9 January 2011 "Baptism of Our Lord"

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BAPTISM OF OUR LORD

9^th January 2011

Graphics and cartoons & liturgical material appear only in the printed version

CONVERSING (AFTER A FASHION) WITH SNOUT

A female CNN journalist heard about a very old Jewish man who had been going to the Western Wall to pray, twice a day, every day, for a long, long time. So she went to check it out. She went to the Western Wall and there he was, walking slowly up to the holy site. She watched him pray and after about 45 minutes, when he turned to leave, using a cane and moving very slowly, she approached him for an interview. "Pardon me, sir, I'm Rebecca Smith from CNN. What's your name? "Morris Fishbein," he replied. "Sir, how long have you been coming to the Western Wall and praying?" "For about 60 years." "60 years! That's amazing! What do you pray for?" "I pray for peace between the Christians, Jews and the Muslims. I pray for all the wars and all the hatred to stop. I pray for all our children to grow up safely as responsible adults, and to love their fellow man." "How do you feel after doing this for 60 years?" "As if I am talking to a flaming wall."

RETURNING TO ZIMBABWE (6)

Andrew Neaum

This is the sixth episode of an account of the recent trip to Zimbabwe and Lesotho made by Diana and myself last October. The previous episodes, if anyone is interested, can be found:

http://www.andrewneaum.com/articles/56-Returning_to_Zimbabwe_1&2&3etc.htm

We returned to the home of Don and Biddy Railton, our lovely base in Harare, having witnessed at St Mary's Highlands something of the brutal nastiness of the supporters of the pretender Anglican bishop, Kunonga.

On our way back we stopped in at the home of Dorothy Joughin, the widow of Mike Joughin, one time Churchwarden of St Mary's and the man who taught me to sing bass in its choir. We were informed that Dorothy was away in England and so left a note under her door and headed back down the Borrowdale Road.

Africa's new colonialists

Opposite the close where the house of our hosts is situated there is a high, lengthy, bright pink wall with a large gate. It surrounds the Chinese Embassy, a garish reminder of a new form of colonialism in Africa, this time from the east rather than from the west. Hard-headed, pragmatic and purely economic it is likely to be as harsh, in its own way, as European colonialism.

Don and Biddy treated us to a lovely family meal, providing an opportunity to meet both Carleigh and James, the two of their three children whom I had first encountered in the very early nineteen eighties. I baptized James back then and Margaret and I became friends with Don and Biddy. Their third child, Michael, we were to meet only later on his way from a job in Johannesburg to take up another in London.

Friends indeed

All conversations in Zimbabwe return again and again to politics, race and the dire situation in that benighted land, but at Don and Biddy's this was nowhere near as much as elsewhere. We talked too of religion and faith, gardening and business matters, as well as of our respective families and our common and largely very happy past in Gatooma and district. Both Don and Biddy are active and proud Christians and so talk of Church and faith is natural and open, rather than apologetic and self-deprecatory, as too often has to be the case with so easily embarrassed non-believers. Carleigh and her husband have returned from England to Zimbabwe to live and work, a fair indication of optimism, albeit cautious optimism, as to the country's long term future. They do, however, plan to return to England for a short while to enable their expected child to be English born. A lovely evening.

The next morning we set off in our little hired car on the next stage of our nostalgia trip. First we made our way back to Highlands, in my father's old parish, to visit the agents of a "time-share" scheme to which Don and Biddy belong. Our visit was to formalise their generous offer of four days and nights in a lodge at lovely Troutbeck in the Eastern Highlands. The suburban roads in Harare, and elsewhere for that matter, are in a disgraceful state, full of potholes and apparently hardly maintained at all. Local municipalities have been politicised, it seems, and also corrupted so that cash for most desperately needed work is simply unavailable.

St John's Chikwaka

After this we left Harare on the road north east that leads eventually to Mtoko and then Mozambique. Our first intended destination was St John's, Chikwaka, a mission station established by my father in the early sixties, and where I lived during school holidays for much of my secondary school career.

It is interesting to have your memory refreshed by travelling again, after many, many years, a once much traversed road. My memories were all of rainy season lushness, of well treed hills and acre upon acre of deep-green, tall and vibrant maize crops. This trip, at the end of the long winter dry season, was a good corrective. The grasslands were bleached yellow-white, much of the country-side had been burnt by indiscriminate and irresponsible firing, and although there was still much evidence of productive farming, most fields were either fallow or stubbled from already harvested, irrigated winter wheat crops. A great deal of the land in this area is heavy, red soil more suitable for maize and wheat than tobacco.

The landmark that I was looking out for to remind me of the turnoff to St John's was "Oribi" or "Bora" store, but it no longer exists. Fortunately however there was a clear sign marking the road and so we did not miss it. The mission station is only three or four miles down what in my youth was little more than a dirt track, though a significant one nonetheless for it was the stretch of road upon which I learned to drive in an ancient, short wheel base Landrover. It is still a dirt road today, but now more heavily used, wider and corrugated.

