S A L T ST MATTHEW S ANGLICAN CHURCH, CHELTENHAM PARISH NEWSLETTER APRIL / MAY 2014 A WORD FROM OUR VICAR... Why have a holiday for Good Friday? a). Australians like any excuse for a day off b). As it forms a part of a long weekend people can get away to see family or friends or sporting carnivals can be organised and c). Those who are willing to work enjoy the increased wages. On the other hand the commercial world dislikes the fact that the date changes unlike Christmas which is a fixed date. There again, the same world loves the idea that they can sell their hot cross buns (and with Easter in mind tons of eggs and bunnies). So how long will a Christian festival remain a reason for a holiday? And would Christians object if it wasn t such but simply another day of the working week? A Lenten thought. And what if we fixed the date of Easter? We may win a lot of friends in the commercial world and in the field of education but our Hebrew friends and our companions in the Eastern (Orthodox) Church have already stated firm opposition when the World Council of Churches put forward the idea. Someone (who shall remain nameless) tried to change the date of Easter in Australia so that it would be celebrated in or around Spring thus reflecting the new life and so pointing to resurrection. Not even discussed laughed out of Synod. We are not ready or willing for such radical re-thinking. In the meantime, have a meaningful Holy Week in preparation for a wonderful and joyous Easter. For those of you who are travelling please take care on the roads and be mindful that other road users may not be as considerate as you. Fr Ron White, Parish Priest WORSHIP ST MATTHEW S ANGLICAN CHURCH Corner Nepean Highway & Park Road, Cheltenham, VIC, 3192 Sundays 8am Eucharist with Hymns 1st Sunday of the month BCP service 10am Sung Eucharist 1st Sunday of the month Family service with Sunday School Wednesdays (not in January) FRIENDS OF ST FRANCIS Community of the Holy Name (CHN) 40 Cavanagh Street, Cheltenham, VIC, 3192 Phone: (03) 9583 2087 Sundays 9.30am in the Prayer Room at the Community CLERGY & STAFF Fr Ron White Parish Priest & Bayside Area Dean The Rev d Margot Poole Priest Associate Fr Andre Hassing Priest Associate Marlene Davies Organist / Musical Director Claire Johnston Parish Secretary WARDENS & VESTRY Sandra Cooper Vicar s Warden & Vestry Sec. Megan Octigan People s Warden Phil Whelan People s Warden Rob Johnston Treasurer Lesley Boyd, Val Fielder, Sue Polites CONTACT DETAILS Parish Office 161 Park Road, Cheltenham, VIC, 3192 Hours: Wednesday to Friday, 9am to 4pm Phone: (03) 9583 2205 Fax: (03) 9583 9660 Email: stmatthewsanglicanchurch@bigpond.com Website: www.stmatthewscheltenham.org.au Salt: April / May 2014 Page 1
HARVEST FESTIVAL Is it right to replace fresh ripe tomatoes with a can of peeled romas or to substitute a can of corn kernels for the fresh cob or a tin of beetroot for a bunch? Aren t we giving thanks for Harvest the raw product? True, but it s quite some time since I saw a sheaf of wheat and yet we rejoice in the manufactured loaf of bread, and a bottle of wine or olive oil is a far more practical way of rejoicing over sufficient quantities of their fruits to produce the same. And then there s the question of whom we are thanking. Is it God and God alone that we are thanking? Consider the fact that we visit the supermarket. Who has stacked the shelves, kept the floors (reasonably) clean, maintained the freezer section and yes, if we don t want to self pay, who takes our money? Then let the mind go on a wander. A loaf of bread (see above!) who plants the seed, fertilises (sometimes irrigates), harvests,, maintains maintain the silos, transports to the mill, grinds into flour...? And who produces the metal and the plastics for tractors, trains and trucks? And the list could go on. Now do d the same thought process for tinned fruit or frozen vegies we begin to see that our thankfulness and our thanksgiving connects hundreds if not thousands of people all of them God s people whether or not they acknowledge him and therefore our thanks to God himself. A new take on Harvest Festival? Nothing less than what it should be. We will celebrate our Harvest Festival at both 8am and 10am services on Sunday 18th May, May so please bring some items on the day! MOTHERING SUNDAY It was good to continue the tradition of Mothering Sunday when we remembered not only our own mothers but also the mother of all, the Blessed Virgin Mary and our Mother Church in this particular case St Matthew s! However many of you would have been thinking thinking of the church in which you were baptised and probably confirmed and which nurtured your early learning of the faith. It was lovely this year to be able to combine Mothering Sunday with our first parish breakfast of the year and it was wonderful to hear ar the happy banter that filled the hall in between mouthfuls! PARISH INFORMATION PARISH REGISTER Funerals 17th February Mona Mary Haysom 20th March Rae Mary Riches 19th February Esther Fredrica (Rica) Roberts Salt: April / May 2014 Page 2
