TRINITY TIMES Advent/Christmas 2016
Parish Church of Holy Trinity Kew Cnr. High Street & Pakington Street, Kew 3101
CHRISTMAS SERVICES Sunday 18th December
Christmas Eve Saturday 24th December
Sunday 25th December
7.30pm
Traditional service of Carols and Lessons
5.00pm 11.00pm 11.30pm
Children’s Service Carol Singing Midnight Mass
8.00am 10.00am
Communion Service with Carols Sung Eucharist
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Confirmation Service
Holy Family The human love was holy It bore and cherished It nursed and nourished Mary mothered him. The human care was holy It watched and guarded It saved and kept him Joseph fostered him. So human love and caring gave raw material for the cradle and hearth the Lord ordained him. Thus surely was the marvel of that first Christmas. With such humanity God's Son contented him!
Bishop Genieve Blackwell presided at the Confirmation Service on 17th July. Those confirmed were: Elisha and Shereuby Muttiah, Sophie and Grace Lucas, Tom Cade and Livia Tropea. The following six children were admitted to Holy Communion: Peter Rossouw, Inigo and Aurelia Tropea, Matthew Lucas, Theo and Mia Cowley.
© Deidre Baker
Women in World War One Bishop Genieve with Elisha and Shereuby Muttiah.
From the Registers
Baptisms William Charles Hall Charlotte Peggy Harrison Charlotte Louise Van-Linge Oliver Benjamin Gary Spotswood Funerals John Samuel Savige Bettine Patricia McCaughn Doris (Babe) Isaacs Eda Mary Andrews Valerie (Pip) Teh Peter Harkness Interment of Ashes Evelyn Canny William (Bill) Reeve.
Getting happy: Tools for resilience, wellbeing and fulfilment By Alison Ogier-Price, Jamie Ford of ‘Foresight’ and Professor Todd Kashdan
Gratitude: At night think of thr ee things you’re grateful for from the day and why they happened. Notice when you were part of the cause.
by Nancy Sturgess
On Sunday 11th September I was able to attend the annual Memorial Service, held at the Welsh Church, Latrobe Street, Melbourne, and dedicated to Dr Constance Stone (1852-1906) one of the founders of the Women’s Hospital in Melbourne. The church has been built in the vicinity of the original hospital of which the old pharmacy room still stands. This year, 2016, commemorated six women doctors who actually served on the front line in Europe during World War One and a plaque was unveiled to their memory. They had not been able to enlist in the Australian Army Forces although members of the Nursing Profession were accepted. So great was the patriotic feeling at that time these intrepid women travelled overseas, at their own expense, to join voluntary organisations such as the Scottish Women’s Hospital.
Strengths: Identify what you ar e good Researchers are currently recovering the at, and find some ways to use those stories of twenty-five of these Australian strengths more often in new ways. women doctors involved in World War Meaning: Identify what is r eally im- One. Savour: Make a list of things that give portant to you, engage in relevant activiThe plaque is outside the front of the you pleasure and immerse yourself in ties and contribute to your community. church and records the names of the one or more at least once a week. Diffusion: Distance your self fr om doctors involved at the American Unit at Optimism: When something is diffiunhelpful recurring thoughts by envisag- Ostrova, Serbia. Doctors Helen Bull, cult think about how it will soon pass. ing each one as an absurd object, like a Rachael Champion, Mary de Garis, Realise it is not pervasive or defining in purple couch. Helen Sexton, Vera Scantlebury and your life. When something good hapIsabel Younger. Realise how little control others pens, remind yourself that there are ultimately have over your feelings: For further reading see W oman W ar many good things in your life partly due Shut down your “factory of emotional Doctor, the Life of Mary de Garis, to the way you are. remote controls” and recall the ones Australian Scholarly Publishing Pty Ltd, you’ve sent out. by Ruth L Lee.
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The Vicar’s Letter Dear Parishioners, Christmas songs have a way of staying with us from childhood. In fact, if you were to ask someone their favourite Christmas song it may range from, “Silent Night” to “Santa Claus is coming to town”. Many Christmas songs do carry the element of the holy in their lyrics and sometimes in the melody. Most of all, though, Christmas stands out by the fact that it carries its own very distinctive and popular genre of music. The message of this season can be sung as well as spoken. The world has come to know the all-important story of Jesus, perhaps more due to the tunes, than the spoken word or reading of messages. There is a song that is maybe the best known in the world, and we call this song, the Song of Mary and we also know it as “The Magnificat.” It is also clear that most of our exposure to this song is found at Evensong, the commemoration of the Visitation and Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and during the Advent season. It is one of the great ancient hymns of the Church and has a holy and almost mysterious sound. The Magnificat is the great New Testament song of liberation — personal, social, moral, and economic — a revolutionary document of intense conflict and victory. “My soul doth magnify the Lord”! It leads to everything we would learn about Jesus himself. This is truly magnificent when viewed not only from the birth story, but also the death story.
