THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT
14th March 2004
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Is it not enough for me to believe the words of Christ, saying, "This is my body"? And cannot I take it thankfully, and believe it heartily, and confess it joyfully; but I must pry into the secret and examine it by the rules of ‘Aristotle' and ‘Porphyry' and find out the nature and the undiscernible philosophy of the manner of its change and torment my own brains, and distract my heart, and torment my Brethren, and lose my charity, and hazard the loss of all the benefits intended to me, by the Holy Body, because I break those few words into more questions than the holy bread is into particles to be eaten? Jeremy Taylor 17th century divine
He that but looketh on a plate of ham and eggs to lust after it, hath already committed breakfast with it in his heart. CS Lewis
CIRCUMSCRIPTURE
As Pastor X steps out of bed
He slips a neat disguise on:
that halo round his priestly head
is really his horizon.
Piet Hein
EPITAPH ON A DOG
His friends he loved. His direst earthly foes -
Cats - I believe he did but feign to hate.
My hands will miss the insinuated nose,
Mine eyes the tail that wagged contempt at Fate
William Watson 1858 - 1935
HOCUS POCUS
Larry La Prise, the man who wrote the song "The Hokey Pokey" died peacefully at age 93. The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin. They put his left leg in...and then the trouble started.
FAMILIARITY WITHOUT CONTEMPT
Fr Andrew
More than most parsons I am a nomad, a wanderer, a rootless, homeless person. Born into a country Staffordshire vicarage, I grew into consciousness in another. Then three and a half years in a wind-battered, wooden-walled South Atlantic vicarage. Then a pebble-dash Derbyshire suburban home. Then an African Mission Station house and boarding schools. Then a tumble-down farm house followed by a new house on a new Mission Station built by my father. Then a suburban Rhodesian rectory. Then digs in Chiswick, a bed-sitter in South Kensington, a cottage in Chelsea. Then a spartan room in a theological college. Then a flat in the heart of a pulsating African city. Then an African country town rectory. Then a glorious St Helenian vicarage. Then a flat in Bournemouth, a pre-fab house in Ararat, then rectories in Skipton, Ararat, Wodonga and Shepparton.
A Wandering Aramean
"A wandering Aramaean was my father," recited the ancient Hebrews. Well, a wandering Neaum was mine. A bald, outspoken country parson if ever there was one. Twice the man and priest that I am.
Perhaps because of this rootlessness I love geographic strangeness and novelty. Familiarity bores me. All my life I seem to have revelled in strange places, strange gardens, houses, rooms. Above all, I think, in strange churches, in strange sanctuaries, strange vestries, strange sacristies. There is something marvellous to me in the smell and strangeness of a church sacristy or vestry that I don't know. Robes hanging here, candlesticks standing there, tongs, charcoal blocks, little prayers for priests on the walls, crucifixes, uneconomical corners filled with sanctuary bric a brac, the smell of the paraphernalia of worship. And what pleasure too in exploring a dark medieval church or cathedral, with little chapels, mysterious doors and stairwells, dark corners, mysteries everywhere.
Lose Your Heart to the Strange
So, of course, wrap up the liturgy in 17th Century English or Latin. Push the priest and servers up to the far distant east end, etherealise them in clouds of incense and candlelight, enfold them and lose them in 16th century polyphony. Genuflect, lose your heart, to the strange, the unfamiliar, the mysterious, the other, the unknown, God the transcendent, to whom be praise, glory and worship forever.
Hum Drum
Become a parish priest, though, and all that is gone. The cloud of incense is pierced for you are at the centre of it. Sixteenth century polyphony is unravelled, sacred vessels, vestments, every corner of the sanctuary, every word, every gesture of the divine liturgy becomes known, familiar, commonplace. Instead of mystery in the uneconomical corners of the sacristy you see only cobwebs. Instead of order and beauty in the serving, you see only faults. It is the curse of familiarity. Familiarity with the paraphernalia of worship, familiarity with the buildings of worship, familiarity with the liturgy, with the people who worship, with prayer, with God. All becomes hum drum, hum drum, hum drum. The excitement of strangeness is gone.
