Gustav Brion, Jesus and Peter on the Water, 1863
This is the tenth Sunday after Pentecost, and the first week of the city-wide lockdown due to the Coronavirus. This has necessitated some permits being granted so we can attend the church for the production of our video services. Otherwise the church is not accessible at this time. Michelle and I are working from home. Angela Alomes, our Parish Administrator, returns to work on Monday, but will also be working from home as we settle into this unusual environment for the next six weeks at least. The virus is getting closer to home – now literally across the back fence, with a senior student at Brighton Grammar have tested positive for Coronavirus. Fortunately for the other students, all are now at home being taught by distance education.
I celebrated the life of two St Andrew’s people at funerals in this past week. Betty Coyle West grew up at St Andrew’s and met both her husbands here. Her first marriage had to be held at St Cuthbert’s (Presbyterian) because her fiancé had been divorced and, at the time, remarriage of divorced people was not permitted in the then Church of England in Australia. Sadly he died quite young. Betty subsequently married another St Andrew’s man and lived in Brighton North where she was a faithful parishioner at St Luke’s in Bay Street until it closed. For the last few years she has lived at Vasey homes in Hawthorn Road.
Chris Meyer was a resident at St Andrew’s Court in James Street. His family was very grateful to St Andrew’s that he had been able to find peace in his unit back in Brighton where he grew up.
“Thank you and St. Andrews also for providing him with a safe, warm home for his last sojourn in the familiar environment of his youth. He loved being stable and settled and had his little garden and was growing his own vegetables and fruit. I visited him quite often to bring a coffee and have a talk about spiritual and metaphysical matters. The place was a blessing for him. We were just discussing the angels and archangels on the Friday before his death. Exodus 23:20 “Behold, I send an angel before thee, to keep thee in the way and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.“
Our Tennis Club and our Opportunity Shop are now both closed, as are parts of Church Street whilst the roundabout and pedestrian crossings outside the Schoolhouse Café are remodelled. The café remains open for takeaway. Church Street is now a dead end at St Andrew’s Street.
Details of our on-line services and activities can be found on our At Home @ St Andrew’s webpage, and join us our ‘Catch up with the Vicar and friends’ on Wednesdays at 10.30am
You can join on line or by phone. If you need help connecting with us, call 0421 321 321.
We also have bible studies on Thursdays at 10am (English) and Fridays at 7.30pm (Chinese).
Click on the times above for the links to join these studies.
I trust that you will all be able to stay safe in the coming weeks.
牧师寄语
这是五旬节后的第十个星期日，也是由于冠状病毒导致全市封锁的第一周， 我们需有许可证，才能参加教堂制作视频。我和Michelle在家里办公，Angela周一休假完毕，但至少在接下来的六个星期里，我们都会在家里工作。病毒离我们越来越近，BGS的一名高中生检测呈阳性。幸运的是，对于其他学生来说，现在所有的人都在家里接受远程教育。
在过去的一周中，我举行了俩个葬礼。Betty Coyle West在St Andrew’s长大，并在这里认识了她的两个丈夫。她的第一次婚礼是在另一个教会举行的，因为她未婚夫是离异的，当时的澳洲圣公会不允许离婚的人再婚。不幸的是，他很年轻就去世了。Betty随后嫁给了另一名St Andrew’s的男人，
Chris Meyer 是住在教会St Andrew’s Court James街的。他的家人非常感谢St Andrew's 教会可以为他提供一个他曾经成长的地方，让他平安度过他人生的最后几年。
“感谢您和St Andrew’s，为Chris提供了他年轻时熟悉的环境，为他提供了一个安全，温暖的家。他喜欢稳定和安定，有自己的小花园，种着自己的蔬菜和水果。我经常拜访他，与他一起喝咖啡，并谈论信仰属灵的话题。这个地方对他来说是个祝福。我们在他去世前的星期五还在探讨关于天使的问题。出埃及记23:20“看哪，我差遣一位使者在你面前，在路上保护你，领你到我所预备的地方来。”
我们的网球俱乐部和Op商店，现已关闭，Schoolhouse Café依然外卖。餐厅外面的街道也已经改建完毕。
圣经学习详情请点击At Home @ St Andrew’s 网站, 欢迎星期三10:30参加与主任牧师的聊天，请点击join on line， 需要帮助请拨打电话0421 321 321.
点击周四10am Thursdays at 10am 参加英文圣经学习，点击Fridays at 7.30pm 参加周五中文圣经学习。
我相信，在接下来的几周中，你们所有人都将能安全平安。