A Note from Fr Keith – Lent 2A and 3A March 24, 2011
Posted by mtvincentweston in From the Vicar.Tags: Kurri Kurri, Mount Vincent, religion, Weston
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This period of the year is Lent – a time when we fast and remember with sorrow all the things we have done wrong. The colour of the season is purple, representing our sorrow and sins. But, Lent is also a period of waiting. We wait for the coming of the King on Palm Sunday. We wait for Holy Week, and we wait, with fear and sadness, for Good Friday. But mainly we wait for Easter Sunday, and the joy of resurrection. On Good Friday, Jesus dies for us and for our sins; but on Easter Sunday, our sins are washed away and eternal life is given to us.
So in Lent, we wait with sorrow, but also we wait in anticipation of the joys of Easter. Our Lent this year is busy: we have our Annual General Meeting, the Kurri Kurri Nostalgia Festival, and all the normal parish activities, as well as everything we do in our daily lives. Our Annual General Meeting is important, as we go forward as a new parish, and much more will be said in the course of that meeting about our future ministry. But at this stage in all this busy-ness we need to remember that it is a time of reflection, as we meditate on Lent and prepare ourselves for Easter. So try and find time for reflection, and to think deeply about the things of God. In that way, we also prepare ourselves to meet our Lord at Easter and beyond.
Seniors Week Eucharist and Friendship Dinner March 13, 2011
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On Tuesday 22 March, the parish will host a Seniors Week eucharist in St Paul’s Kurri Kurri, commencing at 6.00pm.
This service will be followed by the previously notified friendship dinner. At the dinner, Fr Keith Joseph will present a short talk about his experiences in the Solomon Islands.
The friendship dinner is a bring and share meal, with no cost to participants. All are welcome to attend.
A note from Fr Keith – Transfiguration and Lent 1A March 6, 2011
Posted by mtvincentweston in From the Vicar.Tags: Lent, religion, Transfiguration
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The last two weeks have been full of sorrow. In Libya, civil unrest and a dictator gone mad declaring war on his own people. In New Zealand, an earthquake that has destroyed much of Christchurch and has claimed at least two hundred lives. In Afghanistan, the death of two of our soldiers. In our own parish, there has also been misfortune. Where is God in all of this?
The simple answer is that God is with us, suffering with us. Jesus, in sharing our humanity, shared both the joys and pains of humanity. God shares our joys and love, but also at times like this shares our pain, our humiliation and our sorrow. This week we enter Lent, and prepare for Easter. We remember at this time the sorrow and humiliation that awaited Jesus on the cross. We remember at this time how Jesus shared our humanity, and shared both our joys and sorrows, not as a spectator on humanity, but as part of humanity.
As we enter Lent we grieve for those who have died in Libya, and New Zealand, and Afghanistan, and in our parish. We pray for those who mourn, and we mourn with them. But we also look past the cross of Good Friday to the resurrection of Easter Sunday; we look past the sadness to the joy. In the book of Ecclesiastes, the Philosopher says there is “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (3:4). In saying this, we think of Lent and Easter. At this time, we weep and mourn; but we have faith and hope that in the resurrection of Christ there will eventually come a time to laugh and dance.
A Note from Fr Keith – Epiphany 7A and 8A February 19, 2011
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There are a number of important occasions over the next few weeks which will be important steps on our journey together. First, there is the ordination of Carl Lanham to the Diaconate on 24 February. The word “Deacon” comes from the Greek word diakonos, meaning “servant”- literally the man or woman serving at the table. This reminds us that the most important ordained ministry is that of service, and that all of us are called to serve each other.
In March there will be Special General Meetings to wind up the affairs of the old separate parishes, followed by an Annual General Meeting for the new parish. At the AGM we will elect a new Parish Council; we also will move forward in consolidating the administration of the new Parish. Please take a full part in these meetings and let your voice be heard.
On 10th April we celebrate the Centenary of the consecration of Christ Church, Mount Vincent. This will be an ideal opportunity for all of us to come together again, not for meetings but to share time, food and fun with each other; and to give thanks for the last hundred years and to pray for the next century together.
Autumn promises to be a busy time: in the same period we also have the Nostalgia Festival, a State Election, Easter, and Anzac Day! In all of this, may our service to each other and to our community be a strong witness to the light of Christ and a blessing to all in our community.
However, if we put the love of Christ into practice we will deal constructively with any difficulties, and continue to be a light to each other and to our communities.
GENERAL MEETINGS SCHEDULE February 18, 2011
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Special General Meetings
Mt Vincent—6 March 10.00am eucharist followed by meeting—no eucharist at Christ Church
Weston—13 March 8.30am eucharist followed by meeting—morning prayer at Christ Church
Annual General Meeting
20 March—One parish eucharist St Paul’s 8.30am ; AGM to convene at 10.00am—no eucharist at Christ Church or St Mary’s
Parish electoral roll will close on Sunday 6 March.
