TWENTY FOURTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST
15th November 2009
Graphics and cartoons & liturgical material appear only in the printed version
THE MORNING AFTER
A young fellow went to a casting agency to do an audition. While he waited to be called, he saw an assortment of jugglers, fire-eaters and magicians. When at last it was his turn, the casting agent said, “Hurry up now. I’m a busy man. So what is it you do, exactly?” The boy said, “Well, actually, I do a bird impersonation.” The casting agent’s face clouded over and he said, “Listen, boy, don’t you realise that this is the 21st century? You will never get anywhere doing bird impersonations. Get out of here and stop wasting my time.” So the boy said, “Blow you then,” and flew out of the window.
THIS and THAT
Andrew Neaum
A busy week in the parish gearing up for the Fair does not leave much time for the usually enjoyable task of writing this diary column. A long standing friend of mine in England sent me an email last week, the result of a good and amicable argument, by way of Skype, to do with church politics and theology. It began as follows:
Spent an hour looking at your newsletter online. I like your jokes: but it occurs to me that much of what you say is merely quoting yourself to me! What also strikes me yet again is your ‘neaumanity’...and the amount of detailed recounting of Neaum thoughts, clever things Neaum offspring have said, accounts of Neaum family life, Neaum père etc. And I see part of your planned leave will be spent in organising your ‘archive’. Good God, man. I am contra-reminded of the gigantic grizzled Benedictine we met at Subiaco, when I went years ago to a conference at the Anglican Centre in Rome. He had a strong Australian accent, prompting one of our party to ask him his ‘story’. He simply said, ‘I came here to seek to die to self’, and said not another word....
My friend is of course spot on. But so what? Because to a great extent, that is what a diary column is all about. Part of my reply to him went as follows:
I am of course self-fascinated, for what a self I have to be fascinated by! But there is more to it than that. For a start I consciously write a diary column, for which there are many models, not least in the Speccie.... the column is deliberately about me and mine..... Christianity needs to be shown and portrayed in a real life, made my own and shared as such. Both my writing and my sermons are attempts to put belief and theology into narrative, my own biography, my parish’s story and so on. Nowhere, ever do I pretend to be morally good, nowhere ever, I think, do I pretend to be other than egotistic and self absorbed, I refuse the pedestal and am actually uncomfortable even with “Father” if it is at all reverential. However if Christianity cannot be shown as demonstrably real in my own life, if my own vision cannot be shown to be God illuminated, then what I am on about and besotted by, possibly even more so than myself, namely Jesus and the Faith, will be merely dismissed by the discerning as a party line or what I am paid to preach. That is not for me. I really and genuinely am on a quest to make sense of it all. That is why those who have it all wrapped up in the armour of certitude do nothing for me. That is why I have travelled away from positions once held. I am a mountebank certainly, but not entirely so, I like to think, and many people do seem fascinated by what I write and preach, perhaps because it is sometimes the Gospel in the present tense.....
A change
The greatest change in my life this past week has been a move, after six years, from my poky little office opposite the north door of the church, into the much larger room next door. This is the room which Margaret used as her sewing room. It is a lovely place to work in because not only is it more spacious but because as I sit at the desk I can look up and survey through a large window on my left the north side of the church with its lovely fountained garden and the mulberry tree already aflutter with raucous voiced, gorging rainbow lorikeets, and through a large window on my right across the shady front lawns to Maude Street. I shall now be far more aware than I have been for years of who is about and what is going on.
It is a happy room too because in it Margaret at last happily achieved a sewing room worth having, and was able to fill every cupboard with the paraphernalia of her favourite hobby, craft and calling. Her married life of relative, but blessed poverty, until we came to Australia, had exacerbated in her a natural tendency to frugal hoarding. Every cupboard in the room still bursts with materials, patterns, teaching stuff, manuals, books, magazines, reels of this that and the other and much, much more. I cannot bring myself to violate any of it yet, but will do so with the help of Elizabeth, who is her kindred spirit and heir in many more ways than one.
My major creative work this week has been to compose once more an annual Christmas letter to be sent to all sorts of friends and acquaintances around the globe. It was a more than usually difficult letter to write this year, for obvious reasons. I gave a draft to be critiqued and proofread to Peter and sent one off to the girls as well. They all pronounced it satisfactory and less egocentric than usual. There remains the difficult business of editing my email address book so that wedding couples, the bereaved, parishioners and the odd lunatic who communicate with me for other than friendly or social reasons do not, to their mystification, receive a Christmas letter from someone they hardly know! My machine appears to pop everyone who communicates with me into my address book, and as some addresses give little or no hint as to the identity of the original sender, it can be a puzzling exercise. Those I cannot identify I have to delete.
Is it possible to be selfishly selfless? I was thinking in chapel this morning of that monk to whom my friend referred in his email to me and with which I began this article. Who, when asked his “story” at a conference, refused to tell it, retorting “I came here to seek to die to self”, and said not another word. Hmm! Surely selflessness is best found in giving the self away to others rather than denying it to them?
COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
Canon D Neaum 1912-2001
Came the Monday and my first ‘Serving’ with the new Priest. He was friendly and had a few minutes talk with me after Mass. On the Wednesday he asked me if I would like to call in at the Parsonage for tea on my way from school. I accepted gladly having seen the house regularly, for it was on Cluster Road, opposite the Drill Hall, but behind a high stone wall.
School ended I walked to the gate, somewhat gingerly for I was shy and found a large lawn across from which stood the stone built house, the end one of three. Beside the lawn Fr. Mellor and his wife were there to greet me. Staying there until about 7.00pm I found out several things, they were a delightful, friendly couple, they had no children (I didn’t know at that time that Mrs Mellor couldn’t have children) and they were in their early 30's. On leaving , I was told that they would be happy for me to call for tea on any day, but being shy I knew I should never go unless asked. On Friday morning, after Mass, Fr. Mellor said “You didn’t come for tea yesterday, would you like to call today ?” I gave a quick “Yes, please,” for on the first visit I had learned another thing, Mrs M was a magnificent cook!
For the first two weeks I didn’t go unless asked, but after that it became a happy habit on all school days except Mondays when I was fly catching. My visits gradually lengthened until it was often 10.00pm when I left. My parents knew where I was and had been visited by the Mellors, so all was well. On Tuesdays and Fridays I would leave them for Choir practice but return afterwards for supper. They never seemed to tire of my presence and if they had to go out for other business, I was always invited to stay as long as I wanted or until they returned. If I wanted to leave, all I had to do was click the door lock and depart. These visits continued and lengthened during the four years or so that the Mellors were at Christ Church and had only one snag for it meant that Fran and I saw less of each other, for though Fran was in the choir, he was not a Server and saw much less of the Priests. It did not, however, hinder our Saturdays and Sundays together so that the “Den” was not entirely neglected and lonely.
Apart from my growing friendship with the Mellors, I still found my choir membership a joy. It was during this year that I learned how to sing the English chant to the Prayer Book Psalms. When I was six and newly joined, no one taught me that the bar lines in the tune, corresponded with the bar lines in the words. In my seventh year this hit me like a lightning bolt and started a joy in life that has never faded. This is one reason why I loathe new translations of the Psalms for though the meaning may be clearer, the poetry and beauty is taken from them. But then, I could say the same about new Prayer Books in their entirety - I must be getting old
Two other memories of my early choir days stay with me. The ‘Union’ or ‘Workhouse’ as it was always called, was a place for vagrants to stay a night, or where old folk, too poor to live on their own were taken in ‘to die’, as those outside said. It used to hold a great Christmas feast for its inmates on Boxing Day. The particular day I remember was one upon which they were given a magnificent dinner of roast goose with all the trimmings and Christmas pudding. As the workhouse was in our parish, the choir went to this dinner, not to eat, but to sing carols and anthems. I needed to relieve myself and, not knowing where the toilets were, decided during the interval, to use one of the stone buttresses of the building for the purpose. This done and not being disturbed, I was walking back in the dark only to find an old man being violently sick, or rather, poking his finger down his throat to make himself vomit. I stopped by him to ask if he needed help. His answer was terrible in its implication, “No sonny”, he gasped, “It’s only once a year we gets food like this, and the feeling of its going down is so lovely, that I vomit up the first lot so that I can go and enjoy a second.” To my young ears that sounded dreadful and to my older ones, even worse. Truly the days of Charles Dickens had not ended by the time I was a lad. One should thank God for the advent of Social Security for, if it is properly used it is a real God-send. Its bad side is that it can turn sinful humans into little more than beggars. Charity from individuals becomes hateful but from Governments, anything goes. (to be continued)
GRATITUDE
I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. G K Chesterton
Shearing on the Côte d’Azure
In playful homage to the summer jazz festival
a green hedge, topiarized into the shape of a grand piano,
stands on a roundabout in the old town of Vence.
Every Sunday morning before church bells
are up and ringing, a blind musician sits at the keyboard
and with a pair of garden shears, tunes it.
Roger McGough from “That Awkward Age” published by Penguin.
ANNIVERSARIES
Birthdays
Andrew Neaum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16th Nov
Nancee Beck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16th Nov
PARISH FAIR and GARDEN PARTY
As is the case each year with the Fair I need to complete this pew sheet well before the great event to appear after it. More particularly so this year as Heather Camm, the parish secretary, is away on Friday on EfM business.This means that there is no way that we can report on how everything went. However as I tap away at these few notices all looks very good indeed, except for the early arrival of summer which promises a very hot occasion. Last year we were worried about forecasts of rain. Not so this year, just high temperatures. We will cope! Many thanks to all those who have contributed in any way to this great parish occasion. I am grateful for all the good work and support of so many, many people. Behind the laden stalls lies lots and lots of work and planning it would be wrong to single individuals out to praise, but especial thanks must go to Pat Gibson who again this year has minimised my worry, work and planning down to pretty well zero. She is a very bright star indeed, imaginative, fearless and marvellously positive. She deserves a pampered week in the Bahamas, but sadly is unlikely to get it.
MEN’S BREAKFAST
We are holding the last Men’s Breakfast of the year on the 21st of November starting as usual at 8.00am with the Eucharist, the meal itself beginning at 8.30am. The speaker will be Kim Benton.
ANGLICAN CHURCH CALENDARS
If you would like to order a calendar please put your name on the list in the narthex they are $12 each.
PARISH QUIET DAY
Saturday 12th Dec. 9.30am - 3.30pm (times and place to be confirmed) Take some time out of the Christmas rush and remember what we are really looking forward to. For more information talk to Helen but meanwhile put this date in your diary.
CARING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Bishop John has asked us to consider what we can do to help alleviate climate change. This is part of General Synod’s policy. Please take home a House Audit from the back of the church and check what you can do at your place to prevent global warming. (To save paper we have printed a limited number. Please let Helen or the office know if you would like a copy)
POST MORTEM
There is a Parish Fair “post mortem” meeting on Thursday to chew over how things went, to note both successes and failures so as to consolidate the former and avoid the latter for the future. All are welcome to what we intend ensuring to be a constructive critique. Please do make an effort to be present. It is at 4.00pm in the Narthex.
EVENING GUILD
The Evening Guild’s final meeting for the year takes place on Thursday the 19th, with a celebration of the Eucharist at 1.30pm and the meeting to follow in the Narthex.
FRIENDSHIP GROUP
On Tuesday 17th Nov is our monthly meeting in the Narthex. Contact Pat 58001168
EDUCATION FOR MINISTRY
If you would like to deepen your Christian faith in both knowledge and fellowship, then do seriously consider becoming a part of the Education for Ministry group in our Parish. A Signing Up Session will be held at 2.00pm on Sunday 29th November in the Narthex for those who want actually to sign up for EfM next year No previous attendance at meetings or information sessions is required. Please speak to Helen or any of the EfM group for more information.
DATES FOR THE DIARY
Nov 21st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Men’s Breakfast
Nov 21st. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding 3pm
Nov 28th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Garden Working Bee
Nov 28th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding 3.30pm
Dec 6th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rehearsal Nativity Play
Dec 8th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Patronal Festival - Katandra
Dec 12th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sausage Sizzle at Bunnings
Dec 12th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Parish Quiet Day
Dec 13th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nativity Play at 10.30am Eucharist
Dec 18th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carol Service 7.00pm
Dec 24th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christmas Children’s Service 5.30pm
Mar 7th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cologne New Phil.Chamber Orchestra 2.30pm
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.
Prayer Requests: Nicole Ackland, Laura Bates, Liam Bognar, Peg Boyle, Max Braumam, Barbara Brown, Ian Carmen, Tom Downie, Lorna Ford, Frank Harder, Charles Keen, Jenny Laws, Hilder Lidgard, Win Lawrence, Elsie Lieschke, Jenny Laws, Shirley Palma, Sophie Mould, Albert Oxenbury, Kevin & Isabelle Richards, Peter Swindells, David, Glenda, John & family, David & Judith, Valerie, Bonny & Keith
Year’s Mind: Margaret Fairless, Sara Morrow, John Griffriths, Sylvia Kennedy 15th, Arthur Basset, Frances Brown 16th, Doris Stansfield, Thomas Trevaskis, Cecil McKellar 17th, Stanley Houghton, John Jeffery 18th, Edward Lacey, Victor Reither 19th, Catherine Baskerville 20th, Doreen Syer 21st.
Duties for 15th November
Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Wellman, Victoria Heenan
Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Greg & Verna Pestell
Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Beth
Servers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan, Dale, Aaron
Intercessors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heather Fitzgerald, Verna Pestell
Euc. Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carole Henderson, Bev Condon
Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jenny Pleming, Greg Pestell
Welcomers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Heather Nichols, Anita Saville
Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Pleming
Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joe Pearson, Norm Mitchelmore
Sidespeople 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nola Brewer, Charlotte Brewer
Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gwyn Cowland
Welcoming Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Judy Lloyd, Dorothy Cook
Mowing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No mowing this week
Duties for 22nd November
Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Norm Weaver, Carole Henderson
Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christine Jones, Jenny Pleming
Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Beth, Michelle
Servers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jenny, Venita,Valerie
Intercessors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Norman Weaver, Greg Pestell
Euc. Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heather Fitzgerald, John Griffin
Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christine, Jenny
Welcomers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Judy Lloyd, Pat Griffin
Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nola Brewer, Frank Steen
Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bev & Max Ralph
Sidespeople 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Pleming
Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Val Rose
Welcoming Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pamela Lee, Dorothy Cook
Mowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Merv Cowland
READINGS 22nd November
2 Samuel 23:1-7; Revelation 1:4-8
THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
Monday 16th November
Rector’s Day off
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
3.30pm Evening Prayer
Tuesday 17th November
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
10.00am Playgroup at the All Abilities Playground
2.00pm Friendship Group
3.30pm Evening Prayer
4.00pm Catechesis of the Good Shepherd - Library
5.30pm Bishop in Council - Wangaratta
7.30pm Baptism Preparation
Wednesday 18th November
7.45am Mattins only - Lady Chapel
10.00am Eucharist St Augustine’s
3.30pm Evening Prayer
4.00pm Eucharist/Kialla Gardens
6.30pm EfM - Roz’s Room
7.30pm Parish Council
Thursday 19th November
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
9.30am Eucharists/Hakea & Acacia
11.00am Eucharist - Harmony
1.30pm Eucharist/Evening Guild in the Narthex
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
4.00pm Catechesis of the Good Shepherd - Library
4.00pm Post Fair Meeting - Narthex
5.30pm Choir Practice
Friday 20th November
7.45pm Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
9.30am Catechesis of the Good Shepherd - Library
5.30pm Wedding Rehearsal
Saturday 21st November
Associate Priest’s day off
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
8.30am Mens’ Breakfast
11.30am Wedding Interview
3.00pm Wedding (Nuptial Mass)
6.00pm Vigil Eucharist - Lady Chapel
22nd November “Christ the King”
8.30am Sung Eucharist - St Augustine’s
10.30am Eucharist - St Augustine’s/Baptisms
8.45am Eucharist - St Luke’s
10.45am Eucharist St Mary’s Katandra
12 noon Orthodox Baptism