17 January 2010 Epiphany Two

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SECOND SUNDAY after EPIPHANY

17^th January 2010

Graphics and cartoons & liturgical material appear only in the printed version

THE SMILING DEAD

Three smiling corpses were lying in the morgue in the Wimmera town of Natimuk. A detective went into the coroner’s to establish the causes of death. The coroner pointed to the first dead man. “This is Thommo,” he said. “He died of shock after winning $10 million on the lotto.” He then moved on to the second smiling corpse. “This is Bruce” he said. “He died watching his team Geelong win the Grand Final.” Finally he moved on to the last smiling corpse. “This is Bazza,” said the coroner. “He died after being struck by lightning.” “Well,” asked the detective, “Why’s the flamin’ fool smiling?” “Oh,” said the coroner. “He thought he was having his picture taken.”

A POVRE PERSOUN OF A TOUN

Andrew Neaum

One of my colleagues once told me of an interesting encounter in that most levelling and egalitarian of places a public toilet. It was in the diocese of Ballarat and he was a newly ordained though elderly deacon attending his first diocesan conference. In the toilets he met his relatively young Archdeacon. In a friendly fashion he passed a comment referring to the Archdeacon by his Christian name. The Archdeacon gave him a stony look and said, “Father to you. Only my friends call me by my Christian name!”

I cannot say that I really care what people call me so long as it is not too crudely insulting. People I encounter round and about refer to me as their minister, vicar, rector, pastor or padre, and some call me “Mister”, some “Father”, some “Canon” and some Andrew. All these terms are accurate enough to be acceptable, though they often reveal rather more about the user and his relationship to church and churchmanship than they do about the parson they describe.

Parson’s Pedigree

I do have a particular fondness for the word parson though. My fondness for it is grounded, I suspect, in its pedigree. The word goes back a long way and as a term for a clergyman is distinctly English. Chaucer’s “poor Parson” in the Canterbury Tales kicks the word off to a perfect start:

Wide was his parish, with houses far asunder,

Yet he neglected not in rain or thunder,

In sickness or in grief, to pay a call

On the remotest, whether great or small.....

He sought no pomp or glory in his dealings,

No scrupulosity had spiced his feelings.

Christ and His Twelve Apostles and their lore

He taught, but followed it himself before.

Strutting Clergymen

I was pleased at my Induction to the parish of Wodonga, way back in 1995, when Bishop Paul Richardson dwelt upon the word’s worth in his homily. It is a term that derives from a word meaning merely person. Consciousness of this derivation helps counter any tendency on the part of mere persons who are parsons to strut or lord it over persons in the pew, a too common failing among the clergy.

However, my etymological dictionary informs me that the late Latin word persona, from which the word derives, was in fact applied to “rank” or “dignity” and so it is really best to push the pedigree back no further than Chaucer!

The Bishop’s Hovel

Those we value we place upon a pedestal which too readily can come to be mistaken for a throne. Being something of a high churchman (not an “anglo catholic”) I value bishops enormously, but surely their shirts and cassocks would make more symbolic sense if sack-cloth rather than imperial purple? And should not their residences more closely approximate to or at least be better termed a shack or a hovel than a palace? The title “My Lord” for a bishop sticks in the craw to the extent that I can never ever bring myself to use it. Obsequious clergy and laity in days gone by would often fumble after or ask for their bishop’s hand in order to kiss his ring! I love the bishop who when asked by a sycophant for his ring to kiss is reported as retorting, “If you wish to kiss it, I keep it in my back pocket.”

“I come among you as one who serves...” said Jesus. A far better appellation for his latter day apostles than “My Lord” would surely be, “My Servant”.

Rag-Tag-And-Bobtail

The most necessary and yet probably the most difficult task of bishops is to ensure that their diocese is filled with thriving parishes. More important than diocesan programmes, schemes, conferences, liturgies or anything else is to place in every rectory in the diocese a mere parson. Someone who can readily, naturally and happily identify with all the mere persons in or out of the pew, as Jesus did in Palestine and does today with the help of sacramental bread and wine and his body personified in the faithful.

Each rectory needs a parson something like Chaucer’s poor parson who stands out as so authentic, lovable, loving and lovely, among the multifarious, colourful, bawdy, devout, rag-tag-and-bobtail company of pilgrims on their way to Canterbury so long ago.....