So move on Father, move on.... Be a nomad. Remain hooked on the strange and on change, on the unfamiliar. Flit from church to church, parish to parish, new liturgy to new liturgy, new fashion to new fashion, new gimmick to new gimmick. Be hooked on change, on the new. Mistake it for God, and dump, for this new god's sake, the hum drum. Be like the liberated 21st century man, who moves from compliant partner to compliant partner and then from spouse to spouse in divorce, because excitement cannot be found in the boringly familiar. It is strangeness that turns you on.
On the other hand though, is not the whole purpose and goal of spirituality and religion familiarity? To know God, see God face to face, to pierce the veil and gaze in love upon the lineaments of his countenance? Familiarity is of the very essence of sanctity. Hence, perhaps, the outrage among the faithful at the unfamiliarity of new liturgies. Familiarity is of the essence, and parish priests above all need to be sensitive to this fact.
The Golden Hollow of the Chalice
Familiarity with the paraphernalia of worship, with forms of prayer, with liturgy, sacred vessels, the sanctuary, with the consecrated host lying there day by day so white, quiet and unremarkable on its paten on the altar. Familiarity with the consecrated wine so still, heavy and reflective, gathered in the golden hollow of the chalice. Familiarity with the things of God, with the people of God, with their foibles, idiosyncrasies, weaknesses and strengths. This unavoidable, inevitable famili-arity should never be allowed to breed contempt, but rather, needs to be embraced, welcomed and taken as a sweet and lovely parallel, a sign, a pointer to the delights of familiarity with God himself.
Clamour for change in the Church can be heroic and courageous. It can too be a sign of ennui and boredom, of boredom with what is, of an inability to cope with and appreciate the cloud of strangeness pierced, the veil of otherness lifted. It can be a sign of an inability to embrace God in the familiar, and when it is that then it is not of the Spirit.
Delighting in the Familiar
How are the clergy to learn to delight in their inevitable familiarity with the holy? To a great extent the answer for me lies in the chapel before the daily office and Eucharist. There, day in, day out, I attempt converse with God, attempt to grow into a familiarity with him in private prayer, to parallel and complement the required and inevitable familiarity of public prayer. As a part of that private prayer there has to be, for me a systematic and disciplined thanking of God for what is. For the circumstances of my life, for wife, children and home, for friends, relatives, acquaintances and for vocation. Ruminative gratitude that dwells upon and lingers over the gift given. Gratitude too for parishioners, each and every one of them, even for those who oppose any suggestion of change, because in loving what is familiar and ordinary to them, they may well be closer to the heart of Mystery than I am.
PRAYERS DURING THE THIRD WEEK OF LENT
To be said, if possible, daily
Third Week
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Be like a bird that, halting in her flight
Awhile in boughs too slight,
Feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings,
Knowing that she hath wings. Victor Hugo
Think for a moment of all God's many blessings to you.....
Praise the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, O my soul: and forget not all his benefits. Psalm 103
Call to mind two sins of the past 24 hours. Be sorry, purpose any possible reparation and amendment. Assure yourself of God's forgiveness by reflecting that his acceptance and forgiveness is rather like dawn after bad weather......
At a Beautiful Dawn, After Bad Weather
O Night and Dark, The mist sheers apart
O huddled sullen clouds, Cleft by the sun's spear.
Light enters in:the sky whitens. Colour comes back to things
Christ comes! Depart! Depart! From his bright face. (Prudentius)
Thanks Be To God
For the blessing of sunshine, and the beauty of rain; for birdsong at morning and starshine at night; for good and many-tasting food, for the great gift of sleep; for the discoveries of science, and the heritage of art; for the ministry of books, and for music, beyond the reach of words; for the care of fathers and mothers, and the happiness of home; for the sanity of friendship, and the madness of love, thanks be to the Lord, our God. Amen.
Call to mind all whom you love or all in need & ask God to bless them
Lord in your Mercy, hear my prayer.
Inspire me, Lord God, after the example of Christ, to love my neighbour as myself; and where outward help is out of human reach to have a true, lively, inward sympathy, a pity and continuous prayer for the needs and agonies of people: For children with wretched homes or none at all; the aged, the maimed, the halt, the blind, the tormented, the mad; voyagers, holiday makers, workers in dangerous places, weak souls struggling through the day, sick souls crying through the night, the sinful in great cities and dark haunts. When before you, O God, I look on these let me see beside them, in them, Christ crucified. Let the less than neighbours become more than brothers; let me love by prayer, let all be guests in my heart and loved in you, who love all, who love each, who are love, omniscient, omnipotent, eternal. Amen.
