TRINITY SUNDAY
3 June 2012
Graphics and cartoons & liturgical material appear only in the printed version
AMERICA & EUROPE
When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens don't work in zero gravity. To combat the problem they spent a decade and $12 billion to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300°C. The European Space Agency used a pencil.
THIS AND THAT (46)
Andrew Neaum
I still come across folk who joke about parsons having to work only one day a week. If this were really so, then how easy a life indeed the parson’s! For by the time Sunday arrives all the work has been done. The music has been sorted and practised, the liturgy sheets and power point’s assembled, the intercessions gathered and composed, the sermon researched, written and polished, the pew sheet created and put together, the church cleaned the sacristy and sanctuary prepared, thanks to our sacristan, and so on and so on. Sunday involves mere delivery, with a good team to back us up, and so is often a relatively easy and relaxed day.
A full Sunday
Last Sunday was rather more busy than most though. Although I didn’t take the 8.30am Eucharist I did of course open up the Church and say Mattins beforehand, and then greet folk before and after. In between I finished putting the evening’s Ecumenical Service on to power-point for screening. I then took the 10.30 Eucharist with two baptisms and almost straight afterwards an Orthodox baptism for which the babe cried throughout, poor little fellow. Then straight on to an Orthodox grave blessing at the cemetery and after a little meal there, on to a local hotel for a more substantial lunch with the family. Once home there were two interviews and then setting up for the Ecumenical Service. This went very well indeed, and Frank Purcell’s homily, delivered without a note, was spot on and thought provoking. Over the cuppa afterwards a little group of us went over the slowly crystallising plans for Bill Hunter’s requiem. Then and then only was there time for a little peace, but only of a sort, because an “Iview” watching of “Silent Witness” was too engrossing and horrifying to allow for relaxation. That came only with bed.
We have been taking out the rickety old wooden fly screens of the Rectory windows. A day off satisfyingly wiping away cobwebs, murdering their artists and cleaning glass is a day off indeed. We also did some touching up of their paintwork. A delicate business when it is the paint that helps hold some of the frames together. How damaging the sun has been on those that face north. We are spurred on by the thought of the Southerdens coming to live here for a couple of months soon.
We love the Rectory. As with ourselves, its flaws are honourable and venerable ones, the mere wear and tear of time.
Kentucky tucker, Internet weddings
The phone is always ringing in a rectory. It is one of many reasons why being brought up and living in one is stimulating. Never a dull moment, though some of the calls are dull.
There is one drunken old lag who rings me up whenever he is at the end of his tether to try to persuade me to go and collect a Kentucky fried chicken pack for him. His opening gambit is usually: “Father I’m starving....” I gave him the benefit of the doubt once and did indeed take him a carton of Kentucky best to accompany his carton of Fruity Lexia. I have also come to his rescue in several real scrapes at other times. Now though my heart, like Pharoah’s to Joseph, is hardened. All he usually gets from me these days is a joke, no Kentucky tucker!
Last week I had two interesting calls to do with weddings. The first was from a lass who asked me if I did “internet weddings”. What, I wondered, are those? You can obtain dubious “university” doctorates on line, and even unholy Holy-Orders, but surely not weddings. A little probing revealed the call to be an all too serious request, by a divorced person in her forties, to marry someone unseen of another faith, also divorced and from a very foreign land. Someone known only from three months of chatting together on line. (I have disguised some of this to preserve anonymity)
I pointed out that to marry anyone totally unseen is ill advised and that immigration laws are exceedingly strict, not least because many folk use marriage as a way to immigrate to Australia. I informed her too that Notices of Intention need to be signed and face to face interviews held before any wedding can even be considered. I suggested that she came to see me to talk things through. I have not heard from her again.
Zombie weddings
The other wedding request was from a local person who wished to use St Augustine’s for a photographic session depicting a “Zombie Wedding”. It was a lovely, honest and very frank person who made the request, nor was there anything at all sinister-seeming about her desire. She appeared to think that our lovely church would provide something special to what in essence is an absurdity. I declined to give my permission, reluctant to allow St Augustine’s to be used to promote what I suspected to be mere nonsense.
At the time I knew nothing about zombies or their weddings. However a quick google of “Zombie Wedding” offered me instant expertise in the form of access to 33,300,000 sites in .39 of a second.
