SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT
7th December 2003
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
In my youth, when I affected long hair in protest against the Australian short back and sides, a barber once said to me "You're a ballet dancer, are you, son?" I never understood why the other barber guffawed.....It was not uncommon for cars to slow down in the street so that the louts within could call out at any nicely dressed, if hirsute, male pedestrian, "Where's ya violin?" There must have been a risible European fiddler with a flowing mane buried deep in the Australian racial memory. You never hear it now, but a rare and imaginative homophobic taunt was, in my memory, "You've lost your lino, mate!" Again, this was not seldom yelled from a car at any man with the languid habit of sauntering hand on hip, as if transporting an invisible roll of linoleum. It's a phrase I would like to revive....
Barry Humphries
A PRAYER FOR USE THIS WEEK
O Lord, you know us more truly than we know ourselves: let your Holy Spirit search out and so enable us to begin to let go of our weaknesses, our fears, the unsurrendered things within our souls, that we may be saved from denial, offence, disloyalty, and betrayal, and so of whole heart in our commitment to you.
George Appleton (adapted)
THE PERFECT REMEDY
Last Sunday Bill was sitting next to Ben at the back of St Augustine's. Every five minutes Bill shuffled his feet and winced in pain. "What's the matter Bill?" whispered Ben. "It's my feet! They are killing me. My shoes are too small." "Why do you wear shoes that are too small?" "Ah well! Two weeks ago I lost my job. My wife Sarah complains of rheumatism all day long and won't let me near her. I can't pay my bills. My son Tom has abandoned his studies and it has cost me my life savings already to put him through a preliminary degree at university. My daughter has run off with a no good drug addict. But when I take my shoes off, life seems wonderful!"
MADNESS AND BELIEF
Fr Andrew Neaum
Anyone who believes thoroughly in God seems something of a lunatic or even worse to the intelligentsia of today. And not only of today either. In 1925 one of the precious and dilettante Bloomsbury intellectuals reacted to the conversion of T S Eliot to Anglo-Catholicism by writing: "There's something obscene in a living person sitting by the fire and believing in God"!
When I was Rector of Ararat I had a fair bit to do with lunatics. Up until both institutions closed, I used to celebrate the Eucharist in the old Forensic Centre there, where the "criminally insane" were incarcerated, and also in Aradale, a large institution for the mentally ill. To do so was often a most refreshing and rewarding experience. To be considered a lunatic is more a compliment than an insult to those with the eyes to see.
Knocking Out Demons
At the Forensic Centre there was a small and rather pleasing chapel made from joining two cells together. There, once a fortnight, always with a warder present because the inmates were considered unpredictable and dangerous, I celebrated the Eucharist with a congregation of four of five young and usually well tattooed men.
To make sense of the Gospel to such folk in a short homily required imagination and thorough preparation. As often as not they would challenge what you said, or comment on it, or ask difficult questions, often to do with sex. The secret was always to take seriously what they said, to empathise both with them and with our Lord himself, and so never, ever descend into condescension or pharisaism.
I remember once administering the consecrated host to a muscle-bound hulk of a man who, as he went back to his pew, loudly smacked his lips and said "Good tucker that! It knocks the demons out of yer." Well yes! Exactly. How refreshing a response to God's coming to us in the Eucharist when compared to the indifferent, take-it-or-leave-it response of so many out in the world of sanity, restraint and decorum.
An Authentic Parishioner
With most of the mentally ill or "disabled" now out of institutions and embedded in the community, some of them find their way into the parish church. One of our most valued parishioners at Holy Trinity, Ararat was a very large woman of about forty. She had a severe speech impediment which made her most difficult to understand, but some members of the congregation took the trouble to learn how to make sense of what she said and interpret it to the rest of us.
She loved the parish church. Early every Sunday, before light in winter, she arrived, talking to herself, to set up the cups for tea after the 9.30am Eucharist. She put the pew leaflets into the hymn books. She greeted people she knew with a smothering hug. She sat up at the front of the church and sang the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus and any hymns she knew with unrestrained and moderately tuneful gusto. Every time she met me during the week she asked if there was Evensong on Sunday night for she looked forward to our monthly choral Evensong with particular pleasure.
That she should find in our congregation and parish church so much joy and fun and such a sense of purpose, authenticated our parish life and worship more than anything else we were, or did.
The Best Ever Comment On A Sermon
I used to visit the small mental hospital on the Island of St Helena. This was an enjoyable experience, not least because there was a very happy family atmosphere to the place. All the nurses and warders came to the service and took a part in it, with their charges, singing the hymns in particular with wild fervour and appreciative too of the homily.
One of the patients was a plump, roly-poly lad called Archie. I was told that he had spent many years confined in a box by his family before experiencing the liberation of this homely little mental institution. What I said in my short sermon was usually an adaption of what I had said half an hour before at a local primary school's assembly. This went down well, I thought, with both staff and patients. Archie was a great splutterer and fidgeter, but we all got used to that. Once, however, during a dramatic pause in my oration, he broke wind with a force and emphasis that brought a gasp of admiration from his fellow patients and a guffaw or two from their charges. I carried on regardless. However, when later telling a friend of Archie's windy exclamation, she said, without a moment's hesitation: "I would have thought that to be a very fair comment on your sermons!"