Read ruminatively a chapter of St Mark
Into your keeping Lord I put all doings of today. All disappointments, hindrances, forgotten things, negligences. All gladness and beauty, love, delight, achievement. All that people have done for me, all that I have done for them, my work and my prayers. And I commit all the people whom I love to your shepherding, to your healing and restoring, to your calling and making. Amen.
CHILDREN'S CHURCH & BBQ
Today being "Children's Church" at the 10.30am service, there is a BYO BBQ under the big tree behind the hall, for all who would like to come and share good company. If you are coming from the 8.30 service it will get underway at about 12 noon
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulation to Cecily McDonnell who celebrates her birthday on Friday the 19th March. Also to Liam Stefan Ryan to be baptized into the Church of God with the Orthodox rite at 12 noon today.
ADMISSION OF COUNCILLORS
The new Parish Council and Churchwardens will be prayed in and admitted at the 8.30am Eucharist today.
MOTHERING SUNDAY
Next Sunday is both Mothering Sunday and Refreshment Sunday. It marks the halfway point of the Lenten season. Mothering Sunday is often marked by the giving of a posy of flowers to all mothers attending church, and so we would like donations of flowers suitable for the making of small posies brought to the church by 10.00am on Saturday please. Refreshment Sunday is marked by the distribution of Simnel Cake, the making of which, I believe, is in hand. At St Augustine's we also mark this day with a special speaker and a luncheon. The speaker this year is the delightful Anglicare Officer for our region. Suzie Don Leonard. The luncheon is a Bring and Share, don't miss it! Tea and coffee will be supplied.
LADY DAY STALL
Wangaratta 25th March
Cars will leave the Church Car Park at 9 a.m. As usual St. Augustine's will run "The Pie Stall". A few suggestions - Pies, large and small, meat or fruit. Sausage rolls, pasties, savoury rolls, quiche, zucchini slice, egg & bacon pie, savoury scones, savoury toast, sweet slice, muffins, strudel or your own speciality. I ask you to please help stock the stall with goodies. If food is frozen please place a red dot on it. I will be at both Guild meetings to collect raffle books. They can also be left with sides-person at 8.30, I will be at 10.30 or leave at the office. Anyone with stamps can also leave them at the office or in the box in the Narthex. Thank you. Nola Brewer.
FOR SALE
We have a considerable amount of paper that is out of date for use in our new age photocopier, but it could be very useful for budding artists, grandparents, parents, playgroups, etc. etc. for the cost of a small donation it might as well be put to use. Contact office for enquiries.
PLANTS PLEASE
With the weather beginning to cool off we are beginning to tackle the flower beds in the Rectory garden. If anyone has an excess of agapanthus, we would love some, also any plants that grow well in the shade of trees.
PARISH COUNCIL MEETING JUGGLE
On Wednesday evening, because we have a Lenten Eucharist, a meal and a study group, fitting in the Parish Council Meeting is somewhat difficult. However if we can meet at 5.00pm sharp and the Eucharist begins only at 6.15 it might well prove an auspicious arrangement. The first Parish Council of the year lasting only an hour! Surely an achievement we can aim for throughout the year.
AFTERNOON GUILD JUGGLE
On Tuesday afternoon there is both the AGM of the Afternoon Guild and a Lenten Study Group scheduled for 2.00pm. The Rector will preside at 2.00pm sharp for the Guild Meeting elections and then move over to the Lenten Study Group. If by "sharp" we mean sharp, then the Study Group will start a mere ten or so minutes late!
EVENING GUILD AGM
The Evening Guild is also having its AGM this week, but there should be no juggling required for it takes place at 1.30pm on Thursday.
