TWENTY FIRST SUNDAY after PENTECOST
25th October 2009
Graphics and cartoons & liturgical material appear only in the printed version
A VERY VICTORIAN STORY
At a national conference of the Australian Hotels Association, the general managers of Cascade Brewery (Tasmania), Tooheys (New South Wales), XXXX (Queensland), CUB (Victoria) and Coopers (South Australia) found themselves sitting at the same table for lunch. When the waitress asked what they wanted to drink, the GM of Tooheys said without hesitation, “I’ll have a Tooheys New.” The head of XXXX smiled and said, “Make mine a XXXX Gold.” To which the boss of Coopers rejoined, “I’ll have a Coopers, the King of Beers.” And the bloke from Cascade asked for “a Cascade, the cleanest draught on the planet.” The General Manager of Carlton & United paused a moment and then placed his order: “I’ll have a Diet Coke.” The others looked at him as if he had sprouted a new head. “Well,” he said with a shrug, “if you wimps aren’t drinking beer, then neither will I.”
CHRISTMAS LETTER
A lady who lives in Orr Street went to the Post Office recently to buy stamps for her Christmas cards. “What Denomination?” asked the clerk. “Oh, good heavens! Have we come to this?” she said. “Give me 50 Baptist and 50 Catholic then.”
THIS and THAT
Andrew Neaum
Tuesday last week was a special day. It was my first working day in shorts and sandals which is summer’s greatest small gift to me. My toes feel like the ancient Israelites released from bondage and my liberated legs are tempted to dance in a fashion that would be unbecoming in an ancient and hoary-faced priest. The song of the blackbird fills the early morning garden. I and little Meg spied one on its nest in Benalla on Monday, its beak held upright to emulate a twig, its eye bright with fear at its discovery by us.
Tristan and Zimbabwe
On Tuesday evening I tapped off an email to Tristan da Cunha to enquire about a possible visit there next year. The Island Council has to give permission to visitors and so my name will be on the agenda at their November meeting. As the island has only 271 inhabitants, one little village and it takes a week over wild seas to get to it, this is probably a wise precaution and it is by no means certain that permission will be granted. If it is and I finally decide to go, it need not be hugely expensive, especially if I opt for a trip on one of the small fishing ships that make their way there regularly. The difficulty will be in arranging not to have to stay there for months. When I went to live there as a little boy we travelled on a Royal Navy frigate and it was a horrendous, wild voyage. All of us except my father were wretched with sea-sickness.
On the same evening I tapped out an email to an old university friend who for many years now has been a member of the Community of the Resurrection at Mirfield in Yorkshire. He is a white Zimbabwean patriot and visits the country regularly, pining for it all the while he is not there. I hoped that we might coincide for a visit next year, but even if we don’t he will find me contacts and something worthwhile to do there so that I don’t have to waste my proposed visit on mere tourism.
What a difference email makes to this sort of arrangement of things. When I was on the Island of St Helena, another location without an airport, and trying to organise a job in Australia it took months and months to receive those so typically equivocating and indecisive replies from bishops to my enquiries by letters. Nowadays responses can be all but instantaneous.
A variety of correspondents
I have been getting some strange and less than complimentary local mail recently. To write and talk publicly, as a parson like myself does, invites such missives. More especially as I have an abiding hatred of parsonic platitudes and guff and so strive to write interestingly and provocatively.
I have learned over many years to reply only rarely to rudely critical or irrational corres-pondence, unless the criticism is justified and requires an apology or an explanation. I couldn’t resist a quick reply to an email that came to me the week before last asking curtly: “Where are your bible scriptures to support the Labyrinth?” followed by screeds of second-hand bumpf from the internet. My reply went: “Where are your bible scriptures to support emails? If you can’t find them don’t trouble me with them!”
I received a lovely little message last week though. It raised my spirits enormously and was from Rachel, the whole correspondence by way of Skype messages went as follows:
I have been student of your love
and have not graduated. Setting
my own questions, I bungled
the examination: Where? Why? When?
Knowing there were no answers
you allowed history to invigilate
my desires. Time and again I was
caught with a crib up my sleeve.
R.S. Thomas (of course)
I replied: That is wonderful! Though when you think about it, the “crib up the sleeve needs a bit of unpacking...” To which Rachel replied: “That’s what’s so good about it” and to which I responded: ...but why “up the sleeve”? “Aah. For the image? There is an ambiguity about whether it is cheating to use the Christian narrative to make sense of things or whether Christ is the hidden answer..... Now that is the sort of epistolary dialogue I rejoice in!
I think it was Evelyn Waugh who had a stock answer to insulting, rude or overly critical letters to him. His response went something like this: “Dear Sir, I think you might be interested to know that some lunatic is writing to people over your name and signature. It might be best to inform the police.....” Mind you I received a lovely anonymous little note of thanks for these pew sheets last week from someone to whom a parishioner sends them regularly. Thank you for your thank you.
Internet rubbish and good sense
What a curse the internet is to those with no critical faculties. With so much information at everyone’s fingertips the role of the educator must surely nowadays be far less the imparting of mere information than the developing of a sceptical and critical eye to ease the sorting of wheat from chaff and gold from dross.
The world of medicine and healthcare, more even than religion, suffers from a plethora of suspect, stupid and downright dangerous internet rubbish. When Margaret was diagnosed with cancer all sorts of dubious “medicines”, “healing therapies” and “healers” were offered to her. Most of them at an exorbitant cost that called into question any suggested disinterestedness behind their promotion. Research on the internet to test their bona fides usually revealed a thousand highly suspect promotional sites for every impartially critical one!
For those who are interested there is a very useful internet site called “Quackwatch” (http://www.quackwatch.com/) which con-vincingly and scientifically exposes pretty well every form of medical quackery known to humankind.
The most useful site that I have found for poking a bit of fun and raising a laugh at faith-folly and religious idiocy and fanaticism is one that is called “The Ship of Fools” (http://www.shipoffools.com/). There is much good and serious stuff to be found on this site too, its primary purpose is not satyrical.
Those interested in really deep and penetrating talks, speeches and sermons on Church and theological matters should have a look at the Archbishop of Canterbury’s web page. It depends upon his audience as to whether or not a piece he has written is readily accessible to non-theologians. His sermons and interviews are often truly inspiring, though even for these you do need to be prepared to think and ponder: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/91. I shall probably comment next week on the recent high-handedness of the Pope in relation to Anglicanism and Rowan Williams.
St Luke
The St Luke’s Day service for medicos and health care workers was a little triumph last Sunday Evening. The talk by Dawn DeWitt, Professor of Rural Medicine at the School of Rural Health, University of Melbourne, was a delight to listen to, thoughtful, eloquent and yet refreshingly artless; thoroughly and unashamedly Christian, unclouded by much theologising or theorising. Perhaps best of all it was personal and heartfelt. Many thanks indeed to Helen Malcolm for organising and arranging this annual service and to those who helped with the catering. Numbers were up on last year. May this trend continue.
Mary Pearson’s good work
A person who is quietly doing splendid work for us in this parish with an excellent team that she has gathered about her, is Mary Pearson. Her Youth Group, held on alternate Monday nights, often well exceeds twenty in membership and offers an imaginative and thoughtfully prepared program that contains far more than just entertainment. Mary’s talents are many and varied, her inventiveness and resourcefulness out-standing and she is well trained, but more than anything else, it seems to me, it is her open, sunny and tolerant personality that lies behind her success which is our success. Well done.
COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
Canon D Neaum 1912-2001
It was Bridge Hill that drew us most often. On the left were the fields sloping down to the river and on the right the high wall of the squire’s domain, trees on both sides of the road. Fran and I would climb over the farm gate at the bottom of the hill and then creep up, hidden by the hedge, to the first of the two magic places, which was a spring flowing from under the road, running down the field into the river. To us it was a magic spring with water-cress growing in profusion, and nothing breaking the peace. We would make small dams with overflows that drove our homemade water wheels. It seemed to fascinate Fran, who would linger so long there that I would get impatient for us to move on to my magic spot. One day, as we left the spring, I heard Fran say, “One of these days I shall buy that field and the spring, build my home in the field and use the water for a lovely garden”. I didn’t take much notice for my heart was set on a spinney which clothed the brow of the hill and was part of the squire’s domain. We used to see into the spinney through the slatted, locked, gate on the path, always wishing we could find a way in. This we did when walking from the spring, we continued up, under the shelter of the hedge and found a place in the spinney’s hedge through which we could enter. It didn’t seem to bother us that we were trespassing for we had no intention of doing any damage.
There were magnificent tall trees in that one and a half acre wood, oak, beech and ash and in the middle, where there was a patch of sunshine, we saw what we thought was a flat stretch of grass. On approaching, we found it was a huge bed of white violets. I fell in love with the place, but, unlike Fran and his spring, I had no hope or thought of owning it. All I wished was that I could stay there.
Then, as youth changed into manhood, the squire died and later his wife also. Their son had no intention of staying in Belper and the family domain was sold. That brought to light my father’s intention to leave Albert Street and build a house outside the town. He bought, of all places, the spinney and built there a fine stone house. The only snag was that the house had to be built over the magic spot where the white violets grew. That house became my home until my parents died and is now occupied by a niece and her family.
After the second world war the field with the spring, along with its neighbouring fields came up for sale. Fran bought them and built his dream house and dream garden there and gave it a truly apposite name, “Tranquil House”, where the spring and stream became the glory of all. Who says that dreams don’t come true?.
The time came when Fran ceased to be “A Little Gentleman” able to be educated at “Bridge House School” and so departed to be a scholar at the Church Primary School at the other end of the town. This meant that my walk to school became solitary, but that did not end our close companionship, either in the evenings or during weekends.
There was one shop in King Street that always drew our attention for it was the only toy shop in town, and the window display was full of interest. So much so that it was the cause of our third, and last, good hiding from our father.
There, in the centre of the displayed delights was a toy, whose nature I cannot now remember, which made us break the tenth Commandment - we became full of covetousness, but with little hope of fulfilment for its price was marked as two shillings - a florin. Though our pocket money had risen to twopence a week we felt that such a high price was unattainable, but we decided to try to save to buy it. Day after day we went to see if the desired toy was still unsold, being sure that it was the only one made and so if sold to someone else, then we had lost hope of ever owning it.
We saved hard and had reached the huge sum of tenpence when the annual trip, by private carriage, with two horses, was taken to Gala Day at Matlock Bath. The place was crowded with visitors, one didn’t call them ‘tourists’ in that day, and there were constant delights for children, all of them costing money. On our return we knew that our hard saved tenpence had vanished and all thought of the florin toy was a dream.
There was, however, one bright spot at the beginning of the trip, not concerned with money or toy. Eldest brother, Malcolm, who was a bit of a bully, always demanded the outside seat on the carriage, sitting by the driver. On that particular day it was raining as we set off and Malcolm decided it would be more comfortable in the carriage rather than in the rain and told one of us to take that place. My father, hearing this said, “No, Malc, you have always insisted on taking that seat and you can have it as usual today”. That gave Fran and me great pleasure.
On the Monday evening after the trip we walked down to the shop to see if our expensive toy was still on display. It was! (To be continued)
CONGRATULATIONS
Birthdays
Yvonne McIntosh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28th Oct
Shirley Dean. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29th Oct
John Griffin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29th Oct
ALL SOULS
All Soul’s Day this year is on Monday (the 2nd of November) and so we will celebrate a Requiem Eucharist at 5.30pm on Sunday the 1st of November. On the actual Day, Monday there will be a short devotional service, not a Eucharist at 12.15pm. At both services the departed buried from this parish during the past year will be remembered by name. Please put any other names for remembrance on the list in the Narthex.
PARISH FAIR & GARDEN PARTY 14th NOVEMBER
Final Planning Meeting
Thursday next, 29th October at 4pm, in Roz’s room. Stall-holders and organisers of other activities are requested to attend. The layout plan of stalls, both in the gardens and in the food hall, will be on display for discussion and finalisation.
All Can Help
By delivering leaflets(flyers). We have all of Shepparton to cover and need to have a flyer placed in everyone’s letter box. Flyers will be available in the Narthex for collection next Sunday 1st and on Sunday Nov 8th - as well as on Wednesday 4th & 11th. 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.
Vintage and Veteran Cars
The Orr St car park will be closed to cars at 8.30am. Please drive in before that time, unload, and then park at 99 Orr St opposite the Parish Hall. Our car park will be the location for a display of Vintage/Veteran/Classic cars which will add interest to our Fair and Garden Party.
A great concert
A reminder that the free outdoor concert commences at 1.30pm on the lawns fronting Maude St, Among the artists will be stars of STAG and TURATON productions: Rick Birkitt, Ann Bowen and Donald Campbell.
McKinney Street
McKinney St, between Maude and Orr Streets will be closed to through traffic and car parking. Train rides will be conducted in this section.
SUPPER CLOTHS
Many thanks to those who have donated supper cloths to go onto our smaller card tables. They are much appreciated and some of them are very lovely.
CHRISTMAS CHOIR
The choir has just started practising for the annual Carol Service on the 18th of December. If anyone would like to join the choir for this most enjoyable event please join us on Thursday evenings at 6.00pm.
BACK TO DOOKIE
The “Back to Church” service for Dookie takes place next Sunday at 8.45am. Do please join us for this.
GARDENING WORKING BEE
On Saturday the 31st October there is a Garden Working Bee. Everyone is welcome to come along and help get our gardens looking beautiful for the Parish Fair and Garden Party.
ARISE 255/YOUTH GROUP
On the 26th October Danita will lead the group in “What was so important about baby Moses”.
DATES FOR THE DIARY
Oct 31st. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Garden Working Bee
Oct 31st. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding 3.30pm
Nov 1st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .All Soul’s Day - Requiem 5.30pm
Nov 7th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding 2.30pm
Nov 13th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Working bee - Parish Fair 5pm
Nov 14th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.30 set up Working Bee Parish Fair
Nov 14th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parish Fair & Garden Party
Nov 14th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.15 clear up Working Bee Parish Fair
Nov 17th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Friendship Group
Nov 19th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Evening Guild
Nov 21st. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding 3pm
Nov 28th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Garden Working Bee
Nov 28th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding 3.30pm
Dec 12th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sausage Sizzle at Bunnings
Dec 12th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Parish Quiet Day
Dec 18th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carol Service 7.00pm
Dec 24th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christmas Children’s Service 5.30pm
Mar 7th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cologne New Phil.Chamber Orchestra 2.30pm
READINGS 1st November
Isaiah 25:6-9, Revelation 21:1-6a
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, Jan Carmen, Tom Downie, Lorna Ford, John Green, Frank Harder, John Horder, Charles Keen, Lesley Kenna, Charles Keen, Jenny Laws, Elsie Lieschke, Jenny Laws, Win Lawrence, Bronwyn Mitchell, Sophie Mould, Shirley Palma, Kevin & Isabelle Richards, Carriann Shaw, Patricia Sparkes, Suzanne Singh, Peter Swindells, Heather Steen, David, Glenda, Peter, David & Judith, Dawn, Shirley John & family, Wesley.
Year’s Mind
Wendy Reid 25th, 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.
Duties for 25th October
Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gwyn Cowland, Danita Potter
Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Pearson, Nancy Noonan
Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Beth, Michelle
Servers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Frank, Venita, Valerie
Intercessors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pat Griffin, ChristineJones
Euc. Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carole Henderson, Heather Fitzgerald
Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Christine Evans, Greg Pestell
Welcomers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joyce Cavill, Gwen Betson
Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nola Brewer, Frank Steen
Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bev & Max Ralph
Sidespeople 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alan Akers, Nola Brewer
Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shirley Dean
Welcoming Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Val Rose 8.30, Dorothy Cook 10.30
Mowing 24th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kay McGregor, John Wellman
Duties for 1st November
Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Liz Gyles, Heather Fitzgerald
Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christine Evans, Andrea Fisher
Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Michelle, Beth
Servers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Greg, Bethany
Intercessors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carole Henderson, Andrea Fisher
Euc. Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bev Condon, John Griffin
Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Greg Pestell, Joe Fernandez
Welcomers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shirley Dean, Bev Reither
Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlotte Brewer, Sandra Simonis
Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trevor Batey, Joy Campbell
Sidespeople 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlotte Brewer, John Pleming
Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pat Griffin
Welcoming Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Margaret Hoare
Mowing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .no mowing this week
THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
Monday 26th October Rector’s Day off
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
3.30pm Evening Prayer
Tuesday 27th October
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
10.00am Playgroup at the All Abilities Playground
3.30pm Evening Prayer
4.00pm Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
5.30pm Bishop in Council - Wangaratta
Wednesday 28th October
7.45am Mattins only - Lady Chapel
10.00am Eucharist St Augustine’s
12.01pm Ethics Committee meeting - Hospital
3.30pm Evening Prayer
6.30pm EfM - Roz’s Room
Thursday 29th October
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
11.00am Eucharist - Harmony
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
4.00pm Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
4.00pm Parish Fair Meeting - Roz’s Room
5.30pm Choir Practice
Friday 30th October
7.45pm Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
9.30am Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
5.00pm Wedding Rehearsal
5.30pm Prayer Meeting - Library
Saturday 31st October Associate Priest’s day off
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
9.00am Garden Working Bee
3.30pm Wedding
6.00pm Vigil Eucharist - Lady Chapel
All Saints Day Pentecost 1st November
8.30am Sung Eucharist - St Augustine’s
10.30am Eucharist - St Augustine’s
8.45am Eucharist - St Luke’s /Back to Church Sunday
10.45am Eucharist St Mary’s Katandra
5.30pm All Souls’ Requiem