Dear People of God
Grace and Peace to you all
As I write this I don’t have the exact figure to hand, but the Thornton Market Day raised over $600. Our thanks go to all who handled the bookings, marshalled the traffic and directed stallholders, ran the barbecue and morning teas as our various parish activities. The general feeling was that, given the cold and blustery weather, to overall day went well.
A reminder that Parish Council will meet next Sunday 16 July.
There are five Sundays this month and, as per our custom, we will have one service in the parish, at St Paul’s, followed by morning tea. This month we will be hosting the Uniting Church congregation for fellowship over morning tea.
A few weeks back I wrote that, after Trinity, I wanted to commence some teaching/refreshers on the Sacramental system of the Church. We reach more people in church than we do in weekday study groups, and I have the choice between preaching according to the Sunday readings or conducting a special series of preaching according to my own choice of topic. I believe this latter path is a departure from good Anglican practice, although I am aware that some Anglican churches go their own sweet way in their sermon series. I want to do both so I propose that an attachment to the weekly mailout will be a series of papers on the sacraments.
Two interesting comments made at Synod regarding the Voice to Parliament and the whole matter of Reconciliation. Archdeacon Rod Bower, in proposing a motion, said “Apart from there being no common language between the European arrivals and the community into which they arrived, I wonder how things might have been different had the new arrivals asked two questions (1) ‘May we come ashore?’ and “How do you make sense of this place?’” The other comment was made by Canon Di Langham to the effect that “We are not asking to take control of the land. What we are essentially seeking is to be put on the birth certificate of Australia, that is, to be written into the foundation document of Australia, the Constitution.” Worth pondering.
The Lord be with you
Fr George
gmainprize@bigpond.com 0410 5286 119
Propers of the Day
Sentence
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” says the Lord. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart.” (Mt 11:28-29)
Collect
Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ has taught us that what we do for the least of his brothers and sisters we do also for him: give us the will to serve others as he was the servant of all, who gave up his life and died for us; yet lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one Gd, now and for ever. Amen
Readings
Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49,58-67 The marriage of Isaac and Rebekah
Psalm 45:10-17 A royal wedding psalm
Romans 7:14-25 On inner conflict
Matthew 11:15-19,25-30 In Jesus the Christ, God is made manifest
Sermon (Fr George)
There’s all sorts of things happening in the readings for today. Isaac, having avoided the knife last week, is getting married today and we have a wedding song in the Psalm to celebrate that; St Paul continues his struggle to be a virtuous man; and Jesus lets the doubters and naysayers have it with both barrels!
St Paul is writing into a society which saw malevolent forces lurking everywhere. Remember that Jesus also was busy casting out demons which we might today refer to as mental illness. Popular culture today has made ideas of demon possession almost the flavour of the month: think of films like “The Exorcist”. Now I am not going to wholesale deny the existence of external malevolence but it seems to me that we are too often ready to blame something external for our own faults. There are Christian denominations and some traditions even within the mainstream churches were exorcism is practised on a weekly basis. I can even think of a school not a million miles from here which used to “exorcise evil spirits” as a means of discipline! The childish excuse for misbehaviour of “The devil made me do it” is not unknown!
St Paul, however, underlines the struggle between self-centredness of God-centredness. At its extreme, self-centredness exhibits as clinical narcissism. Some of us have ad the totally unpleasant experience of working with someone like that. Everything is about “how good I am” and “you know nothing”, which destroys both the victims and the institutions in which they are found.
Self-centredness does play an important tole in human development. Anyone who has ever raised children will know all about it. The younger the child the more insistent it is that its demands take priority over everything else, especially in the wee small hours of the morning! It’s a matter of survival for them. However as we become socialised we learn to find our true place both within our near family and within society at large.
St Paul equates sin and slavery the “The Law” as being slavishly obedient to the minutiae of “The Law” without attention to the holiness which was the desired purpose of obedience. His struggle is with becoming self-less and becoming God-centred, a struggle with which pretty-well all of us can identify. St Augustine of Hippo (not the Canterbury one) used to pray “God, make me holy, but not just yet!”. Yielding oneself completely to God is a life-long journey, as we strive to model ourselves on Christ.
