Father George’s Weekly for 31 July 2022

Dear People of God

Grace and peace to you.

Maybe, just maybe, we will get some sunshine for a time that may help to dry out the bogs around the place: that and some August Westerlies should do the trick, although the Weather Forecast seems to be promising more rain to come! I see that Dungog Shire is claiming the title of Pothole Capital of Australia, but I reckon that parts of Port Stephens Shire could give it a run for its money!

Thanks for the feedback to date on the sorts of study and development programs you would like to see: keep the comments coming please! The various groups meeting in the parish have a number of ideas as to what they would like to be doing: some different suggestions, some suggestions as to variations in what is already being done. I have started writing the final element of the “Talking about faith: words have meaning” series. This last one is “Salvation, Redemption and Sanctification”. I have reference books with sticky markers all over the place at present since it seems every theologian has a different take on what is a very contested topic!

The people from this parish who attended the Hymnfest at Raymond Terrace last week all reported enjoying the occasion very much. Singing is an important part of Christian worship, and being able to join in a sizeable congregation all singing lustily adds to the experience. When the organisers commented to me on the gratifying response from this parish I suggested that it was really an advance party to spy out the place in preparation for a takeover bid! Somehow I doubt that they believed me!

Bookings are steadily coming in for the Thornton Market in September.

I commend the forthcoming Trivia Day to you. 12 August in St Paul’s Hall . To book a table (10 people) or to register to join another table, Call Wilma (49341848), Bev (0409 810 278), Gail (0413 614 247) or me (phone number below). You don’t have to be “good” at any subject to join in: some of the wildest guesses are sometimes spot on, or add to the generally hilarity. Prizes to be won, friends to meet and a good time to be had.

Saints and Commemorations this week include the Holy Men and Women of the Old Testament, Stephen, the first Martyr, whose death was witnessed and approved of by Paul, and Oswald, the Saxon King who resisted the invasion of the Vikings and who is the Patron Saint of the Anglican Mens’ Society (those two events are not linked!)

Please remember the Lambeth Conference in your prayers especially our three bishops who are attending. The Conference comes at a critical time in the life of our Church as Gafcon continues its threats to withdraw from communion and establish a breakaway church. The Anglican Church is not perfect by any means, but at its best it represents a great model of respect for the differences and a celebration of our diversity in Christ.

The Lord be with you

Fr George

gmainprize@bigpond.com 0410 586 119

PROPERS for Pentecost 8 (Trinity 7, Ordinary Sunday 18)

Sentence

If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God (Col 3.1)

Collect

Living God, Judge of us all, you have placed in our hands the wealth we call our own: through your Spirit give is wisdom, that our possessions may not be a curse, but a means of blessing in our lives. Grant this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Readings

Hosea 11:1-11 God’s compassion despite Israel’s ingratitude

Psalm 107: 1-9, 43 Even in our trouble God remains faithful

Colossians 3:1-11 The new life in Christ

Luke 12:13-21 The parable of the rich fool

Sermon (Fr George)

In the Name of God, Amen

What do we understand about God? There’s a good question to start things rolling!

If we take a broad look across the history of human religious and philosophy we can see hat people have always had some sort of understanding of a divine “Thing”, something beyond themselves that orders the universe, sets the stars in motion and generally runs the show. Whether that “Thing” is remote and dispassionate or is engaged with its devotees in some sort of intimate relationship depends on a whole lot of other matters.

The Hebrew people interpreted much of their history in terms of an understanding of being in a special relationship with this deity, whom they came to call “Ed Shaddai” and, later “Yahweh”, seeing their tribal conquests of neighbouring tribes as a sort of special favour from God, and their equally frequent defeats and various exiles as a sign of having fallen away from obedience to Yahweh.

But nonetheless a fairly common understanding of God emerges across humanity. Is it accidental or is it some sort of evidence of a divine inspiration? If we accept that there is implanted in the human nature a desire to search for meaning in creation, it is equally possible to accept that the divine Being responds to the search, somehow revealing something of the Being’s nature?

So we come to the understanding of God as

• Purposeful

• Not capricious (not “I have changed my mind”, despite various Old Testament statements to the contrary)

• Engaged with ALL Creation

• Not the exclusive “property” of any one tribe, race or nation.