DUTIES FOR 14th March 2004
Readers 8.30 Heather Pearson, Frank Harder
Readers 10.30 Andrea Fisher, Christine Jones
Servers 8,30 Michelle, Stephen, Debbie
Servers 10.30 Jenny Pleming, Joan McCann
Euch. Assists 8.30 John Griffin, Carole Henderson
Euch. Assists 10.30 Bev Condon, Maureen Cormican
Intercessors Children
Welcoming 8.30 Gwen Betson, Joy Campbell
Welcomers 10.30 Cheryl Richards, Judy Longley
Sidespeople 8.30 Trevor Batey, Victoria Heenan
Sidespeople 10.30 Alan Akers, Adrian Evans
Tea 8.30 Pat Gibson
Mowing Alan Akers, Mervyn&Stephen Cowland
DUTIES FOR 21st March 2004
Readers 8.30 Pat Griffin, Carole Henderson
Readers 10.30 Lionel Waterson, Joan McCann
Servers 8,30 Beth, Kate, James
Servers 10.30 Jennie Waite
Euch. Assists 8.30 Bev. Condon, Heather Fitzgerald
Euch. Assists 10.30 Christine Evans, Carole Henderson
Intercessors Carole Henderson, Jenny Pleming
Welcoming 8.30 Bev .Reither, Joyce Cavill
Welcomers 10.30 Christine Jones, Sandra Simonis
Sidespeople 8.30 Bob Galt, Joe Pearson
Sidespeople 10.30 Charlotte Brewer, Nola Brewer
Tea 8.30 Anita Saville
Mowing Norm Mitchelmore, Lawrie Tinning
FOR PRAYER
Liam Bognar, Barbara Brown, Helen Bruinier, Ashely Close, Rita Esam, Adie Edwards, Richard Goodfellow, Iris Grant, Kevin & Ellen Green, Ron Hall, the Harrison Family, Jean Hastie, Cynthia Hossack & family, Fr Wayne Ireland, Isobel Kerr, Betty Mercer, Joy Merrigan, Ann Mills, Andrew Muirhead, Gabby Palvia, Ray Prosser, Dennis Reed, Pat Reeves, Margaret Robinson, Gwen & Bob Scott, Roger Saville, Peter & Eva Swindells, Anne Tacey, May Wallace, Brian Ward, Malcolm Waterson, Bruce, Natalie & baby Alexandra, Alyssa, Darren, Elizabeth, Faith, Gary, Glenda, John, Keith, Mary, Michael, Midge,Rohan
Rest in peace
David Kennett, Joy Merigan, Anne Neaum.
Anniversary of Death
Constance Mills, Leslie Maskell, Dorothy Bassett, Paddy Wallden 14th, Donald Ducat 16th, Michael Noonan 17th, Winifred Tinning18th, Henry Erwen 19th.
IMPORTANT DATES
Mar 16th Morning Guild 2 p.m.
Mar 17th Parish Council 5 p.m.
Mar 18th Evening Guild 2 p.m.
Mar 21st Mothering Sunday
Mar 28th Baptisms
Mar 25th Lady Day - Wangaratta
April 11th Easter Day
April 17th Wedding 3.00pm
April 24th Wedding 2.30pm
May 8th Wedding 1.30pm
May 18th - 21st Annual Priests' Retreat
May 22nd Wedding 2.30pm
May 26th St Augustine's Patronal Festival
Jun 5th Ugandan Martyrs - Breakfast
Jun 12th Wedding 2.00pm
June 16th Mass for Africa
Sept 17-18 Synod
Oct 3rd St Francistide Pet Blessing
Oct 16th Wedding 3.00pm
Oct 23rd Wedding 3.00pm
Nov 6th Wedding 3.30pm
Nov 13th Wedding 2.30pm
Nov 13th Parish Fair
Nov 27th Wedding 1.30pm
Dec 18th Wedding 1.30pm
THIS WEEK
Monday March 15th
Fr Andrew's Day off
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
5.30pm Evening Prayer
Tuesday March 16th
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
10.00am Playgroup - Hall
2.00pm Ladies Guild A.G.M. & meeting
2.00pm Lenten Study group
5.30pm Evening Prayer
Wednesday March 17th
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
10.00am Eucharist - St Augustine's
11.00am Banksia Lodge
1.30pm Hakea Lodge
5.00pm Parish Council
6.15pm Eucharist/followed by a meal of soup & bread
7.25pm Lenten Study Group
Thursday March 18th
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
5.30pm Evening Prayer
1.30pm Evening Guild AGM
7.30pm Choir Practice
Friday March 19th
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
11.00am Eucharist - Ave Maria
5.30pm Evening Prayer
Saturday March 20th
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
5.30pm Evening Prayer
Sunday March 21st. Mothering Sunday
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
5.30pm Evening Prayer