In days gone by the approach to the old mission station was down a steep gully and through a ford in a little river that flows below the hill upon which we built our house. I loved the river because along it I used to tramp for hours bird-watching, and by a little weir on it would lie watching whiskered "catfish" drift and feed and once spied a rarely seen African otter. The ford has now been replaced by a low bridge and passing over it we came to the mission which appeared much as I remember it, bare, red earth, bleached grass, very rocky and well treed with lovely Msasas. The buildings appeared much the same too, though several of them rather more ramshackle and dilapidated than my father would ever have tolerated. There was the church up on the hill's summit, various small houses, the primary school classrooms, what used to be the assistant priest's house, but which now is the priest in charge's residence and a substantial orphanage. On the other side of the road from the old mission there is now a secondary school.

Fr Mutukwa

As we drove in we met a car driving out and it turned out to be the mission priest, Fr Mutukwa and his wife and two little children. They were on their way to collect people to take to a funeral. A delightful and friendly man he is a member of Bishop Gandiya's genuine diocese as opposed to that of the deposed bishop Kunonga. Although pressed for time he insisted on greeting us and swapping stories, proving to be far more positive than negative about the appalling state of things in the Anglican church. It was clear though that he did labour under local manifestations of the difficulties inherent in the diocesesan turmoil, not least of these being the insecurity that arises from official and police backing of the Kunonga faction which can lead to eviction at any time. We were to meet him again before we left because he hurried back to invite us into his home for a chat in spite of his tight schedule. Luckily I recorded his name on a photograph, for had I not done so it would have been forgotten, because most of the names of people we encountered we recorded only in the notebook that we later lost on the plane returning to Australia. We hope to contact Bishop Gandiya to obtain a list of names and addresses that will enable us to keep in touch with some of the amazingly resilient and friendly Christian folk we met on our travels.

A favourite church

Having parked the car in the shade of a substantial msasa tree we made our way up to the church. This church is one of not a few in my life that has helped form my faith and make me who I am. Whenever I was home from boarding school I went across to it with my parents to join the local catechist in saying mattins and evensong, pretty well every day. On Sundays I would sit in the crowded nave on a rickety bench enjoying the fervent singing, the holy smoke, the birds calling from outside and the almost casual and natural way the large congregation worshipped, many of the young staring at my brother and me for almost an entire service for being so strange of colour and demeanour. There was no need for any pious posturing, because everyone believed and so could take God for granted and be natural, relaxed, honestly bored or fervent, and thoroughly at home in their worship and in the practice of their faith.

On entering the Church this time we found that it was doubling as a school classroom and that about fifty adorable and tiny children were being drilled in English by a wise looking and elderly female teacher. They were all delighted by our presence and could hardly keep their eyes off us as we wandered around the church, soaking in that plain and simple holy space which, because of its associations, is more significant and lovely to me than even Salisbury Cathedral or Sherborne Abbey. Their teacher was the wife of the manager of the orphanage and she directed her little charges to sing us a heart-rendingly lovely little song of welcome. Before their class ended, a team of the children swept and polished thoroughly with rags the floor of the church, on their hands and knees, singing as they did so. Class sizes in Zimbabwe are large, this one was well over fifty and we were told that two teachers had to cope with over two hundred infants.

We left the church to a chorus of goodbyes and made our way up a short track to what used to be my home. This was built by my father with a great deal of help from a skilled African builder and a little unskilled, holiday help from my brother and myself. It is a large house with an asbestos roof and in our day had a garden that was well treed. In the kitchen my father's great delight was an Aga stove which supplied hot water for the whole house and in the oven of which my mother cooked traditional and lovely meals and a batch of bread every three days. For a long time we relied upon paraffin lamps to see and read by at night, and so the smell of charring insects attracted by the light to their immolation is another strong memory.

The house is now inhabited by school teachers who were most welcoming to us and allowed us inside to look the place over. The Aga has gone, as too has the garden and most of the trees, there is a sad air of dilapidation and neglect about the place. The views are still as good and refreshing as ever though and it was lovely to revisit a home made all the more precious to me by my enforced and long absences at boarding school. (to be continued.....)

BICYCLING

Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving. Albert Einstein

BICYCLING

When in London recently both Diana and I bicycled here there and everywhere. It is great to be doing the same in more clement weather in Shepparton. What an amazing invention the bicycle is. The novelist Iris Murdoch got it right when she said: "The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart." AN

BID ME "GOOD MORNING"

Life! We have been long together

Through pleasant and through cloudy weather;

‘Tis hard to part when friends are dear;

Perhaps ‘twill cost a sigh, a tear; —

Then steal away, give little warning,

Choose thine own time;

Say not Good-night, but in some brighter clime

Bid me Good Morning!