HOLY WEEK & EASTER The tradition of a procession with palms at the beginning of Holy Week can be traced back to the fourth century when people gathered outside the city and the branches of palms and olives were blessed and then carried in procession to the mass of the day. The Bishop took the place of Christ in the procession but we have no indication as to whether he rode a donkey! This ceremony which reflects Jesus entry into Jerusalem may well have taken place from an earlier date but we have no indication that has been left for us. Over the centuries it became customary for crosses to be made out of palm leaves and these were also carried in procession after being blessed. The crosses would then be placed near a shrine in the family home as a reminder of the sacrificial work of Jesus. As you know these crosses were then brought to the Parish Priest by Shrove Tuesday of the next year so that they could be burnt and the ashes used for the Imposition during the mass of Ash Wednesday. During the twentieth century, ry, many parishes acquired their palm crosses from various mission fields such as Papua New Guinea or eastern Africa. A more recent tradition at St Matthew s has been for a small but enthusiastic group to make our palm crosses which we use for our procession process on Palm Sunday. We will continue this tradition on Saturday 12th 1 April at 9am in the Parish Office. We will provide the palms, instructions and a lovely morning tea! Helpers most welcome! Please make proper use of the services for Holy Week so that the celebration of Easter is complete see below for our services and please make these times widely known amongst family, friends and neighbours. Salt: April / May 2014 Page 3
A PRAYER PARISH FUNCTIONS Lord Jesus Christ, betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, deserted by your disciples, denied by Peter, mocked by Herod, scourged by Pilate, crowned with thorns, and nailed to the cross: humbly and with all our heart we thank you for your suffering and death, byy which we have been forgiven and redeemed. J.W.G. Masterton We will hold our Parish BBQ / Luncheon every second month instead of monthly. The dates for our lunches are: 6th April, 1st June, 3rd August, 5th October and 7th December The dates for our Parish Breakfast this year are: 29th June, 31st August, 30th November Please note these dates and don t d forget these are an opportunity to bring members of the family, friends and neighbours and introduce them to our fellowship. DID YOU KNOW... THANK YOU IRIS! The date of the first service held in the Old Church here at St Matthew s was on the 14th April 1867 (147 years ago!). The preachers at the services were the Rev d Samuel Taylor in the morning and the Rev d Canon Perks in the afternoon. A presentation was made to Iris Hughes in recognition of her years of services at St Matthew s Op Shop. Shop Having spent various periods of time in the Op Shop since 1968, Iris has decided that it was time for her retirement as she has recently celebrated her 90th birthday. Our congratulations and thanks to Iris for this wonderful example of service. Salt: April / May 2014 Page 4
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INVITATION TO ST PAUL S CATHEDRAL UPCOMING DATES... The Dean of St Paul s Cathedral invites the congregation of St Matthew s to Choral Evensong on Sunday 27th April at 6pm when prayers will be said for our parish. This is a wonderful opportunity to hear one of the premier church choirs of Australia and to once again enjoy the traditional language of the 1662 Prayer Book. Sunday 8th June Sunday 15th June Thursday 19th June Day of Pentecost Trinity Sunday Corpus Christi CALENDAR OF EVENTS APRIL 2nd Weekday Service 5th Working bee, 9am 6th Sunday Services Passion Sunday Fifth Sunday in Lent 8am BCP & 10am Mass Parish BBQ, 12 noon 9th Weekday Service 12th Making of Palm Crosses, 9am 13th Sunday Services Palm Sunday Procession & Blessing of Palms Healing service will follow the 10am Mass 14th Holy Week Service Monday 15th Holy Week Service Tuesday 16th Holy Week Service Wednesday 17th Holy Week Service Maundy Thursday 7pm Eucharist with Foot Washing 18th Holy Week Service Good Friday 12 noon Devotions followed by refreshments 2pm Stations of the Cross 20th Sunday Services Easter Day 8am Lighting of the New Fire & Eucharist 10am Easter Holy Communion 22nd Easter Week Service Tuesday 23rd Easter Week Service Wednesday APRIL 25th Weekday Service Anzac Day 27th Sunday Services Second Sunday of Easter 30th Weekday Service Philip & James MAY 4th Sunday Services Third Sunday of Easter 7th Weekday Service Julian of Norwich 11th Sunday Services Fourth Sunday of Easter Healing service will follow the 10am Mass 14th Weekday Service 18th Sunday Services Harvest Festival 21st Weekday Service 25th Sunday Services Sixth Sunday of Easter 28th Weekday Service 29th Weekday Service Ascension Day Morning tea follows the 10am Mass on Sundays Salt: April / May 2014 Page 6