Bishop John

 Rather than focusing on patient assisted suicide / medical killing/ active euthanasia we bring end of life spiritual care and support of both patients and family members. The Reverend Eric Cave (Senior Chaplain and Pastoral Care and Bereavement Worker) presented the following on “End of Life Spiritual Care and Support of Patients and Family Members”:

Illness leads us into new and unfamiliar paths where expressions of grief, anxiety, fear and doubt can be hard and painful.

In the 2006 Census, of the 19,855,289 Australian residents counted, 3,706,557 or 19% said that they had no religion. (Mark Schliebs NEWS.com.au June 27, 2007) This does not mean that they had no spiritual interest.

 “Taking a spiritual history is the most important and central activity that Health practitioners are asked to do. The spiritual history will determine all future interventions and may impact upon the treatment plan.”

“Ken Pargament defines the word ‘spirituality’ as ‘a search for the sacred’. Pargament has been one of the leaders attempting to ground the term spirituality in something more sustainable, that is the ‘sacred’ (God, Jesus, Mohammed, the Buddha, Brahman, ultimate truth or reality).”

(Koenig Harold – Spirituality in Patient Care Templeton Foundation Press 2007)

Spirituality includes whatever gives a person meaning, value and worth in their life.

Spirituality and religion are clearly distinguished: religion can be an important part in a person’s spirituality but how important if at all will depend on the person.

“Spirituality is difficult to define, discuss and audit. By accepting that spirituality is individual in nature it follows that its expression will also be individual.”

(Marie Curie Cancer Care Competencies)

What is God’s intention towards me?

What has God promised for me?

(Pruyser – the Minister as Diagnostician 1976)

Pruyser was interested both in how people find meaning and in what that meaning is.  In discussing a person’s attitude to the Bible, he said, “the diagnostic value of that symbol of faith lies in what it does to the person’s horizon.  Does it open up the world for him, or does it draw narrow boundaries, making a little niche for an area of safety? Whilst this model would not suit an evangelical Christian nor a devout Jew, Buddhist or Muslim yet the breadth of the themes combined with Pruyser’s interest in the how and the what of a person’s spirituality has contributed to the strength of this model of spiritual assessment and its widespread adoption.

“Pain and suffering are always complex and  multidimensional experiences that are often crying out for enlightenement and resolution in several perspectives at once.”

 Religious coping is the use of religious beliefs or practices to reduce the emotional stress caused by loss or change. People turn over their problems to God so that they cease worrying about them.

End of life decisions are often influenced by the religious beliefs of patients or/and their family members.  Not to resuscitate or to discontinue treatment or conversely to pray for a miracle in a medically futile situation all can enter into a complex situation. Studies show that a religious person not only has a larger support network but that the quality of the network is higher and may be more durable than secular sources of support when chronic illness strikes.

 Koenig quotes research at Duke University Medical Centre as showing that people not affiliated with a faith group spent double the time in hospital compared to those who were actively connected and involved with a faith group.  The large difference in length of stay of affiliated and non-affiliated members could not be explained by severity of physical illness, disability level, social support or depressive symptoms. Similar statistics were quoted at the 2005 Health and Spirituality conference in Adelaide.

 Thursday 5 November 2009

MEDIA RELEASE:

Anglican Church Supports Euthanasia Decision

 The Anglican Church has applauded the decision of the House of Assembly yesterday to reject the Dying with Dignity legislation.

The Bishop of Tasmania, Bishop John Harrower, said that he congratulated the Members for their decision on this matter of conscience. 

Bishop Harrower said, “I would like to strongly affirm those Members who voted against this legislation.

“I understand that those in favour of this legislation were doing so out of their great concern for the terminally ill, and I hold that same concern.  However, the dangers associated with this legislation were far greater than any possible benefits.”

Bishop Harrower also spoke of our society’s ongoing need to improve the care of the terminally ill.  He said, “I will continue to encourage both the church and our government to work to improve palliative care, and all forms of support for the dying, and their carers.  The Anglican church has a long history of involvement in this area of care, and will continue to serve in many ways.”

 Read today’s report in The Mercury here and from The Examiner here and ABC Radio here.

“In Christ you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:22

On Sunday 1 November we celebrated the 125th Anniversary of the Anglican Church of St Simon and St Jude, Woodbridge, the oldest surviving Church in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel district.

The day commenced for Gayelene and me with a boat ride aboard the Penghana with Captain Tim, from Kettering to Woodbridge: clergy travel 1800’s style. Helen and Ray Phillips met us at Kettering to ensure we were all aboard. Ray knew of my fears of sea travel – it was a perfectly calm day, and a calm bishop 🙂 Ray then took our car on to Woodbridge. His father was a rector there.

Paul Martin and team greeted us with lively music at the Woodbridge Jetty, along with many parishioners and well-wishers including the ABC TV! Also the Revds Norman Kelley and John Middleton, the Venerable Helen Phillips as we we led a long procession up to the Church: a wonderful sight!

We entered the Church to the rousing song “All things bright and beautiful.” Revd Julie Kelley led the service. Highlights included a skit “Building up the Church” (presented by Norman Kelley, Rex Williams and Margaret Cannell), a presentation “The Lord Building the House” (“Snapshots” of parishioners) and a Bishop’s Award to Mrs Alice Sackett. I preached on Christ the cornerstone of the Church who thus gives its alignment and life, Ephesians 2:13-22. We left the service singing “You shall go out with joy.” Great stuff! A true celebration of God’s goodness and God’s people in the local community over 125 years.