He much disliked extorting tithe or fee,

Nay rather he preferred beyond a doubt

Giving to poor parishioners round about

From his own goods and Easter offerings.

He found sufficiency in little things...

(Except for this Article’s Title, the quotations come from Nevill Coghill’s incomparable modern English version of the Canterbury Tales)

ENTRANCED COCKATOOS

Not only are the sulphur crested cockatoos wrecking the rectory walnut tree they have now taken to perching on the side of the pool and plucking bulging, beautiful, pink water lily buds with one of their remarkably dexterous feet. They then, in what appears to be trance-like pleasure, slowly and methodically eat their way through them, discarding lovely pink petals which fall gently to the water or ground about them like rose petals thrown over a bride. As usual when I observe animals and birds I find myself empathising with them, and this lovely sight took me straight back to a Christmas meal some years ago at which we had hibiscus flowers in syrup to add to the champagne. The cockatoo’s dreamy pleasure in consuming something so exquisitely beautiful appeared to me not at all dissimilar to mine then. AN

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

Canon D Neaum 1912-2001

Thus ended my driving days except for the occasional borrowing of my Ma’s car and a potter around the garage grounds in it. I never dared try out my father’s car as that would have meant punishment, but I knew that if mother knew of my occasional borrowings she wouldn’t complain so long as no damage was done. Cars in those days had no locks, even on petrol tanks, so as I had no wish to rob my Ma of petrol, I used to syphon a little from Pa’s tank. What young villains children are!

1921 was indeed an eventful year It was also the year of the second ‘Flu’ epidemic; not as virulent as that in 1917, but wide spread enough to affect most families. Schools were closed and so because I did not catch the virus it was a time of holiday for me. I then found that my friends, Fr and Mrs Mellor both caught it and were bed-bound with no one to care for them. Having always had an interest in cookery and home care, I transferred my abode from Albert Street to Cluster Road for the four days the couple had to stay in bed.

What a pleasure it was to be ‘Gaffer’ of the house with no one to boss me round and my patients not needing any elaborate meals, but simply tasty food and plenty of liquid. I was capable of this and to seeing to the cleaning necessary to keep the home nice and tidy.

On the fourth morning, Mrs Mellor told me that she would be getting up shortly before lunch so I set out to make everything spick and span; windows were cleaned, carpets gone over with the ‘Ewbank’, dusting done and a good fire lit in the sitting room. The kitchen had its floor mopped and its large iron stove black-leaded, while the polished edges were done over with emery cloth. I even swept the flagged back yard, that is, not the garden, as it is called in Australia, but the immediate vicinity by the back door. One room I never touched, leaving its door closed, for that was the scullery, where every surface was piled high with the used utensils which I had never thought of washing unless there was some dish or other I needed again.

Just before lunch I heard Mrs Mellor coming down the stairs, looking somewhat pale and wan. We walked into the sitting room where she sat by the fire, thanking me for everything I had done in caring for them and seeing to the house. She then went into the kitchen to give me a hand in getting lunch ready. As she glanced at the gleaming stove and the clean floor, I preened myself in her evident appreciation until she went over to the scullery, opened the door and looked paler and more wan than before. Without a word, she walked back into the sitting room and sat by the fire, followed by me, by now, not quite so pleased with myself as before.

Before her marriage she had been a domestic Science Teacher. She turned to me and said, “You are fond of cooking and house-wifery aren’t you David?” Though already fond of her I had a certain diffidence in my approach, so I answered, “Yes, Mrs Mellor.” She then said, “Would you like to learn the whole job thoroughly?” I gave the same answer. “Good,” she said, “I’ll teach you and we will start straight away.” With those words she rose from her seat and led me into the scullery. “Your first lesson will be learning how to wash up and to keep the scullery tidy and clean.”

All the used glasses, silver, china, pottery, pots and pans were sorted out, rinsed and put into a certain order. That done, the sink was filled with hot water and cleaning material was added, while I took a towel. The order of washing was thus: first glass, then silver (cutlery), next china, followed by pottery, then pans and baking dishes. The hot water was changed several times and, there being no double sink, a large bowl was filled with clean water and every item dipped in it before wiping. This water was also changed as necessary. I forgot to mention that when the scullery table had been cleared of used utensils, it was washed down so that it could receive the dried, clean, utensils.

