Browsing the archives for the Events category
The 2010 Gippsland Diocesan Mixed Lay Retreat this year has the theme ‘Praying the Gospels’.
Dates: Monday 18 to Wednesday 20 October 2010
Retreat leader: The Rev’d Anne Turner
Venue: Pallotti College, Millgrove
Cost: Double, $300, Single $170
Enquiries and bookings: Sandy Johnson, Unit 20/31 Maryvale Crescent, Morwell 3840, 03 5133 0654.
In order to secure a place, you will need to book and send a deposit to Sandy by 30 September 2010.
The Uniting Church in Australia’s Presbytery of Gippsland is holding two opportunities to share a day retreat.
The day retreats will draw on the music of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, and the insights of Alexander Shaia, author of The Hidden Power of the Gospels: Four Questions, Four Paths, One Journey. (See more information here.)
The morning will include a 30 minute introduction touch on Matthew’s Gospel, the question ‘how do we face change’, the pathway of authenticity, and the image of climbing the mountain, together with a time for personal reflection, rest and prayer.
The afternoon will include a 30 minute reflection touching on Mark’s Gospel, the question ‘how do we move through suffering?’ the pathway of courage and vulnerability, and the image of the boat in the storm, together with a time for personal reflection, rest and prayer.
The day will end with a simple shared Eucharist.
The same content will be presented on both days.
Date: June 30th (at Grantville Lodge) OR July 14th (Lake Tyers Camp)
Time: 10am to 4pm
Catering: BYO lunch. Tea and coffee will be provided
More information, and to register: contact the Rev’d Tim Angus, 03 5144 6543 or 0400 383 628, email tim.angus@anamcara-gippsland.org.
There will be further days held on November 10 and 11 to gather and reflect on the Gospels of John and Luke.
The Australian Church Union (Melbourne) and the Society of Catholic Priests, Australia are sponsoring a conference for Anglican lay people and clergy in November. It is described as “a two day seminar for Anglican Parishes in the liturgical and sacramental tradition on ‘being renewed’”.
The presenter of the conference will be the Rev’d Dr L William Countryman. William Countryman is an Episcopal priest, professor of New Testament at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California, and author of Forgiven and Forgiving, The Language of Ordination, Biblical Authority or Biblical Tyranny? and other titles including Living on the Border of the Holy: Renewing the Priesthood of All.
When: Wednesday, 3rd November to Friday 5th November
Where: Conference Centre, Pallotti College, Millgrove (Melways 289 A2)
Cost per person: Residential $360, non-residential $210
Bookings & Enquiries: The Revd Ian Morrison on (03) 9662 2391 or The Revd Robyn Boyd on (03) 9802 4863, secretary@scpaustralia.org.au
Printable flyer: Click here
Website: Click here
The Broken Bay Institute is a leading provide of distance programs in spirituality and theology in Australia. It also facilitates a range of seminars throughout the year. It is a ministry of the (Catholic) Diocese of Broken Bay in NSW.
The Institute is hosting an online conference entitled ‘Mary – the First Disciple’ on Tuesday 18 May 2010 between 10.30am and 3.15pm. You’ll need to have access to a computer, a broadband internet connection, and speakers, to listen to the presentations.
Fr Frank Maloney SDB, the key presenter, will explore Mary as disciple, woman, and mother. Join us as we reflect on the image of Mary as presented in art through the ages. Listen to other share their personal relationship with Mary both in prayer and in daily life.
Further information, the program, and an online registration form, are available at the website. The event appears to be free.
It may be possible, if a number of people are interested in participating, to host an eConference (stream the content to somewhere local, so we can have on-site shared discussions and so on) somewhere in the Diocese of Gippsland. If you are interested in that prospect, please contact me prior to registering, and if there are enough people I’ll try to work something out.
The first Anam Cara Community quiet day for the year will be held in Sale, hosted by the Sale Meeting Place.
Date: 13 February 2010
Time: 9.30am – 3.30pm
Venue: 18 Rue Grand Monde, Sale
Leaders: Anne Turner, Heather Toms, Patricia McCann
Theme: Fruits of Summer: Go with the Divine Gardener and take a look at your spiritual garden…
Cost: $5.00 per person
Meals: BYO lunch. Morning tea and afternoon tea provided
Enquiries: Heather Toms – 03 5199 2711 – mhtoms@westnet.com.au
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How to get there:
We were welcomed once again with Sequentia, an amazing ensemble of women’s voices, on CD; as we gathered for the Contemplative Prayer Service at St John’s Anglican Church, Maffra on Sunday 11th October, 2009.
The scripture of the day came from the book of Psalms: ‘Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love; that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.”
Our welcoming Blessing came from the book ‘Benedictus’ by John O’Donohue, where we were invited to come to accept our longing to belong in love, creativity, and friendship, as divine urgency; an urgency with which God also longs for us.
The musical track ‘Columcille: Dove of the Church’ by David Fitzgerald encouraged us to immerse our selves in calm, peace, love, and feel the freedom of flying as the Dove in the Church.