A fabulous lunch followed in the Woodbridge Community Hall. I commended the many community members, about 50-60, who participated in the church renovations and preparing the lunch!  Amongst the attendees were: Dr. Grahame Bury (Mayor of Kingborough Council), Mr Bruce Neil and his wife Pennie (Bruce is a major owner of Peppermint Bay Restaurant and donated money for the church belfry), Kingborough Councillor Michelle Higgins (who has been involved in church renovation working bees), Revd Bob Imms and his wife Miriam (representing the Woodbridge Uniting Church), and Mr Byron Wolfe (Chair of Cygnet/Channel Parish Council) with his wife Merlene and the Cygnet ministry team and parishioners.

The Chairman of the Woodbridge Community Association, Mr. Graeme Rae, took time off from BBQing to launch the book “The Life and Times of Woodbridge Anglican Church,” written by Julie Kelley and Leonie Beaumont. The book traces the beginnings of ministry in the area, “The Channel Mission” in the 1860’s, when clergy travelled by steamship from Hobart, about 3 hours, to make pastoral visits and conduct services. Well worth the $10 – get your book today! You can obtain a copy of the book by emailing Julie at juliekelley@westnet.com.au, phoning 03 62674903 or writing to Box 202, Woodbridge 7162. The book costs $10 + $2 for postage.

What a joy-filled blessing to be part of this wonderful celebration! We all left immensely encouraged and proud of the church’s role in building community and in the church being built by the community. A life giving story that bears repeating. Thank you one amd all. Praise the Lord!

Photos courtesy of ABC News and Woodbridge.com.au/Index

Read Snapshots of Parish Life and “The Life and Times of Woodbridge Anglican Church” here

Read the ABC News report Restored church marks milestone here.    The 7pm Sunday ABC TV report on the occasion was excellent.

The “National Human Rights Consultation Report” chaired by Father Frank Brennan was presented to the Attorney-General, the Hon Robert McClelland MP, on the 30 September 2009.  The Report’s Summary is available here, and the Full Report is available here.

My concerns about a charter of human rights for Australia include:

• its necessity,
• its shifting of power from parliament to the judiciary,
• the lack of citizenship duties or responsibilities that must complement ‘my rights’ and
• the complicated, time delaying and/or administrative burden of a charter, let alone a bill, of rights.

Helpful insight fom John Howard’s address on “Proposed Charter of Rights”.

The issue is where the lines are drawn and by whom. We might all agree that certain rights are fundamental but disagree profoundly where, for example, free speech ends and defamation begins. That must depend on the circumstances of each individual case. To me it is inconceivable that a Bill of Rights can provide a generic formula to resolve such clashes more effectively than they are at present.

Rights conflict, and to those who believe that it is possible to establish a list of absolute rights I might remind them of Jeremy Bentham’s famous remark that such a proposition was “rhetorical nonsense – nonsense upon stilts”.

Clergy visit Canberra to express opposition to Charter: Clergy unite over human rights charter.

 A view based on UK experience Taking on the charter of rights,

Diamond argues that human rights ideology is inconsistent with religious values. “It is a tool to implement a new morality of diversity, tolerance and all these buzz words. And it will be used against Australians in the same way it has been used in the UK with very similar effects.”

Alternatively, an article supportive of the charter with interesting blogger comments: Christianity and Human Rights – how do they fit? by Angus McLeay and Fiona McLeay.

Former High Court Judge Michael Kirby hits back at criticisms of the Brennan Report.

From my reading a key recommendation is:

Recommendation 24

The Committee recommends that the following non-derogable civil and political rights be included in any federal Human Rights Act, without limitation:

• The right to life. Every person has the right to life. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of life. The death penalty may not be imposed for any offence.
• Protection from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
• Freedom from slavery or servitude. 
• Retrospective criminal laws.
• Freedom from imprisonment for inability to fulfil a contractual obligation. 
• Freedom from coercion or restraint in relation to religion and belief. No person will be subject to coercion that would impair his or her freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his or her choice.

Also: The right to a fair trial should also not be limited.   And,

Freedom from coercion or restraint in relation to religion and belief. No person will be subject to coercion that would impair his or her freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his or her choice.

“News of the Vatican’s offer to Anglican traditionalists continues to reverberate around the world. Opinions range from jubilation to anger and frustration.”

 A helpful overview by David Virtue of 27 October including some North American  responses is found at VIEWPOINTS – POPE’S OFFER: Williams Blindsided, Carey Appalled, TAC Takes Offer, FIF-UK Punts

 There is many a book to be written from this exercise. Surely one of them is the issue of ‘unintended consequences’ which are so much a part of life. An interesting example from the above article by David Virtue:

 CANA bishop Martyn Minns took the Vatican’s offer as a way to press the case for Lambeth Palace’s recognition of ACNA. He wrote, “This move by the Catholic Church recognizes the reality of the divide within the Anglican Communion and affirms the decision to create a new North American province that embraces biblical truth.”         

 “While we welcome the positive response from the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury regarding the Vatican’s provision, we urge Lambeth Palace to move swiftly to fully endorse the efforts of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans and the Anglican Church in North America to keep the Anglican family together.”