What’s on!

24 August 2021  Charmaine’s Update

Dear Church Family

Kia ora koutou
 Well we are on level 4 until Tuesday at least. This is perhaps not the news that we were hoping to hear however it is not entirely unexpected. So let’s do what we can to keep a steady ship in the new normality of moving in and out of levels until we have got on top of the pandemic. 

Daily morning prayers, continue at 9am  each day apart from Sunday and Monday for the entire time we are on Level 4.
The challenge this time round is that there is only Geoff and I in our bubble, and Geoff needs to continue consulting with his patients via a zoom equivalent starting at 8am three days a week. This means that he cannot livestream the prayers for us on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Our solution to this problem is to pre record the prayers for those days and for me to release them online at 9am each morning. This  means that to access the morning prayers you either need to click on the you tube link which is in blue under the big  live stream button on our website and that will take you to our Holy Trinity Devonport You Tube channel where you will find the morning prayer videos. All you have to do then is click on the latest one.
Alternatively,  you can go straight there by clicking on this link https://www.youtube.com/user/HolyTrinityDevonport which should take you straight to the morning videos and then you can click on the latest one.
The advantage of using you tube is that the videos are there for as long as we need them to be and this means you can access them at any time you feel like viewing them. You do not have to watch at 9am. They are available any time after the scheduled date and time.
I noticed that this morning there was only one viewer which tells me that people must have struggled with the new arrangement.
I am so sorry. Please persevere. These challenges are what makes life interesting : )

Worship this Sunday will  be in a virtual format of live streaming. Geoff and I, will livestream one Sunday Service at 9.30am. 
To access the Sunday worship, go to our website on www.holytrinity.gen.nz and  click on livestreaming and then it is  best to click on the You Tube link which is in blue. Alternatively you can click on https://www.youtube.com/user/HolyTrinityDevonport

Needless to say all the concerts and events that were scheduled for the next two weeks have been postponed, dates yet to be determined.
The choir service which was scheduled for the 12th September will  need to be rescheduled. So also the musical tribute in honour of Sol Apera our drummer who passed a few weeks ago.
We will let you know what the new dates for these services are once we have some clarity about lockdown levels. 

The Church office will obviously remain closed for the foreseeable future  and the staff will  work from home. However, we remain available to you through email and phone. Food parcels and pastoral care meals continue to be available. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you need one (021857997). I am available by phone if you are feeling lonely, anxious or just need a chat. I  welcome your phone calls  and emails.

As we find ourselves in lockdown many of us will have a little more time to pray. I invite you to use this opportunity.
it is a gift, unwrap it and enjoy it. 
Here are some words about prayer that may inspire you as you reflect on them:

• To wish to pray is a prayer in itself. Georges Bernanos
• To pray is to sit open handed before God. Peter G van Breeman
• Prayer is a two way conversation with God. It is both listening and talking.
• To pray is to be prepared to change.
• Prayer is the breathing of the soul John Kronstadt
• Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God’s gift of himself. Mother Teresa

See you online at 9am and then again on Sunday morning at 9.30am when we will talk a bit more on the subject of prayer. 

Kia kaha, 
Charmaine 

vicar@holytrinity.gen.nz 
021857997

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