TWENTY THIRD SUNDAY after PENTECOST (31)
6th November 2004
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
Stinking ditches dignified with the pompous denomination of canals, a fine bridge spoilt by two rows of houses upon it and a large square decorated with the worst architecture I ever yet saw.
Edward Gibbon on Venice
I have a distaste for history, when I reflect that what we do today will one day be history.
H.M. Williams
......the deadly seriousness of the contemporary art scene. There is no laughter in the gallery, even when the Tate pays £22,300 of our money — yours and mine — for a tin of the excrement of the late Italian ‘artist’ Piero Manzoni, ‘canned and sealed according to industrial standards’. If you were sent such a tin through the post, you'd probably call the police, but once in the gallery it becomes, as if by magic, ‘art’. The Spectator
COURT ROOM CAPERS
At the start of an important trial, a small town attorney called his first witness to the stand. She seemed a sweet, elderly lady. The attorney approached her and asked “Mrs Jones, do you know me?” She responded, “Why, yes, I do know you Mr. Williams. I’ve known you since you were a young boy. You’ve become a huge disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you’re a brilliant lawyer, when you haven’t the brains to realise you never will amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes I know you.” The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what to do next he pointed across the room and asked, “Do you know the defence lawyer?” She replied “Why, of course I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was youngster, too. I used to baby-sit him for his parents. He too is a real disappointment. He is lazy, bigoted, never has a nice word to say about anybody, and he drinks like a fish. He's been divorced five times and everybody knows that his law firm is one of the shoddiest in the entire state. Yes, I know him.” The judge rapped his gavel to quieten the tittering among the spectators in the courtroom. Once the room was silent he called both attorneys to his bench. In a quiet, menacing voice, he warned. “If either of you aks her if she knows me, you’ll be goaled for contempt!”
THE THEOLOGY
OF BONGWI, THE BABOON
This is the wisdom of the Ape
Who yelps beneath the Moon -
‘Tis God who made me in His shape
He is a Great Baboon.
‘Tis He who tilts the moon askew
And fans the forest trees,
The heavens which are broad and blue
Provide Him His trapeze;
He swings with tail divinely bent
Around those azure bars
And munches to his Soul’s content
The kernels of the stars;
And when I die, His loving care
Will raise me from the sod
To learn the perfect Mischief there,
The Nimbleness of God. Roy Campbell
BELOVED FROM POLE TO POLE
Fr Andrew Neaum
At half past three in the morning last week the doorbell rang. Ripped untimely from the womb of sleep, I answered the door with a stony face. There was a yobbo there who told me that he had been sent to me by the Catholic priest, who had told him that I would be able to offer a little help! An unlikely story, but one, if true that could reignite the wars of the Reformation! “What sort of help do you want?” I asked. “Oh, I don’t know,” he said, “a drink or something.” “What sort of drink would you like,” I asked. “How about a Jamieson?” he replied. When I told him that only coffee was available he slouched off in disgust. Needless to say I couldn’t get to sleep again and so was able to accomplish a great deal of work. It meant, however, that later in the afternoon, while visiting an elderly and delightful lady, she suddenly looked at me and exclaimed, “You’re going to sleep!” I was.
I don’t require great slabs of sleep each night. This is one of the reasons I find time to write articles for pew sheets and pieces of verse, and to listen devotionally, in the chapel, to Bach’s Cantatas most mornings.
However, I am not a true insomniac. Only if something preys upon my mind do I come close to being one. This being so, I regard sleep as a great and lovely blessing. Whenever I bless a house for new house owners, I use a little rite put together, with pieces from here and there, by myself. When it is the turn of the bedrooms to be cleansed with holy smoke, water and prayer, I recite a short passage of scripture and then the following lovely stanza from Coleridge’s famous ballad: “The Ancient Mariner”:
Oh sleep! It is a gentle thing,
Beloved from pole to pole!
To Mary Queen the praise be given!
She sent the gentle sleep from Heaven,
That slid into my soul.
I sympathise with genuine insomniacs. I once worked for a dean who was one such. He would wake up in the middle of the night, tortured by frenzied mental demons. He put them to flight either by getting up to bake bread or to make his way to the casualty wing of the vast city hospital. There he assisted or hindered the professionals in their noble work.
