Second Sunday of Easter

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER

27^th April 2003

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Bin Laden and other Islamists are eloquent and capable, fashioning an ideology compounded out of immutable ancient stereotypes and contemporary preconceptions about the West. For them, the United States is now leader of the House of War, and its downfall will be the fulfilment of the House of Islam's pristine vision of world-conquest. To them, suicide-terrorism is a religious and political duty. This is unprecedented....as well as contrary to the faith. Islam expressly forbids suicide, and condemns to hell-fire whoever dies by his own hand. The jihad of those claiming to be the most pious of Muslims has no Islamic legitimacy.

WELCOME

Welcome to our services. The order of the Eucharist is from "A Prayer Book for Australia". We like our worship to flow, so there are few directions given during the service. Page numbers are printed in this pew sheet (Only the printed version) as are the Prayer of the Day, Readings, Psalm and Hymn Numbers.

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

O Eternal God, with your life within me I am transformed, with quiet trust, with growing love, seeing life as a joyful adventure. I look out on the world through new eyes, seeing wonder and beauty in every created thing. I see my fellow men and women no longer as rivals for the things I want or obstacles to my own advancement but as friends and brothers or sisters. I see death as my final birth into the sphere of the eternal, which I have already glimpsed and tasted through my touch with you, O Blessed and Beloved One.

George Appleton

TIME JOGS ON

Are you annoyed by the adverts that are put in the envelope with your bills? As if getting bills wasn't bad enough. Now they stuff all that rubbish in with them! Here is a way to get your own back. When popping your cheque in the envelope, include some garbage. Orange peel is good. As are used tea-bags. Include a note saying, "Would you please throw this away for me? Thanks!"

THE GREAT MIRACLE

To me one of life's very greatest miracles is melody. I love, love, love melody. It enraptures, enchants, enthrals, transports me. Sadly, I have a voice these days like that of a semi-centenarian toad, and so am an un-melodious melody freak. But freak I am indeed, because for me everything in music is subservient, secondary, ancillary to melody. Harmony, rhythm, tempo, expression, feeling, are all there as supports and contributors to the all-important magic of melody.

The miracle of melody to me is this: that a cluster of notes, a simple little pattern of notes, from time to time, every now and then, combine, for no discernible reason, into something that unutterably transcends them. A divine, exquisite, glorious melody.

A dull little cluster of notes on a page, little black dots, with tails, dots which represent no more than calculable and unremarkable vibrations of molecules in the air, give rise to a reality that is so exquisite, so lovely, so much greater and more significant than the mere pattern of notes or vibrations, that allow or cause the melody to be! This, to me, is one of life's very greatest miracles.

Unutterable beauty from dull ordinariness. Significance from insignificance, spirit from mere matter. The Divine rising from the dead dullness of the unremarkable, the very Spirit of God breathing through clefs, crotchets and semibreves. It is like the Incarnation, God in mere man.

Like Resurrection too, because you and I, our bodies, are what? Just unremarkable, if very complicated patterns of molecules and atoms..... Unremarkable patterns, which yet combine to form something wonderful, the melody that is personality, soul, individuality, spirit.

A fortuitous conglomeration of meaningless atoms, and yet Shakespeare, St Francis, Mary Magdalene, you, me.

The melody that is the human personality, although entirely dependent for its existence upon an unremarkable pattern of atoms and their context, yet transcends them all completely.

So should the mere pattern cease to exist, that is, die, then the transcendent melody that is the human spirit, still, surely, sings on in the mind and heart and memory of our Creator God who can very easily re-create the mere pattern necessary for the melody to be sung once more for all to listen to in eternity.

Which would be, will be.... Resurrection.

Christ is risen. We will rise. Lift up your hearts, Lift them to the Lord, Raise your voices Sing, sing, sing! Melody, personality lives forever. Christ is risen. Alleluia!

Fr Andrew

ARCHBISHOP ROWAN

by Jeffery John

A personal reflection on 30 years of knowing Archbishop Rowan Williams.

I hated him at first sight, in 1971. Every New Year's day in the Diocese of Llandaff we, the ordinands of the diocese, were invited to a tea party with the Bishop. There would always be some invidious form of entertainment, usually a Quiz. Normally I found this a welcome opportunity to shine, and in 1971, having just got a scholarship to Oxford, I was feeling especially smug in my academic preeminence. So I was looking forward to the Episcopal tea.

