Pastoral video from Bishop Mark Calder

Bishop of Bathurst, Mark Calder, has released this short video as an encouragement to trust in Jesus in these uncertain days.

Diocese of Bathurst to suspend church gatherings

Bishop Mark Calder has written to all church members in the Diocese of Bathurst:

19 March 2020

Dear brother and sisters across the diocese, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. Psalm 46:1-2 My prayer for us all, is that in such challenging circumstances, we will run to God as our refuge and feel safe; draw strength from God in our weakness, and find him to be a very constant and palpable help in our trouble. And I pray that the result of all that, will be that we do not fear – though the whole world is changing around us day by day.

Weekend of 21-22 March will be the last with public gatherings until further notice

On Wednesday 18 March, following our Prime Minister’s press conference announcing a whole new range of restrictions, the bishop’s leadership team met by teleconference and decided that following the spirit of the announcement and in support of the purpose of restricting public gatherings, we should suspend Sunday services after this weekend. We realise that not many of our churches have over 100 people at any one time, however, we also know that the age and frailty of many who do attend, means that there is a heightened risk to our members, should someone inadvertently attend carrying COVID-19. So the loving, wise action to take, to reduce any risk of spreading this disease, and to protect each other, is to suspend our church services. Each of the five dioceses in NSW are also suspending church services, as is the Diocese of Tasmania. I’m certain others will follow.

Church this weekend will be different

  1. All services this weekend, will be Morning or Evening Prayer; or Praise, Prayer and Proclamation. Even with the precautions we took last week, there are just too many risk factors with Holy Communion in terms of handling bread and wine, and our proximity to one another as we line up and return to our seats.

  2. There will be no refreshments after our services – again – the risks are too great to mitigate at this time.

  3. The offering will be received on entry or exit – not by passing the plate or bags.

  4. There will be no greeting of peace or shaking hands with our ministers at the end of the service.

  5. No one should attend who has returned from any country overseas in the last two weeks, or who is feeling in any way unwell.

  6. People need to use hand sanitizer upon arrival and leaving and keep their distance from one another (1.5 metres).

  7. We will not be handing out prayer books, hymns books or Bibles as they can retain/pass on the virus. I will be making available a printed order of service for those who wish to use it, or your parish will produce its own.

  8. These measures are so counter-intuitive but are the very means of loving and serving one another and our communities in this unique circumstance.

Church will be VERY different from the following weekend

  1. For the weekend of 28-29 March, and into the foreseeable future, I will make available via YouTube, a service you can watch at home on your computer, iPad or similar, or on your television should you have a “Smart TV” with internet connection.

  2. Some parishes may have the ability to livestream a service. I’m sure they will advise you if this is being planned.

  3. This will not be the same as gathering in person with our brothers and sisters, but I trust and pray that it will be a rich encouragement and help to us as we take up the opportunities that today’s technology gives us.

  4. You could gather with a very small group of friends to watch together and have fellowship following the service – so long as you kept your distance from one another. Such a gathering may assist those who are not able to access or use internet resources.

  5. We are all very conscious that Easter is not far away. It may be possible to hold outdoor services without communion. Your local church will advise. However, there will be extensive online resources made available.

Offering

It will be VERY important that each person work out how they might continue to contribute financially to the life of their church, while we can’t meet. The best way would be to switch your giving to internet transfer or direct debit. I’ve asked each parish to make their bank account details clearly and easily available. If you do not use internet banking, you can take your church’s account details to your local branch when you’re next in town, and arrange for them to set up a regular transfer of funds.

Your giving at church pays for the entire ministry of the church and your minister’s stipend. Costs for your parish will continue unchanged while services are suspended. Unless you act to switch your giving as soon as possible, your parish will be put under severe financial stress, and clergy may not be able to continue.

How do we care for another?