Producing order out of chaos, the last two tasks were to clean down the sink and its surrounds, mop the floor and put away everything we had washed. That first lesson was given some 75 years ago and remains with me because I still follow the same routine.

From then on Fr Mellor became my spiritual guide and helper, while his wife taught me the joys of cookery. She was a Cornish lass and an excellent cook and teacher except for one thing, she could not make nice pastry. This was due, I think, to a fad of her husband who thought that lard made him ill, so that his wife’s pastry was made with margarine, a somewhat inferior product in those days, or sometimes with butter. Neither of these makes really good pastry, though a mixture of lard and butter can be used to make pastry which is to be eaten hot. But to me, the test of a good pastry is to try it when it has just been brought out of the deep freeze. If it is edible at that time, it is decent pastry. If not, it isn’t!

My lessons in cookery continued even after the Mellors left Belper, for I spent most of my holidays staying with them until my 21st birthday. Of all the benefactors that I have been blest with throughout my life, outside of my own family, Fr and Mrs Mellor count as one and two.

(to be continued....)

OOPS

In last week’s pewsheet I put in a clutch of birthdays and anniversaries from February into this pewsheet as if from January! Heather came back to the parish office this week and so such goofs are less likely to happen. Welcome back to her indeed AN

CONGRATULATIONS

Birthdays

Joan O’Reilly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14^th Jan

Edith Robins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18^th Jan

Beverley Walsh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18^th Jan

Val Downie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19^th Jan

Elvie McInnes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22^nd Jan

Anniversaries

Scott & Tiffany Chandler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12th Jan

Heather & Joe Pearson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18th Jan

PARISH COUNCIL

There is a Parish Council Meeting this Wednesday at 7.30pm.

NOTICE OF A.G.M.

The Parish Annual General Meeting takes place on Ash Wednesday the 17^th of February at 7.30pm in the Supper Room. There are nomination forms for Councillors, Wardens and Parochial Nominators on the table in the Narthex.

ST MARY’S KATANDRA SLUMBERS

This Sunday and next there are no services at St Mary’s Katandra, the congregation, for the most part, being away.

ORTHODOX BAPTISM OF OUR LORD

On at 9.00am on Tuesday there takes place the fascinating Orthodox celebration of Our Lord’s Baptism with our Macedonian parishioners. It includes the blessing of water in the fountain. All are invited to come along.

RED CHASUBLE

I went down to Melbourne a week ago, among other things to visits some nuns in Camberwell to view and purchase a set of red vestments to match our main set of Green, White and Purple ones. The Evening Guild has kindly offered to pay for them. So we now have a fine new red chasuble and the dalmatic and tunicle will be coming shortly. Many thanks to the Guild for their generosity in so many areas of parish life. AN

EVENING GUILD

The Evening Guild holds it’s first meeting for 2010 on Thursday 21^st January at 1.30pm. All are welcome to join us.

ALTAR LINEN

There is a meeting ot the Altar Linen Guild after the 8.30am Eucharist today. This is for members and anyone else who is interested in sharing in the care of altar linen.

ENROL FOR CATECHESIS

We encourage anyone who would like to become a Catechist or Observer in the wonderful children’s programme, “The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd” to enrol for Training during the last week of January and first week of February as all the training is now going to take place at St. Augustine’s, Shepparton. With all the training in Shep-parton it gives us a wonderful opportunity to respond to this ministry. There will also be an information session at Purbrick Hall in Wangaratta on the afternoon of 31st January. Enrolment forms ARE on the Narthex Table. The trainer, the Reverend Carol Roth, will be requiring accommodation for the two weeks of the training, please contact the parish office if you can assist.

KATANDRA WEST GUILD

On Monday, 8th February, 2010 at 11am the St. Mary’s Katandra West Guild Eucharist and AGM is at the home of Wilma White

GRIEF SUPPORT

At 7.30pm Tues, 9^th February “Moving On” - St. Augustine’s Grief Support Group meet.

THANK YOU

Thank you for the response of generous donations to support the kinder in the slums of Cambodia. Your kindness is greatly appreciated. Sincere thanks. The Rev Gail.

ENVELOPES No 71

There’s a set of No 71 pledge envelopes for the year 2010 waiting to be picked up by the person using those for 2008! Your name is unrecorded so we can’t phone you! Bev R.

