Introduced by Father Philip: Each of us will have our experiences of the generosity of God. It is encouraging when people are willing to share these experiences with us. This is not an easy thing to do.
We have asked some members of the congregation if they would be brave enough to share some thing of their lives with us. Those who have been able have accepted. Last week Ann Constable spoke movingly of the awareness of the faithfulness of God in her life.
This week Patricia Fincham (8am) and John Barns (9.30am) have agreed to speak. Their talks are reproduced below:
God's Generosity
We all know that GOD IS LOVE - LOVES US - WE LOVE HIM
Mrs Patricia Fincham
From that love stems many other avenues - GENEROSITY being one. Like LOVE it has a very big meaning, one of which is 'giving freely'. What has God given to me over the years?
COURAGE to leave my childhood home in England as a lone TEN POUND POM. On the whole my life with my family had been good but apart from being able to win prizes for singing and hopefully give pleasure through the use of my voice it had generally been unrewarding and rather mundane. Would it have changed? I will never know.
One day some very close friends said they were emigrating to Australia - this caused me to ask 'Why could I not do this?" Well, I went through all the red tape, spent a most enjoyable 4 weeks on board a very small ship, arriving in Melbourne on 13th April 1964. Little did I know that many years later I would marry Gerald on 13th April 1991.
I had made a conscious decision that I was going to make this adventure last a lifetime and I have never wavered from that goal. Yes, life in Australia has had its ups and downs but on the whole I know that with God's help and generosity I have enjoyed myself. I must in all honesty say I did not deserve this generosity because whilst I lived in England I attended the Church (Baptist, Methodist, Congregational and Church of England (the latter being the denomination into which I had been baptised) I did not attend a Church service except for weddings and the occasional funeral for many years after my arrival in Melbourne - BUT I did not lose the feeling that God was with me nor did I lose sight of my beliefs.
From 1964 to 1991 my life was spent working as a Management Secretary, PR Manager, and Customer Services Manager: it was not until I retired from PAID WORK to marry Gerald that my life took yet another turn. I was not unhappy to retire, but soon realised that I still needed something to do - so I took up voluntary work (at times perhaps overloading myself but I have since learned to marginally regulate this).
God's generosity of CONFIDENCE enabled me to be involved with the Mothers' Union - where I undertook several Diocesan and Deanery roles. The most important task for me was being a part of the MU team when it opened the Creche at the Women's Prison at Deer Park and later to work in the Education Department with women from all walks of life and who were remanded/sentenced for all different types of crime. Here I started my personal Prison Ministry and I learned to understand a way of life foreign to me - I felt secure and loved by many of these women not the least of whom is now serving the last couple of years of her long sentence at Tarrengower. During a terrible time in my early life I can say - 'There but for the grace of God'-
God's generosity was certainly apparent from the manner in which you supported my recent Gleaners appeal for toys etc .for the women and families at Tarrengower. To see the family of a woman to be released within days, being able to bond with her using some of the things we had generously donated to the Prison, made me feel humble. Thank you.
My current work with the Salvation Army in the Magistrates Court on a regular basis is also a sign of God's generosity because as with the Women's Prison it taught me to be non-judgemental - to be understanding but realistic. Here I work with those who are not only 'charged' but their families who are from many backgrounds and who cannot understand 'why?' I would have to say that I find it much easier to work in this environment than to nurse the sick. Maybe this is another part of God's generosity that I have yet to learn!
I have worked in the local community - and now with World Vision where I can utilise the skills learned and honed during my 'Paid Work' life.
A few weeks ago Gerald and I spent a couple of wonderful days in Warrnambool - certainly one of the most beautiful areas of Victoria. Here we experienced the wonder of seeing not one, but two Whale Cows and Calves enjoying each other. Did they know they were showing God's generosity to us at Logan's Beach? Here is the wonderment of God's generosity with NATURE.
In this Parish of Holy Trinity we know God has been generous in our worship, fellowship and other good things which happen, or have happened, - not the least of which is the witness of Jenny and Philip as our Ministry Team, Jenny Sumptor our Ordinand as she moves towards the role of Priest. As most of us walk towards the latter part of our lives may we continue to experience and support God's generosity and may the younger people amongst us continue to walk with him as they journey with families and friends over the coming years.
This is but a small part of my life but I look forward to more challenges and enjoyment granted to me by GOD'S GENEROSITY.