THIS AND THAT
Our drawn out move from Wodonga to Shepparton is at last over. Margaret, Elizabeth, Rachel, Pippin (pooch), Edward and Eleanor (budgies) have now joined me in the rectory and we are in the process of emptying too many cartons for a house to contain all that they contain.
The two budgies live in a large, Heath-Robinsonesque cage, badly designed and built by me, with no adequate way of extracting living birds easily in preparation for a move such as this. In the end we had to manoeuvre the huge cage into the lounge at Wodonga, turn it on its head, close all the room's doors and allow the birds to fly up and out of the door at the cage's bottom. We then caught them as they fluttered around the room. That such an expedient actually worked is a tribute to the strong nerves of Edward and Eleanor as well as to the improvisatory ingenuity of the Neaums. Edward, rather shamefacedly, is now minus his tail feathers as a result of his fraught moments of freedom and subsequent capture, but they will grow again. He went bald recently, not in sympathy with me, but as part of his annual moult. In Wodonga I took Communion regularly to an elderly lady who had a budgie that talked and whistled to us all the way through the little service and which was bald all over, except for its head, suffering from some sort of avian neurosis, it plucked out every feather of its own that it could reach, a budgie nudist, a shrivelled, pink-skinned, scrawny scrap that would appear unappetising to all but the hungriest of cats.
The removalists were slow, and it took them all of Monday to load up in Wodonga and all of Tuesday to load down in Shepparton. We warned them that the piano should be brought in before it rained, but they scoffed at any suggestion of rain. Down the rain came however and humble pie was duly eaten. However, as it turned out, the piano was safer in the truck for the Rectory roof, in such a deluge, leaked copiously in three or four significant places. If you spy me on the roof at anytime in the near future I will be looking for cracked or slipped tiles!
I write this early on Friday morning, at speed, pressed for time. Thursday morning is normally pew sheet time, but Thursday was spent in Wangaratta at a Bishop in Council Meeting. The house is still cluttered with boxes, though Margaret made great headway yesterday. Little mishaps happen though, my much appreciated and very early morning cup of coffee didn't taste quite as it should. I had taken, from a rearranged fridge shelf, orange juice instead of milk.
Many thanks to all the folk who have been so welcoming and generous with gifts of food and cards and flowers. It has been a warm welcome indeed and most appreciated. I don't know, as I write this, who it was who loaned me the microwave, but I have placed it in the Narthex kitchen and it has been of great use to me while on my own, assisting in making some memorable meals as well as a couple that left me meditatively and indigestively burping......hurray, the pewsheet is now full and there is no more need to burble on.
Fr Andrew
AN INVITATION
Tonight, at 8.00pm St Mary's Katandra West Church celebrates its Patronal Festival. All parishioners, friends and past worshippers are invited to attend a joyful occasion
ANGLICARE ANGELS
On sale in the Narthex are Angel Pens at $4 each and Angels unpenned at $2.00 each. These are all sold to raise money for Anglicare who now employ a full time and charming officer in our Diocese. They make excellent stocking fillers.
GOULBURN VALLEY GRAMMAR
On Wednesday at 11.30 St Augustine's is to be invaded by hundreds of pupils and parents from Goulburn Valley Grammar School. This is for their end of year and Christmas service. Every square inch of our building will be used, which is a very good thing. The more our church is used by the community the better and although this event means that the cup of tea after the Wednesday Eucharist will have to be in the hall and there will be chairs in unaccustomed places, it is in a very good cause. Many of the children and some of their parents will never have been in St Augustine's, one of the loveliest of churches in our city. I hope they will rejoice in it.
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to Shane Knight and Teena Parris who are to be married this Saturday, and to Samuel Alexander Damianopoulos to be baptized at 12.00 noon today. Also to Marj Malcolm for her birthday on the 11th.
CHRISTMAS CARD SHOP
156 High St., Shepparton
The Annual Charity Christmas Card Shop will be in operation again this year. The shop is supported by 19 different local charities and is run by volunteers. This year the shop is situated at 156 High Street, Shepparton just around from Corio Street. On sale will be many different Christmas cards, diaries, tea towels, calenders, Rotary Christmas puddings, Lions Christmas Cakes, lovely decorations, knitted toys and other gift items. Most people buy Christmas cards, why not buy ones that will support the work of groups in the community that help people in need? Groups such as the Cancer Council, Red Cross, World Vision, Multiple Sclerosis, Royal Flying Doctor Service, G.V. Hospice Care and many others. The shop is operating now and will continue until Saturday December 20th. It opens from 9.30 to 4.30 and on Saturdays from 9.30 to 12 noon. The shop will remain open on Friday nights until 5 p.m.
