Christmas reminds us that true and lasting joy is a gift we receive not a state we achieve. In his webpost ‘How to Find Joy’ (www.tonyrobbins. com/mind-meaning/how-tofind- joy) life coach Anthony Robbins lists nine ways in which we can be more present and feel more joy. Almost all are about what we do – everything from ‘Surround Yourself with Positive People’ to ‘Create Positive Rituals’ to ‘Change Your Physiology’.

How different is the message from the angels to the shepherds the first Christmas, as recorded in Luke’s Gospel Chapter Two Verse Ten: ‘Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.’

Here joy comes to us. Instead of being the possession of a few who are able to master the right techniques this joy is available to all the people without distinction. This joy is good news for us, not good news about us.

And what is that good news? The angel continues: ‘to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord.’

The birth of any child is good news, but this birth and this child is uniquely good. This child is a Saviour, one who comes to rescue people from sin and death. This child is the Messiah, the long-awaited leader for God’s people. This child is the Lord, the one who deserves our love and honour and service. This child will be named Jesus, and in his life, death and rising he will do all that is needed to bring us back to God. That is great news, and if we receive it and believe it this news is reason to be full of joy.

Christmas can be a time of stress and anxiety, especially if we feel we have to create joy for ourselves and for others. Christmas can instead be a time of peace and gratitude, if we are able to rest in the joy Jesus made for us.

May God bless you and those you love with a joyful and peaceful Christmas, in Jesus Christ our Lord.

~ Bishop Mark Short

Monday September 12th was an exciting day at Covenant Care, as we finally managed to celebrate our 10th Anniversary with the community. VIP guests from the Legislative Assembly, Canberra Southern Cross Club (CSCC), previous Holy Covenant and Holistic Care Nursing Ministry (HCNM) staff, and families of previous clients and previous volunteers joined with the current clients, volunteers and HCNM staff for a time of sharing, reminiscing and expressing hope for the future. (And of course, there was a delicious lunch as well.)

Covenant Care was promoted to the visitors through displays of some of the clients’ artwork, as well as a new banner. Mr Bob Arthur spoke about the history of Covenant Care – how this ministry came into being and how it continues to provide a unique service in supporting both clients and their carers.

Archdeacon Anne Ranse spoke with passion of the work of the Covenant Care volunteers and the role of faith in this ministry. She also read a touching letter from Senator Katy Gallagher, who formally opened Covenant Care ten years ago in her then role as ACT Chief Minister.

Reverend Dr Wayne Brighton presented certificates and medals to volunteers who have remained with Covenant Care throughout this ten year journey, and certificates for staff and volunteers who have made significant contributions over an extended period. (If you are someone who has been with Covenant Care from the beginning and you missed out, please let the HCNM team know! Our volunteer records aren’t as detailed as we might like.)

Minister Yvette Berry (representing the Chief Minister) spoke from the heart about her family experience of caring for her grandmother during the end of her life, and the challenges this presents. She was joined in cutting the cake by Ian MacKay from CSCC. (The club has been providing free lunches to Covenant Care for many years.)

Thank you to everyone who made this event possible, particularly Rhonda Thorpe (previous HCNM Program Manager), Archdeacon Anne Ranse, Bob Arthur, Pauline Nicholson, Sue Jordan and Lyn Pascoe (RN). The Covenant Care community and the HCNM team thank God for the blessings that Covenant Care has provided and received across the last ten years, and look forward to the next decade of Covenant Care’s journey.

About Covenant Care

Covenant Care opened in 2012 and is a wonderful example of the gospel in action. Most terminally-ill people want to remain in their own home to their last days. The support provided by Covenant Care Day Hospice helps make this possible.

Covenant Care Day Hospice offers ‘A Day with a Difference’ for those in our community with a life-limiting illness. It also allows carers to have a day off to catch up on outstanding matters or take some time out to relax. The onsite nurse and cheerful volunteers ensure that the clients and carers know they are in good hands and will be well entertained and cared for while attending the program.

In 2014, the ACT Volunteer of the Year Award for the ‘Community Care and Health’ category was awarded to Covenant Care Volunteers.

