Father George’s Weekly for 10 July 2022

Dear People of God

Grace and peace to you.

A General Synod Resolution of 2001 set aside this Sunday to be observed as Sea Sunday. Given the rain which has fallen, and still continues to fall as I write this, the observance might be slightly closer to home than many of us would like! There will be many appeals open for assistance to people whose lives have been once again disrupted by floods and excessive rain: people who have lost homes, farmers whose crops have been destroyed (wait for our fresh food prices to rise again!) … the list is endless. I commend the appeals to your generosity.

We do well to pause to remember those whose livelihood means that they are away from home for very long periods of time, often in appalling conditions: mariners who keep much, or perhaps most of Australia’s commodity trade flowing. A seagoing friend of mine reflected some years ago that Peter Morris, onetime local Federal Member of Parliament and Minister for Transport in the Hawke Government, was regarded as the “patron saint of Australian shipping” because he did an enormous amount of work to improve safety standards for vessels trading into and out of Australia at a time when it was not uncommon and unreported for sub-standard ships to break up and be lost in heavy seas.

Included in this week’s mailout is a flyer from St John’s Raymond Terrace for their “Hymnfest” which forms a part of their 160th anniversary celebrations. If you can’t indicate your choices of hymns (and I encourage you to do so and then to come along and be a part of the occasion) by email, the simply tick your choices on the sheet and hand it to me next Sunday and I will make sure that it gets to Sue Denham.

I apologise for my absence last Sunday: by 3:30am Sunday I realised that I was not going to be able to speak and made hasty arrangements consecrate the Eucharistic elements and to “drop Gail in at the deep end”. The cold has now settled on my chest and I might not be with you again this week. The voice is still weak and feeble …..see how we go…. At least I know it’s not Covid or one of the nasty strains of influenza! (I’ve been tested for them all).

Please keep the Lambeth Conference in your prayers: it commences in about three weeks and at a time when there are some serious disagreements in the Church as to what does and does not constitute acceptable behaviour and doctrine, the Archbishop of Canterbury has sent out a clear signal that he wants this Conference to focus on drawing the factions together into a deeper sense of that which was one of the founding aims of the Anglican Communion: to respect the differences and celebrate the diversity. We fail to bear witness to the Gospel when we are torn apart by our differences. It is also distressing to note that the Roman Catholic Church is also riven by the same sort of differences and there is a process of consultation in hand in an attempt to address some of these.

See you in church: the Lord be with you

Fr George 0410 586 119 gmainprize@bigpond.com

Propers for Pentecost 6 (Trinity 5, Ordinary Sunday 16)

Sentence

Do unto others as you would have them do to you. Love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. (Lk 6:31. 35)

Collect

Eternal God, you have taught us through Christ that love is the fulfilment of the law: help us to love you with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength, and our neighbour as ourself; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Amos 7:7-17 A prophecy against faithless people

Psalm 82 Condemnation of faithlessness

Colossians 1:1-14 Paul thanks God for the Colossians

Luke 10:25-37 Parable of the Good Samaritan

Sermon (Deacon Gail)

The story of the Good Samaritan is one of the most well-known stories of Jesus. Many countries even have Good Samaritan laws, so-named to provide legal protections for those who act as “Good Samaritans” to help others. If anyone has ever done a First Aid Course one of the things that they will tell you is about this clause in the guidelines, and the protection that you are offered. This parable has become an example for us all in what it means to go beyond what the normal expectations to care for others means.

As I was getting ready to write this sermon, I had a phone call from a friend asking me to recall a skit that we put on in the days of our annual combined GFS/CEBS Week activities at Newcastle Cathedral. The theme for that year was caring for our neighbours and the children took part in the delivery of the message. We had everyone seated in the Cathedral and one of the girls walked down the centre aisle. She was attacked by some robbers who stole her purse and knocked her over. They left her lying there and a Bishop walked through the Cathedral, noticing her but not stopping and continued on his way. The next person to enter was a Businessman who was hurrying to a meeting with his briefcase, who likewise noticed the girl but didn’t stop to help.

All of a sudden, the Cathedral was filled with the very loud noise of a Harley Davidson motorbike riding down the aisle with a bikie seated on the bike. This bikie then proceeded to come alongside the injured girl & gently life her onto the bike to take her to medical assistance. Now you will all know what we were trying to get across to the younger members that day: needless to say, it made a lasting impression on not only the youth attending but on us leaders who were there that day. Thankfully the Dean was happy for us to use the building in this way.

If we look at this parable, we see that the people who would be expected to help the man, the priest, and the Levite, did nothing for someone who was obviously in need of assistance. The Samaritan, on the other hand was one who would not have been expected to help, as he was from the outcast sect of the Jewish nation. The Samaritan’s response came from within him in that it was an action of compassion towards someone who was in need. He did to the injured man what he would have wanted for himself.

How would you react in this situation - with compassion or moving on with one or another excuse for not getting involved in the troubles of others?

The second part of this parable deals with the actions of the Samaritan when he took the injured man to the Innkeeper. The behaviour of the Samaritan shows that he cared and the lengths to which he went. He did what was needed and then went on his way. He provided care, which was expensive, but didn’t stay around to make a nuisance of himself. He trusted the innkeeper and said that he would come back later to cover any additional expenses. These actions are what a good neighbour would do. Jesus then turns around and asks the question – which one of the three is the neighbour: once the lawyer identifies the Samaritan, he then tells us to go and do likewise. This parable gives us an example of how we should live out our identity as God’s people in the world. Once again Jesus has turned the world upside down and is asking those hearing him to do something that is completely foreign to them. We have here Jesus asking his listeners, and us, to imitate the compassionate Samaritan and in so doing to imitate him. These are big shoes to fill. Are you willing to take this on?

Intercessions (Fr George)

Holy God, on this Seafarers Sunday, we commend all seafarers to you. Guard and protect them in danger and temptation; sustain them in loneliness; and support them in sickness and anxiety Bless all who minister to them. Watch over those who are near and dear to them, and grant them the blessing of your presence. And for those in whose power it is to pay decent wages and ensure safe vessels and decent working conditions , fill them with diligence for the responsibility committed to them.

Lord hear us Lord hear our prayer

Lord of all Creation, of all that is and all that will ever be, look with compassion on a troubled world. Give us the will to clean up the mess which we have made, and resolution to see the task through. We hold before you people and communities where floods have wreaked havoc, where crops have been destroyed, and all manner of small businesses and livelihoods disrupted. Instil in us a deepened sense of responsibility as stewards of your Creation and the will to bear the cost of remediation and reconstruction.

Lord hear us Lord hear our prayer

Ruler and Guide, we hold before you the unruly devices and desires of the peoples of this world. Pour your peace upon our warfare; your selfless love upon our greed for ever more of the world’s goods at the expense of the powerless: we hold before you especially the people of Ukraine and all other nations threatened or invaded by others: strengthen their resolve and bring to their aid the assistance of friends and seekers of justice. We pray for this our own nation, for Anthony our Prime Minister and Dominic our Premier and all their Ministers, all Members of Parliament and the various levels of government in this state and nation. We pray for industrial and social justice in our workplaces and wider communities.

Lord hear us Lord hear our prayer

Lord of the Church we pray that you will continue to draw us together across our denominational boundaries that we may with one voice proclaim the Gospel. We pray at this time for the Lambeth Conference and for the Consultative Process under way in the Roman Catholic Church. Remember Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury, The Anglican Church of Melanesia, our Partner Diocese of Guadalcanal within that Province; at home we pray for the Diocese of Rockhampton and the Baptist Union. Remember this Diocese, Peter our Bishop; Sonia and Charlie, Bishops Assisting; for the Samaritans Foundation and especially its work within this parish area; for the Parishes of Telarah-Rutherford and The Wollombi Valley; for this Parish, our clergy Fr George and Deacon Gail; our Welcomers and Readers; and for St David’s Presbyterian Church

Lord hear us Lord hear our prayer

Lord, whose Nazareth home knew the daily round of work, we pray for the workplaces of this community; for Carters Heavy Haulage, for Sneddons Bulk Haulage, and for Pho’s Vietnames Restaurant

Lord hear us Lord hear our prayer

Holy God, you are the One who brings healing, wholeness and renewal. We pray for those whose need is known to us; and those whose need is k non to you alone; those who are in any sort of need, sickness, grief or any other adversity: help those who minister to them and bring us all to that place where sickness and pain will be no more.

Lord hear us Lord hear our prayer

We thank you Lord that you have called us into that fellowship which none can number, whose hope was in the Word made Flesh; with Paul and Michael our Patrons, with Mary the Blessed Mother, with Benedict of Nursia, abbot, and Sydney James Kirby, bishop and Founder of Bush Church Aid; and we remember before you those whom we have loved and see no more and those whose anniversary falls at this time: Lillian Buckman, Janette Atkins, Joyce Atkins, Trixie Cunningham, Neville Parish, Barbara Peterson, and Harley Morrow.

Eternal rest grant to them, good Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them

Hole God, you have promised to hear us grant that what we have asked in faith we may, by your grace, receive, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

Why so many “Christian churches”?

There’s an old saying, “Where you stand determines what you see”. If you are standing on a hilltop your view is very different from those who are standing at the bottom of the valley. Our “view” is affected by our core beliefs, our life experience and our values system.

If we see the world in terms of “black and white”, or “right and wrong” we may identify with a religious brand that is very clear about who is “in” and who is not. We want to bring other people to share our point of view and it is all too easy to write off other people who don’t see the world as we do.

How do we respect other people’s honest opinions in politics, religious or social? How do we encourage constructive discussion?

The mainstream denominations are a home to a wide variety of opinion. A good basis for living together is “Respect the differences and celebrate the diversity”. And remember, honest doubt is an important part of religious belief.

(#3 in a series © George Mainprize 2021)