ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
31st July 2005
The cartoons and graphics from the Pewsheet are found only in the printed version
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
The late Sir Edward Heath was notoriously uneasy with women, but there was one, Sara Morrison, who was a good friend and an important political confidante. She was with him when he died on Sunday. Sara was robust enough to be able to withstand the strange manners and see through to the vulnerable and honourable man within. Which was just as well, because the manners were strange indeed. At one dinner party, Sara noticed that it was still at the soup stage and Heath had already fallen silent. She wrote a note, delivered by the butler, which said, ‘Talk to the women next to you.’ Heath wrote back, ‘I have.’ During one of the 1974 election campaigns, Sara was at the back of the campaign bus, sitting on a table. The bus braked suddenly and she was thrown right to the front, where Heath was sitting. She protested that the bus should continue its journey, but she was clearly hurt, and Heath would have none of it. ‘No, no,’ he said. ‘We must get some brandy.’ The bus stopped at the nearest pub, and a glass of brandy was brought on board. Heath drank all of it, and then the bus drove on. Charles Moore - Spectator 23rd July 2005
PRAYER OF THE WEEK
Lord, often have I thought with myself, I will sin but this one sin more, and then I will repent of it, and of all the rest of my sins together. So foolish was I and ignorant. As if I should be more able to pay my debts when I owe more; or as if I should say, I will wound my friend once again, and then I will lovingly shake hands with him: but what if my friend will not shake hands with me? Dr Thomas Fuller 1608-1661
A DIFFERENT MILIEU
A very well-worn five dollar note and a similarly distressed fifty dollar note arrived together at the Australian Reserve Bank in Canberra to be retired. As they moved along the conveyor belt towards the incinerator, they struck up a conversation. The fifty dollar note reminisced about its travels all over the country. “I've had a pretty good life,” it proclaimed. “Why, I’ve been to Crown Casino, Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, the Opera House in Sydney, the finest restaurants in Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Sidney and even a cruise to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.” “Wow!” said the five dollar note. “You’ve really had an exciting life!” “So tell me,” said the fifty dollar note, “where have you been throughout your lifetime?” The five dollar note replied, “Oh, I’ve been to the Anglican Church, the Uniting Church, the Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church......” The fifty dollar note interrupted, “What’s a church?”
I have noticed that people who are late are often so much jollier than the people who have to wait for them.
E V Lucas
THE BUBBLE IN THE BREAD
Canon Andrew Neaum
I have been listening to Jesus' parables ever since I was a little curly-headed boy. Most of what preachers in sermons have said about them has disappeared from my memory. But the parables themselves, the lovely stories, attracted me then and remain with me now. They are a part of me and of who I am. I love them!
Effervesce and sparkle with it
Most of them are so beautifully positive. There are a few that talk of doom and judgement, but even in them, usually, the doom and judgement are not the main point, more often we are told of the Kingdom of God, and what we are told, would make anyone long to be a subject in such a kingdom. In last Sunday's Gospel, for example, Jesus in a little parable says: the Kingdom of Heaven is a gift, a glorious lovely gift, as wonderful as treasure found in a field. So let's treasure it! Rejoice over it! Delight in it!
The Kingdom of Heaven, God's kingly rule, Christianity itself, ideally, so Jesus' lovely, golden parables tell us, is a gift, a glorious gift, is a pearl of great price. So let's adorn ourselves with it! Wear it, blazon it, boast it, be proud of it!
The Kingdom of Heaven, so Jesus' lovely, golden parables tell us, is leaven in the dough, bubble in the bread. So let's bubble with it then, effervesce, twinkle, sparkle, fizz with it!
Breeze whispering beauty
The Kingdom of Heaven, so Jesus' lovely, golden parables tell us, is a great wedding banquet. So let’s raise a glass of bubbly at it, rejoice in it and celebrate at it,
The Kingdom of Heaven, so Jesus' lovely, golden parables tell us, is a lost coin found. So let's rejoice, be glad and dance for joy in it!
The Kingdom of Heaven is light in a dark room, so let's see by it! It’s good fish in a net bursting with fish, so let's relish it! It’s a field full of golden wheat! So let’s allow out hearts to stop at its breeze-whispering beauty .The Kingdom of Heaven is treasure indeed! Let's treasure it.