So Hosea is able to speak of a God as engaged with Creation, but when the people turn away from God to idols of their own devising, that’s when “Judgement” happens.

The Psalmist, who or may not have had in mind God’s shepherding the people through the wilderness, emphasises the overseeing goodness of God, this providing the bridge to the complete set of readings.

Similarly the writer of the letter to the Colossians is emphasising the radical change in attitude appropriate to people who would follow Jesus Christ. One could go on endlessly in suggesting elements of human behaviour inconsistent with being “in Christ” and we would find no common list if we surveyed a very wide range of people. Suffice it to say that most of us would fail more than one item on a list of exclusions! But the writer, whether it is Paul or someone else, perhaps a secretary or a disciple of Paul, there is a radical statement there which underlines the total re-orientation required of someone who would be “in Christ”: “There is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free, but Christ is all and in all”. The whole point is that a radical change of mindset is required from exclusivity to universality.

The Parable of the Rich Fool ties these themes together. Jesus tells the story of the man who was completely in thrall to his possessions: they had become in effect his idol. Jesus is not condemning great wealth per se, but the man’s foolishness lay in his attitude to his wealth. It had become an end itself rather than a means of doing something constructive. We are called to be stewards of God’s creation rather than the proprietors of it, as you may have heard me say before (rather repetitiously, I think!)

So to co-ordinate the readings, we might say that God is engaged with the whole of Creation rather than merely selective parts of it, and that incudes all people of whatever race, geographical location or any other type of differentiation: in Christ we are called to a radical review of who and what we are, and this includes our use of the bounty of Creation and how we have stewarded it: and we are given a practical example of the futility of living for our own ends rather than as instruments of God as God continually engages with all that God has made.

The challenge to us is to review how we live and whether we are truly Christ-centred or still lack some refinement of our direction which is guided by the work of the Spirit. God give us the grace to do so.

Amen

Intercessions (Deacon Gail)

We give thanks for the beauty and abundance of the earth. Give us and all peoples grace to live in harmony with your creation, wisdom, and generosity in our use of its bounty. We pray for those who are suffering due to natural disasters both here and abroad.

Let us praise the Lord, Thanks be to God.

We give thanks for the good news of salvation for all people. Strengthen us for our work in the world, empower your Church to proclaim the gospel in service, word, and sacrament. Unite in the truth all who confess your name, that we may live together in love to your glory. In the worldwide church for pray for the Lambeth Conference now meeting in England, the Church of Nigeria and the Diocese of Guadacanal . In the Australian Church we pray for the Diocese of the Murray and the Churches of Christ. In this Diocese we pray for our Bishops Peter, Charlie, and Sonia; for the clergy and people of the parishes of the Camden Haven and Wingham. We pray for Bishop Tyrell Anglican College ; for our SRE teachers and our clergy George and Gail with their families and for H2O church.

Let us praise the Lord, Thanks be to God

We give thanks for the fellowship of the community in which we live and work. We commend to your keeping ourselves and each other, our families, those with whom we work and learn, our neighbours and our friends. Enable us by your Spirit to live in love for you and for one another. In our community we pray for Hotel Tudor, Beresfield Golf Course and Food War Inc.

Let us praise the Lord, Thanks be to God.

We give thanks that you are the God who brings mercy and wholeness. Comfort and heal, we pray, all who are in sorrow, need, sickness, or any other trouble. Give to those who care for them wisdom, patience, and gentleness and, to us all, your peace. We pray especially for those who have asked for our prayers: Jenny, Les, Gwen, Jill, Heidi, Barry, Val F and Ben. In a moment of silence, we pray for those known only to us. …

Let us praise the Lord, Thanks be to God.

We give thanks for your servants in every age. Grant that we, with our Patrons, Paul and Michael; with the Holy Men and Women of the Old Testament; Stephen, Deacon and Martyr; Oswald, King and Martyr; and all your saints, may be brought to a joyful resurrection and the fulfillment of your kingdom. At the anniversary of their deaths we remember before you Jack Jones, Rosemary Hoawerth and Max Turnbull together with those whom we have loved and see no more. King of Saints and Angels, bring us all into the joy of your eternity.

+Rest eternal, grant to them O Lord; and let your light perpetual shine upon them.

Almighty God, you have promised to hear our prayers: Grant that what we have asked in faith we may by your grace receive, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.