The Spirit - February 2015

Page 1

The

monthly Anglican Diocese of Bendigo

february 2015

issue 107

Priested: Brendan McDonald and Pam Lawry with Bishop Andrew outside St Augustine’s, Inglewood

Ordained as priests in the Church of God Bryn Jones

S

t Augustine’s Inglewood was bulging at its capacious seams on the afternoon of Sunday 1 February as more than 250 people of all ages gathered to celebrate the ordination to the priesthood of Brendan McDonald and Pam Lawry. Both Brendan and Pam spoke of the day as the culmination of long journeys of testing and discernment. The delight expressed by their families and friends suggested their journeys had led to the right destination.

Inside:

3 decades of foster care page 4

Canon Heather Marten preached on the difficulty of defining priesthood in measureable terms. She asked: “How do you measure the attentiveness and care it takes to conduct a funeral and support a family through that experience?” Clearly the work of clergy is important but difficult to quantify. Heather reminded Pam and Brendan that while there was no greater joy than sharing in the ministry of Jesus, there was also no deeper sorrow than sharing in his suffering for the world. This, Heather

Speaking truth - and Australia Day page 5

reasoned, is the challenging vocation of a priest in the Church of God. Following the service the congregation crossed the road to St Augustine’s hall to enjoy generous country hospitality and to listen to some encouraging words about each of the ordinands. Barry Rainsford concluded the proceedings by marvelling at Pam’s capacity to hold a smile. Perhaps that is what Christian ministry is about after all: receiving God’s smile and sharing it with others.

Gannawarra Cluster Christmas round up page 9

Media Matters - ‘Je suis Alan Jones’ ? page 11


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.