18th May 2003
FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
After Beethoven...any musician committing notes to paper became a divinely inspired artist, whose creative impulses were not to be exploited or trifled with by impertinent demands from emperors, archbishops or grand-duchesses. A halfway decent composer nowadays has carte blanche to behave badly, beat his wife, run up eye-popping debts, make embarrassing scenes in restaurants and be spectacularly rude to his admirers. This is how we want genius to go through its circus routines, and we grow tetchy and suspicious if it doesn't. Beethoven engineered this crucial shift in public perception through his gritty singleness of purpose, in the context of a society where most people depended on others telling them what to do.......The tendency, enduring ever since, towards deifying composers, so that every fugitive sketch and afterthought, every march, minuet or nursery sonatina is hailed as a flash of white-hot inspiration, has been on the whole very bad for music. Jonathan Keates
PRAYER OF THE WEEK
O you who are utterly separate in being and entirely present in love, attach our minds, hearts and wills to you. Help us to look with your eyes and to care with your heart, to have your compassion for evil and your delight in good; to stand in your uncreated light and to reflect the light from the face of him, who is your brightness, Jesus Christ our Lord.George Appleton
WORTHY WINNER
A policeman pulled a car over and congratulated the driver because (a) he wasn't speeding, and (b) both he and his passenger were wearing seatbelts. "In fact, you've won $5000 from our local Rotary Club." "Gee, that's bonzer," said the driver. "And what are you going to do with the money?" asked the policeman, "Well, I guess I'll get myself a driver's licence," he answered. "Oh, don't listen to him," said the woman passenger, "he's a smarty-pants when he's drunk." Whereupon a bloke who'd been concealed beneath a rug in the back seat sat up and said, "I knew we wouldn't get far in a stolen car." Then there was a knock from the boot and a voice asked, "Are we over the border yet?"
FROM THE BISHOP
A copy of the letter from the Bishop read at services at St John's last week containing the melancholy news of Fr Andrew's move to Shepparton
Dear People of the Parish of Wodonga
The Revd Canon Andrew Neaum has accepted the appointment as Rector of the Parish of Shepparton.
This decision has been difficult for Fr Andrew, but it has become clear after lengthy discussions and prayer that the will of the parish nominators of Shepparton is matched by God's will for the parish and Fr Andrew's ministry.
Fr Andrew has requested that he should remain in Wodonga until the end of September for parish and family reasons. He is keen that projects that are underway in the parish may be completed or be on a secure footing for the commencement of a new ministry.
I am aware of the significant ministry of Fr Andrew Neaum during his time at Wodonga and I know he will be greatly missed. His acceptance of the challenge of taking up the appointment in Shepparton is of great importance to the Diocese given the need of great development in that parish. Thus the parish's pain at Fr Andrew's move from Wodonga should be moderated by the knowledge that his ministry will be able to be shared more widely in the Church.
I encourage you to support Fr Andrew in his decision to follow this very clear call. At the same time, please continue to support his ministry in Wodonga and the vision he shares with you for the parish and its on-going mission.
On behalf of the Diocese I would like to take this chance to thank all parishioners of the parish of Wodonga for your encouragement to us all by the quality of your parish life and witness. I look forward to sharing with you the next step in your pilgrimage in company with our Lord and Saviour in whose resurrection we rejoice this Easter-tide.
Yours sincerely,
+ David Wangaratta
THE WISE AND FOOLISH VIRGINS
Fr Andrew Neaum
Though few girls die as virgins now,
And fewer still their wedding vow
Will ever make devout, demure,
Unbedded, chaste, naive and pure;
And though the white that's worn with pride
By nearly every modern bride
More than likely signifies
Cant, hypocrisy and lies,
I'd ask you all with joy, not stricture
To call to mind, imagine, picture
A bride who makes her stately way,
Upon her long-planned wedding day,
Resplendent in the whitest white,
Along a path in sunshine bright
Towards a little country church.
From a nearby gum-tree's perch
The cockatoos appear to scream
That brides in white aren't what they seem,
As crickets trill their descant shrill
While the bridal party fill
The tiny porch with happy giggles,
And flower girl and page boy wriggles.
A bride who'd rather not offend
Must choose as bridesmaid every friend!
Though this can mean she ends with more
Than she, perhaps, had bargained for.
Today, demure and blue of dress,
No less than ten of them process
Slowly in before the bride.
It's hard to get them all inside.
The aisle's so short the church so small,
There's little room to move at all.
But all goes well, they all fit in,
The cockatoo's atrocious din
Is blotted out, and all but drowned,
By a wheezing, groaning sound.
It's Wagner's Wedding March perhaps,
With here a pause and there a lapse.
The old harmonium's badly played
By the district's last old maid
In twenty minutes all is done,
The bride and groom are now made one,
Confetti, kisses, petals, rice,
A laugh or two, then, in a trice
The happy bridal group's forsaken
Is left to have some photos taken,
As guests and family, one and all
Cross a paddock to the hall.
There a band and lots of booze
Will lighten spirits and amuse,
Until the bridal couple come.
Whereupon things start to hum.
For once the boring talks are done with
Then the guests can have their fun with
Anyone they can detach,
Disentangle, seize or snatch,
Charm, entice away, allure
From either spouse or paramour,
As the evening turns to morning
And magpies herald daytime's dawning.
The bridesmaids, each and every one,
Join with gusto in this fun,
For what a waste and what a pity
If unattached and very pretty
Girls so vital to proceedings
Hearken to old-maidish pleadings,
For caution, care, sobriety,
Refinement or propriety!
Now five of them are worldly wise,
The other five are otherwise!
The worldly wise, adopting tactics
Involving rubber prophylactics
Can leave the wedding unalarmed,
If not intact, at least unharmed.
The foolish five who don't prepare
In such a manner might well fare,
When at last the party's done
Rather worse from all the fun.
There's just a chance they'll find, alas,
That pregnancies have come to pass!
And thus the wise, the ones who win,
Are those who're well prepared for sin!
Whereas the fools, the five who lose,
Are those naive, who quite refuse
To be prepared and so perhaps
Are left with babies in their laps.
It all at first seems oddly wrong,
But on reflection, not for long,
Because the unprepared, you see,
The ones who foolish seemed to be,
They were prepared! Prepared to take
The risk of making a mistake.
It's saying "No!", not prophylactics
That constitute their risky tactics,
And this, though far from worldly wise
Just might be wise to heavenly eyes.
The foolishness of God being wiser,
(So says St Paul, a sure adviser)
Than the wisdom of mere man
Guide for Readers at Sunday Eucharist
Next Sunday 25 May
SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Gospel is John Chapter 15 verses 9 to 17. "Love one another." This expands on the Maundy Thursday reading, but it adds the elements of keeping the Lord's commandments; self-sacrifice; a change in status for the disciples, from servants to friends; and the important understanding that Christ chooses us, not the other way round.
Reading 1. Acts 10: 44-48 The Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit. This story follows the wondrous account of Peter's vision of a big sheet coming down from heaven, laden with creepy-crawlies which Peter would not eat, as they were "unclean". God ticks him off, because nothing God has made is unclean. Soon after this experience Peter was called upon to preach to Cornelius, an Italian. The whole household responded very positively. Yes, some kind of tongue-speaking was a sign of the Holy Spirit's presence, like a Gentile version of Pentecost. P'raps they were just praising God in decent Latin. Whatever, although Peter seems enthusiastic about their baptism in today's reading, he and some other Jewish disciples never quite coped with goys in the Church.
The Psalm is number 98 Try to put some life into this great hymn of praise. There are no petitions or pleadings here, just declarations of the greatness of God.
Reading 2: The First Letter of John, Chapter 5 verses 1-12. There are two sections: 1-5 is about belief or faith, the basis of which is that Jesus is the Son of God. Indeed, the commandment is not so much to love, but to believe; and this brings about love, of God and of other members of God's family. The second section, from verse 6, is complicated. The three testifiers, Spirit, water and blood have been thought to be some early attempt at defining the Holy Trinity. But the water and blood signs are about Jesus and his sacrifice. The key word is testimony, which in Greek looks like Martyrdom. It means something like evidence. The evidence here is that believers partake in Christ's eternal life. Not the easiest of readings.
Get your Bible readings right, ladies and gentlemen. The glorious Bible is our tool of trade. Make it work for us!
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to Marion Ellis who celebrates her birthday on Wednesday the 21st, to Betty Cary and Sylvia Gillard who celebrate theirs on Thursday the 22nd, to Eric Saunders and Margaret Wright who celebrate theirs on Saturday the 24th.
WELCOME
At 9.30am today welcome into the family of God by way of baptism Eliza Madison Neill. A delightful little girl who is already a part of the congregation, a regular visitor to Children's Church with Fraser and Willis her brothers. Welcome too to any family visitors and friends.
FRIENDSHIP GROUP
The next meeting of the Friendship Group will be held in the Narthex on Wednesday 28th May at 7.30pm. This is a Doll and Teddy Bear night. We know there are dolls and bears out there who have led very interesting lives. Please bring them to the meeting and tell us about them.