A cursory eye balling of several of these sites revealed a popular obsession of which until now I had been unaware. Zombies feature in lots of horror books and films. Trivial and largely harmless nonsense by and large, an essentially superficial flirtation with revivified corpses, cannibalism and other un-pleasantnesses, tenuously linking back to Voodoo. My negative response to the request appears to have been right.
Silent Witness
Talking of horror, however, I was delighted to welcome back to ABC 1, “Silent Witness” on Friday nights. It is gripping, intelligent drama, though I do find the sometimes balletic spasms of violence unbearable to watch. The realism in a drama such as this, based upon crime detection dependent upon pathology and emphatically un-revivified corpses, could well be more disturbing or even harmful than the obviously fantastical nonsense to do with “zombies”. Hmmm.
Bill Hunter R.I.P.
I have been asked to print the little homily I delivered at Bill Hunter’s Requiem. It began by referring back to the Gospel which told of the beloved disciple’s contemplation of the empty tomb:
There was more to that empty tomb than met the disciple’s eye. There is more to reality than meets the eye. There was more to Bill Hunter than meets the eye.
In the years that I’ve known him, as an honoured and dearly loved doyen of this beautiful Church (Shepparton’s loveliest building), he has been, to the mere eye, a gentle, soft-spoken, reliable, faithful, appreciative, mild, uncomplaining, all but saintly, generous and utterly supportive gentleman and Christian.
Merely to behold him, during his graceful last years, with his necessary head gear, whimsical smile and always positive little comments upon the sermon, was to love him. To see him with dear Dot his splendid wife in Church on Easter Day, at such great cost and effort, and moreover so glad to be here, was Easter’s validation. Love in its widest and most varied sense, triumphant against all odds.
However, one was always aware, or at least suspected, that there was indeed more to him than meets the eye. There was a glint to those pale and penetrating eyes of his that belied any suspicion of weakness or softness, but rather suggested fire in the grace, steel in the gentleness, stubbornness in the pliancy, a less than sentimental radical edge to the generosity, a wilful, single-mindedness behind any easy going-along-with-you.
You don’t build up a business empire without fire in the belly, guts, risk-taking, pushing boundaries. You don’t love the Church, take on the extensive, expensive refurbishment of its local building, challenge its turbulent priests, and vainglorious bishops, manage its scandals, fight its battles, play a part in its triumphs, if your faith is soppy-sentimental, wish-fulfilment, mawkish tripe.
It is this holding together of opposites, in his character, that fascinates, intrigues, and indeed enchants. Hard head, but soft heart; an aggressive and driven winner, yet compassionate to losers; shrewd, but without guile; tough, also gentle; a man of the world, a man of God; financially acute, hugely generous; complicated, simple; a fanatical follower of football, a student of theology; when soldiering in Palestine, a visitor and ruminator over its holy sites; a combative soldier, a man of peace; a man of action, a thinking man, and a listener to sermons, of all things.
Hand in hand
Paradox. Paradox, Paradox. Opposites, hand in hand and arm in arm. Fascinating.
The Christian Faith, so loved by Bill, is all to do with paradox. In today’s Gospel, the disciple looks into an empty tomb, sees nothing and so sees everything. Christianity is all to do with dying, but in order to live; letting go, so as to be able to hold on; losing yourself to find yourself; receiving, but by way of giving; believing just because it is impossible; loving the unlovable, forgiving the unforgivable; revering the bible as the very Word of God, while acknowledging it to be flawed, fallible and oh so very desperately human; Jesus, as God incarnate, well yes, but, oh so very, very, very human.
If you can’t see paradox and revel in it, if you have no appreciation of irony and layers of meaning, if you have no imagination, you are, of course a dull dog and boring buffoon. But also and more seriously are unlikely, in any authentically Christlike or attractive way, to be Christian.
Nor can you be what Bill was, an intriguing, paradoxical, more than meets the eye, multi-faceted, man of men, man of God; man of the Church, man of the world; tough, soft; calculating, open hearted; shrewd at money-making, profligate in disbursement; acquisitive, generous; narrowly and intensely focussed, broad of sympathies; lover of Jesus, humankind, Australia, Victoria, Shepparton, St Augustine’s and above all his splendid Dot and their talented brood.
To me he was the best of us. Not the goody, goody, soppy, soppy, wowserish popular caricature of a Christian, but the intriguing mixture that is the real thing. I love him and honour him for that.
