MAUNDAY THURSDAY

Please join us for a Maunday Thursday  service tonight, Apr 9, 2020, at 7:30pm.

You can use this link:

 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/238062229?pwd=UnZnSkwraDFRSFBzYkZYbWQ4eVFFUT09 

or, alternatively, open your Zoom app and  insert the following numbers when asked:

Meeting ID: 238 062 229

Password: 028051

HOLY COMMUNION

Given that Assembly Standing Committee has given permission to celebrate communion at home during this period of social isolation,  we will observe the usual Maunday Thursday eucharist.  Participants will need to have the elements at hand, but they need not be restricted to bread and wine.  Bread and wine became part of the tradition because these were the common elements of Jesus’ culture.  It is entirely appropriate, in my mind, to use whatever elements represent the basic building blocks of life in your own culture; e.g. a cup of tea and a scone, coffee and Tim Tams, saki and rice or, if you are a fast-food junkie, it might be a Big Mac and Coke.  The sacredness of the elements stem from their capacity to represent life and joy to you.  More about Holy Communion (the Eucharist) can be found on this website at “Minister/Words of the Word/Sacrament”

OTHER NEEDS FOR THE MAUNDAY THURSDAY SERVICE

In addition to the communion elements, it will be helpful to your worship experience if you have candle, which will be lit during the service.  Any candle will do.

If you are going to have someone with you, you will be invited to wash one another’s hands.  Traditionally, feet are washed on Maunday Thursday, but this year hand washing has become a symbol of the experience of living through a pandemic, and so this mutual washing has a double reference.  In order to share in this part of the service, you will need to have a bowl or basin with water and a towel for drying.

GOOD FRIDAY

On Friday, Apr 10, 2020 at 9:30am we will be having a Good Friday service

Go to:

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/110977634?pwd=ajlQWkxnSDdhN1p5S092alBESXVqQT09

or, alternatively, open your Zoom app. You will need to insert the following numbers when asked:

Meeting ID: 110 977 634

Password: 021344

Of course, the text of these services and audio files will also be posted as usual.

The first live-streamed worship service on Palm Sunday, while not without some difficulties, was judged a success by participants, and so we will continue to pursue this method of delivery.  We had 21 participating devices, most with more than one person, so our ‘attendance’ was almost as good as our last Sunday’s attendance at the two churches combined. 

Quite possibly, this will be our normal way of worshipping for several months.  One member suggested that, even after we are allowed to  meet again in the  church building, we should continue to stream the services for the benefit of those who cannot, for one reason or another, be present. 

ZOOM TIPS

During our first go at ‘Zooming’ we picked up a few tips:

Zoom Tip #1

 If you have some difficulty hearing, turning up the volume of your device too much may result in ’feedback’, causing unwanted and distracting noise on everyone’s device.  For the hearing impaired, plugging a set of ear phones into your computer, phone or tablet is a better option.  Alternatively, you may already have a hearing aid that allows you to get the audio directly from your device via Bluetooth.  If these alternatives do not work, see Tip #2 below.

Zoom Tip #2

While on the subject of audio interference, if there is background noise at your location, you can prevent it from being broadcast by ’muting’ your device.  You can easily unmute whenever you wish to speak to the group.  You will see a little image of a microphone in a corner of your screen (mine is in the lower left corner).  ‘Clicking’ on this will mute (or unmute) your audio.  

Zoom Tip #3 

We learned that responsive readings and prayers can be awkward.  In the future, such sections will be fewer in number, and  congregational responses will be kept short.

MORNING TEA

Geoff and Carol Naylor took the initiative of scheduling a Zoom meeting at 11am for a morning tea gathering after church, and invited everyone by email with the necessary information to log-in. This important part of church worked well.  At one point 12 devices were engaged.  As anyone can host a Zoom meeting, all are encouraged to follow the Naylors’ example.  Meetings can be scheduled ahead of time, thus allowing plenty of time to issue invitations.

WHAT’S NEXT

A Maunday Thursday holy communion will be held at 7:30pm this Thursday. The Assembly Standing Committee has authorised home communion during this period of restricted social contact.

On the following morning a Good Friday service will be streamed at 9:30am. More information about these services will be printed on the website in coming days.

