20th October 2002
TWENTY SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
The least thing upset him on the links. He missed short putts because of the uproar of the butterflies in the adjoining meadow. P G Wodehouse
Unmitigated seriousness is always out of place in human affairs. Let not the unwary reader think me flippant for saying so; it was Plato, in his solemn old age, who said it. George Santayana
PRAYER OF THE WEEK
Grant peace and eternal rest, dear Lord, to all the departed and especially to those who have died violently and undeservedly, victims of the hatred and cruelty of humankind. May the example of their suffering and courage draw us closer to you in your own agony and passion, and deepen our compassion and commitment to love and peace. Strengthen us in our desire to serve you in ministering to any who are sick or injured around us, and in comforting any who grieve. Grant hope and healing to all who are injured, skill and compassion to those who care for them and give to us all the grace so to spend ourselves for those who suffer and are still alive, that we may prove most truly that we have not forgotten those who have died.
Honouring the Dead and Praying for the Bereaved
During all our services today there will be a minute's silence in honour of those killed in the Bali atrocity. This will take place before the "Giving of the Peace". At the end of the silence (if children make a noise we are tolerant of that noise) the Celebrant will say: "Rest eternal grant to them O Lord" and all respond, "And let light perpetual shine upon them." we then give each other a sign of the peace, and for once lets make this a quiet and peaceful peace-giving, limiting it to a handshake with those near to us and the words: "The peace of the Lord be with you.....and also with you. The intercessions too will include both the bereaved and the lost.
THE WEEK THAT WAS
It has been a week of ceaseless activity. Most of the activity has been of a pastoral nature, dealing with problems and challenges of every sort. Many of the week's encounters with people in need have been both rewarding and enriching, one or two of them rather less so, but all of them interesting. The parish priest's lot is a good and fascinating one.
Providence
Particularly rewarding is the fact that when people in need require me to spend fairly substantial sums of money on their behalf from my discretionary fund, what I pay out is almost always, providentially and often all but immediately, replaced either by someone's generosity or from some other source. Required to outlay $150 this week, I was more than compensated from other sources. God does indeed provide.
Clergy Discretion
If ever you wonder about your Clergy's "Discretionary Fund", let me enlighten you. Both of your clergy have such a fund. It is fed not by the parish, but by clergy fees from weddings and funerals as well as by occasional donations. They give to your clergy the freedom to do all sorts of things that otherwise they would have to go cap in hand to the Parish Council for, a body which, quite properly is frugal, parsimonious and careful. "Our Discretionary fund frees us to give to the needy as we see fit, though we attempt to do so only to the really and truly needy, for there is little good in subsidising fecklessness, alcoholism or crime! We are also enabled to finance little projects that the Parish Council might consider of secondary rather than primary importance, such as my paving part of the back of the Rectory some years ago. Also books, periodicals, seminars and conferences that are clearly of a professional character can be financed without an appeal to our often stretched parish finances.
Pilgrim and mendicant
The most bizarre and funny event of last week involved my son David's credit card, which is one attached to mine, I being the primary card holder. David is now resident in Cambridge, a part time parish assistant at the prestigious Anglo Catholic church of Little St Mary's and working in pubs for the rest of his time. He has very recently returned from the famous pilgrim's hike along the Pyrenees to St James Compostella, about seven hundred kilometres of it. During that hike he submitted his card to an ATM machine and lost it. The brute gulped the card down instead of spitting it out with a little bundle of his loving papa's lolly. Poor David, whether he liked it or not, had become a mendicant as well as a pilgrim!
