7th March 2004 Second Sunday in Lent

Murphy still thinks there ought to be limits to forgiveness, even for Christians. His main argument relies on the idea that too-hasty forgiveness can show a lack of respect for oneself, as in the S. J. Perelman quip, "To err is human; to forgive, supine." When we are the victims of evil, it is natural and even likely that we will resent, be angry with, and even hate the person or persons responsible. Murphy calls these "the vindictive passions," and in the first part of the book, he argues that they play a morally valuable role in our laws, our personal relations, and our psyches. We are usually vindictive when someone fails to grant us the respect or regard that we are due. We are angry at the injustice that their actions represent, and so our vindictiveness reflects an appropriate sense of justice. Aristotle made a similar point in the Nicomachean Ethics: there is a certain sort of anger that, if our passions and desires are correctly ordered, we ought to have towards violations of the good. When someone unjustly attacks our person or our society, we ought not to like it; indeed, not to have these emotions shows an inadequate love of the good. Daniel P. Moloney

After dying, a cat walked up to the Pearly Gates where he met St Peter. St Peter said to the cat: "during your time on earth you were a good cat. You kept your master's house and shed free of pests, and for this faithful service, you get one wish for anything you would particularly like." The cat thought for a moment before replying: "Well, my master had a satin pillow that I loved, so I would like a satin pillow just like that one." St Peter replied: "Go on through, you will find it waiting." A little while later a group of fieldmice appeared at the Pearly Gates. St Peter greeted them, saying, "During your time on earth you were good fieldmice. You kept the other pests from destroying the farmer's crops and although you took your pay in grain yourselves you were not gluttonous. So as a reward you may have anything you like in heaven." The fieldmice conversed briefly before one stepped forward and said: "The farmer's children had roller skates, and they looked like a lot of fun, so that's what we would like." St Peter replied: "Go on through, you will find them waiting." A while later St Peter was strolling through heaven when he came across the cat, who was sitting on his satin pillow purring contentedly. "So, how are you enjoying heaven?" St Peter inquired. "Oh, it is wonderful," answered the cat. "This pillow is just divine, even better than the one I had on earth, and the Meals on Wheels," he kissed his paw, "nice touch!"

My first churchwarden was a bald-headed, fun-filled rascal of a man with a great capacity for enjoying life and a deep respect for God and goodness. He had a fine sense of humour. When visiting England he made a pilgrimage to Fountains Abbey, near Ripon, and sent us a post card of its splendid ruins, open and exposed to the elements since Henry VIII's day. On the back be wrote simply "See what happens when you break wind in church!"

He lived some miles out of the Zimbabwean country town of which I was Rector, in a tumble-down thatch-roofed house through which, when dining well at his generous table, if positioned rightly, you could see the moon. He was a teacher of English in the local High School, but he also baby-sat farms when their owners were away and he was very much an out-doors man and loved shooting.

He once brought us a knob-billed duck he had shot, telling me that he had hung it for the necessary number of days to make it melt in the mouth. I asked him to come in and share it with us the next evening. First it had to be plucked, and it was while this was being done that I realised what a mistake I had made in asking him to share it. As it was plucked the bird filled the house with the smell of putrefaction, and when naked it was mottled with evil, episcopal- purple patches of the sort that augur badly for a parson's future. Had he not been coming to share it with us I would have buried it. Necessity, indeed a true mother of invention, encouraged Margaret to marinade it's rottenness into a mysterious and triumphant richness of flavour that made for the most delicious casserole "Canard Sauvage et Pourri"!

He was a high church man of a very pleasing Anglican sort, with a healthy suspicion of all things papal. Perhaps this was because his wife was a Roman Catholic and to acquiesce to any sort of infallible backing in the one who had promised to obey him, no matter how far removed, seemed folly indeed! He listened appreciatively and carefully to my sermons and analysed my style and technique for me. In those days my favoured ploy was to spend the first half of a sermon setting up an elaborate and well constructed aunt sally, and then in the second half demolishing it with eloquent and triumphant thoroughness. It was he who first pointed this out to me, causing me occasionally to turn to other approaches and techniques.

His wife, like him, was a teacher. She taught a few thousand miles away in a neighbouring country. They got together for the school holidays! This is an arrangement that might well improve not a few difficult marriage relationships. He once went to pick her up at the airport and sat waiting for her with a newly purchased wig on his extremely bald pate. She came out, looked about for him and of course didn't recognise him. She then noticed this strange man who kept winking at her and she gave him a disapproving look for doing so. Only then did the penny drop and she recognised him. The wig he called his "wee beastie", and it was only worn for comic effect, never in vanity.

I don't think I have ever had a churchwarden who I have disliked or didn't get on with, but this one, Roy Eakins, was a favourite. It was my first parish, our two first children were born while we were there, and the clergy, by Australian standards, were very poorly paid. He was a man who took us under his wing personally, and my two little boys got to know him and love him, as did Margaret my wife. After Church on Sundays he would plonk himself down on our settee and read the paper, the boys causing him mock annoyance by lifting the paper up to peek at him ("peeking at Eakin") and to present him with a book of their choice and a request to read. In a solemn and quiet moment at one service the younger boy suddenly said clearly, for all to hear, and in consternation: "Where Eakin?" He was not there for some reason, perhaps because he was harassing some poor duck with a shot gun, or clay pigeon shooting, though he was rarely sports-mad enough to put sport before his Sunday duties, and so would have been to the early service, if indeed out hunting.

Someone of influence and weight in every parish needs to keep a benign eye on the parson's family's welfare. Too often the so-called "Rector's Warden" is chosen merely for political reasons, for his ability or propensity to take up the Rector's favourite causes or to offer support in Parish Council conflicts. It is far better and more valuable if he is elected to become, in so far as is possible or allowed, a surrogate member of the rectory family, not to pry, interfere or intrude, but simply to befriend and love and see to the welfare of the whole family unit, upon which the effectiveness of a rector so vitally depends. To be able to do this a Rector's Warden needs to be wise, experienced, tolerant, discreet and thoroughly in Christ.... Eakins was all of this and more.

What better proof of his wisdom could there be than his appreciation of my sermons! He sent us, out of the blue some years ago, a letter-tape, on which he declared that he missed my sermons. That is appreciation for you! That is love for you! That is madness of the sort that makes for the perfect churchwarden!

PRAYERS DURING THE SECOND WEEK OF LENT

(To be said, if possible, daily)

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make melody. Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn. I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens, and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth. (Psalm 108:1-5)

I confess, Father and Lord, that I have sinned in many ways but especially

in these two ways:1)............ 2)............

(Think of ways you can make amendment or reparation, if applicable)

Forgive me, O Lord, through the merits of your anointed, Jesus Christ.

Lamb of God, have mercy upon me. Lamb of God, have mercy upon me.

Lamb of God, grant me Thy peace.

Lord, God, you are the first and last, grant me a new beginning; a new desire to pray and new resolution in setting apart the hours for speech with you: new ambition in prayer that it may be humbler, quieter, void of self, all to your glory: new vision of the Light, which is beyond brightness, and above joy: new listening for your counsel and command, acceptance of your will, fervour to obey it, patience and strength to suffer for it: new union and communion with your Holy Spirit, that I pray his mind and he my prayer. O Lord, who on the throne of thrones makes all things new, renew my prayer; renew me in yourself and hold me there. Amen.

(Call to mind and name all your loved ones......)

O God our Father, I bring before you all those I love, knowing that you love them more even than I do and that your will for them is something better than I can imagine or desire. Let your will be done in them and for them, and grant them that strength which shall make them more than conquerors, through him who loves them and me, Jesus Christ my Lord.

(Remember...people met, read of, or seen on T.V. remember & pray for them)

Lord in your Mercy, hear my prayer.

(Read reflectively, a chapter of St Mark each day, or even only a few verses)

(Be still, conscious of God's presence with you)

I am serene because I know you love me.

Because you love me, naught can move me from my peace.

Because you love me, I am as one to whom all good has come.

Congratulation to Heather Nichols who celebrates her birthday today, the 7th, and to Heather Camm who celebrates hers on Thursday the 11th. At 12 noon and 4.00pm today there are baptisms, congratulations to Joshua Geoffrey Christopher Cottrell, Rachael Louise Fisher and Breanna Lynne Edwards

Faith is putting all your eggs in God's basket, then counting your blessings before they hatch.

Cars will leave the Church Car Park at 9 a.m. As usual St. Augustine's will man "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.

The Lenten Groups began successfully last week. The first is on Tuesdays at 2.00pm, at the Church. The second on Wednesdays, preceded by a Eucharist at 6.00pm and, for those who can get, a meal of substantial soup and bread. Those coming only to the study should be there by 7.25pm. It is possible any week to swap from the Tuesday to the Wednesday group, or vice versa, if this proves more convenient.

The Church Wardens at Katandra this year are Les Earl, Ellie Mitchell and Thirza Opresnik. At Dookie they are Bill McIntosh, Peter Tallis and Fred Petschack. We will admit them at the Eucharists on the 28th of March.

The new Parish Council and Wardens are to be admitted next Sunday, the 14th March during the 8.30 Eucharist.

There is a new Prayer List for March on display in the Narthex. Please everyone who has placed a name on the list for prayer consider carefully whether that name should be left on for another month or removed and indicate accordingly.

Liam Bognar, Helen Bruinier, Rita Esam,Adie Edwards, Richard Goodfellow, Iris Grant, Kevin & Ellen Green, Ron Hall, the Harrison Family, Jean Hastie, Cynthia Hossack & family, Fr Wayne Ireland, Betty Mercer, Ann Mills, Andrew Muirhead Ray Prosser, Dennis Reed, Pat Reeves, Gwen & Bob Scott, Roger Saville, Peter & Eva Swindells, Anne Tacey, May Wallace, Brian Ward, Malcolm Waterson, Bruce, Natalie & baby Alexandra, Alyssa, David, Elizabeth, Faith, Gary, Glenda, John, Keith, Mary, Michael, Midge,Rohan

Frederick Stephens 7th,Jean Poulton 9th, Willis Mitchelmore 10th, Clare Tomlinson, Grace Mead 12th.