Through this Song of Mary we feel her expressing her faith and vision, and asking the right questions. In an old story of Francis of Assisi, it is told of a night he spent in the castle of an Italian nobleman. The host was curious as to the secret of Francis’ remarkable vitality, so he arranged to have Francis spend the night in the chamber adjacent to his own. As soon as they retired, the nobleman watched to see what Francis would do, and it turned out to be quite simple. He knelt by his bed and prayed over and over again, “O Lord, who art thou, and who am I? Who art thou and who am I? Who art thou and who am I?” The story concludes that this is one of the clues of Francis’ greatness.(1) All his life he continued to ask the right questions, he never tired of trying to penetrate ever more deeply into the core of our existence. After all, the God-question and self-question are the ultimate realities. If we would grow in spiritual intensity, here are two frontiers on which the Magnificat is built. The telling of the Magnificat can be of great help to us. In what transpired long ago we get a telling insight, not only into the nature of God, but also into human nature and how the two interact together so that great creativity can result. Here one can discover illuminating answers to the question: “Who art thou, O Lord, and who am I?” As we ponder Mary’s song we cannot forget the struggle Mary is going through. God had asked this young woman to do the impossible, to give birth without a man, and this pregnancy would bring the redemption of the world. This scandal would bring true righteousness. On the outset, Mary’s Song seems like it is out of place. God may have found favour in Mary, but what does God ask her to do? He asked her to risk her body, her marriage, her reputation, and even her life. Mary must have thought to herself: “What a strange kind of God this Yahweh is! What on earth is important enough to him to warrant this kind of sacrifice? What objective is there sufficient enough to justify such an endeavour?” I am afraid that we have heard the Song of Mary, the song of deliverance and the love of God so often or we have become so distracted from the church that “the wonder of it all” has worn off. This must never happen. This message out of the Magnificat comes to express the very best on behalf of the very worst. Where else in the world do you see this kind of exchange, when the best people are asked to sacrifice on behalf of the worst? In our culture it is usually the other way around. The worst of humanity are sacrificed in order to preserve the best. With God, it is the opposite. The best, such as Mary and Jesus, are asked to sacrifice and suffer so that those who least deserve it are granted another opportunity to be helped. This is the meaning of Mary’s response to the momentous proposal. To be sure, a great deal was asked of her, but look at what was being offered to her! A chance to share with God in the most exciting adventure — the adventure of changing enemies into friends, of turning darkness into light, and transforming a death-wish into the will to live again. This enterprise of restoring and finishing the creation is one to which all are invited, in fact you can hear Mary’s Song if you listen closely every day of the year. The good news of the Magnificat is that it is not too late to find the salvation of which Mary spoke. A relationship that comes not with an overpowering force, but a relationship that comes with a change of heart, a change that leads us to spiritual awakening. A willingness to be receptive to God’s calling. An unconditional “Yes” to God. Here is why Mary’s Magnificat is relevant to the growing edge of our spiritual lives. Saint Francis never stopped asking, “Who art thou, O Lord, and who am I?” As you think of Mary this day, as you dwell on the Song of Mary, the Magnificat the following arises: God is calling you? Is there a higher challenge that God is calling you to? I think the answer has to be YES. Season’s Blessings Fr Robert Newton (1) Story based on The Little Flowers of Saint Francis of A ssisi Wyatt North Publishing LLC 2014 Ch. LIII
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Twelfth Night
Music making at Holy Trinity by Stephen Kerr, Director of Music
The 12 Days of Christmas start on Christmas Day and last until the evening of the 5th January, also known as Twelfth Night. The 12 Days have been celebrated in Europe since before the middle ages and the 12 Days each traditionally celebrated a feast day for a saint.. The Twelfth Night on 5th January was a big time of celebration with people holding large parties. During these parties, often the roles in society were reversed with the servants being served by the rich people. This dated back to medieval and Tudor times. The rich Twelfth Night cake was eaten. The modern Italian Panettone is the cake we currently have that's most like the old Twelfth Night cake. A dried pea or bean was cooked in the cake. Whoever found it was the Lord (or Lady) of Misrule for night. The Lord of Misrule led the celebrations and was dressed like a King (or Queen). From about the Georgian period onwards, on Twelfth Night two tokens were put in the cake (one for a man and one for a woman) and whoever found them became the the 'King' and 'Queen' of the Twelfth Night party.
The lead up to Christmas is a busy time for the music department at Holy Trinity with lots of preparations going towards our annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services underway. The music program at Holy Trinity has continued throughout 2016 with some new choir members, much good work being put in by the choristers towards improving their sound and exploration of new repertoire. The 2016 Carols service preparations are progressing well with enthusiastic guest singers again joining us. The scholarship boys from Trinity Grammar school and our young girl choristers are progressing well and we now have two trebles, three tenors and a bass from Trinity Grammar, providing an increasingly strong choral sound, with several choristers performing successfully as soloists this year. It is still hoped that more of the service might be sung congregationally and / or by the choir in future, as a way of enhancing participation in and connection with various parts of the liturgy. 2017 will see some experimentation in this
area, to see what works apart from the singing of psalms, which has proven popular and successful on the whole. We have also explored some new service settings. In news of the wider music community connected to Holy Trinity – former HTK chorister and organist Dorothea Baker is settling in well as Director of Music at St Paul’s East Kew while her mother, former parishioner Susan Baker now sings with the lay clerks at St Paul’s Cathedral each Thursday evensong, as does current parishioner Andrea Sherko. I have also joined the choir of Men and Boys during evensong, so we have a good musical representation at the cathedral from HTK! Measuring has commenced for the new choir robes which are to be ordered in the coming weeks ready for supply for the start of 2017. This is an exciting enhancement for the choir, who have long put up with tired and depleted inconsistent robes. It is hoped that all choristers will be in brand new, matching choir cassocks and surplices from next year. This is thanks to generous donations to the music fund at Holy Trinity, and much gratitude is directed towards those that have contributed so far to this fund which helps keep the music program at HTK running. Looking forward to the 2016 Carols service on December 18 at 7:30pm, and an exciting musical 2017!
Update on Parish Centre Development and Master Plan By Alan Wilson In the last edition of Trinity Times I wrote that our architect Atelier Wagner was deep in detailed design work. Since then, they and the Parish Building Committee have pushed hard to get to the point where we can release documents for tender. The idea was that we would go to market with our tender early November, with the intention of having responses back before Christmas. Six builders have been identified who are well suited to our project. In preliminary discussions with each builder Atelier Wagner received the same response: “we are very interested in your project, but suggest you delay the date for tender response to after the holidays”. The reason for this is that the State Government has over $300 million of building works in the market at the moment, apparently all with a 12 December response date. This has caused something of a jam amongst the sub-contractors, and in the opinion of our tender group we are likely to save 5 – 10% on the total build cost by waiting until after Christmas. Given the size
of our project, this is a considerable amount! We will still go to tender in November, but will delay the tender response date to mid-February 2017. Whilst this will push back the completion date we have been hoping for, it is the financially prudent thing to do. As the detail designs came together workshops were held with the Master Plan Committee and members of the Parish to ensure that the areas of real “day to day” importance to us—the Parish offices, the kitchen, and children's area—will work as we envisage. Thanks to Toni Gandy, Di Cerini and Jane Newton for their involvement and valuable insights. Di deserves particular thanks for visiting a number of other Parishes to understand how their kitchen designs have functioned in real life, and for looking at a wide range of refrigerators, stoves and range hoods!
back, work with Diocese to select and appoint the builder. We have an estimate of costs from the Quantity Surveyor and this falls within our financial capacity, but of course we have to wait to see what figures the builders put on the project!
In parallel to the Parish Centre, a good deal of time has been spent on investigating the best approach to fixing various issues with the Church roof, and the replacement of the Church switchboard and upgrades to the lighting system. We have accepted a quote for the refurbishment of the roof (cost $130,000) scheduled to begin in February. The electrical work is waiting on CitiPower deciding on how they are going to supply the Parish Centre, as this potentially has an impact on the Church. The roof and electrical works will be paid from the National Trust Appeal. To all who have donated to the Appeal over the past year, Whilst the tender is with the potential thank you. The work we are about to do contractors we will need to complete a would not be possible without your Memorandum of Understanding with the support. Diocese as to cost sharing on the development; and when tender responses are
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Through storm and tempest
A Blessing and Dedication
When noted theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) was 21 his father died. Two months later, when filling his father’s vacant pulpit, he spoke the following (translated from the German).
Vestments, burse, veil, altar cloth and pulpit frontal were dedicated by the Vicar, the Rev’d Robert Newton. They were purchased from donations made at the time of the 150th anniversary of Holy Trinity in 2013.
“As a child I once spent a day with my grandmother. Towards evening a severe storm began. “Now how will you get home, child?” the old woman asked. But then my father came to fetch me. He had a big blue cloak, as men wore at that time, and as we left he said, ‘Come under here.” I slipped under the coat, grabbed his hand, and off we went. I couldn’t see anything as we splashed through puddles and mire. I heard the rain and the thunder claps and seized my father’s hand and held it tightly. But I would have been a fool if I had complained that it was dark around me. After all it was my father’s coat, protecting me from the weather that made it dark.
The project had been delayed by the sickness of the person originally going to make them, the need to find someone else to do it and by the retirement of the Rev’d Roy Stanley and arrival and settling in of the Rev’d Robert Newton.
Father saw the path: I knew that…and when the coat parted, we were home! I looked into my mother’s cheerful face and at our bright, warm room, and everything was pleasant and cosy as only home can be! Of course. Father had brought me home. Where else should he have brought me? So it is with our heavenly Father.. If only we trust Him. He holds our hand, takes us under His wings, and leads us through storm and tempest.”
At the Dedication. The Rev’d Robert Newton, Chris Flavelle-Smith, Jane Sullivan and Sister Angelica
On Sunday 27th July, at the 10.00am service, the new Trinity green
Mercy
by Jan Todd
A mother sought from Napoleon the pardon of her son. The Emperor said it was the man’s second offence and justice demanded his death. “I don’t ask justice,” said the mother, “I plead for mercy.” “But”, said the Emperor, “He does not deserve mercy”. “Sir,” cried the mother, “it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask”. “Well then,” said the Emperor, “I will have mercy.” And her son was saved.
The various items were made by Sister Angelica of the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master in Camberwell, with help. The materials are a green brocade called Ely, after the style of A.W. Pugin, first produced about 1890, and gold orphrey in the Dunkeld design. The materials were sourced in the UK.
God Sent Us A Saviour If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest need was forgiveness, So God sent us a Saviour.
Good King Wenceslas The carol was written in Victorian Britain by John Mason Neale to a traditional folk tune. It was written in the town of East Grinstead, in the county of Sussex, at Sackville College where he was staying at the time. The story in the carol is about the King (or Duke) of Bohemia (an area in Central Europe which is now part of the Czech Republic) from over 1000 years ago, seeing peasants, on Boxing Day, from his castle and taking food and wood to them. The story in the carol was probably completely made up! In fact the real story of King Wenceslas (907-935) is rather gory! Wenceslas' father was the Duke of Bohemia and a Christian but it's thought that his mother might have been a pagan. His father died when he was 12 and, as he was not old enough to become Duke until he was 18, his mother took control of the land as regent. During this time his grandmother, Ludmilla, took care of Wenceslas and brought him up as a Christian (she smuggled priests into the house to help teach him). It's thought that his mother had Ludmilla banished to a distant castle