I commend all genuine insomniacs to Prudentius’ lovely Compline hymn: Servant of God.... Its second and third verses go:
When kindly slumber calls thee,
Upon thy bed reclining,
Trace thou the Cross of Jesus,
Thy heart and forehead signing.
The cross dissolves the darkness,
and drives away temptation;
It calms the wavering spirit
By quiet consecration....
The nights in Prudentius’ time, the 4th century, held far greater fears and terrors than those of early twenty first century Shepparton. I find his hymn, all eight verses of it, makes a most comforting prayer. It is also set to a lovely tune. Which means that you can hum or sing the night’s mental demons away.
My mother used to say to me, when I was a little boy, that if ever I saw a ghost I must say the Lord’s Prayer. The ghost would flee, terrified, she maintained. Several times I put her advice to the test, and ghosts did indeed turn miraculously into illusions and fear evaporate.
To take Prudentius’ advice and trace the Cross of Jesus on the forehead and heart is often just as effective with mental demons of the night.
Prudentius was born in the year 348 in Spain. He was a lawyer who made a successful career for himself in civil administration. On retiring he occupied himself with devout exercises and Christian writing. There is a little fragment of his verse that I have used for many years, though I do not know where it comes from. It is a lovely thing to read to yourself after making your confession when, having been absolved, the world takes on a different aspect:
“A Beautiful Dawn After Bad Weather”
O Night and Dark,
O huddled sullen clouds,
Light enters in: the sky whitens.
Christ comes! Depart! Depart!
The mist sheers apart
Cleft by the sun’s spear.
Colour comes back to things
From his bright face.
HOLY RELICS
In many cultures and religious traditions, certain things are perceived to have power and miraculous properties. For Catholics, holy relics are things that draw our attention and adoration to God. In the following passage a Presbyterian minister and writer, Frederick Buechner helps us to see that even seemingly mundane or commercial objects can serve as spiritual facilitators.
I remember sitting parked by the roadside once, terribly depressed and afraid about my daughter’s illness and what was going on in our family, when out of nowhere a car came along down the highway with a licence plate that bore on it the one word out of all the words in the dictionary that I needed most to see exactly then. The word was TRUST. What do you call a moment like that? Something to laugh off as the kind of joke life plays on us every once in a while? The word of God? I am willing to believe that maybe it was something of both, but for me it was an epiphany. The owner of the car turned out to be, as I’d suspected, a trust officer in a bank, and not long ago, having read an account I wrote of the incident somewhere, he found out where I lived and one afternoon brought me the licence plate itself, which sits propped up on a bookshelf in my house to this day. It is rusty around the edges and a little battered, and it is also as holy a relic as I have ever seen.....
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
......If you have 66 books in your Bible, that's because the Protestant reformers threw seven books out of the Old Testament...... What's more, it took the first churches 20 generations to agree which books to include in the New Testament.
The Gospels and Paul's letters were accepted from century one, but 400 years later vast numbers of churches rejected Revelation. Rome long used the Apocalypse of Peter instead of Hebrews or James. They finally agreed, but what reason have we to assume they got it right?
So if a precise 66 (or 73) book Bible is the heart of your faith as God's ultimate communication with humanity, you have a problem. If, however, Jesus is the heart of your faith as God's ultimate communication with humanity, you have a solution. The point of the New Testament is to preserve Jesus' life and teaching, and what his followers said about him. It is those writings which are closest to Jesus which are most biblical. There is no reason to assume that no book outside the 66 can reveal Jesus as well as those within.
Here's a question to test Christian attitudes to the Bible. Assume the Gospel of Thomas genuinely preserves the words of Jesus as well as the biblical Gospels. Should they shuffle over to make room for it in the holy scriptures?
If one cannot accept the possibility, the Bible as it stands is more important to one's religion than Jesus – a good example of idolatry..... From a review by Steve Tomkins
A PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Lord, make us to be more generous and joyful in our daily work; that each may propose for himself and perform the utmost he would expect from others. Keep us from dissipating time, from betraying those who remunerate us, from shirking the less pleasant, from sloth of hand or mind which works death. O Lord, grant us the spirit of honesty and thoroughness; a passion for good craftsmanship; the inspiration of giving, of giving the best and not ceasing to give. So bless our work; you cannot not bless idleness: bless our work that we may love that for which we labour, performing it as to you, intending simply and faithfully your glory; offering ourselves in our labours and dedicating their products and pleasures and pains alike to you, while it is yet day, for the night comes when no one can work.