Mistaken identity
As I am the primary card holder he asked me to sort out a card replacement and so I rang the bank on Monday and after negotiating successfully the buttons that the emotionless, sexless, recorded voice offered as alternatives for me to press, I introduced myself and outlined my problem to a young man who eventually surprised me by saying that my son's name had been deleted from my card, but the reasons for this could not be divulged over the phone. He suggested I went to my local branch of the bank where they would inform me of what had gone wrong. This I duly did, though it seemed odd. At the bank a young woman took me into an office and rang the credit card department in my company and so I was party to an intriguing and also alarming one-sided conversation. "Oh!" she said. "Really! How awful, I don't believe it. I can't tell him...." and more to the same effect. It was a lengthy conversation, punctuated by long pauses as buttons were pressed and records scrutinised at the other end of the line. I thought to myself, "What has David been up to? Did he beat up the ATM, insult a teller in unforgivable Spanish swear words, for he speaks the language? Had be been using the card to finance Basque terrorists in buying hash......?" I told the young woman that she ought to tell me what was wrong and she said that she couldn't, but that the problem had nothing to do with David, it was all to do with the bank. Then she began to ask me some questions. What was David's second name? Had I spoken to him recently (she seemed relieved that I had)? Had I been recently to Brisbane? Finally there came two questions that elucidated the whole matter. "What is your father's name?" "Is he deceased?" The penny dropped. All the bank's branches had at last been informed that David Neaum, with a bank account (though no credit card) in Brisbane, had died. So all accounts in his name were to be closed because his estate had finally been wound up! The coyness of the bank with me arose from them thinking that David my son was dead and that I did not know about it, whereas, in fact, it is my father David who is dead, something that I am only too aware of!
Laying the slab
A great joy for me this week was to see the slab for the Memorial Hall laid. A most interesting and skilful piece of work. We are still very much in need of donations for this great improvement to the facilities here at St John's, so please bear us in mind. As things stand at present, in order to stay within budget and not overburden ourselves in debt, we are going to have to postpone installing some of the facilities of the building until later. Things like the cooling system, kitchen equipment, stoves, that sort of thing.... so donations are still very much needed Fr Andrew Neaum
OUT OF THE MOUTHS
One summer evening during a violent thunderstorm a mother was tucking her son into bed. She was about to turn off the light when he asked with a tremor in his voice, "Mommy, will you sleep with me tonight?" The mother smiled and gave him a reassuring hug. "I can't dear," she said. "I have to sleep in Daddy's room." A long silence was broken at last by his shaky little voice: "The big sook."
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to Sylvan Barns who celebrates his birthday on Wednesday the 23rd and also, retrospectively to Joy Anderson who was 90 on Saturday 12th of October.
CENTENARY SHOPPING BAGS
On the table in the Narthex there are Diocesan Centenary shopping bags to be bought for $8 each. The proceeds go to A B M
FRIENDSHIP GROUP
The next meeting of the Friendship Group is on Wed. 23rd Oct. at 7.30pm in the Narthex.
THANK YOU
I wish to thank all those who assisted in any way with the catering for The School for Seniors and Continuing Education Centre Luncheon last Friday. To cater for 300 people is no mean feat, however, with working bees prior to the event and with so wonderful a band of workers on the day, all were served with a minimum of fuss. Dorothy Heiner
CANON DAVID'S REMINISCENCES
There are now enough copies of Canon David's Reminiscences to supply all those who ordered them. Margaret Andrews will give them out after the 9.30am service. If you haven't the money with you take a book and pay later, Margaret will record who has paid and who has not as she gives books out. At the other services ask Fr Andrew for a copy .
CHRISTIAN MEDITATION
There is a Christian Meditation group starting at St John's this week. Anyone who is interested is welcome to come along and learn all about it on Wednesday the 23rd at 9.00am in the Narthex. The Christian Faith has a long and honoured tradition of meditation, one that is easier and wiser for most Westerners to tap into than are Eastern forms of this spiritual discipline.
WELL DONE BETHANGA/TALGARNO
The Open Garden at the Elliot's home, "Talgarno Park" was a lovely and most successful occasion last Sunday. The setting of the house and lovely garden were a joy to behold and a good number of folk turned up to enjoy them. The profit, of approximately $1156, is most impressive. Well done.
THE ADVOCATE
On the table in the narthex, or from the Parish Office can be obtained copies of a questionnaire to do with the Diocesan monthly paper, "The Advocate". This is to help make decisions about its future, so please do take one and fill it in. You can either send your form direct to Wangaratta or leave it at the Parish Office to be sent together with any others that have been filled in.