Enquiries

Archdeacon Anne Ranse (she/ her), ph 0406 379 599, email anne.ranse@gmail.com

Other information

Holistic Care Nursing Ministries listing on Holy Covenant Anglican Church’s website: www2.holycovenant.org.au/community

by Megan Watts, Program Manager, Holistic Care Nursing Ministries

Photo above: Archbishop Ben Kwashi and Dr Gloria Kwashi (centre) are caring for over 70 children in their home.

‘The people who are most traumatised by this persecution are the orphans,’ said Archbishop Ben Kwashi in a message to Australian Anglicans earlier this year. Archbishop Kwashi from the Diocese of Jos in Nigeria and his wife Dr Gloria Kwashi have known persecution first hand, having experienced attempts on their lives and destruction of their property by Islamist militants. But they are most concerned about the way the devastating violence has affected the many children in their area who have found themselves orphaned and homeless.

Fifteen years ago Gloria Kwashi was so disturbed by the plight of the increasing number of widows, orphans, and vulnerable children, who had little or no shelter or food, no education and no money or facilities for health care, that she began taking children into her home to care for them. There are now over 70 children from the age of two years, living with the Bishop and his wife as their family. She has also established a school for them.

Zambiri School now educates over 400 primary and secondary students from disadvantaged backgrounds, all of whom receive free education, uniforms, food, and medical care. The school has been approved by the government as a centre for national examinations. Four cohorts of senior students have graduated, some of whom have gone on to tertiary education in college or university. Zambiri is planning to open a second campus to help meet the enormous needs in Jos. There will be a bakery and piggery associated with the new campus to help meet its running costs.

Archbishop Kwashi says that he has seen many of the children in his home and school grow, and heal, getting involved in sport and becoming wonderful kids. ‘Our prayer is that they will grow so wonderfully that they will hold no grudge but one day turn to be evangelists, to go to their persecutors,’ said Archbishop Kwashi.

Four cohorts of senior students have now graduated from Zambiri School.

In partnership with Anglican Aid, the Diocese of Canberra-Goulburn renewed its partnership with the Diocese of Jos in Nigeria at Synod in September, supporting Zambiri School, as well as providing food and shelter for Christians who have lost homes and livelihoods at the hands of Islamist militants. The Diocese of Canberra-Goulburn is also supporting the Diocese of Jos’ Christian Institute, which offers training in Theology or community health to prepare students to serve in Nigeria and beyond. ‘We thank you profoundly and profusely for all the support in the past and we urge you to do so even in the days ahead,’ said Archbishop Kwashi. ‘I am personally grateful for the friendship, for the fellowship that has brought us – so far and yet so close.’

While the persecution in Nigeria has brought great suffering, Archbishop Kwashi said that it has spurred Christians in Australia and around the world to pray for the church in Nigeria and he sees Christians under pressure not just surviving, but thriving in their faith. It has also given God’s people in Nigeria and beyond the opportunity to show his love. ‘What a joy to see the church responding to biblical injunctions of loving one another and caring for the poor, for widows and for the fatherless and helpless,’ he said.

If you would like to know more about supporting these projects, go to www.anglicanaid.org.au/ locations/nigeria or contact Rev Canon Patrick Cole by phoning 0438 490 023 or emailing pandncole@bigpond.com. Patrick would be delighted to make himself available to speak in parishes about the diocesan partnership, and the pressing needs of our Anglican sisters and brothers in Nigeria. Archbishop Ben’s moving video message about supporting work with children will shortly be available on the Diocesan website, together with an electronic version of the pamphlet setting out the various projects the Diocese of Canberra-Goulburn is supporting in Jos, and how to give to them.

submitted by Ashleigh Hooker, Anglican Aid

As she prepares to leave in the coming weeks we asked Bev Forbes to reflect on some aspects of her time in the Diocesan Bishop’s Executive Officer role and share some thoughts with us by answering the following questions.

How long have you been in the Diocese?