I had not reckoned on Rowan. That was the year he turned up, having migrated from the Swansea diocese, fresh from graduating with a starred first at Cambridge. In a diocese where academic achievement was everything, this meant my instant eclipse. Then, in the quiz, there was no competition. He appeared to know everything that could be known, and quite a bit that couldn't. Worse still, he was nice. He was appallingly intelligent, utterly confident and self-possessed, and yet at the same time managed to be unassuming, unpretentious and likeable. It made you sick.

My memory of the ordinands' tea party gives me some sympathy with the other bishops who were supposed to be contenders for Canterbury. They simply couldn't win - literally. Even if one of them had, in fact, been appointed instead of him, it would clearly have been for political reasons, and not for personal calibre. The phrase 'head and shoulders above' had appeared so often in so many informed analyses of the field, that any alternative would have had to fight hard not to feel he was an usurper.

Is he really that good? Well, he has some faults, thank God. He's not well organised in the strategic sense, and lacks a lot of the 'managerial' qualities that are currently over-prized in the Church, but which are still needed to run the show; he will need firm back-up at Lambeth. Nor is he always a good communicator. Some of his theological writing is unnecessarily opaque, and though he's got better since being a bishop, he has been known occasionally to preach a thoroughly boring sermon.

But I'm afraid that's about it for drawbacks. Yes, dammit, he really is that good. I think he will succeed in his stated aim of helping to 'make Christianity in this country again able to capture the imagination of our culture', because he has already realised something of that aim in himself. I am reluctant to describe anyone as 'holy'; all idols have feet of clay, including Rowan. But at the very least he conveys a sort of wholeness - an integration of faith and intellect, spirituality and humanity, discipline and generosity, authority and humility, deep seriousness and fun, tradition and exploration - a combination of qualities that is big and colourful and extraordinary enough to inspire even this country's dulled religious sensibilities.

And he will make all of us uncomfortable: liberals and conservatives, Catholics and Protestants, and yes, Affirming Catholics too - even though as a Founder and a Vice President of this movement, he is practically the embodiment of what we are working for. A theme which underlies all his thinking is that the real Gospel constantly subverts all our assumptions and securities, whatever labels we carry.

It is hard to be a hero, and Rowan and his family will need our prayers. When he was asked by one reporter shortly before his nomination whether he thought his stance on Iraq had ruined his chances for Canterbury, he replied, 'I hope so'. And once again, infuriatingly, I am quite sure he meant it.

CHEQUE MATE

There was a man who worked and worked and saved all his money. Never spending any of it, just saving it. He loved money. He was a miser and he worshipped his cash. For years he kept telling his wife, "when I die, I want you to put my money in the coffin with me; I want to have it for the afterlife." The years passed and he kept idolizing his money and telling his wife to put the money in the coffin with him should he die. He even got a bible out and made his wife swear on the bible that she would put the money in his coffin with him. "Do you promise to put my money in the coffin with me when I die? Do you PROMISE." "Yes", the wife replied, "I promise to put all your money in your coffin with you." One day the man did indeed die and at the funeral the wife sat holding a gift-wrapped box. She was sitting with her closest friend and quietly crying. Just as the undertaker got ready to close the coffin the wife jumped up and said, "WAIT, I have something to put in the coffin with him." Then she gently placed the box in the coffin. When she returned to her seat her friend asked, "what did you put in the coffin?" The

wife answered, "he made me promise that I would put all his money in the coffin with him when he died, so that he could have it in the afterlife." The friend was astonished and said, "I KNOW you didn't do that!!" The wife looked at her friend and said, "Well, you know I'm a Christian woman and I could not lie to him... so I did as I promised." Her friend said, "girl, you are crazy, I can't believe you put all the money in the coffin with him!" The wife quietly dabbed the tears from her eyes and said....I'm a Christian but not a darn fool...... I wrote him a cheque!

EASTER

The name was adopted for the Christian paschal festival from Old English eastre, a heathen festival held at the vernal equinox in honour of Eostre, a Germanic goddess of the dawn. Easter Day is the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, i.e. the full moon that occurs on the day of the vernal equinox (21 March) or on any of the next 28 days. Thus Easter Sunday cannot be earlier than the 22nd of March or later than the 25th April, as laid down by the Council of Nicaea in 325. In 1963 the Vatican Council declared itself in favour of fixing the date of Easter when agreement with other churches could be reached. It was a common belief that the sun danced on Easter Day

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Emmanuel's Hazel Robinson who celebrates her 90th birthday on Wednesday the 30th of April. Also to Chris Filby who celebrates his birthday on Saturday the 3rd of May.

PASTORAL CARE

Please note a change of dates. The next full meeting will be on Wednesday the 28th May at 2.00pm. Not April 30th!

WORKING BEE

A Working Bee will take place in the Church Garden on Saturday May 24th, beginning at 9.00am. Please bring along the necessary tools for pruning, clipping and weeding. "Many hands make light work."

Jean Ardern

Jean and Eric do marvellous work in keeping our gardens neat and tidy. When they ask for some help like this, do let's pitch in and help!

HOUSE BLESSING

On Saturday the 3rd of May, from 12.30pm, we will be gathering at the home of Kaye, Shane and Phillip Watt who have invited us all to their House-Warming and Blessing. A bring and share lunch will be had, and the blessing takes place at 1.00pm. All are welcome at 54 Pearce Street!

PATRONAL FESTIVAL

Next Sunday. At 9.30am, we celebrate our Patronal Festival at St John's. We have a guest preacher in the person of Dr John Pryor, the Diocesan Registrar and it should be a happy and joyful occasion. There is a bring and share lunch afterwards. I hope that everyone who can possibly be present will be there.

SACKAN

Not only sewing and craft. We are presently repairing hymn books. The next meeting will be on the 1st May from 9.30am. Come and join us. BYO lunch. J. Skilton 60592093

PICNIC

On Sunday 18th May, there is a Picnic especially for the families of the recently baptised and of Children's Church and Children for Christ members. An official invitation will be sent out and the venue will be Willow Park, from 11.30am to 3.00pm. The M.U. would appreciate having some help from men in the Parish and from the Youth Group. Please note the date in your diaries or on your calendars. We look forward to seeing you there.

THANK YOU

I would like to thank Fathers Andrew and Ellis, and all my friends at St John's for visits, phone calls and cards during my sickness. Thank you also for your prayers, as I am now pain free and starting to live life to the full again. Thank you and God bless. Nancy Craig

Duty does not have to be dull. Love can make it beautiful and fill it with life. Thomas Merton

IMPORTANT DATES

May 2-4 Lay retreat

May 4-6 Lay Retreats

May 4th Patronal Festival

May 11th Murray Conservatorium Choir

May 14th MU Coffee Morning

May 18th Family Picnic

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-16th Choral 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

DUTIES up to & including 27th April

Cleaning & Tea Team 10

Readers Marion Ellis, Margaret Andrews, Anne Andrews

Eucharistic Assistant Hugh Elford

Intercessor Georgina Edgar

Door Jean Ardern, Anne Merbach, Dianne Smith

Vestry Peter Young

Mowing Malcolm McRoberts

Narthex Dot & Laurie Anstis

Linen Margaret Barkley

Welcome Table Laurel Cooper, Val Hill

Servers Caldwell Ryan Paige Candice Daniel Catherine

DUTIES up to & including 4th May

Cleaning & Tea Team 1

Readers Jean Ardern, Hugh Elford, Deidre Andrews

Eucharistic Assistant Mary Nicholson

Intercessor Clare Russell

Door Joan Redman, Betty Caldow, Joy Haddad

Vestry Dave Gillard

Mowing Dave Gillard

Narthex Jean De Kruiff

Linen Ethel Elkington

Welcome Table Margaret Connell, Diane Guthrie

Servers Anthony, Erin, Jess, Matt, Travis, Daniel

FOR PRAYER

The Sick

Ed Baumgarten, Eunice Charlton, Sally Craven, Joyce Hall, Robert Jones, Janet Murray, Bobby Nicholson, Thora Pyke, Simone Rattray Reid, Val Saunders, Ray Schmidt, Pam Willoughby.

Anniversary of Death

Brian James 27^th, Colin Spring, Beverley Gregory 28^th, Norman Simmonds, Ann Thompson 29^th, Magda Berenyi, Christine Chant, Albert Rapsey, Alexander Craik 30^th, George Butler, Doris Melgaard, Henry Odgers, Barbara Coates, Mavis Gibbs 2^nd, Maureen Johnson 3^rd.

THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH

Monday 28th April

Fr Andrew's Day off

7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - St John's