where she was murdered by the Queen's stabbed to death by three of Boleslav's guards! followers! Wenceslas was still a Christian after this and learned to read and write, something which was unusual for even a King/ Duke in those days! He had local Bishops smuggled in at night to teach him the Bible. When Wenceslas reached 18, he took control of his dukedom. He then defended Bohemia from a couple of invasions by Dukes of neighbouring regions and legend says that he banished his mother and her pagan followers from his castle. Wenceslas put in a good education system and a successful law and order system, so the parts of the carol story about him being a kind King are certainly true! After four years of happiness, when Wenceslas was 22, his brother Boleslav, became very jealous of Wenceslas and plotted (possibly with the pagan followers of their mother) to kill Wenceslas. Boleslav invited Wenceslas to celebrate a saint's day with him, but on the way to the Church, Wenceslas was attacked and
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The (fictitious) story told in the song was written by a Czech poet Václav Alois Svoboda in 1847. He wrote many 'manuscripts' that tried to prove that Czech literature was much older and more developed than it really was. The poem was written in three languages, Czech, German, Latin, and was called 'Sankt Wenceslaw und Podiwin' (Saint Wenceslas and the Crocheteer). The Poem found it's way into the UK in the 19th Century where JM Neale put the translated words to the tune of a 13th century spring carol 'Tempus Adest Floridum' ('It is time for flowering') that was came from a collection of old religious songs called 'Piae Cantiones' that was published in 1582 in Sweden/ Finland! So this Christmas song has got quite a confusing story behind it! I spent (wasted) an hour on the Internet trying to find out the meaning of ‘crocheteer’ but only found references to crochet, which seems unlikely in the context above. IES
In Memoriam (Doris) Babe Isaacs
18-11-1920 ~ 29-8-2016 Adapted from words of son John and daughter Pam spoken at the Service. John said she was bor n in Howar d, Queensland and given the name Dor is Valmay Car ter . As a small child her father called her Baby or Babe and she used this all her life. She had two brothers and three sisters of whom only one sister now survives. She grew up on an orange orchard. The experience made her certain that she always wanted to live in a city. She was one of the first to enlist in the WAAF during the war. She served in Townsville and was there when it was bombed. Towards the end of the war she met a young service man returned from active duty in Tobruk and New Guinea. She did not like him at first, however persistence and love triumphed and eight weeks after they first met they were married on 21st April 1945. On their honeymoon they found out that their collective worth was the value of the wedding presents. The marriage certainly lasted and when she was widowed in 2005 they were only a few days short of their 60th anniversary. Babe had two children, first Pam then John., with later son-in-law Terry and daughter-in-law Faye, followed by grandchildren Peter, Adam and Kate and a great-grandchild on the way at the time of her death. Up until the last few years she was like the ‘energizer bunny’, with boundless energy and she always wanted to be busy. She always wanted to know how she could help. Apart from a game of tennis she was always cooking, cleaning, sewing ironing or gardening. The sewing room was like a material shop. The many church street stalls were supplied with countless aprons. They always sold and there was a time when nearly every woman in Kew must have had one. Mum loved to cook and feed people. She could produce an amazing range of roasts,, cakes, pies, slices, biscuits, scones etc. When there was a cake stall the bakery fired up. Within hours there would be enough to fuill the boot of the car, and it was a big boot. At home you were not allowed to be hungry. Roast dinner of beef, chicken, pork or lamb was always delicious. Servings were large or XL and that was before dessert of equally generous size… I love you Mum. Rest in Peace after a long and eventful life lived well. Pam spoke of how much Babe loved Holy Tr inity. Fr om ar r iving in Melbour ne, 54 year s ago it became not only her spiritual home but was where her community of friends were. She joined The Street’s and Lanes group (I think now Anglicare) and the Ladies’ Guild and these became her life’s delight. Working for the annual fetes —the cake and sewing stall had high priority; Parish Christmas parties where, following the evening meal, all eyes would turn to the stage in the Jubilee Hall for “the show” organized by Eve Dawson. The ladies of the Guild would take part. I can remember one skit—Mum as Miss Thailand—covered in men’s ties; another skit playing the part of a tramp with Ada Batrouney as they sang and danced to “So we’ll walk up the avenue”. She threw herself energetically and enthusiastically into every performance. Once a month she went with a group to the Cathedral to the ABM Tea Rooms on the second floor and prepared meals—the ladies brought the fillings for the sandwiches, the cream for the sponge and fresh cakes for the day. When Holy Trinity ladies were on, you knew your lunch would be OK. As a Guild member, she was on the Committee for Kedish, the Unmarried Mother’s Babies home, now Highgrove in Stephenson Street, Kew. Her sewing machine ran hot as she made overalls for Moira – a Children’s Home –- supporting physically disabled children. The Babies home in East Malvern for which she knitted children’s and baby’s jumpers. In fact, Mum always had the knitting needles at hand and on long journeys with Dad, she could whip up a jumper before they reached their destination for the day. High school uniforms for a Secondary College in New Guinea run by the Sisters. Babe volunteered in the first Op Shop, run by Streets and Lanes, in Prahan. She moved on to volunteer with other Op Shops until ill health prevented her participation any longer. Over 50 years a volunteer! How she missed it. Morning Tea duties following Sunday 10AM service with Coralie, Nancy and Beth. She loved things done ‘her way’ and made sure they were. She was in her element. Life changed dramatically when she was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation. It slowed her down immensely. Eighteen months ago, her memory started to fail her and the activities she loved to do ceased. Life took a tragic turn when she fell in the lounge at home. Ambulance to the Alfred. Multiple fractures, the discovery of severe internal bleeding. Babe lived another 36 hours, joining in the conversation Sunday afternoon, then into ‘remote control’ before passing away serenely at 11.45 on the Monday. In keeping with her lifelong standard of dress, Mum departed beautifully coiffured, with earrings, a favourite necklace, a cross from Peter and false nails with nail polish – really putting on a show. In Pam’s words, “Mum was a woman of faith, love and integrity. She was a carer and nurturer to her immediate family, relatives on both sides of the family, extended family our friends and my cats, all her life. She was much loved and left a lasting impression on those she met. A quote on the Service sheet says one can leave a footprint on a heart. My ‘Wee one’ left her footprints on many people’s hearts. The Dynamic Duo, as I called us, has reduced by half – a half that can never be replaced but whose presence will be felt and cherished forever. Thank you for our 70.5 years together. “Be at peace now and enjoy this new stage of your life, my darling one. I love you. So until we meet again, keep and eye on us all. God bless you.”
