NOT TRAPPED
Gazza kept himself supplied with fish by chucking illegal traps into the Goulburn River. One day, around sunset, he was down at the river pulling in two of his traps, both full of fish, when he became aware of a man standing behind him on the bank. "Do you know who I am?" asked the man. "No idea," said Gazza, "who are you then?" "I am the fisheries Inspector," said the man. "Thank heavens for that," said Gazza. "I thought for a minute that you might be the bloke who owns these fish traps."
RETURNING TO ZIMBABWE (16)
Andrew Neaum
This is the sixteenth episode of an account of the recent trip to Zimbabwe and Lesotho made by Diana and myself last October. The previous episodes can be found:
http://www.andrewneaum.com/articles.htm
Our Troutbeck idyll drew to its tranquil close and we prepared to return to Harare. On the way back from the Honde Valley we had bought a box of delicious nectarines from the Montrose Estate which had a well patronised stall on the roadside, these fruit with the two massive avocados bought in Rusape to take with us were the dietary highlights of our stay. On the morning of our departure we took a final walk around the bottom lake below the hotel in perfect, crisp, sunny weather, the pine trees and many of the bushes refreshingly aromatic.
Rusape
The trip back to Harare was largely uneventful, but we did make some interesting stops. We paused first in Rusape to fill up with petrol at the garage that had assisted us some days earlier with a new tyre and Diana surprised and delighted its employees and their friends by giving them each a nectarine. We then headed west to Harare on the main road, regretfully leaving behind the lovely mountains of the east. We encountered only one toll station en route, though we were also stopped by a policeman with a radar gun once, when I was travelling a hundred kilometres an hour in an eighty kilometre zone. Fortunately his gun was not working, or he had not been pointing it at us, for he merely checked the car licence and waved us on.
Macheke and rock paintings
We then had a short break at Macheke, a little village east of Marondera, in order to locate and view some rock paintings that we had read of. Not far from St Bernard's Mission, my first home in Zimbabwe, I was reasonably well acquainted with Macheke, a very scruffy little place these days, but the railway station, probably in days past its raison d'etre, is well and lovingly maintained by an old fellow who has been station master for many years. He was delighted by our appreciation of his efforts. We noticed too that the bronze plaques on the town's granite war memorial had been torn off. This is far less likely to have been for ideological reasons than from metal-hunger. Metal of any sort, including iron manholes, drain coverings and fence posts, tends to be purloined and sold by enterprising folk desperate to scratch some sort of living in an impoverished country. The rock paintings themselves, hardly advertised or sign posted and so a little difficult to find without asking the way, were clear and impressive, making our stop worthwhile. Granite boulders, caves, kopjes, mountains and cliffs are a feature of the Zimbabwean landscape and in secluded and protected caves and overhangs rock paintings abound. They are sometimes termed Bushmen or San paintings, and the fine brown coloured samples at the famous Domboshowa cave painting site are said to be as much as 13,000 years old. Those we found at Macheke, given the relatively modest protection they enjoyed, are unlikely to be anything like as old, I would have thought, but who knows.
Marondera's schools
From Macheke we moved on to Marondera, which fifty or more years ago was our nearest town and shopping centre. Situated on the highveld and with a reputation for a healthy climate, it had attracted a number of private schools to the area. Peterhouse, the entrance to which we passed a few miles before we entered the town was, and presumably still is, an Anglican secondary school with an excellent reputation. When I was a young deacon and priest I spent the inside of a week there each year at our annual "priests' retreat". We slept in its spartan dormitories, and worshipped in its great chapel which at that time of the year was always decorated with great pink heads of hydrangea. I would also swim lazy length after length of the large swimming pool, its only visitor, and wander the surrounding msasa bushland bird-spotting. Happy memories. I must have attended six or seven such retreats, but can remember only one of their Conductor's, not so much because of what he said in his talks, but because he gave me some good advice when I made my confession, words to the effect of "to want, to want to love and sacrifice is a sign of grace and sometimes even sufficient....." He was a CR Father called Simpson, I wonder if he is still alive.
Marondera's museum
Marondera like all Zimbabwean towns and cities is now thoroughly and colourfully African. It is also scruffy and on this visit exceedingly dry-season dusty, but it did retain a hint and feel of better times. This is probably because it has a sort of village green in its centre, bordered by great Jacaranda's still in late and glorious bloom. We parked beneath one of these trees in order to have a stroll around and we visited a tiny little single room museum attached to the local library dating, it seems, from the nineteen sixties. The museum was fascinating, not least because it was gently falling into disrepair and disintegration, less from lack of care, we thought, as from lack of cash and expertise.