The key element, as St Paul is constantly at pains to tell us, is grace. We speak of “grace” being conveyed in the sacraments, of grace that makes the world go around, of grace that sustains the Church in its mission. “Righteousness” might be found in faithful adherence to The Law, but it is the unmerited grace of God that transforms our lives into true Godliness.
Turning to the gospel reading, and if you read the complete section between verses 15 and 30, you will understand Jesus’ frustration with the lack of willingness on the part of the people to accept the authority which he claimed. I doubt that he accepted the notion of literal return of the prophet Elijah, but there was a tradition which said Elijah would return to herald the Messiah. Jesus equates that ministry of John the Baptist with that of the prophet in that he, John, is announcing the imminent presence of the Messiah in Jesus. The parallels between Elijah’s and John’s proclamations are striking. “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight”, “Repent for the Kingdom is at hand”, and so on. We get a picture of a very frustrated Jesus indeed! No more of this “gentle Jesus meek and mild” that we learned in Sunday School. Jesus is man on a mission and nothing is as urgent as the Kingdom and its demand for loving obedience to God.
Contrast, if you will, the contract between the strict lawyers who multiplied the demands of what they saw as The Law, making it almost impossible for people to obey every minutia of its demands. No wonder “Righteousness” was in short supply! It’s a far cry from “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God”. There’s the contrast between Righteousness and Grace.
We end this section with what I think of as one of the early advertising slogans which might well have been exhibited on the doorway of Joseph’s carpenter shop in Nazareth “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light”. I don’t know how many of you might have actually used a yoke. W used one when we were building our house and making the mud bricks. My wife’s paternal grandfather made one for use on the farm at Yass, when water had to be drawn from a well and carted back to the house, usually the job of his wife or daughters. It sat comfortably on the shoulders and we could sling a bucket on each end, walk into the dam and fill two buckets with water and carry them back to the mudbrick making site. It made heavy loads easy to carry.
So the cry of Jesus makes sense to people who are labouring under the excessive demands of the elaborations on the Law. In the old Book of Common Prayer we sued to hear these words at every Eucharist….”Hear what comfortable words our Saviour Christ saith unto all that truly turn to him. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden….” Remember that?
I remind you that the word “comfort” actually means “with strength”. The Bayeaux Tapestry, that extensive tapestry depicting William the Conquerors invasion of England in 1066, has a panel with the caption “King William comforteth his troops” in which he is jabbing a spear into the backside of a solder, encouraging them to move on! Its strengthening them in a very direct way!
So Jesus is promising Grace, to be free from the excessive demands of “The Law” and to find the true freedom of loving obedience to God. And that is exactly what he promises to us here and now.
Amen
Intercessions (APBA with biddings)
Let us pray for the preservation of the earth
That we may be filled with the same Spirit that enabled St Francis of Assisi to praise God for all creation; that we may learn from the First Peoples of this and every land in their care of the earth and for seeing the presence of God in “the thin spaces”; and for a deep sense of urgency in conservation and climate repair
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.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
Let us pray for peace and shared prosperity
For the leaders of this land in parliaments, industry and community development, and especially for those who strive for justice and equity in the financial management of our society. For the people of Ukraine, Syria, the Land of Holy One, and all places of oppression and violence
We give thanks for leaders who serve the common good. Give wisdom to those who have responsibility and authority in every land, that we may share with justice the resources of the world and work together in trust.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
Let us pray for our nation
For true reconciliation between the First Peoples of this land and those who have settled here over the years; for mutual respect and dignity in the debate over the Voice to Parliament
We give thanks for this land and the diversity of its peoples. Grant that we may so honour one another that all may be enriched by our common heritage and freed from despair, poverty and exclusion
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
Let us pray for the Church and its mission
That we may be drawn together our boundaries of religious separation that together we may proclaim the faith of Jesus Christ; for the Anglican Church throughout the world, especially for Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury, the Church of the Province of Central Africa and the Province of Tanzania; the Australian Diocese Canberra-Goulburn; and in this Diocese for Bishop Peter and for Sonia and Charlie, Bishops Assisting; for the ministry of Samaritans and Cursillo. And the Peninsula Parish (Woy Woy); for this parish and our clergy George and Gail and our Parish Councillors, and for our fellow Christians I the Tarro Baptist Church
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,
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
Let us pray for ourselves and our community
For the businesses of this community and in our cycle for the St Vinnies Op Shop, Ballards Academy of Jiu Jitsu, Metro Petroleum, and Tarro Quality Meats
We give thanks for the fellowship of the communities 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.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
Let us pray for those in need.