I ask God to now fill this Parish with COURAGE to accept the decisions and UNDERSTANDING of 'why such decisions have to be made' as we attend this morning's forum. After all, don't we believe that God asks us to do nothing which he knows we cannot do?
The Abundant Grace of God
Mr John Barns
At the present time we're discussing stewardship and the need to support our church financially. It reminds me of the preacher who told the congregation that he had good news and bad news. 'The good news was that the parish had sufficient money to pay for its building program. The bad news,' he said, 'is that it's still sitting in your wallets!'
Until some three years ago Maureen and I were virtually wandering in a liturgical wilderness having, after some years of church non-attendance (I'm ashamed to admit), sampled a number of services which failed to satisfy our needs. But one day, while browsing at that marvelous modern invention the Internet, the Holy Trinity, Surrey Hills web site looked most interesting and, indeed, enticing.
We'll never forget our first experience of Holy Trinity. It was memorable for at least three things- first, the reverence and spirituality of the service, enhanced by the beautiful music; second, the cordial welcome we received from clergy and our fellow worshippers, and third, the fact that, during the parish notices near the end of the service, Fr. Derek Jones announced that in the narthex toilet roles were on special! As time has passed, Maureen and I are still deeply appreciative of the preparation and conduct of our services by our clergy team, Jenny and Philip and our ordinand Jenny, the superbly uplifting music provided by Selwyn and now by Hugh (our Director of Music) and the choir and the important contribution made by so many of our fellow parishioners.
So, apart from coming here on Sundays, what impact on my life has being a parishioner of Holy Trinity brought about? In the first place, it’s a constant reminder of the presence of God in my own life and the world around me, something which I think it's so easy to forget or even ignore. We read in John's Gospel that Jesus said that, 'I am the way and the truth and the life', so He clearly points us in the right direction, encouraging us to take the right path towards salvation. Yet the temptations and distractions of this secular world make it so easy to stray from that path of righteousness. But being a member of this congregation helps me to be mindful of the need to try to follow Christ's teachings, to stay on the right path and to focus on the fact that I, on so many occasions, have been the recipient of God's abundant grace and generosity. It reminds me also of the need to be more vigilant in my prayer life and to pray not only for what I want but for God's blessing on people with whom I come into contact. Regular attendance at church acts as a constant reminder that, in my interaction with others and reaching out to them, I should try to be perceived to be acting a way consistent with Christ’s teachings. And I think that by coming to church in a spirit of devotion, I become aware of the immense and humbling power of sacramental participation and that those sacraments empower and support us all in our daily lives.
A moment ago I referred to 'God's abundant grace and generosity' which, of course, we see all around us in the beauty of nature and art, and specifically, in our church adorned with flowers and with its lovely stained glass windows. Let me now turn to a recognition of that munificence in my life. God has been generous to me in the parents to whom I was born and I'm grateful to my mother especially for her insistence on a Christian education. I thank God for bringing Maureen and me (and our wonderful dogs!) together. My family and the friends I've made over the years, including you, my fellow parishioners, are further instances of God's generosity, as are the many other blessings which have enriched my life, including the strength given to me to cope with some of the trials and tribulations with which I've had to contend. Let me give one instance: I'm especially and humbly grateful for the mercy God showed to me when I was diagnosed with bowel cancer and had to endure the worry and debilitating anguish of a lengthy period of chemotherapy. I thank God also for giving Maureen the strength to assist me during this difficult time. And I have to say that I firmly believe that coming to the Healing Service here at Holy Trinity and the love and prayers of Fr. Derek and others, leading to my overcoming this physical and emotional ordeal, are further indications of God's generosity.
Another result of worshipping here at Holy Trinity and hearing the Word of God and the enlightening sermons is the awareness that God is also generous in the talents bestowed on his earthly children and it seems to me that, as a consequence, we have a responsibility to use those talents in the furtherance of his work here on Earth. I believe that we have a duty to share with others our love of God and encourage them to join us in prayerful liturgical worship and experience the joy and beauty of our services and social interaction. Using the metaphor of the path of righteousness again, we can see that our church is at the crossroads and that younger generations need to swell our ranks. We need to use our talents and energy to cater for their spiritual and liturgical needs, even if it means providing some forms of worship more in accordance with their wishes.
