Mailout for 28 August 2022, (Year C)

Dear People of God

Grace to you, and peace

The Weather Bureau is threatening us with lots of rain in the coming week, but we might pray for a drought over Thornton for the Thornton Markets at St Michael’s next Saturday.

From next week you will notice something of a change in the mailouts. We have subscribed to a service to provide full sets of the Propers (so-called because they are the prayers and readings proper to the day) so that, if you are in church, you will have a complete copy for your private reflection, and if you receive this by email or posted hard copy you can join more completely in the Sunday worship from wherever you happen to be.

There was an amount of “less than positive” reporting and comment on events, in the Newcastle Herald, in the national and local church over the last week. Without going into the details of the matters we need more than ever to project the very positive aspect of the Anglican Church and to engage in what Bishop Peter refers to as “respectful conversations”, particularly over matters of gender identity and individual behaviour. Yes, there have been some dreadful examples of misbehaviour and criminal offence and we do ourselves no favours by pretending to ignore these, but we aim to be a church in which people of all persuasions particularly those of fluid or minority gender identity can find total acceptance as human beings created in the image of God just as we are.

Respectful conversation means actually listening to the other person’s point of view, understanding it, and striving to find common ground and purpose. I have been criticised in the past for what some people see as a political belief at odds with what they think an Anglican priest should hold, but I quote a member of one parish who was an office-holder in the opposite political party who said to me “If more people of faith would join the political party of their choice, we would have a more tolerant, honest and informed political system.” Certainly we can agree to differ, sometimes fundamentally, on various issues, but always respect the other person’s right to their beliefs and you never know, both of you might make some changes!

Clergy Conference and Synod: Gail and I will both be absent Tuesday-Thursday next week at the annual Clergy Conference at Cessnock. Please keep the forthcoming Diocesan Synod in your prayers: it is scheduled for Saturday 17 September .

Finally, a reminder that next Saturday (the day of the Markets), being the first Saturday of the month, there will be an evening Eucharist at St Michael’s at 5:30pm. When we shift to daylight saving time the service time change to 6:00pm.

See you in church

Fr George

0410 586 119 gmainprize@bigpond,com

Readings and Propers for Pentecost 12 (Trinity 11, OS 22)

Sentence

All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted (Lk 14:11)

Collect

O God, you invite the humble and sinful to take their place in the festive assembly of the new covenant: teach your Church always to honour the presence of the Lord in the poor and outcast, so that we may learn to recognise each other as brothers and sisters gathered around your table. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Readings

Jeremiah 2:4-13 God pleads with Israel to repent

Psalm 81:1-8, 10-16 I am God: I preserve my people

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 Service well-pleasing to God

Luke 14:7-14 Humility and hospitality

Sermon (Fr George)

I have just put the finishing touches to the last instalment of the series “Talking and Faith: Words have meaning” and sent it off to my reviewers for comment, and have started making notes for the follow-up series “Talking about Faith: Meaning have words” which will focus on what we believe and how it flows into ort actions and communication. Watch this space for more exciting specials on offer!! Today’s set of readings provides a good starting-point for this, since they all deal with outward expressions that give the pointer to core beliefs.

Every belief system, call it “religion” or whatever you will, has some sort of moral code. Christianity has no exclusive claim to an ethically superior moral code to anyone else and of course it is possible to live an ethically “good” life without a religious faith: in fact, I can think of a few avowed “atheists” whose displayed morality would put many professed “Christians” to shame! What distinguishes the Christian moral code from others it not only its claim to be divinely inspired, because every theistic faith and especially our brothers and sisters of Judaism and Islam, will make a similar claim and indeed a great deal of the moral codes of these three is held in common. But our system is based on an emulation of Jesus the Incarnate Word, who takes the code inspired by God and goes to the very heart of it: not only does he quote the essence of it, the two commandments to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and to love your neighbour (and he has some very striking things to say about who constitutes one’s neighbour) as you love yourself, and not only does he proclaim that ethic, he lives it out to the “nth degree” as the saying goes.

The Old Testament prophets were continually calling the people back to deep allegiance to God, saying that whenever they turned their gaze and subsequent behaviour away from God they experienced the “wrath of God” in terms of subjugation and alienation

The Christian community of faith is not called into exclusivity: indeed we are exhorted “while we have time let work for the good of all people, and especially for those who are of the community of faith” (Galatians 6:10)

There are endless lists of what constitutes good behaviour: the fundamental premise is that our behaviour should stem from having our gaze fixed firmly of God, manifested in Jesus the Incarnate Word. Our life can travel along a variety of paths according to our circumstances, talents and opportunities, but the common thread is the demand to be completely God-focussed. Even the greatest saints would be aware of their failings at this, but we are people on a pilgrimage towards God, and must call on the aid of God to sanctify us, to encourage, and to forgive us, and to open our eyes to the guides who will assist us on our journey.

With the best will in the world there are going to be people whose moral and ethical behaviour is very different to those which we might profess as individuals: think politics, economics, sexuality and gender issues, foreign relations …………. the list goes on and on. Our job is to engage in respectful conversation and trust for incremental change and a common understanding with those form who we differ. Who knows, some of our understanding and behaviour might be challenged!

The Lord be with you.

Intercessions (Common Worship Church of England “Common Prayer” and local biddings)

The general response is Lord, hear our prayer

For the unity of the Church in witness and proclamation of the Gospel: for Justin Archbishop of Canterbury, and for the Episcopal Church of the Philippines and our sister Diocese of Guadalcanal; for the Anglican Board of Mission (Australia); for this Diocese and our Bishop Peter, Bishops Assisting Sonia Charlie, the parishes of Denman-Merriwa and Murrurundi; the ministry of Scone Grammar School; for this parish and our clergy George and Gail, and for our stewardship, missions and evangelism; and for our neighbouring faith community of St David’s Presbyterian Church

Let us pray to the Lord

Lord, hear our prayer

For the peace and stability of all peoples and for the leaders of the nations; Ukraine and Russia, Taiwan and China; Kenya, Papua-New Guinea: at home for Prime Minister Albanese and Premier Perrotet and all Members of Parliament and Local Government

Let us pray to the Lord

Lord, hear our prayer

For places of work, education and leisure: our Diocesan schools and the state and Catholic schools in this parish, their staff and especially those who teach Special Religious Education; for the business enterprises of Woodberry Early Learning Centre, Beresfield Pharmacy, Place of Friends, and Coffee on Lawson

Let us pray to the Lord

Lord, hear our prayer

For a blessing on our homes; for our relations and friends and all whom we love, and those whom we find hard to love

Let us pray to the Lord

Lord, hear our prayer

For the sick and suffering and all who minister to their needs and especially Jenny, Indi, Barbara D, Val Frazer, Betty, Les, Mandy, Ann, Daphne, Bruce, Debbie M, Samuel, Peta S, Kylie S, John J, Tim R, Sarah S, Jenny H, Didi, Peter McC, Susan, Elizabeth, Dawn A, Helen W, Michelle, Barry, Abby, Janet, and Heidi; those known to us and those known to you alone

Let us pray to the Lord

Lord, hear our prayer

In thanksgiving for the Communion of Saints, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Paul our Patron, Aidan of Lindisfarne, John Bunyan, Gregory of Rome, Eliza Darling, and the Martyrs of New Guinea; for those whose anniversary of death falls this week; Betty Leayr, Doris Maloney, Geffrey Harwood, Cindy Collins, Ken Evans, and Joe Donald,; and for those whom we have loved and see no more

Make our voices one with all your people on heaven and on earth

Let us pray to the Lord

Lord, hear our prayer

Let us commend ourselves and all for whom we pray to the mercy and protection of God

Holy God, you have promised to hear us grant that what we have asked in faith we may by your grace, receive Amen

Saints and Commemorations of the week.

29 Beheading of John the Baptist

31 John Bunyan, preacher and spiritual writer (1688) anyone who has read “The Pilgrim’s Progress) or sung the hymn “Who would true valour see” will be familiar with some of his work. A tinker and Congregationalist preacher, who spent many years in prison as a “Dissenter”, he has had a lasting influence on popular devotion.

Aidan of Lindisfarne, bishop and missionary (651) from the Holy Island in the north of England and his missionary journeys Aidan had a profound influence on the spread of Christianity in the north. It’s a pity that more Anglican churches don’t look to some of the British saints when choosing a Patron saint.

September

2 Martyrs of New Guinea (1942) a total of 333 people were martyred by the Japanese during WW2, including 8 Anglicans (1 Papuan and 7 Australians), 188 Roman Catholics and others from the Lutheran and Seventh Day Adventist churches. Some died when the Japanese over-ran the area, others were betrayed by local who were either non-Christian or collaborators. The western wall of Westminster Abbey, facing the public square, has statues of a number of 20th century martyrs in the niches, including the 20yo Papuan catechist Lucien Tapiedi.

3 Gregory of Rome, bishop and teacher (604) whatever else he may be remembered for, Anglicans have cause to be thankful for Pope Gregory who despatched St Augustine (not the bishop/theologian of Hippo) to commence the re-evangelisation of southern England when the church had languished following the departure of the Romans empire.

Eliza Darling, pioneer and social reformer (1868) wife of Governor John Darling is NSW she was instrumental in establishing training schools and education for women as well as numerous charitable works in the early NSW colony.

Finally, something to smile about (sources unknown)

How to fall asleep in a lounge chair: step 1, get old; step 2, sit in a lounge chair

A recent study has found that women who carry a little extra weight live longer than men who comment on it

Never sing in the shower, because singing leads to dancing, and dancing leads to slipping, and slipping leads to the paramedics seeing you naked, so it is safer not to sing.

You never realise how old you are until you sit on the floor and then try to get back up.