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In Memoriam Valerie (Pip) Teh
18-9-1922 ~ 8-10-2016 Extracts from the Funeral Homily given by Father Robert Newton on 28th October 2016. We offer our condolences to Stephen, Laurence and Julian and their partners Roslyn, Sally and Jenny and all Pip’s grandchildren and great grandchildren. Pip became a regular attender at Holy Trinity following the death of her husband Teddy in 1988 through the ministrations of the then Vicar Andrew St John and the faithful parishioners who accompanied her each Sunday and adopted her into the church family. Pip became a staunch parishioner of Holy Trinity and we give thanks for her service to this Church and the many friendships in Christ she made here. My recollection of Pip in the last two years was of a bright and happy person, who struggled with my name but always thanked me for the wonderful Hymns at the end of the service. My thanks go to the staff at Kew Gardens Nursing Home who brought Pip most Sundays to church. The words from St Paul’s Letter to the Galatians “In the fullness of time” very much come to mind as we pray for Pip. (Galatians 4.4) Hers was a long life. We can say before God that we are thankful to have known Pip and we are thankful to God for revealing something of himself through her. We pray for Pip, that she may enjoy eternal life. St Paul writing to the Corinthians all those may years ago sums it up beautifully: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive what God hath in store for those whom he loves.” (I Corinthians 2:9) So today lets us not so much mourn Pip’s death as celebrate her homecoming, with thanks to God for her long life, for the example her faith gives us, for the lessons we learned from her about living well and dying well. May Pip’s gentle soul rest contentedly today in the happiness of God’s home. Amen.
Peter Keith Harkness 12-2-1934 ~ 22-10-2016
A Celebration of the Life of parishioner Peter Harkness was held at Holy Trinity on 2nd November, conducted by the Vicar, the Rev’d Robert Newton. The following poem by Robert Burns was read during the service: On My Own Friend An honest man here lies at rest As e’er God with his image blest; The friend of man, the friend of truth, The friend of age, the guide of youth: Few hearts like his, with virtue warm’d, Few heads with knowledge so informed: If there’s another world, he lives in bliss; If there is none he made the best of this.
The ashes of former parishioners William (Bill) Reeve and Evelyn Canny have been interred in the Garden of Memory.
Weep not for me, but for yourselves. I go to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will through the mediation of His blessed son receive me though a sinner; there we shall meet to sing the new song and remain everlasting happy, world without end. – John Bunyan Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. Psalm 116:15 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labours, for their deeds follow them!” Revelation 14:13 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand … For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” Isaiah 41:10, 13 Say not in grief ‘he is no more’ but live in thankfulness that he was. Hebrew proverb
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Report of the Annual General Meeting
by Irene Shorthouse
The Annual General Meeting took place from dereliction/dangerous disrepair, on Sunday 13th November—early then we have to look to them for utility enough for it to be reported in this and as income bearing assets.” edition of Trinity Times. He finished with the statistics for the The Vicar opened the meeting with last year: prayer. Then the Minutes of the previTotal Acts of Communion 5804 ous AGM on 22nd November 2015 Total attendance 7041 were ratified. Sunday Acts of Communion 5081 Sinday attendance 6190 The Vicar reported on his second year at Average number of Sunday Holy Trinity saying, in part, it “has Communicants 98 again been overall an excellent year for Average Sunday Attendance 119 the parish”. Easter Communicants 260 Easter Attendance 334 He said that as a result of appointing Christmas Communicants 320 Brenda Forman as Office Manager to Christmas attendance 590 assist in administration the parish has Baptisms 15 reaped great benefits. Weddings 6 Speaking of the great ‘Incense controFunerals 25. versy’ (my term, not the Vicar’s IES) the Vicar said, “In response to the feedback The Churchwardens’ Report on the buildings showed five major areas needfrom the parish I have decided that at ing attention and planning for the folone 10am service a month, including lowing works is under way: Maundy Thursday and Easter Eve, incense will be used, and at other times 1. Major repairs to the church roof, to be funded from National Trust donations with advance notice and appropriate (expected to start early next year). consultation.” 2. Church electrical switchboard requires He spoke of the many activities necesreplacement. sary for the smooth running of the par- 3. Renewing lighting in the church— ish and thanked those who carried them converting to LED and rehanging the out. He thanked Dr Barbara Thomson ‘old lanterns’ in the nave and chapel. heartily for her years as Churchwarden 4. Re-finishing parquetry floor in the and said she would continue as advisor Church. to the Vicar. 5. Repairing the extensive water damage to internal Church building walls and The choir “has led us and facilitated us repainting them. to ‘worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness’”. Churchwardens, David Harkin and Alan Wilson paid tribute to Dr Barbara “I conclude this Report with thanks to God for all the many blessings we have Thomson for her work over the last twelve years as Churchwarden, and two received with great hope for the future previous years on Vestry. of our parish. Holy Trinity Kew is on the cusp of building a new parish centre Quoting the Churchwardens Report: which will completely transform our “She has participated in almost every special site and give us many God-given area of church management and her care opportunities for spiritual and numerical and concern for parishioners and willgrowth…. ingness to get on with every job has been remarkable….She will continue to “...priority is the need to renovate our be involved significantly in Parish life in old buildings...to avoid unpredictable the future but we take this opportunity escalating cost due to long-term deto applaud and commend her on a fanferred maintenance… tastic contribution as Churchwarden”. “Once we have saved our buildings The Treasurer’s Report, given by Alan
Wilson in Marcus Pandy’s absence overseas, showed a relatively small deficit of $3.5K. The Parish has net assets of approximately $50K, holdings at the National Trust of about $255K and at the Diocese of some $4.15M from the sale of the car park. The new building should provide an opportunity to generate income. However “Next year looms as a challenge as we are forecasting a more substantial deficit of $48K due to a decrease in rental income and other factors related to the construction of the new building. The funds held externally will not be available for the general operation of the Parish. Brenda Forman and Bob Stannard were thanked for their help over the year. Reports in brief: Trinity Grammar Chapel Ministry Rev Jessica Cheung was replaced by the Rev Rick Cheung with a pastoral team of Dr Michael Wong and Mr Yin-Fui Yong. Michael is on the Parish Council. Attendance slowly growing with now about 18 and weekly offering of about $300. Pastoral Care has been offer ed to parishioners by Fr Robert Newton, Fr Robert Holland, Parish Chaplain Pam Hughes, and Leonie Bird. Visits were made to parishioners’ homes, hospitals, aged care accommodation, rehab hospitals, and meetings for chats over a cup of tea. Music Repor t shows sever al new choir members and “much good work put in towards improving their sound, and exploration of new repertoire. New choir robes to be acquired next year. Much gratitude to those who contributed to the fund to do this. Trading Table, Chr istmas cakes and Christmas stall raised $5,655 in the year. Playgroup number s have incr eased dramatically over the year. Master Plan Report see ar ticle by Alan Wilson on Page 4.