Each local parish or church will make arrangements for pastoral care and work to ensure people don’t become lonely or isolated. It may be that key leaders in your parish, volunteer to look out for 6-8 people and be in regular contact by phone or calling in. What about weddings, funerals and baptisms? Weddings in churches and chapels are included in the ban of more than 100 people. While highly disruptive and understandably distressing for all involved, weddings may only proceed with the bridal party and their families and the minister officiating. Unfortunately, funerals held in crematoriums, chapels or church buildings can only include immediate family members. This is the most practical way to ensure that funerals do not exceed the limit of 100 people in enclosed gatherings. You may want to suggest to the family to hold a more public thanksgiving at a later time, when it is possible to gather. If funerals are conducted at a graveside it is possible to include more people, as long as they maintain appropriate social distancing. Baptisms similarly may be conducted with ONLY the immediate family present.

Prayer

Please pray for your Parish, your minister, and the health care workers in your area. The COVID-19 crisis has placed enormous stress on all of us, particularly the frail and vulnerable people among us. We are still the body of Christ even though we are not gathering in churches. In times such as these people turn to the church for help and guidance, so there will be fresh opportunities to be people of salt and light and to give an answer for the hope we have. We will continue to minister to each other and share in the Word. Although this is a time of uncertainty, and the suspension of services in our churches may take some time to end; God is still on the throne and we can and should trust in this promises – especially from the end of Romans 8 where he assures us that nothing can separate us from his love for us.

“No virus can change the number of days that God has written in his book for us. No virus can make the word of God untrue. No virus can undo the work of Christ on the cross. No virus can change the fact that through Jesus we have a Father in heaven who cares for us. And no virus can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Kevin DeYoung

We will keep you up to date and well resourced. We look forward with hope and anticipation, to that time when we can gather with one another once more.

Mark

Update on NT Anglican Church Services

“Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The coronavirus situation continues to change rapidly, with the federal government announcing on March 18th that indoor gatherings of more than 100 people are suspended. After conversation with other denominational leaders and in the light of news from other parts of the Anglican world, I am announcing that Anglican churches in the Northern Territory will suspend their Sunday services from March 23rd. Individual parishes may suspend their services earlier than this. …”

– Bishop Greg Anderson in Darwin announces the Anglican response there.

Jesus the dying saviour

“Jesus Christ understood the most deadly virus known to humanity is sin. He knew the sin virus was a killer. Like all viruses it takes up residence and eats away its host. For the virus to survive its host must die.

Thankfully in a war against such a virus you won’t find Jesus Christ rushing for the toilet paper. You won’t find Him in a toilet paper brawl in Bass Hill or in a Coles or Woolworths near you. But you will find him nailed to a cross, suffering on your behalf, offering a cure for the sin virus that has been destroying us from our beginnings. It’s the same sin virus that has people fighting over toilet paper instead of considering how we might care for one another in a time of crisis.

The Bible makes clear that the most dangerous place we can get in society is anarchy, where everyone does what is right in their own eyes. This is the heart of sin, to act like you are God when you are not. We will reap the carnage of this and the virus of sin will destroy us all. In that moment COVID19 will be irrelevant as the judgement of God has the final word. …”

– Bishop of Armidale Rick Lewers continues his series of thought-provoking articles for the local newspaper, and also published on the diocesan website.

Pastoral Letter on COVID 19 from the Bishop of Tasmania – 17th March 2020

Dr Richard Condie, Bishop of Tasmania, has written to all churches in his diocese –

“Dear Sisters and Brothers,

The Lord Jesus reigns! God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1) He is our shelter and our fortress. (Psalm 91:1-2)

These are realities that do not change in the midst of a changing and unstable world, even in the face of the global pandemic of Coronavirus (COVID19). None of this has taken God by surprise. He will watch over his people, and his salvation and goodness are sure.

The Anglican Church in Tasmania is committed to being a Church for Tasmania. We believe that the best way for us to be for the State in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic is for us to stop meeting in large groups, including our Sunday Services. The best practice in limiting the spread of disease, and to protect our health system, is to adhere to social distancing. This means limiting the number of people with whom you come into contact.

From today, there will be no Anglican Church gatherings over 10 people, other than funerals and weddings, but even these will be limited to immediate family members only.…”

– Read it all here. (Bold added.)

See also:

“The Anglican Church of Tasmania will “actively avoid” groups of more than 10 people meeting together and has called off church services for the foreseeable future. …”

– Report from The Examiner.

Australian Primate’s Election Deadlocked — report

David Ould reports that the electors for the new Australian Primate were unable to reach a consensus.

“The electoral panel adjourned and agreed to meet again before 30 June 2020.”

Australian Bishops in ‘Tense’ Meeting as Signs of Division Grow

“The Australian House of Bishops have been gathered over the past few days for their annual meeting. Their time together climaxes with the election of a new Primate tomorrow (where they will be joined by 24 lay and clergy electors).

davidould.net has been in contact with a number of those present and, while we cannot provide any direct quotes, it is now quite clear that there is a real division within the House of Bishops over the question of sexual ethics and, particularly, whether same-sex marriage ought to be blessed in one way or another. …”

– David Ould shares his understanding of what’s happening as the Australian Bishops meet. Good to pray about this.

(Graphic adapted from the Anglican Church of Australia website.)

An invitation to hear about ministry opportunities in Tasmania

“Come and sample some of the tastes of Tasmania and hear about what God is doing in the Diocese of Tasmania.

The Bishop of Tasmania, Richard Condie, will be sharing some of the highlights and challenges of ministry on the Apple Isle, and talking about ministry opportunities for youth and children’s ministry, church planters, assistant ministers and rectors.

If you’re interested in Tassie, or wondering if God might be calling you to ‘come over and help us’, or just want to sample some Tassie produce, then come along and join us.”

– Bishop Condie will be in Melbourne and Sydney in mid-April.

Lent in the Diocese of Bathurst – The Road to Calvary

Bishop of Bathurst, Mark Calder, has invited the Rev Mike Raiter to record a series of Lenten Studies to be used in parishes across the diocese this Lent.

The studies, “The Road to Calvary”, are based on chapters 26 and 27 of the Gospel According to Matthew.

The first Study is available here – and the rest will be available on Bishop Calder’s Youtube Channel. Pray that they will be a great blessing to many.

Related:

Bishop Calder has been in Forbes where the Anglican Church is looking for a minister “to teach them God’s Word, partner with them in ministry, and help reach Forbes with the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ”. He’s posted a 19 second video on Facebook.

What Future for the Anglican Church of Australia?

“We’re in the middle of what I think is best described as a tentative ceasefire. Of course, with any ceasefire there’s opportunities for both sides to position themselves for the conflict that is yet to come.

If you think all this language sounds combative then you’d be absolutely right. Both sides recognise that this is exactly what it is – a battle for the soul of the Anglican Church of Australia. There are clearly defined positions; one that seeks to uphold the orthodox view on human sexuality (but sees that as part of a wider issue – the authority of Jesus in the church through the Scriptures) and the other side that sees a liberalising of sexual ethics as a gospel imperative. …”

– David Ould shares his thoughts on what may happen in 2020 in the Anglican Church of Australia.

(Image adapted from the website of the Anglican Church of Australia.)

‘Few Anglicans back blessing gay marriages’

“Only a small number of submissions to an Anglican tribunal examining a push to allow the blessing of same-sex marriages say the move is legitimate under church law.

The Victorian Diocese of Wangaratta in August passed a resolution providing for the blessing of same-sex couples who married under the Commonwealth Marriage Act. …“

– Report from The Canberra Times.

Sporting brain snaps

“When you read this I will be winging my way to Melbourne for part of a holiday.

Why Melbourne? Well we don’t have the Australian Open Tennis in Armidale.  We don’t have the rich celebrity temper tantrum, racket smashers from around the world in Armidale. We just have the normal temper tantrum racket smashers and club throwers of our local region. I think it will be interesting to see how the great ones of the sporting world do it. I am not planning to take any tips from them, however I might just be embarrassed and perversely entertained by them…”

– Diocese of Armidale’s Bishop Rick Lewers shares some challenges about anger.