A Note from Fr Keith – Epiphany 5A and 6A February 18, 2011
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As we have a late Easter this year, we have a long season of Epiphany, in which we celebrate the light of Christ that is made known to us. The Gospel readings from Matthew for the fifth and sixth Sunday of Epiphany tell us that we should also make this light known to others: we are to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). How do we do this?
Some people think that the most important thing is to follow rules and traditions. It is a good thing to follow rules, and usually rules and traditions are there for a good reason. Jesus stresses the importance of God’s law in Matthew 5:18. However, what is more important is having the love of God in our hearts and minds. Jesus makes it absolutely clear that the greatest commandments are to love God and to love neighbour (Matthew 22: 34-36); all the other laws and traditions and sayings depend on this. It is through love, ultimately, that we make known the light of Christ.
Since my arrival here I have been blessed by seeing this love being put into practice — for example, in the way in which you have helped me settle into the parish, and in the welcome you have given to Br Matthias Tovotasi from the Solomon Islands. I am sure that he will speak highly of the parish when he returns to Melanesia after he leaves us on 6th February. For us, there will be challenges ahead as the two former parishes learn to live as one, and as I adapt to life back in Australia. Sometimes our rules and traditions will be in conflict as we face new situations.
A Note from Fr Keith January 24, 2011
Posted by mtvincentweston in From the Vicar.Tags: Kurri Kurri, Mt Vincent, relgion, Weston
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
First, thank you to all of those who have welcomed me into the parish and helped me settle in to the Weston Rectory while the Kurri Kurri Rectory is renovated. I have left a culture in the Solomon Islands where there is a very strong sense of community — it is a great joy to come back to Newcastle and find the same spirit here in Weston, Kurri Kurri and Mount Vincent.
Whilst I grew up in Sydney, I moved to Newcastle in 1987 when I was studying at the University. Since then I have had a variety of careers, including university teaching, service in the Army Reserve, and from 2000 full-time service as an Army Officer. It was during this time that I trained for ordination, doing subjects both in Canberra and at Morpeth. However, Army Chaplaincy was not to be my path, and in 2004 I joined the Australian Federal Police as an administrative officer and went to the Solomon Islands with the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI). It was at this time that I started working with the Melanesian Brotherhood, and was made a Deacon in 2005. In 2006 when my time with RAMSI finished I stayed on in the Solomon Islands as a lecturer at the Bishop Patteson Theological College (BPTC) at Kohimarama, on the island of Guadalcanal, and was ordained priest by the then Archbishop of Melanesia and the Bishop to the Australian Defence Force. After shepherding through the successful graduation of the first three years of degree graduates at BPTC, it was time to return home at the end of 2010.
And now, I am called to the Parish of Mount Vincent and Weston. From my short observation, one of the strengths of the Parish is the unique identity and strong traditions of each congregation. In my thinking, this is not a time for radical change, but rather a time for building up these traditions and identity so that we can build up the sense of community in each of the congregations, and in each of the towns, in which we live and work. Each of us have a role in the ministry of the Church; I look forward to working with all of you as we build up the kingdom of God in each congregation, in the parish, and beyond.
Proclamation of New Parish and Induction of Fr Keith Joseph January 24, 2011
Posted by mtvincentweston in News.Tags: Kurri Kurri, Mount Vincent, religion, Weston
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On the evening of 23 January 2011, Dr Brian Farran, Bishop of Newcastle, proclaimed the new parish of Mount Vincent and Weston.
The Bishop presided and preached at the eucharist which included the commissioning and induction of Fr Keith Joseph as the first parish priest of the newly-unified parish.
Fr Keith was presented to the Bishop by Brother Matthias of the Melanesian Brotherhood, representing the Diocese of Central Melanesia, and was commissioned along with the parish ministry team. Many visiting clergy from the Dioceses of Newcastle, Sydney and Canberra-Goulburn were present.
Official guests included the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Cessnock; Sir Trevor Garland, the honorary consul of the Solomon Islands; academic colleagues and members of Fr Keith’s training parish of St John the Evangelist, Gordon. They were joined by members of Fr Keith’s family and many parishioners from Mt Vincent and Weston, along with friends from neighbouring parishes and partner churches in the local community.
Great News January 2, 2011
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Bishop Brian has, after careful consideration and examination, given approval to Carl Lanham’s ordination as Deacon for our parish. The ordination is on 24 February at 4.30pm in Christ Church Cathedral. Our prayers and good wishes are with Carl as he continues to prepare for this Ministry.
New Parish Priest January 2, 2011
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Bishop Brian Farran has announced the appointment of Fr Keith Joseph, formerly of the Diocese of Melanesia, to be the priest-in-charge of the Parish of Mount Vincent and Weston.
Fr Keith will be commissioned at St Paul’s Kurri Kurri, along with the parish ministry team, in a eucharist commencing at 7.00pm on Sunday 23 January 2011. This will be followed by fellowship in St Paul’s Hall.
This eucharist will be the only church service in the parish on that weekend.