Irene’s Joke
A little girl came home from Sunday School waving a paper for her mother to see. “Look Mummy,” she exclaimed, “Teacher says I drew the most unusual Christmas picture she ever saw!” Her mother took one look and had to agree with the teacher. Hoping her daughter could explain her creation the mother asked, “Why are all these people riding in the back of an aeroplane?’ “Well, Mummy, that’s the flight into Egypt”.
Accepting that, the mother asked another question: “Who is the meanlooking man in the front?” Her daughter answered quickly and knowingly, “That’s Pontius, the Pilot”. Looking at the picture even more closely, the mother said, “I see you have Mary and Joseph and the baby, but who is the large man sitting behind Mary/” “Can’t you tell?” the little girl asked, shaking her head in disappointment. “That’s Round John Virgin.”
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The Gate of the Year I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown And he replied, “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to thee better than light and safer than a known way.
Turning our backs on those in need speaks of a nation that has lost its way By George Browning TMA August 18, 2016 Frank Brennan, Tim Costello, Robert Manne and John Menadue have recently penned a very fine opinion piece offering a solution to the intractable Manus Island and Nauru dilemma. I commend it to you: http:// www.smh.com.au/comment/a-solution -to-our-refugee-crisis-20160812gqqvhl.html Let us accept for a moment that "stopping the boats" is a desirable outcome because there are no more drownings at sea and people smugglers have been put out of business. However, this becomes an immoral outcome unless the following are attended to: 1. Those who fled on boats seeking a better life and now housed on Nauru
said it is ready to receive them. To release them will not restart the flood of boats because "boat turn back" is already preventing that from happening. As a nation we have completely lost our moral compass if we permit this incarceration of innocent civilians (including children) to continue. 2. Australians must be allowed to see into these camps, hear directly from those incarcerated and from medical staff who care for them. If we have nothing to hide, let us see. If we are not allowed to see them clearly we have something to hide.
3. The global migration of people will continue to expand as population expands, resources become scarcer, time warp and daily suffer terrible inequity becomes more apparent, and abuse, some physical, perpetrated by global warming makes some places their captors, but all suffer mental on earth virtually uninhabitable. This abuse, living without a future, withis an issue beyond the wit of individout hope. These people must be setual nation states to solve on their tled immediately either in Australia own. There must be global commitor in another country like New ment to address issues that, if left Zealand, a country which has already unresolved, will increasingly become
catastrophic. It has become quite shocking that at a time when we are ‘stopping the boats’ we are doing less and less to help resolve issues that force people to leave in the first place. Our Foreign Aid commitment as a percentage of GDP is the lowest it has been since the end of WW2. Morally we cannot on the one hand ‘turn boats back’ while on the other turn a blind eye to the problems that have necessitated these perilous trips. Domestic budget repair is necessary, but allowing rich Australians to enjoy unprecedented tax breaks, concessions on property acquisition and superannuation while turning our backs on those in need speaks of a nation that has completely lost its way. Dr George Browning is the former Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn. This is a slightly edited version of an article he wrote for his blog on 15 August 2016. See http:// www.georgebrowning.com.au/
Snippets The following persons connected to Holy Trinity, who died in the last year, were remembered on All Souls: Richard Findlay, Wanda Summers, Jean Story, Sheila Kozka, Melvie Holliday, Patricia Rosenhain, John Best, Margaret Wilson, Evelyn Canny, Samuel Chafe, Daniel Rossouw, Elizabeth Nosworthy, Margaret Davey, Kelvin Emmett, Betty Salter, Doreen Ashley-Brown, Margaret Royal, Lewis Fiander, Joanna Bennett, John Savige, Bettine McCaughan, Doris (Babe) Isaacs, Eda Andrews, Valerie (Pip) Teh, Peter Harkness, Murray Chipper and Bill Reeve. Congratulations to Nell Eddy, who with her partner Beryl Stean, won the RACV Bridge Club Challenge. Dr Ruth Lee, mentioned in the article ‘Women in World War One’ on page 9, as author of the book W oman W ar Doctor, the Life of Mary de Garis, is the daughter of Nancy Sturgess. One in 20 Anglican parishes in England now have only four worshippers on a typical Sunday. Official statistics from the Church of England show just over one per cent of the population of England now attends its services on a
typical Sunday, a third of the level in the website. Is there anyone who can save 1970s .Last year an estimated 810,600 us postage on a copy by reading it attended a Church of England service on there? Please let me know. an average Sunday By contrast 6.6 million people across the UK watched “Downton Abbey.” A man enquired of Brenda in the Office about hiring our church hall. After chatting and looking at the Website he sent her an email saying (in part) “I don't know if you would be interested in adding the following to the record. I went to see a band that had just started out in their parents’ garage. The group got enough money to hire your hall for one of their first public performances. That group of young boys was in fact ACDC and the year was 1974!!!!! Have a look in your hall and imagine Bon Scott, and Angus Young belting out songs in what was to become a 42 year history that in part started in your church. Their next gig was the Camberwell Civic Center and they got bigger and bigger from there. Please acknowledge this email because it is a part of your church’s history that I fondly remember. Regards, John” Trinity Times now appears on the HTK
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Someone sent me this photograph and on the back was written, ‘Church of the Confused Chicken’. IES
Reports from around the world compiled by Blake Shorthouse Nightmare on your street: Does Halloween belong in Australia? 720 ABC Perth: Emma Wynne 24 October 2016. Halloween is a pagan Celtic festival that has long been celebrated with gusto in North America. But the festival of dressing up and collecting treats from your neighbours is firmly taking hold in Australia too—and not everyone is happy. 720 ABC Perth listeners have mostly been vociferous in their dislike of the event on Facebook, "It's a pathetic commercialised bit of rubbish and no thanks to the big stores for promoting it."