But is that, that then? Is the sum total of all that was Bill Hunter from now on, no more than fading memories, dust and ashes ?
Of course not. It is paradox right to life’s usually bitter end. We die, of course we do. We cease to exist, or course we do. All that we are falls into the abyss of non-existence. Yes indeed!
But we fall into that abyss trusting that a Creator who called a whole universe from non-existence into being, who looked into emptiness and envisaged everything, will and can, call back into being the intriguing little universe that is a human personality, in some glorious unimaginable way.
Impossible, possible; unlikely, likely; unbelievable, believable. Paradox, sweet, sweet paradox. Like Bill I love, love, love this paradoxical Faith.
So, Bill Hunter, paradoxical old fellow, rest in peace and rise in Glory. Amen. Amen. Amen.
A moving last word
General De Gaulle on the death of his Down's Syndrome daughter said simply: “Maintenant elle est comme les autres.” (“Now she is like the others”) Very, very moving.
CONGRATULATIONS
Birthday:
Alan Akers 3 June
Dulcie Ackland 8 June
Iris Grant 8 June
Anniversary
Hilary & Alan Akers 3 June
ARISE 255- YOUTH GROUP
Monday 4 June 5.30-7.30 pm
A "Master Chef" competition to be judged on the night. Be there to join in the fun and games.
KATANDRA GUILD LUNCHEON
Wed 6 June Katandra West Hall 12 noon
The Katandra West Uniting Church and St Mary's Anglican Church Guild invites us to a Soup, Sandwich and Sweets Luncheon on June 6th at 12 noon. Admission is $10, and there will be a trading table, lucky door, raffle and marvellous entertainment. (Wilma Black 58283210, Barb Tomlinson 58655321)
MEN'S BREAKFAST
Saturday 9 June after 8am Eucharist
Sign up in the Narthex. The best breakfast in town. Top company. Speaker? Wait and see.
MOVING ON GRIEF SUPPORT
Tuesday 12 June 7.30pm in the Narthex
The group will watch a DVD,"On Golden Pond", followed by a discussion and of course a delightful supper.
RAFFLE
Draw on 13 June after the 10am service
Prize: hand-painted plate by Joan McKellar. Tickets available from Guild members or Nola Brewer at $2.00 a ticket in aid of ABM.
ANGLICAN WOMEN OF AUSTRALIA
Wednesday 13th June 10.30am Wangaratta
The Annual Rally takes place at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Wangaratta, on Wednesday 13th June. At 10.30am there is Morning Tea for travellers. Then at 11.00am the Eucharist takes place, with the Bishop as Celebrant and Fr Rob Whalley the preacher. Lunch takes place at 12.15pm (Cost $10.00). The Guest Speaker, at approximately 1.30pm is Catie Inches Ogden from the Chaplain Department of Defence in Canberra. Lunch must be ordered. Names to the Parish Office please.
PARISH FAIR PLANNING MEETING
Thursday 14 June 4.00pm
The Parish Fair Planning Group are having their first meeting in Roz's Room. Please come and help us plan the exciting event. After last years great success, this year's Parish Fare will be on Saturday 20 Oct 2012 so book it in your diaries now.
FOR THE DIARY
June 4 Mon Arise - Youth Group - Master Chef
June 6 Wed Katandra Guild Luncheon
Jun 9 Sat Men's Breakfast after 8am mass
Jun 12 Tue Grief Support
Jun 14 Th Parish Fair Planning Meeting 4.00pm
Jun 19 Tue Friendship Group
June 20 Wed Parish Council 7.30
June 21 Thur Guild
July 15 Sun Confirmation
Oct 20 Sat 2012 Parish Fair and Garden Party
REQUESTS FOR PRAYER
At the beginning of each month this list is cleared. Names need putting down again on the list in the narthex and signed in. No names to be listed without permission.
Dulcie Ackland, Hilary & Alan Akers, Heather Baker, Margaret Bakker, Liam Bognar, Peter Burgess, Betty Bush, Debra Davies, Michael Egan, Christina Furze, Frank Harder, Bruce Hodgson & family, Katherine Holt, Margaret Kidman, Elsie Lieschke Collin MacKenze, Joy Markey, Merle Maskell, Adrian Moule, Molly Olphert, Albert Oxenbury, Isabelle Richards, Sandra Simonis, Heather Steen, Faye Warren, Amanda & Michael, Joyce & Ray, Kaye.