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to Iris and Charles Grant on their wedding anniversary celebrated today the 7th of November, also to Rosemary and Norm Mitchelmore who celebrate theirs on Monday the 8th and to John & Jenny Pleming who celebrate theirs on Thursday the 11th. Birthday congratulations to Kath Grills who celebrates hers on Monday the 8th, to Ros Dunlop who celebrates hers on Tuesday the 9th, and to Frank Harder and Ragashan Soundarajan who celebrate theirs on Friday the 12th.
VIGIL EUCHARISTS
The Vigil Eucharist on Saturday nights will from now on be held at 6.30pm not 6.00pm. This service is a way of allowing our obligation (and delight) to be at the Eucharist each Sunday, to be fulfilled should we be away on Sunday or inescapably occupied on that day. It is particularly useful for those with sporting commitments. The service is normally held in the Lady Chapel, and usually Sunday’s sermon is delivered, though worshippers are sometimes spared this if there are only very few present!
ST. AUGUSTINE'S LADIES AFTERNOON GUILD November 16th
We meet in the car park at 1.30pm to go to afternoon tea at “Café on the Lake” for 2pm. Please bring a small gift to exchange. Anyone requiring transport contact Nancy 58211447 or Pat 58311606. Pat.
PARISH FAIR
The Parish Fair is almost upon us, so please put in a last minute effort towards making it a huge success. Bakers of cakes and pies and slices really go for it! Home cooking is still very popular, and hasn’t quite been legislated out of existence by our all intrusive, risk-terrified, health obsessed government! Do come along and enjoy the Fair too, the Saturday morning Eucharist is all the better for a sausage and egg breakfast to follow. It is a great chance to meet fellow parishioners and citizens, so encourage friends and relatives along as well. The Shepparton Youth Performing Arts Group including The Polynesian Cultural Arts Group will be singing and dancing between 11.15am to 12 noon. The performers are aged between 5 & 18years of age. Come along to support and enjoy them.
ANGLICAN CALENDARS
Anglican Calenders have arrived and those who ordered them please pay for and collect them from the office.
CHRISTMAS CHOIR
Come along to augment the Choir for the Christmas Carol Service on Friday the 17th of December. The Sunday choir meets at 7.30pm, Christmas singers come along at 8.00pm.
OUTREACH
Ron Rose has agreed to edit “Outreach” for us with the help of a small committee consisting at present of Frank and Heather Steen. Items for the December edition can be left at the Office or given to Ron.
LECTIONARIES
Those who use an annual lectionary and would like us to order one for them should put their name down on the list in the Narthex.
VISITORS
There is a need for some systematic visiting to be done in the parish. For example all those to whom we send an invitation to Children’s Church should be visited for encouragement and also to ascertain whether our invitations are wanted. If anyone would like to be a part of a visiting team please sign up on the relevant sheet in the Narthex.
TABULA RASA
We begin a new list of those in need of prayer this week! So do not be alarmed if someone’s name has ceased to appear in this sheet and in the today’s intercessions. Simply put down on the new and clean sheet in the Narthex anyone who still requires prayer or newly requires prayer, with your signature and the date.
CHARITY CARD SHOP
The Charity Card Shop is open - Please note the new address: 299 Wyndham Street, (next to the old National Bank). It is open from 10am to 4pm. All the usual charities including our own Anglicare will be represented. Bev. Reither
THANK YOU
The Warburton family wish to thank sincerely Fr Neaum and St Augustine’s parishioners for their prayers during the past five years for their loved one, Mark Wornum (18years old). Mark lost his battle with cancer two weeks ago surrounded by Christian love. Bev.
DUTIES FOR THE 7th November 2004
Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joan Harder, Gwyn Cowland
Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Christine Jones, Nancy Noonan
Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Beth
Servers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jenny Pleming
Euc. Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a substitute for Maureen, Christine Evans
Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bev Condon, Heather Fitzgerald
Intercessors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Heather Carlyon, Andrea Fisher
Welcoming 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heather Nichols, Heather Pearson
Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Christine Jones, Sandra Simonis
Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Norm Mitchelmore, Joy Campbell
Sidespeople 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Pleming, Jenny Pleming
Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gwyn Cowland
Mowing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lionel Waterson, Adrian Evans
DUTIES FOR THE 14th November
Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frank Harder, Heather Pearson
Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joan McCann, Nancy Fennell
Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michelle, Stephen, Debbie
Servers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joan McCann
Euc. Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carole Henderson, John Griffin
Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bev Condon, Maureen Cormican
Intercessors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pat Griffin, Children
Welcoming 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Irma Wilson, Pat Griffin
Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Pleming, Jenny Pleming
Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trevor Batey, Victoria Heenan
Sidespeople 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alan Akers, Adrian Evans
Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pat Griffin
Mowing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frank Steen, Michael Egan
FOR PRAYER
Joyce and Vernin Auldrige, Liam Bognar, Johanna Camm, Rae Egan, Lachlan Falls, Richard Goodfellow, Ron Hall, Noel Heenan, Tanya & Peter Lindberg, Margaret Noble, Shasikala Prahalapan, Richard Pearson, Ray Prosser, Lesley Rankin, Margaret Robinson, Rodger Saville, Judy Tremellen, Peter & Eva Swindells, Lillian Walter, Brian Ward, Stan Windley, Darren, Elizabeth, Faith, John, Linsay, Wendy.
Anniversary of Death
Doreen Matilda Hamer 7th, Verna Alma Green 9th, Dick Philip, Peter Davis 10th, Horace Preston 12th.
Rest in Peace
Stella May Still, Ernest Mustey, Margaret Kelley,
Garry Oxenbury.
IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE DIARY
Nov 9th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.F.S. Townsend
Nov 9th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Playgroup/Kidstown
Nov 12th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chaplaincy Ecumenical Dinner
Nov 13th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding 2.30pm
Nov 13th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Parish Fair
Nov 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Children’s Church/Baptism
Nov 16th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Afternoon Guild 2pm
Nov 17th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parish Council 7.30
Nov 18th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Evening Guild 1.30pm
Nov 20th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding in Wodonga
Nov 21st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bishop’s Pastoral Visit
Nov 26th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Synod Session
Nov 27th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Youth forum -Wangaratta
Dec 4th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quarterly Garden Working Bee
Dec 5th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding 1.30pm
Dec 8th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . St. Mary’s Patronal Festival 8pm
Dec 9th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Prof Lee on St Mark - St David’s 1.00 or 3.00pm
Dec 17th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Christmas Carol Service
Dec 18th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding 1.30pm
Dec 31st. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding 4pm
Mar 5th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quarterly Garden Working Bee
Jun 4th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Quarterly Garden Working Bee
THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
Monday 8th November Anglican Saints
Father Andrew’s day off
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
6.00pm Evening Prayer
Tuesday 9th November St Laurence
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
7.30pm G.F.S. Townsend
6.00pm Evening Prayer
Wednesday 10th November Leo of Rome
10.00am Eucharist - St Augustine’s
1.30pm Hakea Lodge
6.00pm Evening Prayer
5.30pm Hospice Committee Meeting
6.30pm Study Group - Rectory
7.30pm Prayer Support Group - Chapel
Thursday 11th November Martin of Tours
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
6.00pm Evening Prayer
2.00pm Valley Nursing Home
7.30pm Choir Practice
Friday 12th November Charles Simeon
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
11.00am Ave Maria Home
6.00pm Wedding Rehearsal
6.30pm Evening Prayer
7.00pm Fete Preparation
7.30pm Chaplaincy Dinner
Saturday 13th November PARISH FAIR
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
2.30pm Wedding
6.00pm Evening Prayer
6.30pm. Vigil Eucharist
Sunday 14th November
8.00am Mattins - Lady Chapel
8.30am Sung Eucharist -Children’s Church & Baptisms
9.00am Eucharist - Dookie
10.30amEucharist - St Augustine’s/Baptism
10.45am Eucharist - Katandra West
5.30pm Evening Prayer - St Augustine