During the reflection, in the style of Teresa of Avila, we heard how Teresa compared the soul to a clear crystal castle, a castle of many rooms. In the midst of the rooms at the very centre is the chief mansion, where the most secret things pass between God and the soul. Teresa saw the brilliance of this castle, how a sun was shining at its centre, its light spreading out to all rooms. She noticed the outer rooms of the castle had little light, and the further away they were from the centre, the darker they became. Although the light continued to shine from the centre, it was as if the soul was unable to enjoy and partake of its great brilliance and beauty. How sad it is for a soul to be separated from the light. It can feel like a black cloth is draped over our castle, blocking the light from penetrating through our relationships. When the light is blocked, love is unable to flow. However, by taking responsibility for the removal of our own cloth, we can invoke gentle responses. We can do this by developing a connection or a reconnection with the divine. God can bring all things to fulfilment, if only we choose to ask.
The time of meditation led us in humility and faith into silence. We were heartened to ponder the sun’s brilliance as it shines from the centre of the castle. Slowly we considered the other rooms, the rooms above, the rooms below, and the others at each side. We considered these rooms and noted if any of them were in darkness. If they were, we asked for the light to gently enter those rooms. We asked for the great love of God to shine all the way through.
As we were received back from the silence, we heard the words, “May the shining sun of God’s unfailing love shine all the way through us, and may we know nothing can take away its loveliness.”
Our closing Blessing asked that we be blessed with good friends, and learn to be a good friend to ourselves; may we never be isolated, but know the embrace and love of our God.
The final musical track, ‘Our World’ by Maire Brennan told of ‘A treasure of love sent from above’, with the personal request of, ‘Stay close to me.’
Contributed by Jo Inglis
Evelyn Reinehr, a member of the Australian Christian Meditation Community and an Oblate of St Benedict will be leading an introduction to Christian meditation at St Kieran’s Catholic Church in Moe.
When: Saturday 31st October 2009
Time: 10am. – 4.30pm
Where: St Kieran’s Catholic Church, Meeting room, Wirraway St – Moe
Lunch: Bring a plate to share
Cost: $10 – ($5 concession)
Registration before the day is necessary. Carol: Monday to Fridays 9.30 – 1.00 – ph 03 5127 1057, email: stkieransparish@vic.australis.com.au
On 17 October 2009 the Rev’d Laurie McIntyre, Abbot of the Abbey of St Barnabas on Raymond Island will lead an Anam Cara Community Quiet Day.
When: 17 October 2009. Arrive any time after 8.45am, for a 10am start. The day will conclude at 3.30pm.
Where: Abbey of St Barnabas, Raymond Island
How much: $10 (plus $8 for travel on the ferry, leaving from Paynesville at quarter to and quarter past the hour)
Food: BYO lunch. Morning and afternoon tea supplied.
RSVP: Jane Macqueen, 03 5147 1056, jane.macqueen@anamcara-gippsland.org or complete this form.
Feel free to print and display this poster.
The Masks We Wear
West Gippsland Meeting Place was pleased to host a gathering at Christ Church Drouin on 22nd August 2009. The Revd Lyn Porritt was the facilitator of the day, entitled “The Masks We Wear”. Fifteen people attended this thought-provoking ‘workshop’.
Lyn led the group through a day of exploration, using Scripture and other writings. She encouraged participants to examine the masks we wear in our everyday life – generously sharing with all, some of the masks she herself wears. Each participant at the workshop was encouraged to decorate 2 blank masks; one was the mask we wear for the outside world. The other was how we imagine God may see us.
At the end of the session there was opportunity for feedback. There was a general feeling of gratitude for Lyn’s gracious and skilful leadership on a subject that is generally not talked about.
Thanks go to Lyn, and to all who participated in the day. Thanks also go to Anam Cara Gippsland which continues to provide means for all to deepen and strengthen our spirituality of our walk with God in a wide and diverse manner.
Contributed by Jan Huggins
Music by Sequentia, an amazing ensemble of women’s voices, on CD, offered a vocal and instrumental collection interpreted from Hildegard von Bingen (12th century visionary, abbess, healer composer writer and saint) greeted us as we gathered for the Contemplative Prayer Service at St John’s Anglican Church, Maffra on Sunday 13th September, 2009.
The scripture of the day came from the book of Psalms: ‘Be at rest once more, O my soul, For the Lord has been good to you.’
Welcoming words reassured us that in the clutter of everyday life, when we feel we have left God behind, God stirs, right in the middle of it all, and God rests there, ever in the heart of our turmoil.
We listened to ‘Come to Me’ on CD, sung by Father Paul Gurr. The words ‘Come to me, if you’re weary, come to me if it’s peace you seek; come to me if you’ve laboured, come to me if it’s rest you seek’ led us to hear ‘I am your God, find your rest in me’.
The reflection explained we sometimes do not understand ourselves and lose track of who we are. By becoming so bound up with our worldly identity, we forget about our divine nature. We were encouraged to persevere with the ongoing discovery of the eternal relationship that exists with our divine self. We were encouraged to see how truly precious we are and to see all other beings as equally precious. We were uplifted by the good news that loving, whether it be of self, or of another; is brought about by God, and fills our whole being with love. We need not do anything, but simply allow the love of God to flow through. It is not by doing that love ‘gets done’, rather it is by being that love simply happens.
We were led into a time for personal silence and prayer; with a vision of being brought before our loving God; allowing God’s love to fill our whole body; allowing Gods love to flow through our body; allowing ourselves to simply be and float in the love emanating from God; and look at our own preciousness in the same way God looks at us.
We were welcomed back from the silence with ‘Quiet and Still’ on CD by Father Paul Gurr.
The closing words from ‘A Mystical Heart’ by Edwina Gateley, shared with us the reassuring words, ‘Still beloved, quiet be, Come My love, and rest in Me.’
Contributed by Jo Inglis