HOW TO MEDITATE

Sit down. Sit still and upright. Close your eyes lightly. Sit relaxed but alert. Silently, interiorly begin to say a single word. We recommend the prayer-phrase, ‘Maranatha’. Recite it as 4 syllables of equal length. Listen to it as you say it, gently but continuously. Do not think or imagine anything (and have no expectations). If thoughts and images come, these are distractions at the time of meditation, so keep (gently) returning to simply saying the word.

World Community for Christian Meditation – South Australia

www.wccm.org.au

Instead of the weekly Pew Sheet we are currently producing a weekly newsletter.

The weekly newsletter will appear on the Pew Sheet page which you can access by clicking HERE or use the Pew Sheet / Newsletter menu button at the top of the left column on any page.

This Newsletter is to temporarily replace the weekly Pewsheet, so please contribute when you can by contacting Katrina at Parish Office. Thank you!

Dear members of the Parish

Please accept my apologies for the bluntness of the email message sent out on Friday afternoon regarding the suspension of services, following the archbishop’s directive.

After working out how to manage the complexities of gathering together in a safe way, late Friday afternoon we were informed that worship and church meetings had to be suspended.

My priority was to just let people know.

There are, of course, many other issues that people are concerned about.

Worship

As we are no longer allowed to even leave our church buildings open for private prayer, we cannot gather physically for worship (funerals and weddings are exceptions.)

This highlights how communal our faith is. We will miss being together in a physical way, but hopefully we will gain a deeper sense of being together in a spiritual way.

There are possibilities for online worship of various kinds, but we have to work out if they’re appropriate for us.

Sermons are available on the parish web page, or I can email you mine if you request (at andywurm9@gmail.com).

There are a number of other means of worship that I am considering at present.

A number of parishioners have told me they have begun saying morning and evening prayer, or just doing the set readings for the day and singing or reading a hymn. There are Apps for phones and tablets, such as epray Daily, which has Morning and Evening Prayer (with readings and collect for the day inserted), Prayer at the End of the Day and A Service of the Light to chose from. Another is Pray as you Go, based on Ignatian Spirituality. There are lots of meditation Apps available too.  St Peter’s Cathedral and many other places of worship are putting sermons and services online.

Maintaining communication will be really important as we can’t meet together. Apart from online options to be explored, there’s phone, email, post, parish web-page and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/stirlinganglican/).

We will also either re-design the pew-sheet or create a weekly newsletter.

Pastoral visiting can continue, although there are restrictions on visits to aged care facilities.  Barb and I are still available to meet with people, provided that we maintain the required social distancing.  The Pastoral Care Commission has been putting into place means of providing help and checking how people are going.
Parish Council will continue to function, probably through online or email meetings.  And I am waiting for guidelines from the Diocese about how to hold our Vestry meeting.

The Parish Monthly Market has been suspended, but some people are keen to explore whether we can still sell cooked food for collection by, or delivery to, customers.

Like every other organisation, maintaining our finances is vital and one of the ways we express our commitment. The simplest way to maintain giving to the parish is through direct debit. Once set up, there is nothing more to do, and it saves work for volunteers. If you wish to do that, the required details are:

Parish bank account BSB: 105 079
Parish bank account number: 305481040

Please contact the office, me or the Treasurer, John White for assistance if required. Contact details are on the web page and in the pew-sheet.

As we celebrate the Eucharist, the priest recites the words of Jesus to “do this in remembrance of me’. That doesn’t simply mean repeat the ritual action. More importantly, it means let this action be the pattern of your life too, as it is of mine. In other words, be Christ-like, be like Jesus, accepting love and giving love.

Living that way also helps us to know God, because Jesus taught that to know God you just have to do what he did – accept love and love others. In doing that you will know God because it puts you in a place where you are connected with God. As we are restricted from receiving holy communion in its physical form of bread and wine, we can allow its significance to grow in our lives through doing what Jesus does. And that takes a different form for each of us, corresponding to our unique characteristics.

What does it mean to accept love?

Primarily that means accepting God’s love, for its unconditional nature frees us from having to comply with any potential demands or expectations. God’s love comes to us in the emptiness of silent prayer, but also from others and ourselves. Sitting in silence and opening ourselves to God within us, can take time and effort before it becomes desirable, but it is most worthwhile and provides the greatest inner adventure. As wherever we go, we are there, it’s important to also try to love ourselves, starting with acceptance of who we are, what we’ve done and what’s been done to us. Accepting love from others, may make us aware of barriers we have put up to protect ourselves, so that can require spiritual and emotional work from us.

While we face many challenges at this trying time, God’s love is constant. God’s love remains.

Beneath all our challenges, the main challenge is spiritual and the biggest is to remain faithful, i.e. keep going, keep living, keep being human, keep trusting God. The opposite of faith is fear, hence, the most common phrase in the bible is Do not be afraid. That doesn’t mean be absolutely free of any doubt or anxiety, but just keep going, and the power to keep going is the power of love: accepting love and loving others (and the earth!).
The power behind us (love) is always greater than the challenges we face. Remember you are loved and remember to love.

Andy Wurm
March 2020

Jesus, Light of the world, radiant Sun of Righteousness, we bring our prayers to you during a dark time on earth.

We pray for the people of the world during this CoVid19 pandemic – a time of restriction with the loss of freedom to lead anything like a normal life; for the loss of jobs, businesses, sporting, social and cultural activities; of people adjusting to working from home; of people fearful of how they’ll pay the bills and feed their families; a time of loss of loved ones to the virus.

Jesus, shed your Light into all places of darkness and death. May there be a spirit of cooperation and creativity so that resources needed to manage the pandemic’s spread and care of the sick be available. Protect those who care for the sick. Give wisdom to those leading the fight against the disease. May we have drugs to treat it and a vaccine to prevent its spread asap.

Jesus, make us children of the Light and, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Jesus, Light of the world, we pray for the worldwide church as it is forced by circumstances to shut down services in churches and cancel group meetings and events. Enable it to be innovative so that its work of teaching and pastoral care continues. May it be well placed to bounce back more Christ-like and stronger than ever when this pandemic is exhausted.

Jesus, Sun of Righteousness, shed the brilliance of your truth on our doubt and unbelief, that our hearts may be enlightened, our faith increased and our lives show forth your glory. Support this Parish and Diocese during this challenging time. Give inspiration and encouragement to us all.

Jesus, make us children of the Light and, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the community in which we live. May we be sensitive to the needs of others, who may require emotional, spiritual or material support.
As we find ourselves confined, enable us to see the Blessings – the things we can still be thankful for even as life is difficult.

Jesus, Light of the world, shed the radiance of your love on all lonely and loveless places, that all your people may know their worth and live in hope.

Jesus, make us children of the Light and, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Compassionate Jesus, we pray for all in need, which is pretty well all of us, because we are affected to some degree by this pandemic. We especially pray for those with other health issues and for the elderly who are more vulnerable to having a severe response to the coronavirus. We pray for all who are grieved by the sudden loss of health, jobs or freedom; for those concerned for loved ones in Aged Care now that there is reduced visiting; for those grieving the loss of loved ones.

Jesus, Sun of Righteousness, shed your warming rays on the cold and comfortless places of our lives that in our tears and terror we may not be alone. Calm our fears. Take care of our family and friends. Enable our doctors, nurses and everyone else to carry out the role you have called them to.

Jesus, make us children of the Light and, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Loving Jesus, we give you thanks for your faithful people of every age; for those who have shown your Love in earlier pandemics throughout history.

Jesus, Light of the world, accompany us through the night of death that, fixing our eyes on you, we may travel unafraid and, with all the saints, be drawn to the Light of your eternal presence.

Jesus, make us children of the Light and, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, you have promised to hear our prayers, grant that what we have asked in faith we may by your Grace receive, through Jesus Christ, our Lord

Acting on the advice of the Diocese, all Church Services and the Annual Vestry Meeting  have been cancelled until further notice, due to the Covid-19 virus.

Please do all you can to keep yourselves and your loved ones safe and hold each other in your prayers.