Duckworth has been the Anglican Bishop of Wellington since 2012, and he is a bishop without a bible. The leader of Wellington's Anglican Church uses a smartphone app instead.
Luther strategically used the media of his time: books, paintings, prints and music. This monk in a town at the edge of Germany took on the most powerful men in Europe 500 years ago, and won, dividing the church, setting in play “one of the But before God's word went digital, Duck- most successful media campaigns in worth owned a treasured tome, inscribed history” and altering Western society and with years of musings of a young theolo- culture, said John T McQuillen, assistant gy student on a path to ordination. Then curator of printed books and bindings at decades ago, a light fingered youth uplift- the Morgan Library & Museum in New ed the bag in which Duckworth had York. stashed his Good Book. The thief biffed the lot in the Hutt River. Duckworth Luther’s pamphlets were distributed at chuckles at the memory. markets and taken by cart to other cities and read aloud publicly for those unable "They had no idea of the value. They just However, St Augustine's Anglican Church threw it away to get rid of it. But for me it to read, in the Perth suburb of Bayswater will defy was like, "You've got to be kidding me. The ideas of the Reformation happened this community sentiment, opening its Couldn't you have just left it, or put it because of Luther’s words, and because of doors this evening as part of a wider somewhere else?'" all the imagery that went along with it,” neighbourhood celebration. "There's no said Dr. McQuillen of the Morgan. “It was Liverpool Anglican Cathedral formal liturgy, we're not celebrating a a revolution in terms of media usage,” pagan festival in the church or slaughter- donates £910 to Roman Catholic with the printing press and the combinaCathedral after break-in ing goats or anything," Reverend Chris tion of text and art. Hind said. "It's an opportunity to come in Anglicans Online 14 October 2016 Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral has Such an act was not revolutionary; it was and light a candle and say a prayer." reached out across Hope Street to help its just one more event in the daily life of a “You never know who you'll run into Catholic neighbour after a “needless” van- university, Dr. McQuillen said. The docuoverseas” Department dalism attack saw collection cash stolen. ment was written in Latin for theology Anglican Taonga (NZ) Raiders ransacked the Roman Catholic students to debate, not for the average A photograph of Pope Francis, Archbish- Cathedral earlier this month, taking cash person. “Luther wrote hymns and was the from collections and smashing two glass first one to develop the hymnal,” which images beyond repair. fostered congregant participation, Dr. McQuillen added. “But probably the The cathedral has now revealed it most critical and important thing Luther received a donation of £910 from Liverinvented was the Reformation pamphlet”: pool Cathedral this week, which it called a short theater-playbill-size tracts of eight to “moving gesture of friendship and solidar- 16 pages, written, printed and spread ity”. quickly to the public. (About 20 are on view at the Morgan.) Typical texts by Debate continues on rebuilding of Luther might have had 15 printings, and Christchurch Cathedral in NZ been distributed from 15 cities, with about Anglicans On line 30 October 2016: The Press (Auckland) today has published 10,000 copies in the region. The immedianother proposal for rebuilding the earth- ate spread of his message and its populariop of Canterbury Justin Welby , and our ty are “the thing that pushed the Reforquake-destroyed cathedral in Christvery own George, Cardinal Pell, at a mation so far, so quickly,” Dr. McQuillen recent conference in Rome to celebrate the church, New Zealand. This proposal, by said. th prominent historian 50 anniversary of the 1966 rapprocheDr Geoffrey Rice, is to attach a tall 'tourist Much of Luther’s success was attributed ment between Anglicans and Roman tower' to the minimally-restored remains to fast writing and enormous stamina, but Catholics. of the old cathedral. As the he was also hands-on and detail-oriented, Mind your own business Ivan! Depart’t arguments drag on (it has been more than constantly checking with printers, said Russian patriarch concerned about five years), the transitional cathedral Andrew Pettegree, a professor at the Anglican developments (which almost everyone calls the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and Anglicans Online 19 October 2016: “cardboard cathedral”) continues to serve founding director of its Reformation Catholic Culture reports that Patriarch well as the diocesan see. Studies Institute. “Luther understood the Kirill of Moscow 'drew Archbishop Justin process from the ground up, and this gave Long Before Twitter, Martin Luther Welby’s attention to the Russian Orthohim a tremendous advantage over his dox Church’s concern over the liberalisa- Was a Media Pioneer opponents,” The 500th anniversary of Luther’s 95 tion of the Church of England’s teaching on church order, particularly, the ordina- theses is being celebrated at institutions His pamphlets, with “beautiful, decorative title pages, used space, design and typogtion of women as priests and bishops and across the [USA], showing how deftly raphy in a uniform way to make a recogon the family and morality'. 'His Holiness he used the media of his day. By TANYA MOHN, New York Times nizable brand,” Dr. Pettegree said. Kirill expressed hope that the Church of October 28, 2016 “He created a media storm with virtually England will oppose [the] challenges of the modern world and seek to preserve the You may know the basics of how Martin no precedent in the age of print and became the most published author in the Gospel’s teaching', the patriarchate added. Luther was said to have nailed his 95 theses to a church door in Wittenberg, history of publishing, up to that moment,” Germany, in 1517, condemning the Who says Bishops are old-fashioned? he said. “Great men and women seize the Roman Catholic Church’s sale of Anglicans Online moment, and I think he did.” indulgences, but you may not realize how The Rt Rev (and dreadlocked) Justin
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A Christmas Alphabet
A picture to colour
A is for the animals, out in the stable B for the baby, in the manger cr adle C for the car oller s, happy and gay. D for December - the 25th day E for the Eve when we’re all so excited F for the fun when the Chr istmas tr ee is lighted G for the goose, so r ound and fat H for the holly and Santa’s red hat I for the ice on snow-covered hills, where is fun in spite of the spills. J is for J esus, the Chr ist child so dear . We honour his birth at Christmas each year K for the kitchen wher e we all cook the feast L for the light shining way in the East M is for mistletoe—watch where it hangs N is the noel the angels fir st sang O for the or naments tr imming the tr ee P for the pr esents for you and for me Q for the quaking of shepher ds in fear , when the bright angel brought them the words of good cheer R for the r eindeer , leaping the r oofs S for the stockings that Santa Claus stuffs T for the toys, the tinsel, the tr ee U is for us—the whole family V is for visitor s, fr iends far and near W is for welcoming wr eaths on the wall X is for Xmas, with pleasur es for all Y is for Yule logs whose br ight spar ks fly high, to give a warm welcome to friends passing by Z is for zeal we show at this time, in giving to others and loving mankind.
Christmas greetings around the world Afrikaans—Gesëende Kersfees Danish—Glædelig Jul French—Joyeux Noël German—Froehliche Weihnachten Greek—Kala Christouyenna Hindi—Bada Din Mubarak Ho Irish—Nollaig Shona Dhuit Italian—Buone Feste Natalizie Japanese—Kurisumasu Omedeto Korean—Sung Tan Chuk Ha
Lithuania—Linksmu Kaledu Maori—Meri Kirihimete Norwegian—God Jul Portuguese—Feliz Natal Russian—Srozhdestovm Kristovim Spanish—Feliz Navidad Swahili—Kuwa na Krismasi njema Tagalog—Maligayang Pasko Vietnamese—Chuc Mung Giang Sinh Welsh—Nadolig Llawen
Doctor Jokes Patient: It has been one month since my last visit and I still feel miser able. Doctor: Did you follow the instr uctions on the medicine I gave you? Patient: I sur e did. The bottle said ‘keep lid tightly closed’. “What kind of work do you do?” a woman passenger enquired of the man travelling in her train compartment. “I’m a Naval surgeon,” he replied. “My word!” spluttered the woman, “How you doctors specialise Patient: Doctor , when I pr ess my leg it hur ts. Then when I pr ess my chest it hurts, when I press my head it hurts, when I press my stomach it hurts. I’m worried doc, what’s wrong with me.\ Doctor: Easy, str aightfor war d. You have a sor e finger !
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What do these remarkable people have in common? Johan Sebastian Bach—Composer T.S. Elliot—Poet Elizabeth Fry—Prison Reformer J.R.R. Tolkien—Cambridge scholar, author of ‘The Hobbit’ Leo Tolstoy—Author ‘War and Peace’ Brian Booth—former Australian cricket captain Owen Gingerich—Astrophysicist at Harvard & the Smithsonian Margaret Court—Tennis champion John Flynn—Founder of RFDS Blaise Pascal—French mathematician and philosopher Alexander Solzehenitsyn—Russian novelist Alan Walker—Australian founder of Life Line Robert Coles—Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard, Pulitzer prize winning author Dag Hammarskjold—Former Secretary General of The United Nations Jimmy Carter—former US President. They each called Jesus Christ their personal Saviour.
Holy Trinity Anglican Church Cnr High & Pakington Streets, Kew P.O. Box 37, Kew, Vic 3101 www.holytrinitykew.org.au email: office@holytrinitykew.org.au
Vicar The Reverend Robert Newton Ph: 9855 0630 0408 012 165 email vicar@holytrinitykew.org.au
Associate Clergy The Reverend Rick Cheung The Reverend Helen Granowski The Reverend Robert Holland
Parish Chaplain Pam Hughes Ph: 0418 328 313
Theological Student Leonie Bird
Church Office Mrs Brenda Forman P.O. Box 37, Kew, 3101 Telephone: 9853 7158 Monday to Friday 9—12
Churchwardens David Harkin Ph: 0433 446 183 Alan Wilson Ph: 0414 470 460 Marcus Pandy Ph: 9817 2163
Treasurer Dinesh Warnakulasuriya Contact through church office
Director of Music & Organist Stephen Kerr Authorised Lay Ministers Leonie Bird Jane Sullivan Andrea Sherko Michael Wong
All the above persons can be contacted through the Parish Office.
If undeliverable, return to: Holy Trinity Anglican Church Cnr. High & Pakington Streets, Kew, 3101
POSTAGE PAID AUSTRALIA
MAY BE OPENED
Services at Holy Trinity WEDNESDAY 11.00am—Eucharist SATURDAY 6.00pm—Eucharist SUNDAY 8.00am—Eucharist SUNDAY 10.00am—Sung Eucharist 10.00am—Family Ministry In the hall, in church on 1st Sunday The Noon Hour: 12noon to 1.00pm Tuesday to Thursday. Healing Service: 11.30am fourth Sunday At Trinity Grammar School Chapel: SUNDAY 10.30am Bilingual Service
EDITOR: Irene Shorthouse Ph: 9882 1692 Email: ireneshorthouse @iprimus.com.au Thank you again to all my contributors and helpers for another year of Trinity Times. Without your help it just wouldn’t happen. I can now turn my thoughts to all the other things to be done in a hurry, before we leave to spend Christmas and New Year with our son and his family. My special thanks to Rosemary Nairn who will complete the distribution and post-out of this edition after I have left. I wish you all a holy and happy Christmas and may peace, joy and “Remember us? Christmas 2006, Wedding good health be with you throughout 2008, Christenings 2010 and 2011.” the coming year.12