LENT COURSES

We propose to have three Lent Courses this year, two in the evening, one during the day. If there are not enough punters we will elide the two evening courses into one.

The day time course will be on Wednesdays at 1.30pm and taken by the Revd Gail Bryce. It will follow the Lenten Book prepared by our own Bishop intriguingly entitled: “A Spendthrift Lover - The extravagant generosity of God”. It is based on the 2010 Lenten readings for Year “C”.

The first evening course will be taken by the Revd Helen Malcolm on Monday evenings starting at 7.00pm and will be based on a book called “Rediscovering Christianity” a fascinating book about evangelising the Masai and upon which I commented at some length in the pewsheet last month.

The second evening course will be on Thursdays at 7.00pm and taken by myself. It will comprise a series of talks given by prominent folk in Winchester Cathedral last year: “Prophets of our Time”. Six of the following seven will be considered: Vincent J Donovan, Lesslie Newbigin, Ivan Illich, Alan Paton, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, George Bell and René Girard.

Do not say that you will be short-changed this year! Why not attend all three! There is a list in the narthex for the names of those interested in one, two or all three.

DATES FOR THE DIARY

Jan 19^th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.00am Orthodox “Baptism of our Lord”

Jan 21^st. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Evening Guild 1.30pm

Jan 21^st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baptism Preparation 7.30pm

Feb 9^th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .“Moving On” Grief Support Group 7.30pm

Feb 17^th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ash Wednesday and A.G.M.

Mar 6^th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding

Mar 7^th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cologne New Phil.Chamber Orchestra 2.30pm

Mar 13^th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding

Mar 20^th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding

Mar 27^th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding

Apr 4^th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Easter Day

Aug 5^th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meeting Parish Fair 4.00pm Roz’s Room

November 13^th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parish Fair and Garden Party

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, John Alexander, Jeffrey Andrewartha, Laura Bates, Jan & Neville Black, Liam Bognar, Ian Carman, Diane Feldtman, Frank Harder, Charles Keen, Hilder Lidgard, Matthew Liversidge, Bronwyn Mitchell, Sophie Mould, Bob McKellar, Albert Oxenbury, Kevin & Isabelle Richards, Kevin Sackley, Barbara Swan, Peter Swindells, Patricia Sparkes, Jennifer Thomas, Heather, Valerie, Bonny, David, David & Judith.

Rest in Peace: Rita Meyer

Year’s Mind: Ernest Guyatt, Ilias Petcopoulos 17^th, Valerie Ford, Elsie Climas 18^th, Madge Grutzner, Niko Rendevski, Leona Hopkins 19^th, Maria Balaburov, Grace Bourke 20^th, Gerald Rogers, Ron Hall, Arthur Balaburov 21^st, Clifford, Grantham, Francis McKendry, Franka Petrovski 22^nd, Dorothy Blizzard, Barbara Crosby, Margaret Neaum 23^rd.

Duties for 17^th January 2010

Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Danita Potter, Gwyn Cowland

Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Andrea Fisher, Joan McCann

Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Michelle, Beth

Servers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Venita, Valerie

Intercessors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pat Griffin, Joan McCann

Euc. Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Danita Potter, John Horder

Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jenny Pleming

Welcomers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joyce Cavill, Gwen Betson

Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlotte Brewer, Gloria Wayman

Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gwyn & Merv Cowland

Sidespeople 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alan Akers, Nola Brewer

Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shirley Dean

Welcoming Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Norm Mitchelmore, Michael Egan

Duties for 24^th January 2010

Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Heather Fitzgerald, Liz Gyles

Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jenny Moran, Greg Pestell

Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Beth, Michelle

Servers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan, Bethany & Sophie

Intercessors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Clergy

Euc. Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Heather Fitzgerald, John Griffin

Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Christine Evans, Greg

Welcomers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Shirley Dean, Bev Reither

Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jenny Moran, Sandra Simonis

Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe Pearson, Norm Mitchelmore

Sidespeople 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlotte Brewer, John Pleming

Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pat Griffin

Welcoming Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . none this week

READINGS 24^th January

Nehemiah 3 ^{1-3,5-6,8-10.} 1 Corinthians 12 ^12-31

THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH

Monday 18^th January Rector’s Day off

7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel