6th of Easter 16 May 2004

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

16th May 2004

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

In troubled water you can scarce see your Face, or see it very little, till the Water be quiet and stand still. So in troubled times you can see little Truth; when times are quiet and settled, Truth appears.

John Selden

Near this spot are deposited the remains of one who possessed Beauty without Vanity, Strength without Insolence, Courage without ferocity, and all the Virtues of Man without his Vices. This praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery, if inscribed over human ashes, is but a just Tribute to the Memory of BOATSWAIN, a Dog.

Epitaph for Byron's Dog

INTERROGATION

Lawyer: Before signing the death certi-ficate, did you take the pulse?

Pathologist: No.

Lawyer: Did you listen to the heart?

Pathologist: No.

Lawyer: Did you check the breathing?

Pathologist: No.

Lawyer: So, when you signed the death certificate you weren't sure he was dead, were you?

Pathologist: Well, let me put it this way. The man's brain was in a jar on my desk. But I guess it's possible he could be out there practising law somewhere.

BLESSED ARE THE POOR

Fr Andrew Neaum

I was at University in Rhodesia when Ian Smith illegally declared that country independent from Britain. They were troubled times and so while there I had my first whiff of tear gas. It is an unpleasant substance, that shrivels, puckers and corrugates the mucous membranes of the nose in so exquisite and excruciating a way that it does indeed bring tears to your eyes and an overwhelming if temporary compulsion to lick the boots of tyrants.

Up the nose

Over the years some of the things I have written in journals and pew sheets, like tear gas, have had a tendency to get up people's noses. Some years ago I wrote a little piece in praise of poverty that brought forth an outraged letter of refutation from the leader of a well-known charitable brotherhood and a whole sermon denouncing the Gospel according to Neaum from the dean of Ballarat. It was very gratifying.

My point was simple though probably over-stated. Jesus is reported by St Luke as saying "Blessed are the poor." This, I maintained in my article, was not a pious platitude to be explained away. He lived it out himself, embracing poverty in his own life and seemed happy and contented in so doing. Perhaps the Church, then, would be truer to its founder if it attempted to demonstrate the beauty of poverty more, and nagged governments less for bigger welfare payments to help the poor be less poor. Perhaps we should be urging poverty upon everyone, decreasing the salaries of bishops and priests to make them more blessedly poor and pitying the rich instead of castigating them in envious fury. The rich deserve pity and sympathy. How difficult they are going to find getting through the needle-eyed gate of heaven!

Defining terms

Had there been no sense in my provocative argument there would have been no attempts at refutation! However, poverty of the blessed sort has to be carefully defined if it is indeed to be blessed. It cannot be synonymous with destitution. It means having little, not nothing. There is nothing blessed about starving, or being cold, or dying of untreated, treatable diseases. We do need welfare to combat that sort of poverty. And even poverty of the blessed sort should be encouraged and preached, rather than imposed.

Having lived for many years among poor people in Africa, I have observed that there is as much happiness, contentment, fun and joy among such poor folk, as there is among the likes of those I live among now, and a great deal more genuine and heart-felt religion and spirituality. Happiness, contentment, the Kingdom of Heaven itself, does indeed lie within us, in our hearts and attitudes. They do not lie in possessions and riches. The more possessions and riches we have, the more worry and distraction we have and so the less hope of happiness and blessedness.

Poor priorities

When we go to church or say our prayers, we take special note of Jesus of Nazareth, listen to him, take account of his teaching, example and love, and attempt to respond. During these times away from life's busyness we attempt to get things better into perspective, and so reflect that life's most blessed and precious moments are not those that bring in our salary or promotion, or possessions or success, or material reward. On the contrary, our most blessed times are life's little acts of charity and love, are those glimpses of beauty, truth and simplicity and expressions of affection; the clasp of a child's hand, the joy in a loved one's eye, the scent of a flower, any small act of sacrifice.

So many of us, myself especially, labour for the food which perishes. We slave away for hours and hours at the expense of friends and family, don't take enough time off to invite people round, don't take enough time to visit the miserable or the lonely, don't take enough time to play cards with the children, don't take enough time to sit and read a book worth reading, don't take enough time to listen, to notice, to share a hobby, don't accept who we are, or what we have with gratitude and joy. We neglect to focus and concentrate upon our relationships with others.

Down the hatch or up the nose

Why? Because we are grimly pursuing the dollar, or the admired, tidy and very large house, or success or applause. To be blessed we all need to be cultivating a greater simplicity of life, letting go of things, not only in preparation for when we have to let go even of life itself, but because it brings peace and blessedness in the present. Our Lord pronounced poverty to be blessed. If we turn our backs upon its blessings we deny his Gospel and declare ourselves for the food which perishes. That is for down-the-hatch food, instead of the up-the-nose food which leads to eternal life.

COURAGE

Courage is a quality so necessary for maintaining virtue that it is always respected, even when it is associated with vice.

A PRAYER FOR THE WEEK

We thank you, Lord God, for all the beauty in our lives, and in our world. You have given to us the gift of sight, grant that we may see not only with the eyes of our head, but also with the eyes of our heart, that we may perceive not only the beauty of creation, but also the meaning of that beauty, and the beauty of that meaning. Then, Lord God, we shall praise and glorify your name as you deserve, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

THOUGHTS ON THE LORD'S PRAYER

From "Talking to the Neighbours - Conversations from a Country Church"

by Ronald Blythe published by Canterbury Press.

There are two versions of the Lord's Prayer in the Gospels. Matthew's is the longer. We say it in William Tyndale's translation, words which have been so ground into Western civilization's prayerfulness that recent versions of them often act like variations to trip us up.

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever, Amen.

The magnificent concluding doxology comes from the Scottish Book of Common Prayer published in 1637, and is not in the Bible.

....[Now] is as good a time as any to slow down the ‘service' and to let the Lord's Prayer escape its ritual bonds. We repeat it twice at all three services, Matins, Evensong and Holy Communion, or rather where the latter is concerned, the priest first says it by himself and then we say it all together. In it we address God as our Father in heaven. This always reminds me, although I don't suppose it was meant to do so, that I had a father here on earth. We then ask God for four things. Fathers provide for their children. God is our ultimate provider, the source of all that we should need. And here are the four things which Christ tells us to ask God for:

Daily bread - i.e. food. Not a month or a year's supply, but just enough to see us through the day. Jesus is the Master of Today-ness. Turn your back on the past. Do not think too much about the future. Live today.

Forgiveness. God's forgiveness, our forgiveness.

Not to test us beyond our human individual strength. This petition has often struck the Christian as strange. How unfair that God should lead us into temptation. But it is all about his knowing our strengths and weaknesses, and testing us accordingly.

Deliverance from evil. Nothing ambiguous about this petition. How often have we not been held back by the good in us from what would be bad for us! From what would be bad for others too. Evil goes farther than ‘sin'. We are inescapably sinners but rarely evil. We have been delivered from such a horrible fate. The petition should be accompanied by gratitude.

The Lord's Prayer is said in the plural. We are all in it together, this hungry, seeking, transgressing world. We ask God to feed it, and not just ourselves, to forgive it its greed and cruelties, its pride and materialism, to hold it back when it would go beyond its limits, to deliver it from its apparently limitless evil. A dozen men on a Palestinian hillside less than two thousand years ago, which is as nothing in universe-age time, were the first to hear it. Did they look at each other in surprise and say, ‘So this is prayer!' Did Jesus himself pray it in the privacy of the guest room at Bethany?

It was of course the first prayer taught to Christian converts. At the early Eucharists it was said between the Breaking of Bread and the Kiss of Peace. It was believed that the apostles actually used it to consecrate the bread and wine. Prayer has two laws. It utters our belief in a transcendent yet personally present Jesus, and a belief in his kingdom of love. The Lord's Prayer is partly adoration - ‘For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory' - and partly one of childlike asking for the basic necessities for existing on the earth. It came out of Christ's homelessness and hunger, and out of what he saw during his wandering ministry.

There are two kinds of prayer, one on our tongues, the other in our heads. Vocal prayer, which is usually communal prayer, nearly always includes praise, thankfulness and penitence. Wordless prayer can go on all day long without our knowing it. Or its eloquence sweeps through us as we sit in the summer garden or swim in the summer sea. ‘Something is happening to me today', we tell ourselves. The ‘something' is God's attention.

How often did Jesus have to repeat his prayer before his friends knew it by heart? Did they all sit down on the grass and learn it by rote, like pupils in a Victorian village school? Our Father....hallowed be thy name.... the power and the glory.....' Amen!

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Charlotte Brewer who celebrates her birthday on the Thursday the 20th of May, to Stella Hall for Friday the 21st and to Peter Ackland for Saturday the 22nd.

IN RETREAT

Fr Andrew is away this week from Tuesday until Friday afternoon at the Clergy Retreat in Harrietville. Fr John will be available as necessary with Fr Wayne as backup.

THANK YOU

Many thanks to Fr Wayne Weaire for taking the services at St Augustine's today to enable your Rector to pay his monthly visit to Dookie and Katandra.

WORKING BEE

Don't forget the Working Bee in the church Gardens this Saturday, the 22nd of May, starting at 9.00am. All able bodied parishioners will be greeted with joy, treated with deference and offered refreshment at the Rectory afterwards if able to stay.

HEALING SERVICE

I would like to reinstitute the Healing Service component to Sunday's Eucharist now and then and so propose to do so initially on Pentecost Sunday, the 30th May, at the 10.30am service. Anyone who has any ideas or views on these services or would like to discuss them, please contact me.

A CHALLENGE

One of daily life's greatest little challenges is taking off the glad wrap from the rolled up Shepparton News without recourse to scissors and expressions of fulminating frustration. It is thrown over the Rectory wall each morning and usually avoids baptism in the fountain, but not always. In that paper this week there was advertised a training session that might interest some folk: "Free training on committee of management roles and responsibilities.... Also free advice or training on financial management, risk management and more. A workshop on being a president of a committee of management, June 3, 10.00am to 3.00pm. Phone North Shepparton Community and Learning Centre between 10.00am and 3.00pm on 58215770

ST AUGUSTINE'S DAY

Our Patronal Festival looms. We are celebrating St Augustine and our parish church on the actual day, which is Wednesday the 26th of May. The Eucharist is to be at 6.30pm and will be followed by an excellent dinner, with a glass of wine all for a mere $10.00. The preacher and guest speaker will be Fr Chris Shields, the best of men and Father Andrew hopes to compose a special grace in verse for the occasion. Invitations which will require a response have been sent out this week. Lifts can be arranged for those who do not like to drive at night or who have no transport and next week there will be a list put out for such folk. Although it is winter we hope a good number of folk will make the effort to be present.

BUS TOUR OF ABORIGINAL SITES

AND ORGANISATIONS

On Tuesday May 25, from 10.303.00pm there is a bus tour of Aboriginal sites and Organ-isations. The fee of $15 includes a bus fare, commentary, indigenous morning and afternoon teas and Iraqi lunch. Please be interested and put your name on the list in the narthex. Further enquiries to Linley 5820 0018; 5855 2422AH or Joan 5821 4459. This is an ecumenical endeavour that was initiated by Fr Andrew, who, being a newcomer, feels a need and duty to know about all the creative work being done in this regard in this area. Do support this venture.

EVENING GUILD GARAGE SALE

Do not forget the Garage Sale, June 18th and 19th. We require all those unwanted bits and pieces. Contact 58 315601 or 58 251 962.

AWA Annual Rally

for the Women of the Diocese

Wednesday 16th June

Guest Speaker Rev. Canon Ray Cleary

CEO Anglicare Victoria

"Communities in Transition"

Wangaratta Cathedral

10.30am Morning tea

11.00am Eucharist,

12.30pm lunch cost $6

1.15pm Speaker

(Proceeds to A.B.M.)

Numbers for lunch to the

Parish Office by Sunday 13th June

see notice board for further details

SPECIAL MEETING FOR THE FAIR

There is a meeting in the Narthex on Wednesday the 19th May at 7.30 pm to decide on prizes for the raffle. All are welcome. Adrian Evans.

Palliative Care Awareness

23rd-30th May

Service of Remembrance

for Families and Carers

Sunday 23rd May

at Scots Uniting Church at 7.30

IMPORTANT DATES

May 18^th Afternoon Guild 2pm

May 20^th Evening Guild 2pm

May 18^th - 21^st Annual Priests' Retreat

May 20^th Evening Guild 1.30pm

May 22^nd Working Bee 9.00am

May 22^nd Wedding 2.30pm

May 25^th Reconciliation Activity

May 27^th Bishop in Council

May 26^th St Augustine's Patronal Festival

May 28^th Clergy meeting Wangaratta

May 30^th Ecumenical Service St. Mel's 7.30pm

Jun 5^th Ugandan Martyrs - Breakfast

Jun 6^th Mass for Africa

Jun 12^th Wedding 2.00pm

Jun 18 - 19^th Evening Guild Garage Sale

Jun 20^th Ecumenical Service Dookie

July 18^th Confirmation

Sept 17- 18^th Synod

Oct 3^rd St Francistide Pet Blessing

Oct 16^th Wedding 3.00pm

Oct 23^rd Wedding 3.00pm

Nov 6^th Wedding 3.30pm

Nov 13^th Wedding 2.30pm

Nov 13^th Parish Fair

Nov 21^st Bishop's Visit

Nov 27^th Wedding 1.30pm

Dec 18^th Wedding 1.30pm

FOR PRAYER

Liam Bognar, Ashely Close, Neil Feldthman, Richard Goodfellow, Iris Grant, Ron Hall, Jean Hastie, Thelma Irwin, Fr Wayne Ireland, Marie Law, Joyce Maloney, Betty Mercer, Ann Mills, Richard Pearson,Ray Prosser, Mary Rider, Rohan & family, Margaret Robinson, Roger Saville, Peter and Eva Swindells, Rev.Glenis Traill, Imogen Vines, May Wallace, Brian Ward, Malcolm Waterson, Glenda, Darryl, Elizabeth, Faith, Michael, Nea,

Anniversary of Death

Doris Buzza 16^th, Robert Simonis, Wilfred Parry, Don Classen, Gladys Turner, Enid Hughes 18^th, Evelyn Phillips 20^th, John McCluskey 22^nd.

DUTIES FOR THE 16TH May 2004

Readers 8.30 Norm Mitchelmore, Heather Carlyon

Readers 10.30 Joan McCann, Nancy Fennell

Servers 8.30 Beth, Kate, James

Servers 10.30 Joan McCann, Jenny Waite, Jenny Pleming

Euch. Assists 8.30 Heather Fitzgerald, Bev Condon

Euch. Assists 10.30 Christine Evans, Carole Henderson

Intercessors Heather Fitzgerald, Bev Condon

Welcoming 8.30 Shirley Dean, Bev Reither

Welcomers 10.30 Jennifer Pleming, John Pleming

Sidespeople 8.30 Bob Galt, Joe Pearson

Sidespeople 10.30 Charlotte Brewer, Nola Brewer

Tea 8.30 Pat Gibson

Mowing Nil this week

DUTIES FOR 23rdMay 2004

Readers 8.30 Pat Griffin, Carole Henderson

Readers 10.30 Joan O'Reilly, Lis Booth

Servers 8,30 Michelle, Stephen, Debbie

Servers 10.30 Jenny Waite, Zebedee, Tiana

Euch. Assists 8.30 Carole Henderson, John Griffin

Euch. Assists 10.3 Bev Condon, Maureen Cormican

Intercessors Celebrant

Welcoming 8.30 Beryl Goodfellow, Cecily McDonald

Welcomers 10.30 Nola Brewer, Frank Steen

Sidespeople 8.30 Merv Cowland, Gwen Cowland

Sidespeople 10.30 Alan Akers,Adrian Evans

Tea 8.30 Anita Saville

Mowing John Moore, John Pleming

THIS WEEK

Monday May 17^th