TODAY

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

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 St Matthew's Day! We very much hope that we will be meeting in person for worship under Level 2 conditions (remember that – spaced out in the church, no morning tea etc.) but we are also making a video and have a plan for mini cluster gatherings – see below. 

Our preacher in person and in video will be Bishop John Bluck.

And remember we lose an hour's sleep with daylight saving starting.   

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 Church of South Sudan

With the Anglican Missions Board we pray for Jerusalem and the Middle East

With the Diocese of Auckland we pray for the Parishes of Northcote, Birkdale and Beach Haven, and the Mission Districts of Albany and Glenfield

CONCERTS

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

CANCELLED Sunday, 20 September, 2.30pm – SMCO

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

POSTPONED 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

TO BE CONFIRMED Tuesday, 6 October, 12.10pm – First Tuesday Concert Series.

Lisa Chou, piano

Bold Beethoven Birthday

Exquisite Auckland based pianist Lisa Chou will play Piano Sonata Op. 111, The Ruins of Athens (arranged by Anton Rubenstein) in her programme, and in a link to the symphonies, the 15 Eroica Variations. Lisa Chou studied in Vienna with one of the greatest Beethoven players in Europe, Paul Badura Skoda.

Piano concerts sound very fine in St Matthew’s for although it is a large resonant space it is possible to sit close for clarity and further away for a wonderful wash of sound. “Some audience members move about between pieces to enjoy the range of sound” says John Aston, one of the concert organisers. The recently acquired Kawai Shigeru 7.5 foot grand piano is “the ideal piano for Beethoven, percussive with a beautiful lingering sound quality: bold and beautiful in equal measure”, he adds.

A cynic might think that a celebration of a composer’s 250 birthday is a simple record company marketing ploy but such an occasion brings out wonderful groups of music which we may otherwise not hear. In this Covid-19 interrupted year many cycles have either been abandoned or rescheduled. St Matthew’s First Tuesday team hopes that this will proceed as planned and some of the best Beethoven piano music will be heard.

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.

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

Sunday, 11 October – Parish Forum with Vestry

CREATION SEASON IN SEPTEMBER

Our three week ‘Care of Creation’ Season finishes today.

Following morning worship we will use Zoom to begin our collective journey. 

Today 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. 

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. 

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. 

ST MATTHEW'S DAY 

We hope to worship in person on St Matthew's Day September 27. But whether we do or not, in place of our St Matthew's Day lunch, we are having mini cluster gatherings of no more than 10 people. Keep an eye on your email for an invitation to the home of a parishioner near you. Take time to catch up and share how the second lockdown has been for you; and to celebrate who we are as a St Matthew's community.

Depending on the timing of the gatherings Helen and Cate will pop in on as many as possible. 

There will be no Zoom gathering.

And more photos needed - we would like selfies of as many parishioners as possible - send yours in to dmitry@stmatthews.org.nz 

RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY CENTRE 

Wednesday, 23 September, 7.30pm - Beyond the Bubble: Where to for our community in a diverse world? Religious and cultural perspectives on Zoom and YouTube: To register admin@rdc.org.nz

Panellists: Sir David Moxon, former Anglican Archbishop of NZ; Associate Professor Damon Salesa, Pro-Vice Chancellor Pacific at the University of Auckland; Dr Heather Kavan, a senior lecturer and religion specialist at Massey University; Aliya Danzeisen, Teacher and member of Islamic Women’s Council; Facilitator – Professor Douglas Pratt.

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.

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 

Helen is filming for St Matthew's Day and we hope to attend the inner city network meeting; Vestry has been postponed a week till September 29; Cate is taking a couple of days off after a busy time of funerals and a wedding, and leading the season of creation. 

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.