TWENTY FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
26th October 2008
Graphics and cartoons & liturgical material appear only in the printed version
IRREPRESSIBLE
Canon Anthony had been a workaholic all his life and when he kicked the bucket his parishioners took up a collection for a headstone. It read: ERECTED IN CANON ANTHONY’S MEMORY BY HIS PARISHIONERS AND FRIENDS. They installed the headstone before the ground had quite settled, and so within a couple of weeks it had started to tilt. As a temporary measure, the mason looped a piece of fencing wire around it and tied the other end to a nearby telegraph pole. Several of the priest’s parishioners who were genuinely grief-stricken at his demise visited the grave for the first time since the funeral. “Good heavens,” said one of them, noticing the wire, that’s our Rector. Work, work, work. He’s already got the flaming phone connected.”
HERETICAL NOTIONS ON PRAYER
Sudden prayers make God jump.
Eric Thacker & Anthony Earnshaw
Prayer must never be answered: if it is,
it ceases to be prayer and becomes correspondence. Oscar Wilde
CHRIST THE NIGHTINGALE
Andrew Neaum
I awoke well before 4.00am on Tuesday. Because I had a long day ahead of me which would include an after dark drive back from Wangaratta, I didn’t get up. Instead I reached for a book, which is something that can help me back to sleep. What keeps most of us awake in the early hours are footling worries. Mine were to do with Margaret’s illness, which is not at all footling, but also petty things that most clergy have to contend with and which can best be summed up as “the casting pearls to swine syndrome”. The glories and profundities of the Christian faith, and the beauty of the Gospel of love, spurned, criticised, derided and cold-shouldered by so many, and for such footling and stupid reasons. Why bother? Why go on?
One bothers because crucifixion lies at the heart of the matter, is the name of the game and also because there are far more bouquets thrown than brick bats delivered. At 3.30am in the morning, however, this lovely imbalance is hard to see.
The book I reached for was “Why Birds Sing” subtitled: “A Journey into the Mystery of Birdsong” by David Rothenberg. It did not send me back to sleep. Instead it provided me with a new and rather beautiful example of the “the casting pearls to swine syndrome.”
The book is profound, written by a professor of philosophy who is also a jazz musician and in a chapter on rhythm and detail there is a careful scientific and aesthetic consideration of the song of the nightingale. It includes an account of Oscar Wilde’s short story “The Nightingale and the Rose”.....
A young philosophy student is desperate for a girl who says she will only dance with him if he finds a red rose. But there is none in the garden to be plucked. A nightingale in her nearby nest hears his plight. “Here indeed is the true lover.” says the nightingale. “What I sing of, he suffers: What is joy to me, to him is pain.” At once the difference between birds and men arises. We suffer in love while the nightingale just enjoys it! (Wilde's singer is a she, not a he, but literature never exactly matches life.)
There is only, one way the nightingale can get the boy a rose — that terrible travail of Persian myth. A tree tells her the method: “if you want a red rose you must build it out of music by moonlight, and stain it with your own heart’s blood. You must sing to me with your breast against a thorn.” The thorn will pierce the bird and she will bleed into the tree, and a red rose will grow by morning. So for the bird love will strike from joy into pain and then death.
But she’s ready to do it, and cries to the student with a song he cannot understand: Be happy, she sings, you will get your rose. “All I ask of you in return is that you will be a true lover, for Love is wiser than Philosophy.” The student looks up, not comprehending, and only whispers, “Sing me one last song. I shall feel very lonely when you are gone.” And then remarkably, he starts to analyse the music he hears: “She has form—that cannot be denied to her; but has she got feeling? I am afraid not. In fact, she is like most artists; she is all style, without any sincerity.” If he only knew why she has begun to sing, and where it will end! All for him! “She thinks merely of music, and everybody knows that the arts are selfish. Still, it must be admitted that she has some beautiful notes in her voice. What a pity it is that they do not mean anything, or do any practical good.” The boy remains a philosopher, trained better as a critic than anything else.
He goes to bed to dream of love, not listening closely enough to the bird to grasp what she was doing for him. In the morning the nightingale lies on the ground, dead, but on the very top of the tree stands a magnificent red rose, “petal following petal, as song followed song.”
‘What luck’, cries the student, and plucks the great flower. He takes the proud flower to his girl but she just sloughs it off. It won’t go with her dress, and another boy has already bought her some gemstones. “Everybody knows jewels cost far more than flowers.” The student tosses the rose into the street, and a cart runs over it. “What a silly thing Love is,” he decides. “It is not half as useful as Logic.” It always makes us believe things that are not true.
The nightingale spilled all of her blood to use song to make a flower, which no one cares for after it fails. The bird and the human never understand one another. That beautiful suicidal music changes nothing at all......
So too perhaps with Christianity and Faith and Church. Most of those even on our parish roll spurn the most heart-rending and beautiful of all sacrifices: sacrificing love as the key to life’s meaning, the spiritual pearl of great price. They spurn it for footling self-indulgence, idle leisure, unattainable material security. All of which come before regular worship and generous support built upon gratitude for the givenness of things by God. The exquisite and fragile rose of great price is spurned for hard gemstones of materialism.
My early morning read didn’t send me back to sleep it focussed my melancholy. I had to get up to crystalize it in words!
Both the extended quotation and the illustration come from the book by David Rothenberg “Why Birds Sing”, published by Basic Books ISBN 0-465-07136-8
TRUTH
Truth is a river that is always splitting up into arms that reunite. Islanded between the arms, the inhabitants argue for a lifetime as to which is the main river. Cyril Connolly
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
On my computer I have a file for quotations pulled from whatever I happen to be reading. Some are witty, some profound... here are two of the latter:
The difference between the self-aware believer ... and the conscious and deliberate atheists is not a disagreement over whether or not to add one item [God] to the sum total of really existing things. It is a conflict about the policies and possibilities for a human life: between someone who accepts the dependence of everything on divine gratuity and attempts to respond with some image of that gratuity ... and someone who denies the dependence and is consequently faced with the unanswerable question of why any one policy for living is preferable to any other."
Rowan Williams’ new Dostoevsky book
Simone Weil did not recognise a fundamental antithesis between Eastern and Western religious philosophies. Occidental religions tend to seek humanity's deliverance from the fear of death; Oriental religions aim to deliver humanity from the pain of life.
Thomas R Nevin: "Simone Weil"
CONGRATULATIONS
Birthdays
Zachary Liley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26th Oct
Yvonne McIntosh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28th Oct
Shirley Dean. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29th Oct
John Griffin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29th Oct
MEDICAL REPORT
As I write Margaret is in Peter MacCallum Hospital in Melbourne where they have kept her longer than expected trying to get on top of an all but immobilising pain. The carefully targeted radiation allied to medication it is hoped will relieve the pain. The pain is probably caused by a radiation zapped and crumbling vertebra repairing itself but in doing so pinching a nerve. The present bout of radiation might well ease things, and if not other ways of doing so will be explored. By the time you read this she is almost certain to be back in Shepparton, though almost certainly with limited mobility.
LABYRINTH WORKSHOP
There is a Labyrinth workshop this afternoon from 2.00pm to 4.00pm in the church hall. There is still room so, even if you haven’t registered but would like to attend, please come along.
PARISH FAIR
AND GARDEN PARTY
• ALL CAN HELP! By delivering leaflets (flyers) All those interested in losing a few inches from their waist come forward and take some flyers to deliver, we have all of Shepparton to cover. . More planning and work goes into the Fair than you can imagine. Let’s all play our part by ensuring that lots and lots of people come and enjoy the day with us. We need to have a flyer placed in every letter box. They are available in the Narthex for collection today. The individual maps for collectors have been carefully pared down to small areas so as not to overburden walkers. The energetic might like to take more than one. On the boundary streets of each little map you deliver only on the inside of the street.
• The new team conducting the Craft Stall will be delighted to receive items for their stall, including scarves and jewellery, children’s ware, aprons etc. etc.....Please place in the box in the Narthex.
• The ladies responsible for the Devon-shire Tea are not all confident scone makers, so they would love to hear from those parishioners who could bake scones for the occasion, both plain and sweet. Please telephone Pat on 58313080
• The “Heavenly Food” team responsible for the Gourmet Lunch are finalising the menu. Michael, John and Cliff, together with Alice and Richard Tallis are organising the popular Wine Bar. For the Dessert Course we need 3 or 4 ladies to prepare the strawberries on the afternoon of Friday the 7th of November. If you can help, please ring Pat on 58313080
• Four Litre Plastic Square Ice Cream Cartons with lids are needed for the Cake Stall please. Leave them in the Narthex please.
• Items of a Christmassy sort are required for the Christmas Stall please. Edible, ornamental or wearable.
• We need a swag of delicious items for the Cake Stall, items for the White Elephant Stall, game, puzzles and children’s books for the Toy Stall.
• The Planning Committee and representatives of Stalls and other events are reminded that the final meeting will be held in The Den at 4.00pm THIS THURSDAY the 30th of October.
• Treasures of Yesteryear! A request from Ella Egan to all the ladies who have promised articles for our display on the day of the Fair. Would you please provide her with a list of your articles and also a brief description regarding age, origin, or any story of interest. The descriptions of articles needs to be received by Ella as soon as possible, but the articles for display can be given to her the week before the Fair. You can email inform-ation: at michella@netspace.net.au Thank You!
• Mystery Parcels/Parish Fair: We need donations of gift wrapping paper, new or used, all sizes, ribbons, ties, small empty boxes and small gifts suitable for adults and children to the value of $2. These can be left at the office. Thank you in anticipation from Pamela Lee
• China and Glassware: We can accommodate all sorts of “pre-loved” items for this stall. Why not dispossess yourself of stuff you will never display or use yourself? Most of our houses are far too cluttered.
• Don’t forget the Working Bees on Friday the 7th at 5.00pm and on Saturday the 8th at 6.30am and 3.00pm.
THE ST AUGUSTINE’S FORGE
If anyone has tools in good working order that they no longer require, would they like to donate them to our new shed which has a bench, vice and anvil. This will save John our resident carpenter, blacksmith, mechanic always bringing in his own tools, forgetting the vital one and having to dash home in order to get it.
URGENT!!! RETURN RAFFLE BOOKS
It is important, not least for legal reasons, that Raffle Books be returned by the 28th October please. We would prefer the tickets to be sold, but if not please return your book anyway. By doing so you will save us the work and expense of chasing up books. Thank you.
PASTORAL CARE
Pastoral Care workers and all volunteer office staff, as well as anyone else at all interested are urged to attend: (1) a Forum entitled “Signs to Look for in Suicide” from 2.00 - 4.00pm on Tuesday 28th October at “The Hub” in Mooroopna’s Senior Citizen’s Club Rooms. And (2) on Thursday Nov. the 6th at 2.00pm in the Narthex, a talk by Glenn Canning on “Looking out for signs of Depression, Mental Illness, Suicide, Angry Clients and Burnout.” Both of these are essential for Pastoral Care Workers and the second for Parish Office minders.
ALL SOUL’S DAY
All Souls’ Day this year is on Sunday (the 2nd of November) and so both the 8.30am and 10.30am Eucharists on that day will be Requiems at which our departed will be remembered by name. The departed buried from this parish during the past year will be remembered by name automatically, but please put any other names for remembrance on the list in the Narthex.
ECUMENICAL SERVICE DOOKIE
There is the annual Ecumenical Service at St. Andrew’s Dookie on Sunday 26th at 6.00pm. It is held in St Andrew’s Church Hall but the Anglicans are the hosts and the Rector the preacher. All are welcome of course and even if the meat in the sermon is thin it won’t be in the sandwiches that follow which will be accompanied by goodies of all sorts .
CLERGY CONFERENCE
For most of this week, depending upon Margaret’s condition, the Rector will be away at the annual Clergy Conference. It could be the last one for some years given the dreadful leanness of the Diocesan budget for next year. Our two Associate Priests will be attending part of the Conference.
DATES FOR THE DIARY
Oct 27-30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Clergy Conference
Oct 30th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4pm Final Fete Committee Meeting - Den
Nov 1st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .All Saint’s Day
Nov 2nd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . All Soul’s Day
Nov 3rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Arise 255/Youth Group
Nov 6th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mental Illness Awareness Talk/Glenn Canning
Nov 8th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Parish Fair
Nov 11th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .“Moving On” Grief Support
Nov 15th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mens Breakfast
Nov 17th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arise 255/Youth Group
Nov 18th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Friendship Group 2pm/Library
Nov 19th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parish Council
Nov 20th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Evening Guild / Narthex
Nov 22nd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding 2pm
Nov 23rd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .David & Ruth Bryce/Preaching at St. Aug
Nov 29th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Garden Working Bee
Dec 1st. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Arise 255/Youth Group
Dec 15th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arise 255/Youth Group
Dec 17th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Parish Council
READINGS for 2nd November
Job 14:1-14 & Romans 5:5-11
REQUESTS FOR PRAYER
At the beginning of each month this list is cleared and ALL names need putting down again on the list in the narthex and signed in. No names should be listed without a person’s permission. The list for names of those to be prayed for is kept in the top drawer of the little plastic box of drawers on the narthex table.
Alison Baldwin, Liam Bognar, Betty Brereton, Kylie Butterfield, Nicky Cavill, Tom Cook, Richard Goodfellow, John Green, Frank Harder, Sophie Mould, Laura McKinnis, Margaret Neaum, Margaret Noble, Jan Riches, Kevin Richards, Peter & Eva Swindells, Lorraine Vogul, David, Tom, Glenda, Michael & Amanda, David & Judith, Brigid, Tracey, William, Barry & Anne, Elaine.
Anniversary of death
Laurence Sweet 26th, Edison Condon, Jean Anselmi, Bessie Bourke, Stella Still 27th, Reg Shearer, Lorna Sanderson, Ernest Mustey 28th, Eric Bartlett, Ernest Young, Veronica Volk 29th, Pamela Taylor, Ray Prosser 30th, Lindsay Dealy 31st, Annie Galt, Evelyn Sheppard 1st.
Duties for 26th October 2008
Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Heather Carlyon, Pat Griffin
Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Charlotte Brewer, Christine Jones
Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Michelle, Phillipa
Servers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Helen, Tom, Daniel
Intercessors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Victoria Heenan, Mary Pearson
Euc. Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bev Condon, Carole Henderson
Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Greg Pestell
Welcoming 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bev Ralph, Shirley Dean
Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Frank Steen, Jenny Moran
Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Trevor Batey, Joy Campbell
Sidespeople 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nola Brewer, Alan Akers
Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Shirley Dean
Welcoming Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Val Rose
Mowing 25th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Pleming, Rick Coates
Duties for 2nd November 2008
Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Heather Pearson, Jeanette Smith
Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jenny Moran, Gwyn Cowland
Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beth, Michelle
Servers 10.30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jenny, Sophie, Ben
Intercessors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pat Griffin, Bev Condon
Euc. Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ian Bryce, John Griffin
Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jenny Pleming
Welcoming 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heather Nichols, Beryl Goodfellow
Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nola Brewer
Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bob Galt, Norm Mitchelmore
Sidespeople 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Pleming, Charlotte Brewer
Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pat Griffin
Welcoming Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Margaret Hoare
Mowing 1st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Norm Mitchelmore, Michael Egan
THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
Monday 27th October (Rector’s Day off)
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
4.00pm Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Tuesday 28th October
7.45am Mattins only (Clergy away) - Lady Chapel
12.15pm Simply Soul Soothing
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
Wednesday 29th October
7.45am Mattins only - Lady Chapel
10.00am Eucharist - St Augustine’s
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
Thursday 30th October
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
11.00am Eucharist Harmony
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
4.00pm Parish Fair meeting/Den
5.30pm Choir Practice
Friday 31st October
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
9.00am Catechesis of Good Shepherd (Lady Chapel)
Saturday 1st November All Saints Day
All Saints Day (Associate Priest’s Day off)
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel Trad Rite
6.00pm Vigil Eucharist
Sunday 2nd November All Souls Day
8.30am Sung Eucharist - St Augustine’s
10.30am Family Eucharist
8.45am Eucharist - Dookie
10.45am Eucharist - Katandra