There was a mural running around its walls depicting Zimbabwe from Neanderthal times to the present, and there were artifacts of various sorts such as spears, shields, household utensils and the like on display. Most striking of all was a collection of stuffed birds in glass cases, and in a bank of wooden drawers specimens of stuffed rodents and small mammals as well as trays of moths and butterflies, most of them in an advanced state of decay. Even the most colourful of the birds, such as the glorious lilac breasted roller, were in a state of moth-eaten moult, their colours faded and drab. The butterflies and moths had shed most of their scales, and many wings had detached themselves from desiccated thoraxes. The small mammals and rodents were less obviously decaying, but Diana gave herself a fright when opening one drawer and observing a stuffed dassie move as if alive. It was only the shudder of a disturbed corpse. We were to see live dassies (the biblical coney) when we returned to Cape Town, two of them calmly grazing but a few metres from us when we stopped our car overlooking False Bay to admire the view. Also known as rock hyraxes they are in shape not dissimilar to miniature wombats, and they proliferate in the bouldered kopjes of Zimbabwe. Evidence of their ubiquity is provided more than anything else by communal latrines, hollows in the rocks full of their pungent little pellets, sometimes rank with urine.
We found the effort to keep the museum open rather touching, and it appears that school visits are still being organised. Lack of funding, expertise and interest, you would have thought, would have seen it closed years ago, but someone there still recognises its educational value.
Marondera's Anglican Church
We returned to the car and before leaving decided to visit the Anglican Church. This is a fine newish building with an older and much earlier church next to it, still used for special occasions. We parked the car under massive msasa trees, the packed orange earth beneath them scattered with their seeds and we made our way over to the church which has a cloister attached. We found the gate to the cloister locked, but there were signs of life through a door opposite and a man appeared from within who turned out to be a priest and he opened the little gate for us. A follower of the pretender bishop Norbet Kunonga, he explained that he was a relatively recent ordinand who had come over from Rome to embrace both Anglicanism and marriage. He had been ordained by Kunonga four years previously. An amiable enough fellow he seemed rather less sinister and evasive than the two other Kunonga priests we had encountered and while readily admitting that all members of the parish's authentic congregation were denied the use of their own church, thanks to Kunonga's self-interested and pro-Mugabe politicking, he pretended to have amicable relations with the rightful incumbent of the parish, who still, he said, resided in the rectory.
We looked over the church and sat quietly in a pew for a while, remembering some of its previous and fine rectors and then decided to visit the Rectory and its authentic parish priest resident. He turned out to be a lovely man called Robert Tandi, a contemporary and friend of Fr Joe Chipudhla with whom we had stayed in Sakubva. Fr Robert told us that the rightful congregation was indeed denied access to their own church, Kunonga's priests being backed and assisted by a partizan police force and so on Sundays the only worshippers were normally the Kunonga priest and two henchmen. The real congregation met elsewhere. Fr Robert himself was expecting eviction from the Rectory at any time. The most touching part of this visit, as with that to Fr Joe Chipudhla, was his depth of faith and joy in belief. His delight in our visit and his assertions as to how heartening he found encounters and conversations with Anglicans from elsewhere was also moving.
It is hard to be optimistic about the eventual outcome of the authentic Anglican Diocese's appeal to the High Court concerning assets and property, not least because the Court's judges are Mugabe appointees. It is alleged that when Marondera's voters chose the M.D.C. candidates in local elections rather than Mugabe's Zanu PF candidates, thugs sabotaged the town's water supply. Such are the politics in Zimbabwe. Bishop Chad Gandiya and Bishop Julius Makoni have both received death threats. Fr Robert Tandi is an articulate, university graduate aged seventy two, and the father of twelve children. His company and hospitality were enjoyed very much indeed by us both. He is a fine man, buoyantly faithful in the most trying of circumstances. (To be continued)
Home cooking: where many a man thinks his wife is.