Down with dreary dull finger-pointing
Christianity, if properly lived, as the Kingdom or rule of God, the parables teach us, is a gift, a glorious gift. So down with dreary, dull, frowning, mean-spirited, finger-pointing Christianity. Because Christianity is thankfulness, response, a bubbling over with gratitude for the lovely givenness of things.
It shifts one's focus from the self, to the other, to all in life that is given us, to the givenness even of the very self. So it marks the beginning of an end to selfishness, to the endless worry, fret, and neurosis of self-obsession or self- preoccupation, because everything worthwhile even in the self, is seen to be God-given.
Our genes, our looks, our abilities, our talents, our circumstances, our loved ones, our whole world, all, all, all is given, given on a plate, and even our abuse of what is given, our perversion of what is given, our ingratitude and greed for what is given, why, all that is forgiven! Can be made good of, hand in hand with God and goodness. Christianity is thankfulness, for all this. for all that is. Thankfulness.
Light in my dark room
The closest I ever get to mystical experience, to religious ecstasy, to seeing and touching the Divine, to being star-struck, dazzled and overwhelmed by God, is when simply saying thank you to God, thank you for all his many, many, many goodnesses to me.
Sometimes, when I say my prayers, a part of which must always, always, be the saying of thank you, sometimes my conventional thank you’s, give way to heartfelt thankyou’s, whereupon, just now and then, my whole being is filled marvellously with thankfulness, bursts with gratitude and a sense of God's light and presence all about me and within me.
It is like the parable's light in a dark room, I am dazzled, overwhelmed by the almost tangible presence of God. I understand suddenly, perfectly, this pearl of great price that is given to me, that Christianity is indeed the bubble in the bread, a great wedding banquet, a lost coin found, light in a dark room, good fish in a net, treasure in a paddock, a field full of golden wheat.
Bubbling over
So down with all frowning, miserable, dull, mean-spirited Christianity. Christianity, properly, is thankfulness, a response to the givenness of things, to God's overwhelming goodness. A response that bubbles over into worship, and charity, and acts of love. A bubbling over with joy, laughter and generosity of spirit, and when at Church,
A bubbling over of love divine
Into Eucharistic bread and wine.
DANIEL’S SECRET?
The Roman Emperor was enjoying a splendid afternoon’s sport, watching the Christians being devoured by the lions. Suddenly he was astonished to see one of the lions bounding up to his victim who, however, bent down and appeared to whisper something in the animal’s ear, whereupon the lion turned round and slunk away. As the Emperor watched, the same thing happened again and again; this particular Christian would say something quietly to the lion, and the latter would promptly retreat whence he came. At last the Emperor’s curiosity could stand it no longer. He sent for the Christian and promised to spare his life if only he would reveal what it was that he whispered to the lions to produce this extraordinary effect. “Well,” replied the Christian, “it’s really quite simple, Your Majesty. I just say to them Of course, you realise that after you’ve dined you’ll have to make a speech’.”
INCLUSIVE HYMN BOOKS
The “inclusivising” of the language of nearly every hymn in our hymn book I find more than annoying. It is often barbarous. That the words of poets of the calibre of Milton should be bowdlerised and ruined by pipsqueaks is almost unbearable. There is hardly a hymn that hasn’t been tampered with in “Together in Song”. The meaning is sometimes totally changed merely to avoid the word “man” or the word “thee”. I know that the editors of most hymn books down through the years have fiddled with the words to an extent, in the interests of intelligibility or to regularise the metre for the sake of the tune, but up until the obsession with inclusive language this was usually done apologetically, modestly and almost unnoticeably. Nowadays it is blatant and cavalier. One of my pet hates is the evisceration of Milton’s great hymn of praise “Let us with a Gladsome Mind” by the omission of my two favourite verses, verses which captivated me as a child:
He the golden-tressèd sun
Caused all day his course to run:
For his mercies ay endure,
Ever faithful ever sure.
And the hornèd moon at night
’Mid her spangled sisters bright:
For his mercies ay endure,
Ever faithful ever sure.
Although few people seem much to care, all of this raises important issues as the following short extract from a a much longer article “Gender-Inclusive Language, Literature and Freedom” by I. W. Mabbett, Reader in History, Monash University shows. The article first appeared the May issue of “Quadrant”, four of five years ago.