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES
Those who are not averse to having their birthdays and anniversaries noted in this pew sheet please fill in the list in the narthex. There is no need to put the actual year of birth or anniversary, for that might reveal unwelcome truths. It is all simply a part of belonging to a happy parish family.
ENVELOPE SETS
There are still a few sets of envelopes for those who give by way of them waiting to be collected. Please deliver one or two of them so that we don't need to post any. Thank you.
ROSTERS
We will soon be preparing Rosters for next year and so a list is available in the Narthex for the names of those willing to be roster for various tasks, privileges and pleasures. Those who were on such rosters last year will have their names printed on the list and if they wish to withdraw they must simply cross their name out. New volunteers should write their name down clearly on the relevant list. Please note: To put your name down for lawn mowing is likely to earn you many more weeks off purgatory than to put it down for reading in Church. Readers should not only be able to read clearly and accurately in public, but also prepared to have a session or two on microphone technique and so on!
NEW DEAN
The new Dean of Wangaratta is being installed on December 12th at 7.30pm in the Cathedral. Anyone wishing to attend and needing a lift, have a word with Fr Andrew. Come along and pray him in.
CHRISTMAS SERVICES
There will be incense at the Midnight Mass but not at any other Christmas Services.
Monday 22nd
7.00pm Carol Service - St Augustine's
Wednesday 24th Christmas Eve
10.00am Eucharist (not a Christmas Service)
5.30pm Eucharist for Children and Parents
8.00pm Christmas Eucharist - Katandra
11.00pm Congregational Carol Singing
11.30pm Midnight Mass - St Augustine's
Thursday 25th Christmas Day
8.30am Sung Eucharist - St Augustine's
9.00am Eucharist with Carols - Dookie
10.30am Eucharist & Carols- St Augustine's
ANGLICARE
Gifts for all ages are required for Christmas giving. Please do not wrap.
IMPORTANT DATES
Dec 10th Goulburn Valley Grammar Service 11.30am
Dec 12th Induction of New Dean - Wangaratta
Dec 13th Wedding 4.00pm
Dec 22nd Carol Service 7.00pm
Jan 10th Wedding 4.30pm
Jan 10th Wedding 6.00pm
Feb 7th Wedding 2.00pm
Feb 7th Wedding 3.30pm
14th Feb Wedding 3.00pm
April 11th Easter Day
May 18th - 21st Annual Priests' Retreat
May 28th -29th Synod
Nov 13th Parish Fair
FOR PRAYER
A new prayer list is out for December . We have rewritten the names which are indicated as for continual prayer but please also update these names from time to time.
Joy Merrigan, Jean Hastie, Heidi, Gwen & Bob Scott, Bruce, Natalie & baby Alexandra, Rita Esam, Hunter & family, Harrison Family, David, Gary, Midge, Jack Clarke, Brian Ward, Joyce Clark, Rodger Saville, Des Walker, John Perry, Peg Galt, Jaclyn, Clare Wilkie, Peter & Eva Swindells, Sid Waterson, Sue N, Liam Bognar, May Wallace, Nell Dent, Emily, T. Scott, G. Scott, M.Scott, E. Scott, Troy Scott, Ann Mills, Martiin, Fr Wayne Ireland, Fr David Rossiter, Faith.
Rest In Peace
Edna Hooper, Sandra Tonna, Mathew O'Connor.
Anniversary of Death
Margj Gash 7/12, Francis Burgman 8/12, Emily Griffin 10/12,Bernice Batey 11/12. Anna McInnes 13/12, Vi Ball 13/12
THIS WEEK
Monday December 8th Conception of Mary
Fr Andrew's Day off
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
11.00am Rehearsal for School Service
5.30pm Evening Prayer
Tuesday December 9th
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
3.30pm Setting up for School Service
5.30pm Evening Prayer
Wednesday December 10th
7.45am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mattins - Lady Chapel
8.45am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pine Road Nursing Home
10.00am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eucharist - St Augustine's
11.30am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Grammar School Service
11.00am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Banksia Lodge
1.30pm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hakea Lodge
5.30pm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Evening Prayer
Thursday December 11th
7.45am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
8.45. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Valley Home
9.15am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rodney Park Home
9.30am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bishop in Council - Wangaratta
10.30am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Boronia, Grevillia & Mudi Homes
5.30pm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Evening Prayer
7.30pm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Choir Practice
Friday December 12th
7.45am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
9.30am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Clergy Hospital Visits
10.30am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deanery Meeting - Yarrawonga
5.30pm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Evening Prayer
Saturday December 13th Lucy
7.45am . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
4.00pm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding - St Augustie's
5.30pm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Evening Prayer
Sunday December 14th Advent Two
8.00am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mattins - Lady Chapel
8.30am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sung Eucharist - St Augustine's
9.00am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Eucharist - St Luke's Dookie
10.30am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eucharist - St Augustine's
10.45am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eucharist - St Mary's Katandra West.
5.30pm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Evening Prayer