As if you could kill time without injuring eternity. Henry David Thoreau
ELECTING BISHOPS
In 1894 the prime minister of England was Lord Rosebery, a sumptuous millionaire not inclined to spend his days worrying about clerical appointments. A colonial bishop, George Kennion of Adelaide, was on leave. At his club an acquaintance, by way of a joke, asked him, "Have you called on the PM yet?" The bishop: "No, why should I?" The friends: "My dear sir, surely you must know that all colonial bishops are expected to see the PM and tell him, fairly briefly of course, what is going on in their diocese. If you don't call, it is sure to be noticed and remarked upon." Credulous and by now thoroughly flustered, the bishop put on his best clothes and hastened to Downing Street. He was told that the prime minister did not live there but in his own magnificent house in Berkeley Square. The bishop consequently repaired to Mayfair, where he was told that Rosebery was at Epsom it being Derby Day. So he left his card. As it happened, Rosebery's horse, Laidas, won the Derby. When he returned in triumph to Berkeley Square, a vast crowd of successful punters came to cheer. He appeared on the balcony and saluted them, a glass of champagne in hand. The delighted PM was in due course handed the bishop's card. "Decent of him to call. I remember him at Eton. Wasted in the colonies." He turned to his secretary. "Have we anything coming up?" "The see of Bath and Wells, my Lord." "Right - it's his." So the glorious palace next to Wells Cathedral, with its moat and its enchanting garden, was handed to the unknown cleric, who continued to occupy it for a quarter of acentury, to the complete satisfaction of the diocese. Paul Johnson
CONGRATULATIONS
Birthdays:
Koop Purss 22nd March
Bev Condon 24th March
Andrea Fisher 25th March
Rita Seymour 25th March
Margaret Morton 26th March
LENT: LIVING NOW AND THEN
The 2011 Lenten Studies have started. The Revd Gail Bryce is leading one on Mondays at 1.30pm. Canon Andrew is leading one on Tuesdays at 7.30pm, preceded by a Eucharist at 7.00pm. It is not too late to join.
SAVE THE CHILDREN FUND COFFEE MORNING
Kialla Gardens Activities Centre, Wednesday 23rd March at 10.00am Entrance fee $6. Guest Speaker: State Manager of "Save the Children" Victoria.
LADY DAY SERVICE - WANGARATTA
Wed. 23rd March at the Cathedral. 10.15 morning tea,11.00am Eucharist, 12.30 lunch (cost $10.00) catered for by ABM ladies. The Guest speaker Fr. Kim Benton topic "Missionary Work in Burma". Please give your names to Heather to order lunch.
LADY DAY SERVICE - SHEPPARTON
We have decided to hold our own Lady Day morning coinciding with the regular morning tea after the 10am service on Wednesday the 4th May. We will draw the raffle then and have a No Bake stall. Please support the raffle and the day.
GARDEN GROUP
This month's working bee takes place on Sat. 26th from 8.30am. The gardens are continuing to be improved, and look lovely. Thank you to the many who work so hard. For example, the new work with old bricks, is inspired and improves things no end. Many thanks to those responsible for this.
ON LEAVE
Carole Henderson is on leave for the month. Please do not disturb her with church business (though of course friendship is another matter entirely).
WELL DONE INDEED
The Evening Guild held a successful Fashion Parade with a profit of $1,030. The hamper was won by Helen Crilly, the tray and glasses by Lolene James. Thanks to all for your support.
LENTEN ENVELOPES
Weekly Lenten envelopes are being distributed in the pew sheets during Lent. Please consider giving to ABM as a part of your Lenten discipline.
ARISE 255 - MONDAY 28th 5.30pm
Jesus the man! What is the good life like? Everyone has a right to their own life.
OLD FASHIONED EASTER PICNIC
On April 17th at 12noon we will be holding an Old Fashioned Easter Picnic, please bring a plate of food to share and be ready to enjoy, egg & spoon, 3 legged and sack races etc. Watch or participate, lots of fun for all.
CONFIRMATION
On Tuesday 10th May Junior Confirmation Classes will begin at 4.15pm in the Library. All those who have applied will be contacted. Anyone else interested should let the clergy or Parish Office know.
OUTREACH DEADLINE
Material for the pre-Easter Outreach is due to Helen by 3rd April please.
DATES FOR THE DIARY
Mar 20th St. Luke's A.G.M
Mar 26th Garden Working Bee
Mar 28th Arise 255/Youth Group
Apr 3rd St. Mary's A.G.M.
Apr 3rd Alternative Worship Service/Narthex/ 4.30pm
Apr 9th Wedding
Apr 12th "Moving On" Grief Support Group
Apr 17th Old Fashioned Easter Picnic
May 15th Hospice Service 2.00pm
May 22nd Patronal Festival
May 26th Raffle Sub-Committee meeting
June 3rd Synod
June 4th Synod
June 16th Parish Fair Planning Group meeting 4pm
July 17th Bishop's Visit
Aug 20th Wedding
Sept 24th Wedding
Oct 1st Wedding 2pm
Oct 8th Wedding 2pm
Oct 8th Wedding 3.30pm
Oct 22nd Parish Fair & Garden Party
Oct 29th Wedding
Dec 10th Wedding
Oct 23rd Confirmation
READINGS for 27th March
Exodus 17:1-7; Romans 5:1-11
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. The list for names of those to be prayed for is kept in the top drawer of the little plastic box of drawers on the narthex table.
