When your retirement village is in lockdown, people can’t get to church but they’re keen for worship time and teaching, what do you do?

For Rohini Village in Turramurra, the answer was easy. Just ask Bishop Don Cameron, one of its residents, to write some meditations from Scripture and build a simple service around them. 

The resulting 21 reflections from the former Moore College lecturer and Bishop of North Sydney were so well received that one resident suggested compiling them into a short book. 

Ken Pye, a former professional illustrator who also lives at Rohini, created some simple illustrations for each story. Others who were at the services chipped in to fund the publication, former Archbishop Harry Goodhoew wrote the foreword, and Rohini Reflections was born – launched a week or so before Christmas, to the delight of residents.

“The meditations were just such a wonderful encouragement,” one says. “And now to have the book, with the illustrations – God’s hand has been on the whole thing, step by step. We kept the number of printed copies low so funding it would be possible, but we’re now at the stage where we need a reprint!”

Bishop Cameron chose to focus on the “I Am” statements of Jesus as well as some of his best-known parables such as the sower, the prodigal son, the good Samaritan and the labourers in the vineyard.

“I wanted to bring some kind of Christian affirmation from the New Testament to sustain and encourage people’s faith at a time that was fairly difficult, when families couldn’t visit and they couldn’t get out,” the 95-year-old bishop explains. 

“I just tried to take certain Christian fundamentals and put them together into about seven-minute talks – to say things that would strengthen and affirm faith and help people to apply it to the day-to-day situations and circumstances they were encountering during lockdown.” 

Rohini Reflections is available at Koorong.