Anne Laetitia Barbauld.

CONGRATULATIONS

Birthdays

Emmie Dean 9th Jan

Joan O'Reilly 14th Jan

Wedding Anniversaries

Tiffany & Scott Chandler 12th Jan

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

As usual the parish AGM takes place on Ash Wednesday which this year is on the 9th of March. Later than usual it gives us some time to relax in but please note that we will need all reports by the February 20th if they are to be included in the booklet of reports. Nomination forms for Wardens, Councillors, Synod Representatives and Parochial Nominators will be available in a few weeks time.

LENT STUDY GROUPS

It is not too early to start thinking positively about what we plan to take up in order to help make the Forty Days of Lent an enriching and worthwhile experience for us. Lenten Study Groups are a part of this. There is a list for the names of those who would like to sign up for one such on the table in the Narthex. We are offering a single course this year but at two different times. The Revd Gail Bryce will be leading one on Mondays at 1.30pm. (Starting on th 14th March) Canon Andrew will be leading one on Wednesdays at 7.30pm, preceded by a Eucharist at 7.00pm. (Starting on the 16th March) So if you miss one you can always attend the other.

ORTHODOX BAPTISM OF JESUS

The Orthodox celebration of the "Baptism of Jesus" takes place this year on Wednesday 19th of January at 8.00am. This is a big day for our Macedonian parishioners, but others are welcome and encouraged to attend too. The Icons in the Church are auctioned off temporarily at the end of the service and there is a procession out to the fountain where the waters of blessed and a cross thrown in for the youngsters to compete for.

JANUARY

January is likely to be a quiet month with many of our normal activities in recess. However the Parish Office will be attended on and off so trouble us if necessary in order to find it no trouble at all.

HELEN'S HOUSEWARMING AND BLESSING

This is to be held today from 2 - 4 pm. Please BYO glass! Nibbles and drinks provided. No gifts please. Details as to how to get to her house are available from Helen herself or the clergy.

DATES FOR THE DIARY

Jan 9^th Children's Church

Jan 9^th Helen's House Blessing and Warming

Jan 19^th Parish Council

Jan 27^th Baptisms

Feb 20^th Deadline for next "Outreach"

Feb 22^nd Bishop in Council

Mar 9^th Annual General Meeting (Ash Wednesday)

Mar 13^th Lauren Artress to preach (Labyrinth doyenne)

Mar 16^th Parish Council at Dookie

May 22^nd Patronal Festival

Jun 3 & 4 Synod

July 17^th Bishop's Visit

Oct 23^rd Confirmation

READINGS for 16th January

Isaiah 49:1-7, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

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, Norma Anderson, Jeffrey Andrewartha, Deb Bagley, Jan & Neville Black, Ian Carmen, John Green, Kath Grills, Frank Harder, Maximus Hendrych, 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

Bessie Dealy, Val Foster.

Anniversary of death

Edyth Akers, Annie McPhail 9th, Jillian Bradford, Emily Pleming 11th, Leslie Gribble, George Watkins, Susan Neff, Rita Meyer 12th, Nicholas Auldrige, Percival Brooke, Sofia Poulos 13th, Margaret Tobias, Ethel Peters, Cyril Caldwell, Leslie Hillas 14th, Ron Taig, Joyce Stewart 15th.

Duties for 9th January 2011

Readers 8.30 Heather Pearson, Pat Griffin

Readers 10.30 Jenny Moran, Samantha Conway

Servers 8.30 Michelle, Beth

Servers 10.30 Greg, Jenny, Lyn

Intercessors Pat Griffin, Children

Euc. Assts 8.30 Bev Condon, John Horder

Euc. Assts 10.30 Christine Evans, Greg Pestell

Welcoming 8.30 Eileen Quaife

Welcomers 10.30 Frank Steen, Sandra Simonis

Sidespeople 8.30 Trevor Batey, Joy Campbell

Sidespeople 10.30 Charlotte Brewer, Nola Brewer

Tea 8.30 Shirley Dean

Mowing 17th Not this week

Duties for 16th January 2011

Readers 8.30 Carole Henderson, Gwyn Cowland

Readers 10.30 Andrea Fisher, Joan McCann

Servers 8.30 Beth and Michelle

Servers 10.30 Frank, Greg, Lyn

Intercessors Norm Weaver, Mary Pearson

Euc. Assts 8.30 Heather Fitzgerald, John Griffin

Euc. Assts 10.30 Jenny Pleming

Welcoming 8.30 Joyce Cavill, Gwen Betson

Welcomers 10.30 Charlotte Brewer, Gloria Wayman

Sidespeople 8.30 Gwyn & Merv Cowland

Sidespeople 10.30 Lesley Kenna, John Pleming

Tea 8.30 Pat Griffin

Mowing 1st Jan Merv Cowland, Trevor Batey

THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH

Monday 10th January William Laud

Rector's day off

7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel