FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT
25 February 2007
Graphics and cartoons appear only in the printed version
A LOCAL AND SURELY APOCRYPHAL TALE
The City of Shepparton received recently a bequest of a large property including a spacious mansion and a lake. The Mayor and City Council decided that the mansion should be a museum and the lake a pleasure area with a boat-house. One of the Councillors then moved that a gondola be purchased for the lake. A second Councillor and rival immediately moved an amendment that they should buy two, breed from them and sell the progeny to other municipalities and thus be self-supporting. The Mayor, appalled at the ignorance of the Councillors said: "Please withdraw your amendment - are you unaware that a gondola is a cheese?"
THIS AND THAT
Andrew Neaum
Last Sunday I made my way to Dookie after Mattins, as does one of your clergy every Sunday morning.
Dookie diversion
Instead of heading for St Luke's, however, I made my way to the Uniting Church to attend their 9.00am service. This was because the Uniting Church provides us with our organists at St Luke's week by week, and last Sunday the three delightful children of one of those organists, Hannah, Emily and Robert were being baptised. Their mother, Jenny Shields had invited our congregation along to the Uniting Church to participate in a celebratory post-baptism tea, once our Eucharist at St Luke's had finished. Instead we decided to attend the baptism too and so cancel worship at St Lukes for such a happy occasion. This as a way of saying thank you to our ecumenically minded organists. I had intended to be a quiet pew sitter for a change, but was asked to preach and intercede, which I duly did.
It was a lovely occasion in a full church, though sadly I had to dash back to take the St. Augustine's 10.30am Eucharist without being able to tuck in to the morning tea. Sherry and olives after the St Augustine's service did help to assuage my deep sense of loss, though they had to be enjoyed on the run, because we needed to pack a trailer and head for Canberra to set Rachel up in a house with friends for the beginning of her Honours year at ANU.
The Canberra trip is becoming familiar to us after five years of student ferrying. It is a long drive, but experience has taught us where best to stop for refreshment, and having these days an air conditioned car makes the trip less than intolerable. Towing a trailer made the journey a little more fraught than usual, and tipped off on the phone by Elizabeth as to the near certainty of thunderous showers, we wisely stopped in a muggy Albury to buy rope and carefully tarpaulin our load. A sharp storm at Coolac did manage to penetrate our careful sealing work, but not too seriously.
Pavlovian games
One of the ways our daughters have devised to pass the time on long journeys, is a gentle form of dad-baiting. Like Pavlov with his dogs, but only verbally, they take pleasure in arousing conditioned reflexes from me. Rachel will say a sentence deliberately composed to contain a phrase calculated to elicit a predictable response from me. For example: " Edwina and I were just walking down the street." Whereupon, as if on cue, though without realising it, I respond without a second's hesitation, "singing do wah diddy diddy dum dum diddy do...." (an old Manfred Mann song that contains the phrase "just walking down the street.") Whereupon she will bubble with laughter at her success. A little later she might say a sentence containing the words "little stone", whereupon, as likely as not, I will immediately respond with "How happy is the little stone that rambles in the road alone..." (the opening lines of a lovely little poem by Emily Dickinson). Again there will be laughter at my predictability and her success at exposing it! I am a good subject for this sort of game because I verbalise fragments of this that and the other all the time. Simply say to me, "my head is bald..." and I am certain to respond:
"My head is bald, my breath is bad,
Unshaven is my chin,
I have not now the joys I had
When I was young in sin...."
It is the beginning of a memorable poem by John Betjeman and I know most, but not all of it, by heart. I am a man of fragments, morsels, bits and pieces, and they tumble out if given their cue.
Revelation
The more you get into this sort of word play the more you realise just to what extent everything that we think and say has, and probably requires, a trigger or cue of some sort. In our conversations and times of verbalising our thoughts to ourselves, little if anything comes "out of the blue". Almost everything is triggered by something else. We might see a white bird, and so think: "Cockatoo" which, at this time of the year, leads me to think of my walnut tree. This can then lead me on to nuts more generally and so to growing peanuts in my garden in Zimbabwe. Whereupon I begin to think more generally about that garden and so move on to bananas, or mandarins or chilis or perhaps on to Mugabe and African politics and so on and so on. Is there any such thing as an original or random thought or idea?