Rest in Peace: Bill Hunter.
Anniversaries: Vida Verran (3 June), Brian Senior (4 June), Iris McKellar, Krate Damianopoulas (5 June), Malcolm McInnes (6 June), Ruby Wood, Peter Walker, Beatrice Norris( 8 June).
Duties for Sunday 3 June
Readers 8.30 Heather Pearson, Jeanette Smith
Intercessor 8.30 Victoria Heenan
Servers 8.30 Michelle, Beth(C),Soibhan
Euc. Assts 8.30 Heather Pearson, John Horder
Sidespeople 8.30 Joe Pearson, Joy Campbell
Welcomer 8.30 Beryl Goodfellow,Heather Nichols
Welcome Table 8.30 Bev Condon, Beverley Walsh
Tea 8.30 Gwyn Cowland
Readers 10.30 Peter Martin, Charlotte Brewer
Intercessor 10.30 Joan McCann
Servers 10.30 JennyPleming, Grace & Eve Way
Euc. Assts 10.30 Linda Prosser & Joe Fernandez
Sidespeople 10.30 John Pleming, Beryl Black
Welcomers 10.30 Charlotte Brewer & Frank Steen
Welcome Table 10.30 Bev Condon
Projector 10.30 Mary Pearson
Children's Church Diana
Mowing none
Altar Linen -May Bev Reither
Monday Office Rosemary Moore, Jeanette Smith
Duties for Sunday 10 June
Readers 8.30 Bev Condon, Norm Mitchelmore
Intercessors 8.30 Norm Weaver
Servers 8.30 Michelle(C) , Beth,Soibhan
Euc. Assts 8.30 Grace, Bev Condon
Sidespeople 8.30 Bev & Max Ralph
Welcomer 8.30 Bev Reither, Gwenda Betson
Welcome Table 8.30 Bev Condon, Diana
Tea 8.30 Shirley Dean
Readers 10.30 Jenny Pleming, Christine Jones
Intercessors 10.30 Christine Evans
Servers 10.30 Jenny, Sarah & James Davies
Euc. Assts 10.30 Grace, Christine Evans
Sidespeople 10.30 John Pleming,
Welcomers 10.30 Leoni Gilbert, Chris Sim
Welcome Table 10.30 Bev Condon, Diana
Projector 10.30 Mary Pearson
Children's Church Suzanne
Mowing 16 June Norm Mitchelmore, Alan Jeffery
Altar Linen -May Bev Reither
Monday Office volunteer
READINGS NEXT SUNDAY 10th June
1 Samuel 814-201114-15, Psalm 138, 2 Corinthians 413-51
THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
Sunday 3 June Trinity Sunday
5.30pm Evening Prayer- Lady Chapel
Monday 4 June
Rector's day off
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
5.00pm Evening Prayer- Lady Chapel
5.30pm Arise 255-Youth Group-Master Chef
Tuesday 5 June Boniface of Mainz
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
10-12pm Play Group - Roz's Room - Church Hall.
11.00am Shepp Aged Care
5.00pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
Wednesday 6 June
7.45am Mattins - Lady Chapel
10.00am Eucharist - St Augustine's
12.00pm Katandra Guild lunch
4.00pm Banksia
5.00pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
6.00pm EfM
7.30pm Baptism Preparation
Thursday 7 June Corpus Christi
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
8.25am Narthex Breakfast
9.30am Tarcoola
11.00am Eucharists - Harmony
4.00pm Confirmation Class - Juniors
5.00pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
5.30pm Choir Practice
7.30pm Confirmation Class - Adults
Friday 8 June
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
8.25am Narthex Breakfast
5.00pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
7.30pm PCC Rushworth/Murchison
Saturday 9 June Columba Of Iona
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist
8.30am Men's Breakfast
11.00am Burial of Charles Grant's Ashes
6.00pm Vigil Eucharist
Sunday 10 June 2nd after Pentecost
8.30am Sung Eucharist - St Augustine's
10.30am Eucharist - St Augustine's
9.00am Rushworth- local
11.00am Murchison- local
8.45am Eucharist - St Luke's Dookie
10.30am Eucharist - St Mary's Katandra
5.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel