13 September 2020. What's Happening

TODAY

Today is our second Season of Creation Sunday, Cathy Bi-Riley, the Diocesan Sustainability Field Worker shares a reflection this week and Matthew Howes is singing another one of Cecily Sheehy’s songs.

Worship for Sunday can be found from 9.00am on the front page of our website or on our YouTube channel or on our Facebook page.

NEXT SUNDAY

is the third and last Sunday we celebrate the Season of Creation. Alan Broom will be reflecting on the part we, as a community of faith, have to play as advocates for the life of creation.

WE REMEMBER IN PRAYER

Parishioners no longer able to worship with us: Heather Carter, Jenny and Pat Blood, Molly Jenkins, Jean Jackson and Jerome Elkind

Parishioners and friends: Jeremy Thompson, Thérèse Kelly, Jean Brookes, Jeremy Younger, Win & John Blyth, Jose Alburo, Harry Hepple, Xuan Lu, Marcus Alexander, Sidney Neale, Jeffrey Murray, Keith Murray, Rose Christie-French, Paul White, Philip, Antonina Tuala, Bishop Jim White, Roger Mark, Barry Clayton, Sarah Weston, Jake Milbank, Adaline Wetherall, Elle Estcourt, Eleanor Houston

With the City Mission we pray for the Winter Appeal

With the Anglican Communion we pray for the Anglican Church of South Africa

With the Anglican Missions Board we pray for Mission Agencies around the world

With the Diocese of Auckland we pray for the Parishes of Howick, Pakuranga, Bucklands Beach and the Whitford Missions Venture

CONCERTS

Upcoming concerts – subject to change due to the Covid-19 Alert Level

CANCELLED Tuesday, 15 September, 12.10pm – The Pettman National Junior Academy

CANCELLED Sunday, 20 September, 2.30pm – SMCO

CANCELLED Friday, 25 September, 7.00pm – Aotea Youth Symphony Orchestra

Sunday 4 October, 4pm – Viva Voce "All Spaced Out"

Well-known chamber choir Viva Voce describes its response to the pandemic and its aftermath in song. The programme includes music by Monteverdi, Purcell, Mozart, Elgar, Saint-Saëns and Anthony Ritchie, along with some lighter numbers, and features Eric Whitacre’s magnificent ‘Leonardo dreams of his flying machine’. For tickets phone 0221200680 or www.iTicket.co.nz

PARISH CALENDAR

We are readjusting our planning and along with everyone else dealing with uncertainty as we do. Worship remains online during Level 2.5, while gathering and distancing limits remain.

ONLINE 20 September – Creation series

HERE'S HOPING 27 September – St Matthew's Day, preacher Bishop John Bluck

Sunday, 4 October – End of Life Choice Bill discussion after the 10.00am service

Sunday, 11 October – Parish Forum with Vestry

SCAM ALERT

There is a scam circulating at the moment in some churches - an email purporting to be from clergy asking for money for a cause or a person. Always be alert to the possibility of scams and always check with us if you are in any doubt about any communications.

SYNOD

On Saturday September 5 the Auckland Synod convened via Zoom. Helen and Cate, along with St Matthew’s Synod rep’s Amanda Mark and Richard Milne, joined around 300 other Synod members to conduct the statutory business required of Synod.

Most motions and bills were ‘left to lie’ on the table until Synod can convene in person. Voting was done using ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ buttons in Zoom and elections for Diocesan Council achieved using Survey Monkey. Synod lasted about 3 ½ hours with minimal carbon footprint – no-one had far to travel!

CREATION SEASON IN SEPTEMBER

Our three week ‘Care of Creation’ Season begins today and continues next Sunday September 20. Following morning worship we will use Zoom to begin our collective journey. Take time to converse, consider, choose and challenge ourselves, and each other, to change; even if just a little, for the good of our planet.

Today we will look at our purchase and consumption of food and disposal of waste.

On September 20 we will consider a collective action that we, as St Matthew’s, might choose to take as a concrete statement of our Care for Creation.

Each week, after a short introduction, we will break into small groups to talk together and each of us decide whether, in response to the topic addressed, there’s a tangible commitment we’d like to make.

In late November we will come back together and see how we have done. Rather than seeing the small action we may take as an obligation or burden, we can see the next three months as an opportunity to tell the story of our collective journey. Take photos along the way, narrate the story of our trying something new, with the support of and accountability to each other. Not only fun but a way to illustrate to others the energy and power of collective action.

Have a look at the Auckland Council website www.livelightly.nz. A user friendly website to measure your carbon footprint, it joins our efforts with those of other Aucklanders.

Photos - to mark the beginning of the season of creation please send a photo to Dmitry - something of God's creation e.g. what do you notice on your lockdown walks? Please keep sending photos for the website and our worship videos.

END OF LIFE CHOICE REFERENDUM DISCUSSION

We will pick up the discussion we started last year, led by our medical professionals. We will hear what is actually included in the Bill and reflect together on what we might want to know before voting. For a more in depth understanding of issues around the End of Life Choice Act check out: www.yesforcompassion.org.nz and www.riskylaw.nz - holding opposing views with respect to the proposed Act, each presents their argument.

The End of Life Choice Act itself can be read here: www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2019/0067/latest/DLM7285905.htm

Bruce Gray is the Chancellor of the Diocese and gave this presentation to the Selwyn Foundation explaining what is in the bill www.selwynfoundation.org.nz/promotions/information-for-the-general-election/

WHAT THE TEAM ARE UP TO THIS WEEK

We will be doing a mixture of working from home and the office during Level 2. Cate continues working with the group in our season of creation and is taking a 10 person wedding. Dmitry is collating and producing our Sunday worship video and has a function at St Matthew’s on Friday. Pip is back in the office attending to organisational and administrative tasks. Helen is on leave until Tuesday 15 September and Ian has Finance Committee.

ELECTRONIC GIVING OPTIONS

Text stmatthew to 818 to make a one off or ongoing donation by credit card to St Matthew-in-the-City. Or you can download the PUSHPAY app from Apple Store or Google Playstore; search for St Matthew-in-the-City.