Last June during National Refugee Week, our congregation, through its Justice and Mission group, hosted a discussion by a panel of refugees about their experiences.  One of the panel members was Shokoofeh Azar, an Iranian journalist, artist, author. Ms. Azar had written an historical novel set in Iran after the Islamic Revolution in 1979.  Not just any book, The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree was shortlisted for the Stella Prize last year and was a finalist in the Queensland Literary Awards.

It has just been announced that this book has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize (see Age article by clicking here).  To even be shortlisted is an outstanding achievement, and we congratulate Shokoofeh and wish her well.

…to Rev. Bob and the Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads congregations.  As of April 1st, Rev. Bob (our very own April Fool?) has been serving our congregations as a ‘supply’ minister for one whole year (but who’s counting?).  Is the honeymoon over?  Bob is still having fun, so barring pandemics, accidents or acts of God, he will be with us until a new minister is found.

In addition to the  worship service available on this website, a Palm Sunday service will be available live through Zoom, a video conferencing app that you can use with your phone, tablet or computer.  A computer is  best, simply because  the screen is bigger. 

If you would like to be included, do the following:

1. 1. During the week, i.e. before Sunday, go the website at zoom.us   and sign up.
   2. Spend some time familiarising yourself with the process. You can do all this without any special app for your device, but you will want to download the free app eventually.
   3. On Sunday morning just before 10am, open up Zoom, sign in and click on “Join”.  You will be asked for a meeting I.D., so type in 228-583-607.  

That’s all there is to it.  The quality will vary depending upon your internet connection.  If your connection is slow, you will be able to switch off the video portion and this will improve the audio.  

BY THE WAY, DON’T FORGET TO SET YOUR CLOCKS BACK ONE HOUR THIS WEEKEND

Until emergency measures are relaxed by the government, the Dove op shop will remain closed as will the Food Pantry.  There are notices on the church doors advising our usual clientele as to other avenues for assistance. We regret having to take this action and hope to resume normal operations as soon as we are allowed.

Sunday’s worship service can be accessed at “Minister/Sermons/Lent/Lent 5”

Our Church Becomes E-Church

It looks like we will not be able to meet for worship for a while; however, the text for a brief worship service will be added each week to the website (under “Minister/Sermons”) along with the usual sermon, and will include audio files for music, prayers, readings and the sermon in order to give the option to listen as well as read.  This will be available by  Saturday, so that members may ‘worship’ at the usual Sunday morning time if they wish.

Meanwhile, we will explore other means of transmission of worship services, such as via podcasting, YouTube or FaceBook. If you have ideas, technological or otherwise, please contact Rev. Bob.

The church recognises the need to try to protect its members, and so the Synod has published guidelines for minimising the dangers of transmitting the virus.  We will incorporate these suggestions in our congregational life; however, no one need feel guilty if they choose to stay home on Sunday morning, especially if they have medical conditions that put them at risk, such as asthma, emphysema  or other chronic lung problems, heart disease, etc.  Of course, such people may keep up with the message for the week on this website.

‘SOCIAL DISTANCING’

There is ample room at both Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove churches for the congregation to spread out in order to maintain the recommended two-metres between people.

HOLY COMMUNION

On communion Sundays, we will change the method of distributing the elements and go back to using individual glasses (Ocean Grove) and continue to use them at Barwon Heads .  The elements will be passed by two people wearing gloves, and only they will handle the trays and the bread.  To facilitate this, we will ask people to sit in alternate rows to allow the servers to walk to each person.  Of course, those who prepare the communion elements will have observed the appropriate sanitary measures.

OFFERING

For the offering, bowls will not be passed during the service; rather, they will be present in the vestry, so that people may add their gifts before the service.  During the offertory in the service, the bowls will be brought forward to be blessed.

PASSING THE PEACE

As we have been doing, we will refrain from passing the peace with a handshake, hug or kiss and the minister will not shake hands at the door.

MORNING TEA

While the Covid-19 threat exists, neither congregation will have it usual morning tea after the worship service.

HAND SANITISER

Hand sanitiser is available in both worship centres.  Since we do not need hymnbooks, it is actually possible to attend church without touch anything with one’s hands

LENTEN STUDY CANCELLED

The lenten study, “Records of the Life of Jesus” will be postponed until later in the year, and all other church groups should consider the wisdom of continuing to meet.

At special evening service on January 12th, Laura Hobbs was welcomed into the family of confirmed members. Laura had spent the previous year in preparation, mentored by Jenny Harwood. Her hard work was brought to fruition in a lively service, with music provided by the church band that included her mother, her sisters and Laura herself on drums.