MEN'S BREAKFAST
There is a Men's Breakfast on Saturday the 24th May at 8.00am at St Matthew's to which all Wodonga Parish men are cordially invited
A CAPELLA
Visiting Beechworth is the University Choir of Austin College Texas, USA. They are giving a recital at Christchurch Anglican church in Ford Street, Beechworth on Tuesday 27th May at 7.45pm. Tickets are available at the Brigadier - Scottish Shop, Camp Street Beechworth, or phone 03 5728 1113. Adults $12, Concession $10 Child $5 Family $25
THANKSGIVING PROGRAM
Many thanks to the "phoners". Your contribution has been most worthwhile. Could all information forms be returned to Margaret Andrews as soon as possible please. Thank you to all responders for your prompt replies. There will be a full report on the Program in this pew sheet very shortly. Stewardship Committee
IN RETREAT
Fr Andrew and Fr Ellis are away on Retreat for most of this week.
AUSTRALIA'S BIGGEST MORNING TEA
St John's will again take part in Australia's Biggest Morning Tea to raise funds for the Anti Cancer Council. The Friendship Group will co-ordinate this event, which will be held in the Narthex from 9 till noon on Thursday 22nd May. Please support it by telling people about it, attend if possible, and a plate of something to eat would be appreciated.
GUEST PREACHER
On the 1st of June Bishop George Browning should be preaching for us at 9.30. He will also be leading a seminar: "Environmental Respons-ibility: Core Gospel Business." in Wangaratta. See the Board and Table:
DUTIES up to & including 25th May
Cleaning & Tea Team 4
Readers Marion Ellis, Howard Mann, Diana Nicholls
Eucharistic Assistant Margaret Andrews
Intercessor Celebrant
Door Gaye Petzke, Kaye Jones, Grace Cogdell
Vestry Bill Elkington
Mowing Martin Morse
Narthex Rosemary Cadman
Linen Linda McWaters
Welcome Table Hugh & Jenny Elford
Servers Anthony, Paige, Ryan, Aaron, Travis, Catherine
IMPORTANT DATES
May 31st Synod
Jun 18th Friends of our Lady Eucharist & Coffee Morn
Jun 25th 2.00pm Pastoral Care Group
July 23rd Fish and Chip night
July 27th Confirmation Day
Jul 30th 2.00pm Pastoral Care Committee
Aug 14th-16thChoral Festival
Aug 20th 2.00pm Pastoral Care Committee
Aug 24th Hall Opening and Thanksgiving Lunch
Sep 17th Friends of our Lady Eucharist & Coffee Morn
Sept 24th 2.00pm Pastoral Care Group
Oct 12th St Francistide Pet Service
Oct 22nd 2.00pm Pastoral Care Committee
Oct 25th Flower Show and Fete
Nov 23rd Bishop's Pastoral Visit
Nov 26th 2.00pm Pastoral Care Group
Dec 3rd Combined Friends of our Lady & Pastoral Care
FOR PRAYER
The Sick
Ed Baumgarten, Eunice Charlton, Sally Craven, Grace Cogdell, Gwen Goldsworthy, Joyce Hall, Robert Jones, Andrew Kleinert, Janet Murray, Bobby Nicholson, Thora Pyke, Simone Rattray Reid, Val Saunders, Ray Schmidt, Pam Willoughby, Robyn.
Rest in Peace
John Seager
Anniversary of Death
Elvira Beach, Violet Elliot, Shirley Hatty 18th, John Blair 19th, Molly Sanders, Thomas Ardern, Beatrice Merkel, David Scheffler 20th, Eileen Kimball, Beatrice Taylor, Lois Roberts 21st, Betty Dighton 22nd, Valma Perrett, Thomas Eade 23rd, Kate Hunter 24th.
THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
Monday 19th May Dunstan of Canterbury
Fr Andrew's Day off
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - St John's
5.00pm Evening Prayer - St John's
Tuesday 20th May
7.15am Mattins & Eucharist - St John's
9.00am Pastoral Care - Parish Office
Clergy Hospital Visits
Clergy go into Retreat at Harrietville
Wednesday 21st May
Clergy in Retreat at Harrietville
9.00am Meditation - Narthex
10.00am Eucharist - St John's
Thursday 22nd May
Clergy in Retreat at Harrietville
3.30pm Children for Christ - Narthex & Emmanuel
7.30pm Choir Practice - St John's
Friday 23rd May
Clergy return from Retreat at Harrietville
5.00pm Evening Prayer - St John's
7.30pm Scottish Country Dancing - Narthex
Saturday 24th May
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - St John's
6.00pm Vigil Eucharist - St John's
Fifth Sunday of Easter May 25th
7.30am Said Eucharist - St John's
9.00am Uniting Church Eucharist - Emmanuel
9.30am Eucharist - St John's
11.00am Morning Prayer - Bethanga
7.00pm Choral Evensong - St John's