I joined the Diocese in 2007 following 20 years working in the Department of the House of Representatives Committee Office as a senior researcher then committee secretary; research and information roles in the water and energy sectors in the APS; and as a librarian at the Lake Macquarie Shire Library and search analyst at the National Library of Australia. During my time in the Diocese I have worked for three Diocesan Bishops (Bishop George, Bishop Stuart and Bishop Mark) and all our Assistant Bishops when they sat in the Diocesan’s chair.

What brought you to work for the Diocese initially?

I came to the Diocese to take up the role as Executive Officer to then Diocesan Bishop – Bishop George. It was a great opportunity to work for just one person after having had four or five bosses in the Parliament at the same time due to the nature of committee secretariat and chamber work I did. As a cradle Anglican I always felt called and wanted to work for the church in some more formal way.

I always felt that I was born to be a librarian, an information specialist, who assisted people to access information to answer their questions from whatever source of information was best. For me the EO role was a variation on that in the context of the church (faith).

In the EO role I worked directly to the Bishop assisting him in addressing correspondence, emails, appointments and meetings; clergy and lay minister licensing; the Clergy Appointments Board process; drafting and reviewing publications such as the Ad Clerum; maintaining records of communication between the Bishop and clergy and ministry units; research; assisting with Synod; and much more.

Librarians say ‘libraries are people places’ and the church is about community and relationships – both serve people. My particular love is public libraries and I loved providing excellent service to the general public who often did not expect much service so I tried to give them the best our library and other information sources could provide in answering their questions. I applied the same approach in serving the Bishop, the clergy and lay ministers and the whole Diocese.

What have been the highlights (or joys) of your time here?

The greatest joy in the EO role has been the people I have met and the opportunity the Bishops have given me to serve them. I still love assisting the person who rings the Bishop’s Office or comes in never really expecting an answer to their question and I have been able to assist them or point them in the best direction. I found the diversity of the EO role astounding. The breadth of matters that your Bishop deals with is enormous and I got to be a small part of that.

My second greatest joy was my study for a Graduate Diploma in Theology at St Mark’s National Theological Centre. I did well. Thank you Bishop Stuart and Trevor Ament in supporting my undertaking. I have been blessed in being able to use that knowledge, experience and contacts on a daily basis to better serve the Bishop and the Diocese and beyond. I am particularly grateful to Bishop Mark for the committee secretariat and research opportunities he has given me.

What have been some of the biggest challenges?

The biggest challenge is that the Bishop’s EO role is diverse, with a heavy, constant, and time-consuming workload that is ever changing and evolving, and that I assist in dealing with the best and worst of times in people’s lives. The constant is God’s presence hopefully guiding my every move together with the guiding hand of the Bishop. In addition, in addressing these issues I have been greatly blessed to have come to this role from the Department of the House of Representatives where I was trained to be flexible and to deal with very high levels of uncertainty. Also as a Novocastrian I am blessed to have grown up in a city that wholeheartedly embraces diversity and equality. These all are qualities needed in these times.

Another major challenge is balancing my personal life and work while maintaining well-being. Fortunately I have been blessed in doing that with a wonderful husband (Alan Wilson) and wonderful parents (Judy and Richard Forbes, both now deceased) who always encouraged me in all that I did. They have revealed for me the extravagant love of God.

What will you miss most?

By now you will know the answer to that question without asking – the people. The Bishops and all of you!

BISHOP MARK ADDS:

In her time as Executive Officer Bev Forbes has served three Bishops, each with their own personal style, needs and eccentricities. She has successfully navigated several office re-locations, most of them within the same building. More importantly, she has quietly and faithfully served countless clergy, lay people and staff by guiding them through the complexity of Diocesan life and Governance. Bev has been gifted with a head for process and a heart for people and I have greatly valued and benefitted from her care and concern for others in all the changing circumstances of Diocesan life. She has achieved the fine balance of engaging with others at times of significant personal challenges while also ensuring that appropriate confidentiality is observed.

It has been a blessing to work with Bev and other members of the Bishops Office team to make it a place where all are welcomed and treated with respect. Bev and her husband Alan will continue to be valued members of our Diocesan family in their retirements and many of us look forward to seeing them at worship, at a parkrun or as they walk their dog. Bev, may God bless you richly in the next stage of the journey as you have blessed us!

Picture above: L-R Reverends Marilyn Waind and Robin Moore, Dean Phillip, Reverends Heather Millard and Kim Hoey, and Cathedral Guide

The title of Bishop Mark’s address to Synod was ‘Good to be Here!’ and how good it was for so many of us to take part in the uplifting worship of the Synod Eucharist Service! We have not gathered in such numbers since before COVID.

Just imagine the preparation that took place for everything to run smoothly to the glory of God!

At the end of August, Dean Phillip Saunders ran a training workshop for Deacons at the Cathedral.

The day began with a tour of the Cathedral with the Dean telling us the story of its construction under the architect Edmund Blacket. We examined some of the magnificent fixtures and looked at the stainedglass windows, depicting stories from the Gospels, and the pictures of the Celtic Saints along the roof line in the Soldier’s Chapel. These may normally be missed because they are so high. The Dean pointed out many of the interesting items on display as well as regaling us with various anecdotes about the personalities involved in the life of the Cathedral over the years.

I noticed other things too. Dotted around the Cathedral were some brightly coloured plastic buckets. I wondered if they were there to catch drips from a leaking roof. The Cathedral is in need of repair and although it has been given a grant from the NSW State government, these funds have to be matched by public donations. (To donate: https://www.goulburncathedral.org. au/our-appeal)

L-R: Reverend Robin Moore, Venerable Jane Simmonds, Reverends Wendy Robertson, Kim Hoey and Heather Millard

After the tour, Dean Phillip opened a discussion about traditions. He explained the Lambeth Quadrilateral: the fourpoint structure of the Anglican Church, namely the Holy Scriptures, the Dominical Sacraments of Jesus (Baptism and Holy Communion), the Creeds, and the 3-fold order of Bishops, Priests and Deacons. He then talked about local traditions, traditions within groups, gospel traditions and invited us to think about whether there may be a need to change. We had a conversation about the strong links between the Cathedral and the Diaconate and the function of Deacons as part of the church community. We reflected on our calling as Deacons and our role in living out the Gospel in the wider world; much food for further thought and prayer.

We then had a practical training session of serving at the altar, each one of us taking a turn under the Dean’s watchful eye.

We are all very grateful to Dean Phillip for leading our workshop at the Cathedral and thank him for sharing his wisdom and practical instruction with us.

We ended our meeting with a time of fellowship over lunch. A most enjoyable day.

by Venerable Jane Simmonds, Archdeacon to the Diaconate

Where does one begin? I don’t know that I am able to mark a particular day or occasion where I felt that I was called to be a deacon, rather there were many things that took place over time that brought me to this point.

Coming from a ‘non-church’ family, at the age of ten I was sent to an Anglican boarding school – mother, grandmother and aunts went there – where I was introduced to this thing I knew nothing about: chapel/church. My house mother, choir mistress and organist encouraged and supported me in those challenging years. I guess that is where it all began.

In my early adult years, I dipped my toes in and out of ‘church’ depending on where I was at in life. Though I always knew that when I had children, I wanted them to grow up knowing God and His love for them.

I began attending St John’s, Wagga Wagga while pregnant with my first child. I was warmly welcomed and encouraged. Not long after my first child was born, the parish admin position came available. I really felt that it was my job, but the timing was not right.

Eight years later with my youngest in kindergarten, when the job became open again, the timing was right. I was thrilled!! And I have loved my job every day of the last ten years.

A couple of people on various occasions had asked if I had considered ministry but my response was always surprise and ‘not me’. But the questions made me think, consider and prayerfully wonder.

In 2016 I decided to do a Diploma of Christian Ministry and Theology at St Mark’s, to see if I was up for the challenge of study with two young children. Juggling work, family, children, and study was a full load, but I did it, and I quite enjoyed the learning.

The load was a lot so I felt at the time that I could not manage university study. Twelve months later the Deaconate subject was on offer over the summer session. I was encouraged by my then Rector David Ruthven to do this as it would be a good introduction into all that is involved in being a deacon. I really enjoyed it.

Okay!! So here we go. I enrolled in the Bachelor of Theology. Still, with work, family, kids, life, I was only able to do one subject at a time, with the odd session off with COVID and a house renovation. At this rate it was going to take me a long time. Bishop Trevor revealed to me that I didn’t need to complete the Bachelor to be a deacon but could withdraw at the Graduate Diploma of Theology Studies. And here I am, completing my final subject.

I was ordained in February this year. The journey to ordination, as it seems to be for anyone I’ve spoken to, is not straight forward. There was many a hurdle along the way. But, when the time is right …

I am still in the job I started ten years ago and love, but with a bit more on the plate. I did not think I would ‘enjoy’ taking funeral services as much as I do. What a wonderful opportunity to journey with people in their time of need.

The ministry I feel called to is walking with the Rainbow community of Wagga, encouraging and doing what I can to welcome and support them to come as they are, to experience God’s love for them in this place.

by Reverend Kim Hoey

Just as faith without works is dead, might values without virtues be empty?

I’ll come back to what I mean by that but first I want to touch on the big sporting news of the past fortnight – not the tragic defeat of the Parramatta Eels but the appointment and subsequent resignation of Andrew Thorburn as CEO of the Essendon Bombers.

I am not privy to all the discussions that led up to these decisions. Nor am I interested in adding to the polarised and passionate commentary around them. I do encourage us, regardless of our views on this matter, to consider the broader implications.

Reading the various commentaries on the Essendon saga I was struck that most, whether ‘conservative’ or ‘progressive’, assumed that religion is on the wane as our culture becomes more secular. However, for most people in the world and many people in Australia faith continues to be a vital part of their identity. This is especially the case for members of our immigrant and multi-cultural communities. These are also people who are over-represented in poorly-paid jobs with insecure employment relationships. That’s why getting faith and the workplace right matters – not primarily for the sake of former CEO’s who will probably land another well-paid and secure job, but for the sake of our culturally-diverse sisters and brothers in the outer suburbs of our big cities. They are ultimately most vulnerable to any situation where leadership in a traditional religious community places a ceiling on economic or organisational advancement.

So what has this to do with the distinction between values and virtues? I understand the former to be what we profess and the latter how we live. We can sign up to a statement of values in an instant, but virtues are formed in us over time. When the Bible lists the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 (love, joy peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control), we are being invited into a process of transformation, a Spirit-empowered journey of becoming more like Jesus.

All organisations, including churches and church organisations, have values. Sometimes those values are explicit, sometimes we discover them when we inadvertently transgress them. I believe it’s even better when organisations are able to name the virtues they wished to see expressed in their common life. Doing so has the potential to shift us away from zero-sum debates about competing ideas into more nuanced conversations about what it means to live together well with difference. It allows past and present behaviour to be assessed against some vision of the good life, and reminds us that none of us are yet what we hope to be.

The good news for those in Christ is that such hope will not disappoint. ‘Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is’ (1 John 3:2).

Part of our Sunday Eucharist at Holy Cross Hackett is a quick reflection called the ‘Eco Minute’. The minute is a time when we as a community pause to reflect explicitly on creation and our place in it.

Recently as I was preparing the minute, images from the James Webb telescope were released. In viewing these images, I came to a new realisation of how vast the universe is and the words of the Psalmist ‘The LORD wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent…’ (Psalm 104:2) took on new meaning. These images show the equivalent of a speck of sand on the end of our fingers in relation to the horizon, yet they show much more than I can fathom. I realised how massive God is, how small I am. How was I meant to reflect on the place that humanity has in creation and the part that Christians are meant to play in it every day when faced with such immense images that dwarf us all? I was left wondering ‘How can I approach Him who is so much more than I can imagine?’

Andrei Rublev’s famous icon of the Trinity. From wikimedia.org.

