Dear People of God
Grace to you and Peace
As I write, the weather forecast for the next few days is for more rain (haven’t we had enough? Most of my driveway is now on the roadway outside the gate).
Some people will have noticed that the organ is St Paul’s hasn’t been in use for a while. I was playing it for Christmas Day when it went on strike and refused to play at louder than a whisper. Gabby reported that the pedals didn’t respond and that it was becoming increasingly difficult to get anything out of it. Well the good news is that repairs should be reasonably straightforward, costing less than $1000 to get it back into pristine condition. It’s one of the less expensive items on our repairs and maintenance list, but if anyone wants to make a special donation for its restoration it would be most welcome. Simply place it in an envelope marked “Organ Restoration” and leave it in the collection plate. The restored organ will be a significant contribution to the worship of the parish and we are fortunate to have a skilled musician on both organ and piano in Gabby Holland. Our musicians at both centres are dedicated and we need to ensure that the instruments which we provide are in the best condition for the worship of God.
(Now Wednesday 11 May: typing two fingers, one on each hand!)
Thankfully the Thornton Market hit a spell of fine weather. Hearty thanks to the stalwart band of volunteers, by whose efforts something in excess of $1100 was raised. Listening to the exhausted workers the next day I think that, at the very least, we need some extra help to set up and put away afterwards, as well as provide a change of shift on the parish-associated stalls and/or relief for meal/refreshment comfort breaks.
Time for a break from the keyboard
The Lord be with you: see you in church
Fr George
gmainprize@bigpond.com 0410 586 119
COLLECT and Readings: 5th Sunday of Easter, Year C
We behold your glory, O God, in the love shown by your Son, lifted up and exalted on high: be glorified anew in the love we have for one another as disciples of the risen Lord Jesus, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen
Acts 11:1-18 Peter’s report to the church at Jerusalem
Psalm 148 Praise for God’s universal glory
Revelation 21:1-6 The new heaven and new earth
John 13:31-35 The new commandment
SERMON (Fr George)
If you have been watching the television or reading the news lately, you may have gathered that there is a Federal election next Saturday. Does that come as a surprise? You’ve doubtless heard me say it often before and I will keep saying it whilesoever I have breath, that we are a community and not a collection of individuals all living I our own isolated circles. Whilst there is a sense that we are on individual pilgrimages to God there is a deeper sense that we travel together and have responsibility for the people around us, wheresoever they may be. Does this have implications for the election? Of course it does.
During Lent last year we were looking at the notion that sin consists in the sense of aiming for the target and missing: the target, of course, is God and sin is what happens when we miss the target whether by accident or deliberately. Salvation, or Redemption, in Jesus Christ means that we are called to get our aim right, empowered by the Spirit to follow in the footsteps of Jesus the Incarnate Word. Of course we are going to stray from the target from time to time, and called to repent, to correct our aim, and, as the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews puts it , “looking only to Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith….”
Another way of looking at sin is the notion that we displace God from the centre of creation and put ourselves in, whether corporately or individually. Consider the advertising messages with which we are constantly bombarded “you deserve this” or “you have earned this”, and the political slogans that promise an ever-increasing standard of living when most of the world is caught in the spiral of debt and poverty. We are promised lower rates of taxation and yet see a system where the very rich can organise their affairs to pay little or no tax as well as to get more than their fair share of the bounty of God’s Creation.
One thing that does rather stick with me is the way we have “corrected” the language of some of our familiar hymns and prayers as we strive to be politically correct. Take, for instance the evening hymn “the day thou gavest Lord, is ended”: in our effort to avoid “sexist” language we have demoted “our brethren ‘neath the western sky” to “friends”, when “family” would have been a much better choice of word, because as family we belong to one another.
In the same way we focus on our own small world when it comes to international matters: the fact that Australian carbon emissions account for less than 2% of global emissions (regardless of the fact that per capita we are the highest emitters in the developed world). If all the small emitters worked together, global emissions would come to a much more manageable level, but we seem to believe that it’s someone else’s responsibility.
We need to take seriously the command to love one another as God in Christ loves us and this means taking an active interest in the welfare of our neighbours, our fellows in humanity created, just as we are, in the image of a loving and purposeful Creator. It doesn’t matter whether they are of any religion or none, whether they are politically diametrically opposed to our own political persuasion, whether they are back, white, yellow or brindle. Jesus didn’t give us exclusions: the command is to love one another as he loves us.
The command has immediate implications for how you will cast your vote next Saturday. Read the Gospel and pray your vote. Was it President Kennedy in the US who said “Don’t ask what my country can do for me: ask “what can I do for my country?” ”Likewise, don’t ask “what’s in it for me?” but rather “what does it mean to love all people as we love ourselves?” and how does Australia stack up in the global citizen stakes?
It might be uncomfortable, but since when has own comfort been the be-all and end-all? It’s God’s world, created in love and reflecting his glory, and we are called to be stewards of that.
Amen
INTERCESSIONS (APBA with biddings)
Lord, call to remembrance the nations of this world and have mercy, as we hold before you the people of Ukraine and all places of strife and discord: guide the electors of this land that we may elect a government of deep integrity, vision and purpose
We pray for the peace of the world, the leaders of the nations, and for all in authority
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer
We remember before God the community of faith throughout the world, seeking that unity which is the mind of Christ for his Church especially at this time of our General Synod meeting in Queensland: we ask the continued blessing of God on the Anglican Church, on Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury and the forthcoming Lambeth Conference; our companion Diocese of Guadalcanal; the Province of the Indian Ocean and the Province of the West Indies; on the Diocese of the Northern Territory; in this Diocese for our Episcopal team; and the parishes of South Lakes and Swansea; and for Manning Valley Anglican College; in this parish and community for our clergy and Ordinand and for the ministry of School Scripture; and for our fellow-Christians of the Roman Catholic parish
We pray for the welfare of your holy Church, our Bishop and for all the clergy and people
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer
Remembering before God all those whose welfare and livelihood is affected by flood, fire, drought and exhausted soil,
We pray for seasonable weather and for an abundance of the fruits of the earth
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer
Remembering before God those whose plenty deprives those who have less, the climate change issues that confront us; and our need to be self-less
We pray that we may chare with justice the resources of the earth, and live I trust and goodwill with one another
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer
Remembering before God those known to us in particular need, especially Lynn, Betty, Tom, Val F ….: those who mourn the loss of people important in their lives, and those whose need is known to God alone
We pray for the aged and the infirm, for the bereaved and the lonely, and for the sick and suffering
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer
Remembering the those whose incomes leave them further and further behind; prisoners of conscience; those kidnapped and held for ransom for radical political and religious fanaticism;
We pray for the poor and oppressed, for prisoners and captives, and all who care for them
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer
Aware of the persons near us in this church, our next of kin; and all those to whom our lives are bound by kinship or affection
We pray for ourselves and for each other
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer
Remembering before God Nita Jarvis, who has recently die;, those whose anniversary of death falls at this time, Joy Henderson, Edna Woodward, Janet Robertson, Bruce Dodds, Richard Preece and Robert Pierson; and in rejoicing in our fellowship with our Patrons Paul and Michael, Mary the Blessed Mother, Caroline Chisholm, Dunstan of Canterbury
We praise you, Lord God, for the communion of saints and for the glorious hope of resurrection to eternal life.
Holy God, you have promised that you will hear our prayers, grant that what we have asked in faith we may, by your grace, receive, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen
SAINTS and COMMEMORATIONS of the Week
16 May Caroline Chisholm, social reformer (1877) England English-born, converted on marriage to Roman Catholicism, and lived variously in England, India and Australia, on initial settlement in East Maitland she founded a hostel the poor (now preserved as an historic site): significant concern for the plight of young women arriving in the colony and campaigned relentlessly for the welfare of families and single women. New suburb of Maitland named in her honour. Died in Northampton UK following long poor health.
19 May Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury (988) England, Australia variously Abbot of Glastonbury, Bishop of Worcester, sought to unite Wessex, on appointment of the first king of united England he became Archbishop of Canterbury and on retirement taught at the Cathedral school
20 May Alcuin of York, Abbot (804) England Scholar, established significant libraries, influential in the Saxon court, came to attention of Charlemagne (Holy Roman Emperor) who invited him to his own court as a scholar: remained in Deacon’s orders and finally became Abbot of the significant monastery of Tours (France)
21 May Helena, Protector of Holy Places (330) England Mother of Emperor Constantine, on pilgrimage to the Holy Land she sponsored erection of churches on the reputed sites of Bethlehem and Golgotha. A legend that the original cross of Christ was found in a sepulchre at Golgotha was later attributed to her (historicity doubtful!)
A REFLECTION
-From “Celtic Fire” – a collection of Celtic spirituality
St Ninian’s Catechism
Q What is best in this world?
A To do the will of our Maker
Q What is his will?
A That we should live according to the laws of his creation
Q How do we know these laws?
A By study - studying the Scriptures with devotion
Q What tool has our Maker provided for this study?
A The intellect, which can probe everything
Q And what is the fruit of this study?
A To perceive the eternal Word of God reflected in every plant and insect, every bird and animal, and every man and woman
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