Author Archives: Jan Harper

The Car Boot Sale is on again from 9.00 am to midday tomorrow for fresh produce, craft, Trash and Treasure and other bargains. Also check out the Anglicare site across the corner on McCallum St for larger items for sale. Sausage sizzle and fresh scones always in demand will be available while you browse.

For entertainment, call into the church at 11.00 am where the music group will be practising the songs for the 9.30 am all age worship Sunday Eucharist.  Join the singing or just sit and enjoy, requests are always welcomed so do please ask for your favourites.  The four regulars of the group are Murray, Merilyn, Helen and Joan, and on occasion, Wilma and Graham Steel.  We would appreciate others to come to practise and help lead the singing during the warm ups at 9.15am on Sundays.

This Sunday there is no Nyah West service but the Op Shop there will be open from2.30 pm to 4.30 pm.  Take a little drive out there and have a browse through the wonderful array of quality clothing and sale items.  Customers may be rewarded with a cuppa, everyone welcome.

The holidays are drawing to a close, and we farewell all visitors with prayers for safe return to their homes.  For the local congregation, welcome back to all the travellers as the Parish Family links together again.  We continue to pray for a new Rector, and resolve to join in one of the studies during Lent as we do so.

With Easter buns already in the supermarket it is almost tempting to head this piece  “ Only 50 weeks to Christmas “!  Fortunately for our peace of mind the calendar of the Christian Church moves  quietly through its seasons and festival days.  These are reflected in the colours worn by the priest and on the altar: White for the season of the weeks of Easter and Christmas, Red for the Martyrs of the faith on name days of the Saints, Violet for times of preparation as in Advent and Lent leading to Christmas and Easter,  and Green for the periods between which signify new growth in the spiritual life.

The colour will be green for the next four Sundays, then Ash Wednesday, heralded by Shrove Tuesday ( Pancake Day) brings in the colour violet for the six weeks of Lent.

Next Sunday being the second of the month, Fr Gary Fordham will be the celebrant and preacher at the 9.30am service. Please note, 11.00 am services only occur on the fifth Sunday of a month for the whole parish at various centres.

Always pick up a pew bulletin from the porch any morning during the week to keep up with dates and coming events.

Mid week services will resume in February, also Café Church on the third Sunday at 5.00 pm, and Lenten bible studies on Wednesdays. We welcome the return of Rev Denis and Helen from a restful time away.  Denis will celebrate the Eucharist at Alcheringa tomorrow at 10.30 am.

The  family Christmas Pageant went off delightfully at 5 .00 pm on Christmas Eve at the Anglican church.

On Christmas Day it was lovely to welcome the many visitors to the service filling the places of many of the local parish family who are away.

Last Sunday our visiting priest was Roger Rich and his wife Regina, and despite the absence of our usual song leader Helen, we were encouraged with Roger’s strong voice to virtually raise the roof with repeated choruses of “Glorify Thy Name throughout the World.” Our prayer for the New Year should surely be, in John Lennon’s words, “Give Peace a Chance.”

The church’s season of Christmas continues with the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6^th. This marks the twelfth day of Christmas when the Christian church marks the revealing  of the Christ Child to the Magi. Epiphany is what we would call an “AHA!” moment, and regardless of pictures showing the Wise Men or astrologers worshipping the Babe in the manger, their search by following the star actually ended when the child was about two years old, as the Holy Family had to escape into Egypt to avoid Herod’s murderous edict.

Our calendars mark various dates indicating special days or seasons religious or secular, but common practice usually tells us that from January 6^th it’s the time to pack away out Christmas decorations for another eleven months and have a good ‘spring clean’. This also applies to the ‘rubbish’ we may be carrying in our heads and hearts. Forgive old hurts and receive God’s forgiveness in return.

Next Sunday our priest will be Archdeacon John Geldart at the 9.30 am service. There will be no service at Nyah West, and no mid-week services this month. New Year’s blessings to everyone.

This is an open invitation to all families to come to the 5.00 pm. family service at the Anglican Church Splatt Street on Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child. To get involved in the celebration all are encouraged to dress up as angels, shepherds and sheep, wise men ( or a shining star !)

The team from Café Church held a rehearsal last Sunday at 5.00 pm and all hope it will be a great turn out this Sunday. There will be  only one service on Christmas Day,  the Eucharist at the usual Sunday service time of 9.30 am  in Swan Hill.

A great round of applause was directed to Ron and the Boot Sale team last Sunday, for a marvellous end of year result in funds raised for the church and its mission. For Christmas there was a line-up of nine lucky door prizes for customers, and again the scones “ sold like hot cakes! Please consider rostering for this next year, it runs on the third Saturday of each month.

Advent Bible studies finished last Wednesday, and mid week services will be in recess for the holidays. Next Sunday, December 31^st, is a fifth Sunday in the month, so there will again be just one service for the whole parish.  This will be at 11.00 am in Swan Hill followed by a bring and share lunch.  Visitors very welcome on New Year’s Day to share some time with the parish family at the Anglican Church.