Since God is generous to me in so many ways, surely it's incumbent on me to be generous to God in return. Indeed, I believe that all of us here at Holy Trinity are fortunate to have a dedicated clergy team to provide for our spiritual needs and many of my fellow parishioners who devote so much time and energy to ensure that the life of our Church is vibrant and enriching. However, I think that we must constantly remind ourselves that running a parish is a costly enterprise. Not only do we need to support the clergy financially but also be mindful of the fact that the maintenance of the church itself and other parish property requires considerable income and that the church is not immune from the rising cost of living. That's why I think that we can show our appreciation of God's generosity to us by making little sacrifices so that we contribute generously and regularly to our parish collections. I remember that Paul advised the Corinthians to give generously to the church, 'not reluctantly or under compulsion', and reminded them that 'God loves a cheerful giver'. I hope I'm one!
The Context of our Life Together
The Reverend Philip Gill
Thank you John and Patricia. We have heard John and Patricia speak on what it means to be Christian and what it means to be a member of this Parish Community - this Church. Last week Ann graciously told us something of her life in relation to God's faithfulness. These gifts to us help us to realise the importance of Christian worship, ministry and fellowship in our lives and the lives of those who week by week share in common membership of little gathering of God’s Church.
You might rightly then ask, 'What more needs to be said?' I want to set a framework around what has been said in preparation for our forum at 11.15 this morning. But I have no intention of going on like the preacher in this story:
A little girl became restless as the preacher's sermon dragged on and on. Finally, she leaned over to her mother and whispered, 'Mummy, if we give him the money now, will he let us go?'
Today we think about what it means to be church and what manner of Church we want to become. It helps to crystallise our thinking in a few words to at least offer a starting point. Over several months the vestry has been meeting to think about our future. As part of our planning we looked at the community focusing on 3127 but aware that we draw people from beyond parish boundaries, just as there are people who live within our parish who choose to worship elsewhere. Her are some figures for us to think about with thanks to June Anderson who found them for us.
There are nearly 17,000 people who claim the postcode 3127. Just over 80% were born in Australia. By comparison 65% of all Melbourne residents were born in Australia. 23% of Surrey Hills' residents are aged between 5 and 19 while the rest of Melbourne claims only 14%. 23% of 3127 residents claim to have no religion while 21% claim to be Anglican. There are more people in 3127 who claim no religion that claim to be Anglican! In Melbourne more broadly 19% claim no religion while only 16% claim to be Anglican. This is the context in which we find ourselves offering worship, fellowship and ministry. There is a great deal of discussion these days about the need for concerted missionary effort in the Church and figures like these tell us why. There are many people today who have had little or no contact with the Christian Church. When we think of mission we might firstly think of hell fire, brimstone and the need for immediate conversion. There are other forms of mission and we engage in these other forms when we open our doors for anyone who would come in, when we invite friends and family to join us, when we reach out with innovative programmes such as the children's programme, the contemporary Eucharist and mindfulness meditation.
As part of our planning we have come up with a mission statement to crystallise our vision. These words have been circulating the parish in the gold paper. They state:
We offer worship to God in a liberal Anglo-catholic tradition, taking care to: give thanks for the past; celebrate the present; and embrace the future. In so doing we strive to share the good news of Christ, warmly welcoming all, and growing into Godly maturity.
Last Sunday, by my reckoning 161 people came to Holy Trinity sharing in worship in four very different forms of worship. No bad at all for a smallish suburban church! There were three children at Evensong. I lent over to a young boy after the service and asked him if he enjoyed it - 'Yes!' He replied without a moment's hesitation.
Churches that encourage traditional worship do have a place in contemporary expressions of Christianity. In our mission statement we opted to use the term 'liberal Anglo-catholic' as a descriptor of who we are. To claim to be Anglo-catholic is to have a view that the Church is important. Some say that what God cares about is a person's soul and that church buildings, organisation and even doctrine is secondary or even worse - a hindrance.
However, as far as I know, God does not create disembodied souls, but incarnate ones. It follows that those things that assist us in worship to be important also, for example our buildings, vestments, candles, incense, silverware, stained glass and so on. To be a liberal Anglo-catholic is to acknowledge we are being led into all truth - we have not arrived yet - and so humbly we seek to discern what new things God is doing.
I hope you can come to the forum to hear and to discuss our future together.