Richly marinated
“....even if we were to accept that ways of speech stamped with socially undesirable past attitudes should be avoided, we could not then consistently continue to use the English language at all, for it is as richly marinated as the floor of a pigsty with the cultures of a whole series of past centuries, each one doubtless bigoted in its own special ways.
“It is, of course, the desire of the language reformers to extirpate this dire historical legacy that leads them to the proposals most provocative of ridicule; for they are driven by it to a more and more ruthless pruning of the language. There is a cold clear logic at work. Given only as premisses a desire to exorcise from our minds all the goblins of antique prejudice and a belief in language as architect of our minds, the rest follows. Gender-common ‘he’, along with the whole tribe of its declension, is consigned to the tumbrils; what is more, the tricoteuses turn out to watch the demise of the entire family of ‘man’ - ‘layman’, ‘sportsmanship’, ‘statesmanlike’, ‘Ombudsman’, ‘man the yardarm’: all, all must go because as a matter of historical fact they have an origin in the masculine ‘man’.
French leave, double Dutch
“But consistency demands that a great deal else must go too. If the language reformers are right, we must rid ourselves of ‘villain’ because of its offensiveness to farmers; ‘foolish’ is crassly insensitive to the intellectually disadvantaged, and for that matter derogatory to professional comedians; ‘knave’ and ‘puerile’ betray an appalling contempt of the younger generation; ‘French leave’ and ‘double Dutch’ are chauvinist; and there should be a League of Left-handers dedicated to the eradication of ‘rectitude’ and ‘sinister’.
Trampling on history
“These are not shafts of empty frivolity; they are examples of past culture resonating in present language. They are enough to remind us that all language is inseparable from culture, and culture is inseparable from history. If we want a new age and a new outlook, and if we believe with the language reformers that our language shapes us, then we must have a new language; English will not do. Speaking on the award of a well-earned honorary degree, the late distinguished writer Kylie Tennant recently advocated that we should ‘trample on history’. Well, if interests are to be declared it must be acknowledged that this is a program which would do me out of a job, but I think I have better grounds for disagreeing: I do not accept the view of history, language and culture that lies behind this line of thought.....”
GARDEN CLUB WORKING BEE 6th AUG.
The Unit gardens in Maude Street will undergo a face lift on the above date. You are all most welcome to come along and help. Barbara Whyte
SHINDIG
On Friday the 26th August, the Rector celebrates thirty years of being a priest with a celebration of the Eucharist that starts at 6.00pm and which is followed by a decent roast dinner and sweet, accompanied by reasonable wine. Tickets are available from the parish office at $15 each. Any speechifying will be succinct and eloquent. Do come along and celebrate with me.
PARISH FAIR
It is time to clean out your shed and cupboards! Our Fair stalls rely on the donation of all sorts of goods, oddities, bits and bobs. For the month of July we have been asking for donations of pre-loved, soft toys and jewellery. All donations are very gratefully received. Please leave them at the parish office.
RAFFLE TICKET ROSTER
The Raffle ticket selling roster is on the table in the Narthex. There are still many, many vacant spaces on it. If 22 people each to do a 3 hour stint, the roster will be full. No-one likes this job but you get to talk to a lot of people and we do appreciate your help. Please consider putting your name in one or more of the many slots available between 30th July and the Fair. The raffle books will be distributed in early August.
ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL CHOIR
St Paul’s Cathedral Choir, Melbourne is singing in Wangaratta on Saturday the 6th and Sunday the 7th of August. Details on the Notice Board.
EVENING GUILD
August is our birthday month. We celebrate with a luncheon at the Pepper Mill on August 18th at 12 noon. Details from Kath 58216358
THANK YOU
Thank you to those who contribute to the food cupboard. Next week we’ll list wanted items.