FLOWER SHOW AND FETE
We are in to the last few days lead up to the Flower Show and Fete. Children, or mothers, please take a pink form home with you to use to enter the Children's Section of the Flower Show, there are prizes to be won for all age groups! We need cakes, cakes, cakes and slices by the thousand, as well as plants, books, art and craft items, Christmas gifts, items for Tom's Hamper, soft toys, potted plants, fruit and vegetables. Lots and lots of them. Volunteers to help set up are also needed, especially on Friday, please have a word with Bill Elkington if you can assist. Trash and Treasure items are still welcome, phone Bill Elkington (6024 1540) or Jim Hislop (60246492) if you want items collected.
SETTING UP FOR THE FETE
On both Thursday and Friday at 8.30am we would like as many able bodied folk as possible to help us set up for the Fete. Please do play your part in this great venture!
IMPORTANT DATES
Oct 26th Flower Show and Fete
Nov 20th Pastoral Care Committee Meeting
Nov 27th Pastoral Care Meeting
Nov 30th Concert & Book Launch Wangaratta
Dec 15th Children's Church and Nativity Play
Dec 21st Carol Service
Feb 7th Meeting Place Opening and Dinner
Feb 9th Meeting Place Opening Service
DUTIES up to & including 27th October
Cleaning & Tea Team 4
Vestry Peter Young
Mowing Laurie Anstis
Narthex Clare Russell, Liz Elliott
Linen Linda McWaters
Welcome Table Mary Nicholson, Linda McWaters
Door Jean Ardern, Anne Andrews, Margaret Neaum
Readers Jean Ardern, Lyla Richards, Margaret Morse
Eucharistic Assistant Roger & Cheryl Cobcroft
Intercessor Georgina Edgar
Servers Caldwell, Aimee, Paige, Catherine, Liz, Daniel
FOR PRAYER
The Sick:
Ed Baumgarten, Margaret Beecher, Ivy Frost, Maimee Haines, Joyce Hall, Julie Howe, Audrey Kennedy, Robert Jones, Jordan Lowe, Lois Neil, Gail Mahney, Anja Mosse, Janet Murray, Peter Nugent, Christopher Pearson, Thora Pyke, Val Saunders, Grant Savage, Ray Schmidt, Mary Shae, Jack Skilton, Mellissa Walsch, William, John Willoughby.
Rest in Peace:
Victims of the Bali bombing
Anniversary of Death:
Eric Doughty, Alan Grant, Stewart Bawden, Murray Foye 21st, James Lee 22nd, Arthur Prior, Margaret Crighton 23rd, Susan Thompson 24th, Elsie Nugent, Jeffrey Clarke 25th Edward Darnell, Thomas Hodgkin, Alan Dann 26th,
THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
Monday 21st October
Fr Andrew's Day off
7.15am Mattins & Eucharist - St John's
5.00pm Evening Prayer - St John's
Tuesday 22nd October
7.15am Mattins & Eucharist - St John's
9.00am Pastoral Care Meeting - Parish Office
9.30am Clergy Hospital Visits
5.00pm Evening Prayer - St John's
7.30pm Bishop's Certificate Course - Narthex
Wednesday 23rd October James of Jerusalem
7.15am Mattins only - Emmanuel
9/00am Christian Meditation, Introduction- Narthex
10.00am Eucharist - St John's
10.00am Home Communions
5.00pm Evening Prayer - St John's
7.30pm Friendship Group Meeting - Narthex
Thursday 24th October
7.15am Mattins & Eucharist - St John's
8.30am Fete Setting Up - Volunteers Please
9.00an Bishop in Council - Wangaratta
3.30pm Children for Christ - Narthex
4.00pm Board of Nomination - Wangaratta
5.00pm Evening Prayer - St John's
7.30pm Choir Practice - St John's
Friday 25th October
Fr Ellis' Day off
7.15am Mattins & Trad Rite Eucharist - St John's
8.30am Fete Setting Up - Volunteers Please
5.00pm Evening Prayer - St John's
7.30pm Almost certainly no Scottish Country Dancing
Saturday 26th October
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - St John's
9.00am Fete Opens
5.30pm Evening Prayer - St John's
6.00pm Vigil Eucharist - St John's
27th October 23rd Sunday after Pentecost
7.30am Said Eucharist - St John's
9.00am Uniting Church Eucharist - Emmanuel
9.30am Sung Eucharist - St John's
11.00am Morning Prayer - Bethanga
7.00pm Evening Prayer (said) - St John's