For the bereaved an especially for the O’Dell family; for families dealing with separation and alienation; for the sick, especially those for whom we pray by name: Jenny, Indi, Barbara D, Val Frazer, Lynn, Betty, Les, Jill, Ann, Daphne, Bruce, Debbie M, Samuel, John J, Merv T, Nicole M, Jenny H, Didi, Margaret, Peter McC, Susan, Eizabeth, Dawn A, Heidi, Wendy F, Peter, Peter, Vicki L, Jenny M, Val D, Ben, Keith, Sammy Jo and Noah, Derek, Zoe Janet R, Paul and Katrina H, Levi, Arlo, Grace, Michael, Roslyn, Lisa, Peggy; those who will seek Holy Unction at today’s services; those who are known to us and those who are known to you alone.
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.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
Let us give thanks for the faithful departed
For Russel O’Dell, who has recently died; for those who year’s mind falls at this time, Lillian Buckman, Janette Atkins, Joyce Atkins, Trixie Cunningham, Neville Parish, Barbara Peterson, and Harley Morrow; for those whom we have loved and see no more; and for that great fellowship of your saints and holy people in their several generations including Benedict of Nursia, John Keble, and Sydney James Kirby
We give you thanks for your servants every age. Grant that we, with all your saints, may be brought to a joyful resurrection and the fulfilment of your kingdom.
Holy 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
Saints and Commemorations of the Week 9-15 July
11 Benedict of Nursia, Abbot (550) Father of Western Monasticism. Established a monastery which became the dominant model for western monasticism, founded on the Rule of St Benedict, a series of injunctions on a manner of life and rules for the good conduct of monastic communities. It was based on the principle of prayer and work (Ora et Labora) whereby monks devoted eight hours to prayer, eight hours to physical work and eight hours to sleep (a good model for our industrial “Eight Hour Day”). His twin sister, Scholastica, established a similar system for women.
13 Sydney James Kirby, bishop, pioneer of outback ministry, the Bush Church Aid Society (1953) developed a passion for ministry amongst the people of remote Australia who were isolated from the usual church ministries of the urban areas. He was born in Bendigo and died in Sydney, where he had become Co-adjutor Bishop of Sydney. He established the Bush Church Aid Society which assisted with the placement of clergy in areas which could not independently support such a ministry.
14 John Keble, priest, Tractarian, poet (1866) was a Professor of Poetry at Oxford and who preached the “Assize Sermon” at the opening of the Court of Assizes in Oxford on the subject of “National Apostasy”. Although his subject was very specific to certain events happening in the Church of England at the time, it is credited as the start of the Tractarian or Oxford Movement for Catholic Renewal in the Church of England. Although several of its members left the Anglican Church for Roman Catholicism (John Henry Cardinal Newman being the most prominent) most of the initial members remained loyal Anglicans throughout their lives. Together with the Evangelical and Wesleyan Revival it is one of the two great movements which brought new life into what was in danger of becoming a moribund church. He wrote several hymns which we still sing today.
On the Sacraments
GRACE. If you remember the Catechism was way back when, we learned the definition of a Sacrament as “an outward and physical sign of an inward and spiritual grace”. But what is “grace”. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church devotes three, densely written columns to it, describing it as “The supernatural assistance of God bestowed on a rational being with a view to their sanctification”. Since the 4th century it has been a strongly contested subject by theologians of all stripes. A simpler way of expressing it might be to describe it as “the sustaining love of God that empowers us to be what we are called to be”. I have used it as a description of the force that keeps the Church from toppling over and which makes the world go around.
Grace is that starting point for our whole discussion of the Sacraments, which I will start to address next week in these mailouts. It depends solely on God, which St Paul stressed in his teaching.
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