IMPORTANT DIARY DATES
Aug 5th - 8th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Annual Snow Trip for young people
Aug 10th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wardens’ Meeting
Aug 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Children’s Church and Baptism Preparation
Aug 16th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Afternoon Guild
Aug 17th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Parish Council
Aug 18th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Evening Guild Luncheon - Pepper Mill 12 noon
Aug 21st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ecumenical Service Katandra
Aug 26th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rector’s 30th Anniversary of Priesting Bash
Sept 3rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quarterly Garden Working Bee
Sep 17th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weddings 1.00pm and 3.30pm
Sept 15th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Quiet Day 10.00am
Sept 16th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Commissioning of the Revd Gail Bryce
Oct 1st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Men’s Breakfast
Oct 1st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding
Oct 15th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding 4.30pm
Oct 9th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pet Service 5.00pm
Oct 22nd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding
Oct 29th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding
Nov 5th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding
Nov 6th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Confirmation
Nov 12th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Parish Fair
Dec 3rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quarterly Garden Working Bee
Dec 3rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Weddings 11.00am, 2.00pm, 3.30pm
Dec 17th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding
Duties for 31st July 2005
Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joan Harder, Heather Fitzgerald
Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nancy Noonan, Lionel Waterson
Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Beth, Debbie, Steve
Servers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joan, Zebedee, Tiana
Euc. Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Griffin substitute, Carole
Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bev Condon, Carole Henderson
Intercessors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pat Griffin substitute, Christine Jones
Welcoming 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joyce Cavill, Gwen Betson
Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christine Jones, Adrian Evans
Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Merv & Gwyn Cowland
Sidespeople 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John & Jenny Pleming
Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shirley Dean
Mowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nil this week
Duties for 7th August 2005
Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Frank Harder, Tiffany Chandler
Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nancy Fennell, Mary Pearson
Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michelle, Steve, Debbie
Servers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wayne, Glen, Renee
Euc. Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carole Henderson, Heather Fitzgerald
Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Evans, Maureen Cormican
Intercessors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heather Carlyon, Nancy Fennell
Welcoming 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shirley Dean, Bev Reither
Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John and Jenny Pleming
Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Max and Bev Ralph
Sidespeople 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alan Akers, Adrian Evans
Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gwyn Cowland
Mowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Norm Mitchelmore and Lawrie Tinning
Note Well: The Celebrant and Preacher 8.30 on the 7th August will be Helen Malcolm. She will preach only at the 10.30am Eucharist.
REQUESTS FOR PRAYER
Liam Bognar, David Burrow, The Revd Colin Cameron, Tony Nicky and Joshua Cavill, Nan Cowan, Wilma Ellis, Ron Hall, Bill Hunter, Dot Martin, Frances Murphy, Margaret Noble, Ray Prosser, Lesley Rankin, Heather Steen, Peter and Eva Swindells, May Wallace, Reg Wells, Mr & Mrs Wilson, Albert, Bevan, Glenda & Bill, Jason, Kerry, Linda, Shannon, Suzanne.
Rest in Peace
May Coleman, John Stone
Anniversary of Death
Lenard Lindrea 31st July, Tassie Zurcas 1st Aug, Dorothy Fowler 2nd, Leo Rogers 5th, Alma Nowell 6th.
THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
Monday 1st August
Fr Andrew’s day off
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
7.30pm Ecumenical Study - St Brendan’s
Tuesday 2nd August
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
10.00am Play Group - Parish Hall
3.00pm Evening Prayer
5.15pm Social Responsibilities Meeting - Parish Office
7.30pm Prayer Support Group - Lady Chapel
Wednesday 3rd August
7.45am Mattins only - Lady Chapel
10.00am Eucharist - St Augustine’s
11.00am Banksia House (Hakea 1.30pm, Acacia 2.15pm)
3.00pm Evening Prayer
Thursday 4th August John Vianney
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
8.45am Retirement Home Visits - Mooroopna
3.00pm Evening Prayer
5.30pm Choir Practice
8.00pm ICC Meeting - St Augustine’s
Friday 5th August
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
3.00pm Evening Prayer
Saturday 6th August Transfiguration
7.45am Mattins and Eucharist- Lady Chapel
1.30pm Wedding
6.30pm Vigil Eucharist
Sunday 7th August Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
8.00am Mattins, Lady Chapel
8.30am Sung Eucharist - St Augustine’s
9.00am Eucharist - Dookie
10.30amEucharist - St Augustine’s
10.45am Eucharist - Katandra West
5.30pm Evening Prayer - St Augustine’s
If you cry “Forward!” you must without fail make plain in what direction to go. Don’t you see that if, without doing so, you call out the word to both a monk and a revolutionary, they will go in directions precisely opposite?
Chekhov