If we analyse our conversations and thoughts they are all linked. There is a chain of cause and effect that leads back and back and back, if only we have the patience and persistence to trace it. "Revelation" is the "bolt from the blue" or deus ex machina. Or perhaps the clashing or intersection of different chains of events or narratives. When the Jesus story or Christian narrative intersects with my personal story at a moment that allows it to form a new link in the chain of my story there occurs a "revelation"... Hmm!
The dreaded AGM
The Annual General Meeting was held last Wednesday Evening and went smoothly and well. Most of the copies of the Annual Reports have now been taken. If anyone would like a copy they need to ask. Our new Wardens and Councillors are as follows:
Wardens: Bev Condon, John Pleming, and John Horder (Rector's Warden)
Councillors: Charlotte Brewer, Dorothy Cook, John Evans, Heather Fitzgerald, John Griffin, Carole Henderson, Norm Mitchelmore, Sandra Simonis, Norm Weaver.
Many thanks to the two who stand down this year, Merv Cowland and Joy Campbell. Both of them have been diligent, supportive and delightful members of the team and have not by any means retired from Church work and involvement, only from the Council.
I have three "Rector's nominations" to make in order to bring the Council to full strength. I will be sounding folk out over the next few weeks. If I ask you, don't be alarmed or dismayed, instead be honoured and say "yes"!
Halcyon days
My love of feathered birds is being sorely tried at present. My battle with the cockatoos continues though the walnuts are beginning to ripen and fall and so soon I shall be able to love them again. You might have noticed me when taking a service stiffen and bristle momentarily at the sound of a cockatoo's call, suspecting them of ravaging the walnuts when I am in no position to frighten them off! It is not only cockatoos, though. Kookaburras have been gracing our garden with their slightly ungainly beauty. I delight in them and always have. They hailed my first waking in Australia with cackle after cackle. However their visit to our garden had nothing to do with delighting in our company, they were after the goldfish and have seriously depleted their numbers. The Kookaburra, as I am sure every Australian is aware, is of the kingfisher family and so their taste for goldfish is hardly surprising. The well worn term "halcyon days" with which I headed this section of this article derives from the Greek legend of Alcyone. In the myth, the halcyon is a type of kingfisher that builds its nest on the surface of the ocean; the bird charms the winds and waves so that seas remain unusually calm during its nesting season, the fourteen days preceding the winter solstice.
Liberal Christianity
The Anglicanism and Christianity that I love and stand for is moderate and liberal, and is yet adhered to with surprising passion. Extremist colleagues often send me emails detailing the absurdities of liberal Christianity, accounts of its excesses and extravagances. I skim them and then bin them with liberal disdain. Passion and liberalism, however, are uneasy bedfellows. It is fanatics and extremists who tend to be passionate about their enthusiasms and convictions not liberals. Indeed, liberals these days seem to be on the defensive and in retreat. This Friday morning, searching on the internet for the exact words of a quotation by Robert Runcie, I came across a wonderful article describing and defending Liberal Christianity by the Revd. Professor John Barton, Oriel and Laing Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture at Oxford. There are some copies of it in the narthex for anyone interested. An appetizer:
Within the churches ... the types of religion that seem to call the shots are those that put the least premium on reasonableness and rational defensibility. As Robert Runcie remarked, in the Church as in swimming pools most of the noise seems to come from the shallow end. He meant that, I think, as a swipe against evangelicals, but I do not mean it so. All constituencies in the churches have more and less rational wings, and many evangelicals are among the most articulate defenders of Christianity. But at the moment it seems to me clear that the really successful churches of every stripe tend to be those that place least emphasis on engagement with secular thought, and are least concerned about participating in shared discourse with rational people from other stalls in the market-place of ideas.....
As I was writing this article we got the bad news about Margaret and cancer which is referred to elsewhere in the pewsheet. Bleak news indeed, but in the Faith and Family of God, we will see it all through to wherever it leads and ultimately "all manner of things will be well....". It is enough, however, to shut even me up.
HEALTH REPORT
As many folk are aware Margaret Neaum has been suffering from inexplicable aches and pains and undergoing all sorts of tests to try to find what the cause of them is. The tests so far have revealed that shadows on her lung and her sternum are indeed cancer and will certainly need radiation treatment. Before this can begin, however, a more thorough test is needed to determine how serious and widespread the disease is. She is in good heart and is grateful for all your good wishes and prayers.
CONGRATULATIONS
Birthdays
Barbara Brown 26th Feb
Jason O'Keefe 26th Feb
John Pleming 28th Feb
Hilary Akers 1st March
Angus Fisher 3rd March
Anniversaries
Frank & Joan Harder 25th Feb
LENT COURSES
The Lenten Course begins this Wednesday. The first will at 2.00 pm, the second, preceded by a Eucharist, starting at 6.00pm and then light Lenten fare. The Study starts at 7.30 pm.
DEVONSHIRE TEA
Monday March 19th at 10am in the Parish Hall. There will be a raffle, a delicious pie stall and other goods for sale. Donations of pies, cakes, preserves etc appreciated! Entry $3. Proceeds to A.B.M. M. Kidman 58251962
PRAYER LISTS
The Prayer List can get very long and unwieldy. This is why each month we restart the list from scratch. Next week's will be one such. Names will need to be put again on the list in the narthex if they are to be listed in next week's pewsheet.
GARDEN GROUP NEWS
There is a Garden group meeting on Fri 2nd March at 10am and a Autumn Garden Working Bee on Sat 3rd March. An early start at 8.00am to beat the heat.
WELCOME
We welcome into the family of God by way of baptism today, Thomas Gordon who is joined by his mother Melanie Gordon in baptism, and also Alexandra Phillips, and Alexi Dickson. Welcome to their parents, relatives and friends, and as always thank you to our congregational sponsors.
THE WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
The World Day of Prayer this year takes place at 10.00am on Friday the 2nd of March at St. Mel's Church. The Speaker is Fr. Dennis Crameri and his theme: "United under God's Tent". All are welcome
ARTICLES FOR ‘OUTREACH'
Articles for the next edition of Outreach need to be in by the 12th March. Are there any issues or matters of interest that you would like to submit for publication?
MISS POTTER
The Shepparton High School Chaplaincy Committee is to hold a Film Afternoon on Thursday the 8th of March at 2.00pm. At Cinema Capri, the film is "Miss Potter" and the cost $15 which includes afternoon tea. Tickets are available from Margaret Watters 58 213136
ARISE 255
Our new Youth Group "Arise 255", blessed with very talented, capable and enthusiastic leaders meets every Friday fortnight. The next gathering is from 7-9pm on the 2nd of March. On the 16th they plan a Youth Service and already have players of flute, piano and drums available, but anyone else who plays an instrument and would like to join in please have a word with Nyree Connor, Mary Pearson, Simon Dunlop or one of the clergy.
CONFIRMATION 2007
We would like to identify all those wishing to be confirmed well before Easter. Squeezing in to a course at the last moment is not likely to be countenanced this year. Names to the clergy please.
BAPTISM SPONSORS
Sign up in the Narthex to be a Baptism Sponsor please, or have a word with one of the clergy. This is an important task and not at all onerous.
SIMPLY SOOTHING
Don't miss this different, reflective time, followed by lunch, at 12.15pm on Tuesdays
SOY LIFE
Don't forget to collect Soy Life Products bar codes and hand them in to the office.
ADMISSION OF COUNCILLORS
The new Parish Council and Wardens are to be admitted during the 8.30 Eucharist and the 10.30 Eucharist, next Sunday 4th of March. It will be good if all are able to be present at one of those two services.
DATES FOR THE DIARY
Mar 2nd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . World Day of Prayer 10.00am St Mel’s
Mar 2nd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Garden Committee meeting 10am
Mar 2nd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arise 255
Mar 3rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Autumn Garden working bee 8am
Mar 3rd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding 2.30pm
Mar 6th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10am Morning Tea for Office Volunteers
Mar 10th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weddings 1.00pm and 3.00pm
Mar 12th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cut off date for outreach articles
Mar 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A B M Missionaries at 10.00am Eucharist
Mar 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vestry Meeting 4.00pm
Mar17th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding 2.30pm
Mar19th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A.B.M. Mini Fair/Pie stall
Mar 18th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mothering Sunday, Speaker and Lunch
Mar 24th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding 3pm
Mar 24. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lady Day
Mar 25th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Outreach Publication Date
Mar 25th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Catechesis of Good Shepherd Info. Day
Apr 8th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Easter Sunday
Apr 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding
Apr 22nd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sunday Wedding 2.00pm
May 19th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scott Cowdell Seminar
May 20th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . St Augustine’s Day Celebrations & Lunch
May 25th - 26th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Synod
May 27th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pentecost
May 24th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parish Fair meeting 4.30pm
June 2nd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Men’s Breakfast
June 18 -21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Clergy Retreat
Oct 6th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Men’s Breakfast
Oct 15 -18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clergy Conference
Nov 10th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Parish Fair
Dec 1st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Men’s Breakfast
Duties for 25th February 2007
Celebrant 6.30pm Sat 24th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Andrew Neaum
Celebrant 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gail Bryce
Celebrant 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Neaum
Celebrant 8.45 Dookie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Andrew Neaum
Celebrant 10.45 Katandra. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gail Bryce
Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carole Henderson, Norm Mitchelmore
Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Courtney Craven, Mary Pearson
Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beth, Alex, Philippa
Servers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan, Ben, Bethany
Intercessors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carole Henderson, Christine Jones
Euc. Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carole Henderson, Bev Condon
Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jenny Pleming, Chris Evans
Welcoming 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pat Griffin, Erma Wilson
Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nola Brewer, Sandra Simonis
Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bev & Max Ralph
Sidespeople 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlotte Brewer, John Pleming
Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Val Bambrook
Mowing (24th ). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Norm Mitchelmore & Lawrie Tinning
Welcome Table 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pamela Lee
Duties for 4th March 2007
Celebrant 6.30pm Sat 3rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Neaum
Celebrant 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Neaum
Celebrant 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gail Bryce
Celebrant 8.45 Dookie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gail Bryce
Celebrant 10.45 Katandra. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Neaum
Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Heather Pearson, Victoria Heenan
Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Maureen Cormican, Charlotte Brewer
Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Volunteer, Michelle, Beth
Servers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jenny, Zebedee, Joe
Intercessors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bev Condon, Nancy Fennell
Euc. Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ian Bryce/M. Neaum, John Griffin
Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bev Condon, Carole Henderson
Welcoming 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eileen Quaife, Val Bambrook
Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hilder Lidgard, Jenny Moran
Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Norm Mitchelmore, Trevor Batey
Sidespeople 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alan Akers, Nola Brewer
Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Val Rose
Mowing ( 17th ). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. Evans, Lionel Waterson, Rick Coates
Welcome Table 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Margaret Hoare
REQUESTS FOR PRAYER
Hilary Akers, Norma Anderson, Arthur Balaburov, Liam Bognar, David Burrow, Holly Butterfield, Nancy Cooke, Mark Cowan, Greg Cresswell, Donna Dyson, Heather Goswinckel.Jean Hastie, Denise McKellar, Leon Myer, Marven Mould, Bill McIntosh, Margaret Neaum, Marg Noble, John Scott, Carole Shields, Peter & Eva Swindells, Suzanne Tyson, Heather Vines, Lorraine Vogul, Buffy, Cherryl, David, Judith, Darren, Frank, Glenda, Greg, Heather, Judith, Jim, Lynda, Peggy and carers, Robert, Ross, Sue & family.
Anniversary of death
Constance Brock 25th, Suzanne Shepherd, Frederick Baldwyn, Mary Purss 27th, Frances Simpson, John Phillips, Valerie Kennedy 28th, Margaret Stammers 29th, Ailsa Manley, Ruby Young 1st, Charles Day 2nd, Mary Shearer 3rd.
THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
Monday 26th February Rector’s Day Off
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
Tuesday 27th February
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
12.15pm Simply Soul Soothing - Lady Chapel
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
Wednesday 28th February
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist at 8.00am - Lady Chapel
10.00am Eucharist- St Augustine’s
12 noon Ethics Committee meeting
2.00pm Lent Course - The Den
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
6.00pm Eucharist and Soup
7.30pm Lent Course - The Den
Thursday 1st March
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
11.00am Eucharist - Harmony Village
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
5.30pm Choir Practice
7.30pm SICC Meeting - St Brendan’s
Friday 2nd March
7.45am Mattins and Eucharist - Lady Chapel
10.00am Garden meeting/Library
10.00am World Day of Prayer - St Mel’s
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
7.30pm Arise 255 - Church Hall
Saturday 3rd March
Associate Priest’s Day Off
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist (Old rite) - Lady Chape
8.00am Autumn Garden Working Bee
2.00pm Wedding
6.30pm Vigil Eucharist - Lady Chapel
Sunday 4th March Second Sunday in Lent
8.30am Eucharist - St Augustine’s
10.30am Eucharist - St Augustine’s
11.45am Interment of Ashes
12.15pm Orthodox Baptism
8.45am St. Luke’s Dookie
10.45am St Mary’s Katandra West
5.30pm Evening Prayer