Nicole Ackland, Alan Akers, Lorraine Ashbury, Deb Bagley, Jan Black, Liam Bognar, Kaye Boyle, Ian Carman, Tom Downie, John Green, Kath Grills, Frank Harder, Margaret Hoare, Katherine Holt, John Horder, Jack Halsall, Dot Hunter, Glenda Kuehnapfel, Hilder Lidgard, Margaret Kidman, Lynn Morcam,Albert Oxenbury, Isabelle Richards, Peter Swindells, Patricia Sparkes, Shirley Young, David, David & Judith, Stewart, Harry, Amanda, Eamonn, Michael.
Rest in peace: Avis Nimmo, Shirley Lovell, Clare Wilkie, Charlie Rudge
Anniversary of death: Cynthia Hossack 20th, Sydney Doney, Noel Batey 21st, John Wheller, Peter Briggs-Collie, John Will, Nathanial Carson 22nd, Alan Wilkie, Dorothea Vibert, Eric Reid 23rd, Jean Varvaressos, William Northey, Verd Conroy 24th, Ronald Chambers, Lillian Simson, Herbert Moller 25th, Carl Classen, Donald Oliver, Horace Smith, William Hall, Harry Godwell 26th.
Duties for 20th March 2011
Readers 8.30 Norm Mitchelmore, Victoria Heenan
Readers 10.30 Greg Pestell, Verna Pestell
Servers 8.30 Michelle
Servers 10.30 Frank, Bethany, Sophie
Intercessors Heather Fitzgerald, Verna Pestell
Euc. Assts 8.30 Bev Condon, John Horder
Euc. Assts 10.30 Joe Fernandez, Greg Pestell
Welcoming 8.30 Anita Saville, Pat Griffin
Welcomers 10.30 Jenny Moran, Volunteer please
Sidespeople 8.30 Joe Pearson, Norm Mitchelmore
Sidespeople 10.30 Charlotte Brewer, Nola Brewer
Welcome Table Judy
Altar Linen for March Ella Egan
Tea 8.30 Shirley Dean
Mowing None this week
Duties for 27th March 2011
Readers 8.30 John Wellman, Jeanette Smith
Readers 10.30 Lynda Prosser, Jenny Pleming
Servers 8.30 Beth, Michelle
Servers 10.30 Jenny, Vanita, Valerie
Intercessors Bev Condon, Celebrant
Euc. Assts 8.30 Heather Fitzgerald, John Griffin
Euc. Assts 10.30 Greg Pestell, John Pleming
Welcoming 8.30 Judy Lloyd, Eileen Quaife
Welcomers 10.30 Sandra Simonis, Charlotte Brewer
Sidespeople 8.30 Gwyn Cowland, Merv Cowland
Sidespeople 10.30 John Pleming, Volunteer Please
Welcome Table Dorothy Cook
Tea 8.30 Pat Griffin
Altar Linen for March Ella Egan
Mowing 26th March Norm Mitchelmore. Alan Jefferies
THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
Monday 21st March
Rector's day off,
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
1.30pm Lent Group - Library
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
Tuesday 22nd March
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
10.00am Playgroup - Roz's Room
11.00am Shepparton Aged Care- Clergy
7.00pm Lenten Eucharist
7.30pm Lenten Study
Wednesday 23rd March
7.45am Mattins only - Lady Chapel
10.00am Eucharist - St Augustine's
10.15am Lady Day Wangaratta
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
5.30pm Hospice Meeting
6.00pm EfM/Roz's Room
7.00pm Baptism Preparation - Narthex
Thursday 24th March
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
10.15am Eucharist - Grutzner
11.00am Eucharist - Harmony
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
5.30pm Choir Practice
Friday 25th March The Annunciation
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
11.00am Eucharist - Ave Maria
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
Saturday 26th March
Associate Priest's Day off
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
9.00am Garden Working Bee
6.00pm Vigil Eucharist
3rd Sunday in Lent 27th March
8.30am Sung Eucharist - St Augustine's
10.30am Eucharist - St Augustine's/ Baptism
8.45am Eucharist - Dookie and AGM
10.45am Eucharist- Katandra
5.30pm Evening Prayer