As so often is the case, the Holy Spirit had already provided the answer in the readings set out in the lectionary. The Tanakh (aka The Old Testament) reading for Sunday came from Genesis 18, where God encounters Abraham at the door of his tent and the pair converse. Rather than meet with Abraham in some celestial palace or in a grand temple built to house him, God chooses to meet with Abraham in his home. God places himself in the position to receive Abraham’s hospitality and they both sit down to eat and be refreshed in the shade of the oaks during the heat of the day. There is intimacy in the washing of feet, there is a vulnerability in rest, conversations are had, and the innermost concerns are heard and responded to. He chooses to encounter Abraham and Sarah face to face and reveals His plans for Isaac.

Such is God’s nature; he speaks a creation so vast we can only catch a glimpse of it and yet he eagerly seeks intimacy with us so much that he will encounter us where we happen to be. Seeing the revelation of God who ‘stretches out the heavens like a tent’ in the Webb images and in the Person who meets someone at the tent door to then sit in the shade of the tree, I realise that my question ‘How can I approach Him who is so much more than I can imagine?’ is deeply flawed.

Because the answer is: ‘it is God who approaches me.’

by Ben Paton, Director Synergy Youth

Back in the late 1930s the Indonesians in Bali no longer wanted the Christians in the city area of Denpasar. To solve the problem, the ruling Dutch government offered the Christians free land in the jungles of West Bali. This suggestion was accepted and the first generation of the village, now known as Blimbingsari, walked the 120kms to their new land. They had to clear the jungle from their land and cope with the seasonal weather conditions, wild animals and the Japanese during WWII. Today this village in West Bali is one of the prettiest in Bali and an example of Christian life to the whole of Indonesia. To maintain their cultural heritage everyone wears traditional clothes to church on the first Sunday of the month.

Blimbingsari has a population of about 800 people. Often the youth will leave the village after they have finished senior high school, to search for work or to study for higher qualifications. The village itself has two main narrow roads in the shape of a cross. The Balinese-style Protestant Church has no walls, and the centre of the church reaches upwards for about thirty meters. The back of the altar faces onto a small garden with a miniature waterfall. The church is at the intersection of the crossroads. Nearby is the orphanage. Every house in the village, and also every tombstone in the cemetery, proudly has a prominent cross. The whole life of the villagers centres round the church. The village orphanage caters for about 70 children. About three quarters of the children have parents who are too poor to support them. Many of the children are Hindu with a few Muslims, but it is a Christian orphanage supported by the Balinese Protestant Church. All the children participate in Christian songs and prayer before and after meals. There is a Protestant primary school and even children as young as six years old lead their class in song and prayer to start the school day and to finish it. School is on six days a week from 7am to 12noon. Everyone has Bible study during the week.

Most villagers have a kebun, that is, enough land to have coconut and banana trees, grow cassava, vegetables and fruits. Many keep pigs, cows, chickens and ducks. Nothing is wasted in the village and they don’t rely on modern conveniences. Coconut oil is made manually and labour-intensively. Although money is scarce, they are rich in their extended family and social interactions. It is always enjoyable to see neighbours sitting outside during the day just talking and enjoying each other. Transport is usually by motor bike with a couple of cars in the village. I have been fortunate to go to the village each year since 2009 (except 2020/21) at least for a month as a self-funded volunteer. My work is varied with teaching English (children and adults), swimming lessons, music (recorders) and pastoral care.

There are still many needs within the village. Food for some (usually rice), money for medical needs, pig food, powdered milk for the elderly, school and orphanage requirements and so on. With help (from 2015) this is the only primary school in Indonesia to have a library. The Fun Learning Centre (FLC) which I started in 2009 continues with the Balinese Protestant Church now extending it throughout Bali. The children learn English, have some Christian input (stories and song) and a period of free play. More recently a cultural element has been added. I try to identify those who have a strong work ethic in the village. Two very successful ventures are the bakery and a laundry. Imagine my excitement when I saw five washing machines arrive at the orphanage donated by Anglicord one year.

I enjoy the lifestyle in the village and feel very much at home and loved there. I know it is God’s plan for me to visit and with God’s grace I will return again next year. Puji Tuhan (Praise God). 

by Wendy Elliot, Bega Parish