Patient leadership required

“What has become of our culture that we, who are sown into the fabric of the culture, have become so impatient? The computer, by comparison with the old typewriter, is quick. But when I turned it on just now, the time this piece of genius took to awake from its slumber had me impatiently complaining. …”

– Bishop Rick Lewers of the Diocese of Armidale writes his regular column. Very timely.

Pastoral letter from Bishop Mark Short to the Anglican Parish of Cobargo

Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn, Mark Short, has sent this pastoral letter to the Anglican Parish of Cobargo. In this fire season across Australia, each loss is locally felt, and this is one.

January 1 at 12:27 PM ·

Dear sisters and brothers of the Parish of Cobargo,

I write as your Bishop at a time of shared loss and grief.

You have lost treasured buildings, valued homes and beloved friends and neighbours. Many of you have faced overwhelming situations and have worked selflessly to care for others .

The Bible assures us that God is close to the broken-hearted and it is right and healthy to grieve. The Bible also assures us that in Jesus Christ God is able to bring restoration and hope. This journey of hope will take time, and it is a journey we will make together. Be assured of the prayers of the rest of the Diocese and our readiness to work with you as, with God’s help, we renew and rebuild.

Almighty God,
In your wisdom you have so ordered our earthly life
that we must walk by faith and not by sight:
give us such trust in your fatherly care
that in the face of all perplexities
we may give proof our faith by the courage of our lives;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. APBA, p465

In the love of Jesus,

+Mark Short

The Bishop’s pastoral letter includes the prayer, written by the Dean of St Andrew’s Cathedral, The Very Reverend Kanishka Raffel, to be read on Sunday:

“Lord of all days and years, and time and eternity, You made this land and have blessed us with its riches and beauty.

You are a refuge to all who seek your shelter, our strong defence in trial and tribulation.
Send rain we pray to extinguish flames and heal our land.
Mercifully protect life and property.
Give help and hope to our neighbours assailed by fire.
Comfort and provide for those who grieve.
Uphold those who suffer loss,
Give peace and hope to those bewildered and broken-hearted.

We thank you for men and women of courage and selflessness.
We thank you for brave communities of care and support, We thank you for those who share your comfort and hope, We thank you for those at a distance giving and praying.

Lord, you sent your Son so that we would know your power to save, your presence with your people in this world of turmoil, and your promise to renew the whole creation. Turn our hearts to you, that we may have faith for this day and hope for eternity.

We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

“St Saviour’s Church Quaama in the Parish of Cobargo. Locals tell me that the bell-tower always appeared to be the most rickety part of the structure. Yet it still stands [top photo]; a reminder that in the most challenging circumstances our call to summons people to find comfort and hope in the Lord Jesus Christ endures. Thank you for your prayers as the communities of the Diocese face a difficult weekend.”

(With thanks to Ramon Williams for forwarding this letter and images.)

Bishop Mark Calder’s Christmas message 2019

Bishop of the Diocese of Bathurst, Mark Calder, has released his Christmas message for 2019 –

“Christmas – that time when God turned up on earth as one of us.

That is what Christmas is about and it’s worth celebrating!

It’s the sure sign that God cares enough about us to turn up, loves so much that he would come and live among us in humility; that he died and rose again so that we could be forgiven and have eternal life if we put him back in control of our lives.

So despite living in a drought ravaged land, a land deeply impacted this year by bushfires, we have in Jesus  a sure sign that God loves us, cares for us, is with us, is alongside of us, wants to know us, wants to be in relationship with us and promises us a glorious future.

Friends, have a happy Christmas!”

Link to the video on YouTube.

You can also watch Bishop Calder’s Christmas sermon, on Luke 2:1-4.

It’s all a good reminder to pray for the people of the Diocese of Bathurst, which covers the region bordered by Oberon, Cowra and West Wyalong in the south; Cobar and Bourke in the west; across the north-west to Coonamble and Coonabarabran; and Coolah, Mudgee and Rylstone in the east.

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