SWAN SYMPOSIUM

JOB VACANCY - PARISH ADMINISTRATOR

2011-12-28T23:11:00.001-08:00

Situatedwithin a large and diverse community the Anglican Parish of Swan has thedesire, and the plans, for growth and outreach. We require a Parish Administrator with the skills anddrive to help facilitate these plans.

Thispart time position will be based out of the Parish Centre in Middle Swan.

PrimaryDuties include, but are not limited to, effectively co-ordinating the runningof the Parish Office, co-ordinating hire and use of Parish Buildings,and developing plans and decisions of the Church Council.

Thesuccessful applicant will demonstrate good communication skills, have a strongorganizational ability, be a self-starter, and a team player. An empathy with Anglican values and ethos isessential to this role.

Thisis a permanent-part time position – 12 hrs per week, initially. Applications close 31 January 2012.

Allenquiries, including full job description, and applications (with resume) shouldbe emailed to the Church Council Secretary, wrightm15@hotmail.com

2011-12-28T20:36:00.000-08:00

POWERING UP FOR MISSION

With the busy-ness of Christmas I have been neglecting this blog a little and have failed to post the really big news which is, of course, our Mission Action Plan. The MAP was launched by Archbishop Roger Herft at our Parish Thanksgiving Dinner on November 26. The full text is available at the parish office and below is the summary. See Dinner Pics on the right.

MISSION ACTION PLAN

Asthe community of faith that is this parish, we are alert to Christ’s commissionto us:

“Go therefore and makedisciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of theSon and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I havecommanded you.”

Werecognise the challenges He has given us and, embracing them, have developedand adopted a Mission Action Plan as our guide to the path we should follow inHis name in the next five years.

Weare excited, enthusiastic and a bit scared of what we are planning to do!

Hereis our vision.

In five years we willhave a thriving community that is growing spiritually, transforming lives andseeking new ways to share God’s love with the world.

Specifically, we shall

· Come closer to God by prayer, worship andstudy

· be risk takers

· further develop our children’s ministry

· develop fresh expressions of church

· encourage and train new leaders

· build our loving service to the widercommunity

· explore every opportunity for a collaborativesharing of our joint resources and ministry with the Swan Valley Anglican Schooland the Ellenbrook ministering community

· strengthen our relationships with our partnersin mission (e.g Anglicare, Prison Fellowship, Kairos)

· complete the building program at the AllSaints’ centre

· find solutions to the building structureproblems at St Mary’s

· be financially strong

and, in all things,make time for God.

Theplanning process has enabled us to better understand where we are at now andthe wonderful things which are already happening in our parish. It has alsoenabled us to make prayerful decisions about where we should be heading.

Our principal resource is, of course, our people. In all our planning werecognise the priority of growing in faith through spiritual development,prayer and enough time to “recharge our batteries”.

Thedetailed Mission Action Plan is available in the parish office for allparishioners to read. As we implement the projects in it, Church Council willregularly monitor our progress and report to us.

Asa servant Church and as disciples of Christ weoffer ourselves and our plans to God for His purposes in thanks for His presenceand love for us.

Thisdaily prayer is a reminder of what we can achieve with God’s help.

Holy God,

Grant us a vision

To see what we canachieve

To reach out beyondourselves

To share our liveswith others

To stretch ourcapabilities

To increase our senseof purpose

To be aware of wherewe can help

To be sensitive toyour Presence

To give heed to yourconstant call,

Through Jesus Christour Lord

Amen.

FEEDBACK FROM ANGLICARE

2011-12-21T18:31:00.000-08:00

Dear colleagues

I’m writing to give you feedback on the Anglicare Christmas Giving program.

Thanks to the remarkable support of the community, especially outstanding contributions of food and toys from our Churches and schools, Anglicare WA have put together and delivered 850 hampers. These have gone to households connected to Anglicare and their services around the metropolitan area. There also have been a significant number of hampers distributed in regional areas around our State. There was even a small reserve of food which will be used by emergency relief centres to cope with what is usually a busy entry into the New Year.

This is an excellent result and is due in no small part to the generous offerings made by our people.

So, on behalf of Anglicare WA and the people we serve, could you pass on our thanks for the efforts your people have made in connection to this project? Also please accept Anglicare’s best wishes and have a holy and joyous time this Christmas.

My best

Mark

The Rev'd Mark McCracken

Parish Partnerships / Chaplaincy

Diocese of Perth / ANGLICARE WA

ANGLICARE PULLS IN THE BIG GUNS

2011-12-14T22:48:00.000-08:00

The appeal for Christmas food hampers for Anglicare produced such a generous response from this parish that a special truck had to be ordered to collect them all! It was a wonderful sight to see all the red and green bags filled to bursting, being loaded on to the truck. You had to be there (and you had to help carry them!) to truly appreciate the quantity of donations. The photos give some idea. Congratulations all.

BUTTERFLY GIRLS BIG NIGHT IN

2011-11-19T00:40:00.000-08:00

Tam Cymer sent in these photos of her Girls Big Night In (butterfly theme) which raised $4000! (must have included robbing a bank) for cancer research. Looks like it was a great night for butterflies. Actually I thought they were fairies but what would I know, I'm a boy.

Men And Boys Rock

2011-10-08T05:55:00.000-07:00

Some of the blokes of the parish had a great time last weekend at the Men and Boys Camp held at Koora Retreat Centre. The usual highlights - great food, big campfire, teamwork and camaraderie, humour, desert dust and spirit, fun, were all in good supply. However it was the discussions we had which particularly stood out this year. We followed the story of Parsiful's quest for thr Holy Grail, exploring what this means for the male spiritual journey. The discussions were amazing and engaged the imaginations of both young and old.
The experience was topped off on the Sunday night when a refreshing dam swim, on a balmy afternoon, was followed by a thunderstorm and rain viewed from the top of Boorabbin Rock.
Thanks to all the guys who came and made it such a special weekend. See pics on the right.

GOOD NEWS FROM DENISE

2011-10-05T23:31:00.000-07:00

Denise Ling, currently travelling 'Up North', sends love and greetings to everyone in the parish. Denise's good news? Life! In particular, catching threadfin salmon at Cape Kaudren which had her dancing on the beach with excitement. Photos to the right.

THE REFUGEE EXPERIENCE

2011-09-27T06:05:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday night, using a simulation activity, 28 people had the opportunity to experience, in a very small way, some of the emotions and challenges faced by the millions of refugees around the world. The activity simulated refugees fleeing Afghanistan and crossing the border into a refugee camp in Pakistan.
While watching a slide show to familiarise themselves with life in Afghanistan the participants suddenly found themselves brutally "arrested" (some were "interrogated and tortured") and forced on a long march through a "minefield", walking in the dark, to the "Pakistan border".
At the border they were harassed (and even "killed") by antagonistic border guards. Once in Pakistan they had to pass language tests, receive treatment for wounds and malnourishment, build shelter, try to find family members, and seek to qualify for the meagre food rations provided by an aid organisation.
Even though the activity was simulated it was still emotionally powerful and many of the feelings experienced were much like those that would be felt by refugees - only for refugees its for real, its a thousand times worse, and you don't get to pack up and go home at 10pm.
The Swan Parish Youth, who organised the event, did a brilliant job of putting it on. They were highly organised and convincing in the roles they took on (border guards etc) but also very articulate in reflecting on their experiences during the debrief afterwards. To have such a mature and well-formed group of young people showing the way in our parish should be a cause for much pride in what we are doing.
Thanks to Helena and Laura for the hard work they put in to developing our SPY.

GOOD NEWS FOR JOHN

2011-09-27T05:39:00.000-07:00

The Society of Saint Francis.

By John Dendy

As a part of my Life long spiritual journey which began in

Zimbabwe

, I was introduced to the Third Order of Saint Francis. Since arriving in Australia in 2002 I have been given the opportunity to explore my spirituality and further gain entry to the Third Order of Saint Francis. I was professed as as a Tertiary (third order) on 18^th September 2011.

The order of Saint Francis is for people of many and varied religious backgrounds. Saint Francis set himself to live wholly in accordance with the Gospel of Jesus and so he shows us what the Gospel might mean for us”

a) In an age when people are looking for a new kind of relationship with the natural environment Francis points us to a proper love and reverence for our fellow creatures

b) As ‘The little Poor Man of Assisi ‘ Francis shows us that joy in life does not depend on an abundance of material possessions.

c) Understanding fully the sorrows of the world Francis had a special love for the poor and for those on the fringes of society. We learn much from him about Christian ministry.

d) As ‘God’s Fool’ Francis teaches Christians their place in the world.

e) Francis spent much of his day on his knee’s. His prayer was personal and passionate. He gives us an example of being with God both in the silence and in the struggle of Prayer.

The process of entry and life within the order is as follows:

1) ENQUIERS, who over a period of not less than six months will work with the Regional Minister before applying to be admitted to the order as a novice. During this time enquier’s will be asked to share something of their life-story and how they have come to the point of looking to join the Order as well as form an appropriate personal rule of life.

2) NOVICES, as members of the Order are formally testing the calling upon their lives through:

a) committing themselves to the discipline of the community through prayer and obedience to the Third Order.

b) The keeping of a personal rule of life

c) Endeavouring to meet with other members of the order

d) Reporting quarterly to an appointed Novice councillor

3) PROFFESSED TERTIARIES are those who have tested a vocation, have been elected to profession and intend to serve God in the Third Order for life.

The rule of the Third Order

Tertiaries rejoice in the Lord. They always show in their lives the grace and beauty of divine joy. They remember that they follow the Son of Man; who came eating and drinking, who loved birds and the flowers, who blessed little children, who was a friend to tax collectors and sinners who sat at the tables of both the rich and the poor. Tertiaries delight in fun and laughter, rejoicing in God’s world, its beauty and its living creatures, calling nothing common or unclean. They mix freely with all peoples ready to bind up the broken hearted and to bring joy into the lives of others…This joy is a divine gift… It is still there in times of darkness and difficulty, giving cheerful courage in the face of disappointment and an inward serenity and confidence through sickness and suffering. Those who possess it can rejoice in weakness, insult, hardships and persecutions for Christ sake for when they are weak, then they are strong.

P.s When ever I see the Mc-Cain ‘add’ on TV, I Like Frank might one day become a chief “fryer”.

GOOD NEWS FROM THE PALACE

2011-09-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

Its not everyday that a letter arrives from Buckingham Palace but that is exactly what happened at the Fenner/Kadmos household last Thursday. Inside the envelope was a picture and message from Wills and Kate thanking members of the Parish of Swan for the card sent from the "Kate Middleton's Hen's Night" event in April. Photos on the right. Well done to all the ladies at the Hen's Night!

SOME THOUGHTS FROM ROGER

2011-09-12T19:37:00.000-07:00

In our recent reading/sermon on Romans 12:9-21 I was intrigued by the interpretation in vs.17 & not found in other versions. It reads take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. Puzzling I thought. It is not by accident that the NT was penned in the very precise Greek language. Noble is taken from the Greek kalos meaning beautiful, good, worthy…further defined as an outward sign of these inward qualities that inspires others to embrace what is praiseworthy. A challenge indeed.

Roger.

GOOD NEWS FROM CORAL AND JOHN

2011-09-07T21:23:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely week with a trip to Cunderdin via Goomalling and the magnificent crops looking a picture. Had lunch with our son Ian as it was around his birthday.

Last Saturday we were privileged to attend our grandson's graduation for his PhD, at the Perth Convention centre. There were 560 students who graduated that evening and 32 were PhD graduates. An amazing amount of young people who are part of our future!!

Coral amd John Shaw

GOOD NEWS FOR AXEL

2011-08-31T21:53:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday in church we examined Paul's description of how a Christian should act from Romans 12:9-21. I suggested we all stick it on our bathroom mirrors. Remember? 'course ya do!
As a result Nadine typed up a copy of the reading to go beside the bed of her son Axel (about 5 months?), so that he can grow up living by these principles. That's good news!
See the photo on the right.

GOOD NEWS FOR JOSEPHINE

2011-08-29T21:02:00.000-07:00

Josephine has kindly sent in some " Good news " and photos : "Hello everyone, I got first place in my piano eisteddfod section today. I played "Jingle Bells" and wore my red Dora dress and special red and white headband with my new black shoes from my Grandma.
Also I was a Jillaroo in my School music concert on Wednesday. I loved it , our song was "Exterminate". it was about Blow flies.Esme came to watch me too.
Last week I had my sports carnival and it was so much fun, my favorite was the obstacle course.
Lots of love Josephine."

Check out the photos on the right.

GOOD NEWS FOR MUMS AND BABIES

2011-08-23T23:26:00.000-07:00

A group of mums and bubs have been meeting at the Minchin Centre for a number of weeks. The group, which meets on Wednesdays at 9.30 am, is steadily growing and is a friendly place for mums to chat over morning tea while their children roll on the floor. Any mums wishing to join them are very welcome - just turn up!
See pics on the right

FLORENCE STOWELL

2011-08-22T01:11:00.000-07:00

Florence has recently moved to a retirement village in Bullcreek. She has settled in well to her new home and sends greetings to all her friends at Swan. See her picture below right.

GOOD NEWS AND GOSSIP

2011-08-10T23:28:00.000-07:00

This post is inviting anyone from our parish community to share good news or gossip. It may seem strange to encourage gossip but lets face it, that's what we're all interested in!

The gossip must, of course, also be good, and only about yourself not others. I hope this is something people will catch on to as a way to share some of the positive stories from their own lives or from our parish. There are a couple of good news stories below to get you going with photos on the side bar.

If you have good news or good gossip just click on "comments" immediately below, leave your story and sign with your first name. Enjoy!

Another New Church Member

2011-08-10T23:18:00.000-07:00

A big welcome to Sebastian Cymer born on the 8th July and congratulations to parents Tam and Steve and doting sister Josephine. The love and best wishes of the whole parish go to the Cymer family and their beautiful new edition.

Check out the photos!

Children's Ministry Growing

2011-08-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

An exciting and enthusiastic Children's Ministry meeting was held at the Minchin Centre on Wednesday August 3rd. It was attended by parents of (SPY) Swan Parish Youth members and parents interested in extending the Children's Ministry offered at All Saints.

The SPY parents explored and discussed ways in which they can support the goals of SPY in building leadership and responsibility in our youth and encouraging their Christian journey.

Some enthusiastic All Saints parents discussed the need for Sunday School at All Saints and have planned a meeting for September 11th after church to float this idea with a larger group of parents.

Stay tuned for further news!

Theological Students Visit All Saints

2011-07-28T02:09:00.000-07:00

I met with a group of theological students at All Saints on thursday 28th July. They were visiting various sites of significance around the diocese and decided to start where it all began! We discussed the history of All Saints and the Swan Parish as well as the challenges of having old church buildings in the modern era and moving from a traditionally agricultural environment into one of the fastest growing urban areas.
Later, I met with a group of school students from the Swan Valley Anglican Community School - at St. Mary's this time. They were studying the design and use of symbolism in church buildings. I learnt a lot!. in both cases we were limited in what we could do outside in the grounds because of the heavy rain, but no one is complaining about that.

SPECIAL EVENT - SLEEP WORKSHOP

2011-07-24T23:57:00.001-07:00

As babies, we do it for 16 + hours a day. As kids our parents can’t wait for us to do it. As teenagers our parents tell us to stop doing it quite so much and as adults we seem to find it harder and harder to achieve. Sleep is a natural process, just like breathing, but some people struggle to initiate or maintain this precious commodity. Others can sleep 10 hours and still wake feeling unrefreshed. Paula Bailey would like to offer a presentation on sleep, both normal and abnormal, and why it sometimes goes horribly wrong. This will take place in the Minchin Centre at 11am on Sunday 7th August. It costs nothing and all are welcome.

MEN & BOYS CAMP COMING SOON

2011-07-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

The Koora Men and Boys Camp is coming up soon - Friday September 30th - Monday October 3rd. Click the link on the right for a free promo.
The camp is not a Father/Son camp. It is about men engaging seriously with their masculinity and spirituality however the boys are invited into the space to participate where appropriate. Men are welcome to bring sons/grandson/nephews etc but you can also come on your own or with friends - if you've got any!
Its not a male-bonding/hugfest/sweat-lodge kind of thing either. Most of what we do is just fun/dumb stuff sitting/cooking/eating/talking/joking around campfires interspersed with firing tennis balls out of a length of butane-fuelled PVC pipe and the odd bushwalk or team activity. On the more serious side there is discussion time, morning and evening prayer, and time to chill quietly on your own or with others.
I need numbers soon. If you're interested please email me for more details. stuart@swanleigh.wa.edu.au

REFUGEE REALITY

2011-06-22T01:24:00.000-07:00

Following up the great work of Swan Parish Youth in the previous post, SBS are running a stunning reality TV show called Go Back To Where You Came From. It runs for 3 consecutive nights starting Tuesday 21st June at 8:30 pm. The show follows six white Australians, some of whom are far from sympathetic to asylum seekers, as they retrace the journey of a typical refugee. This is essential viewing for all Australians, especially those of us who profess to follow the world's most famous refugee, Jesus of Nazareth. Click on the link to the right to watch episodes you have missed.

Youth Delve Deep To Learn About Asylum Seekers.

2011-06-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

Every third Friday of the month, the Swan Parish Youth (SPY) holds their monthly gathering.

During Lent, the group decided to join with other groups in the Young Christian Students movement to spend time looking at a particular social justice issue, asylum seekers. They met weekly after church to share information and learn some of the facts about the issue to try and understand more about refugees and asylum seekers. This included reading some fascinating personal stories which left quite a few of us amazed by the hardships these people underwent. We learnt that most ‘queue jumpers’ arrive by plane and overstay their visas, and we were particularly surprised to learn that we already have many laws in Australia to protect genuine asylum seekers. At our last meeting for the term, we summarised all that we had learnt. We then broke into groups and compared the plight of refugees with some bible readings. We brought together what each small group came up with, and together formulated these five guidelines that reflect how we believe God would like us to treat refugees.

Here are our guidelines:

1. God wants us to treat people with respect and care, no matter who they are, where they come from or what they look like.

2. God wants us to speak up for people, especially those who can’t speak for themselves.

3. God wants us to let people into our home (country).

4. The way we treats others is the way we treat God.

5. One day, you might need strangers to help you too.

Overall, we now feel much more informed about asylum seekers, and hope that our experience will encourage you to learn more about them as well.

Francis Fenner (Youth member) and Laura D’Rozario (Adult Assistant).

Parent Power

2011-05-11T01:31:00.000-07:00

The kids of our parish can burn off even more energy now we have the new play equipment installed at the Minchin Centre - pictured to the right and below. This massive tower is for the more adventurous but we are hoping for a small plastic cubby house or slide for the enclosed toddler area also. Watch this space.
The developing children's area has all been provided by donations of money and labour from a number of generous parents, families and interested parishioners. Thank you to all.

Easter Sermon

2011-05-05T21:59:00.000-07:00

I had a number of requests for the Easter Day sermon because it reviewed things we had learnt about Jesus during Lent in the gospel readings, reflections and Richard Rohr's book Wondrous Encounters. The best I can do is these notes:

Things the gospels teach us about Jesus:

He was not a Christian. He was born, raised and understood himself as a Jew.
He rejected personal power - we saw this explicitly during his temptation in the wilderness.
He was against all forms of hierarchy, religious or cultural divisions, means of exclusion, or ways of stigmatizing people. Where does that leave us - we love all that stuff?!
He is more concerned with healing now than salvation later.
He heals us in our darkest and most vulnerable places.
He has no test or criteria for healing - you just have to ask.
He seeks out those who have been cast out (remember the man healed of his blindness who was cast out by the Temple authorities - thats when Jesus sought him out).
He teaches us to confront our all-consuming fear of death ( the story of Lazarus).
Jesus was non-violent. His suffering and death was the supreme example of this.

By entering into the journey through Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, we learnt that:

God would rather suffer at our hands than inflict suffering on us.
We must confront our own dark side. We have to accept our potential to betray and abandon (Judas and Peter), and to crucify the innocent. Until we accept this we cannot begin to grow.
We must accept death and resurrection as the essential pattern of all life. We have little 'deaths' and 'resurrections' every day. Death is never final.
With this understanding we can learn to live by Jesus' most common one-liner - "DO NOT BE AFRAID"!

Kate Middleton's Hens' Night

2011-04-27T23:35:00.000-07:00

The stories I’ve heard would indicate the only event more significant than this week’s Royal Wedding was Kate Middleton’s Hen’s Night last Monday at the Minchin Centre. It was a truly royal occasion for the 54 women of all ages who attended and kicked their heels up in anticipation of the big event. Garters were shown, bouquets thrown, secrets became known, and rumours were grown as they danced, played and partied. $940 was raised during the night towards Minchin Centre improvements. Thanks to all who contributed and especially to Helena, Jane and Sarah for organising the night. Photos can be viewed here or in the Minchin Centre foyer.

Good Friday Gift

2011-04-18T05:03:00.000-07:00

The Anglican Board of Missions does much good work in the Middle East. Every Good Friday they collect donations to support this work. We took a collection for the Good Friday Appeal at our Stations of The Cross on Good Friday at All Saints.

If you haven't had a chance to donate check out the link below which takes you to the Good Friday Gift flyer. This has more information about the work ABM does and how you can donate.

http://www.abmission.org/Documents/good-friday-appeal-2011-flyer

Prayer Chain Revival

2011-04-13T01:07:00.000-07:00

The parish Prayer Chain is up and running again thanks to new Coordinator Edith Mpikamezo. Edith attends All Saints with husband Sam, and their children, Douglas, Caroline and Khumbo, attend St. Mary’s. Prayer requests can be forwarded to Edith in person, or by phone or email, and she will send out the information to those on the prayer chain so they can get praying! The Prayer Chain is particularly intended for urgent or short term prayer needs (illness, accident, family crisis etc) but will also collect ongoing prayer needs where appropriate. Please note: in order for someone to be referred to the Prayer Chain they must have given permission for their name to be put forward. Please make sure that if you refer someone they are personally known to you and you have their permission to submit their name. Edith can be contacted at edith.mpikamezo@y7mail.com or on 0400289 438.

SPY Barbecue

2011-03-25T18:39:00.000-07:00

The Swan Parish Youth chalked up another great event on Friday 18th March with a Barbecue at Chris and Francis' house. The night was very capably planned and organised by Joel, Christian and Francis. It was great to see the level of maturity and development this wonderful group of young people are showing. They cooked their own meat, organised their own games and had formal and informal discussions between groups, or as a whole, all incorporating a range of age groups. It was very inspring to see how comfortably they could all mix, have fun, and get serious too.

It was decided on the night that some of the older kids would form their own Lent study group to explore the issue of refugees. If this is the quality of our future leadership the Church can look forward to good times ahead. Go SPY!

Parish Growth

2011-03-21T00:02:00.000-07:00

The parish continues to grow with Kate and Tim Drown from All Saints expecting a baby in May. Check the photo on the right of Kate giving us a preview! Please keep them in your prayers.

Welcome to Aidan!

2011-03-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

Tim and Rhonda Malkins' new baby Aidan is making a round of public appearances, including here on the parish blog. Aidan Timothy, born on February 7th, took time out of his busy schedule for a quick photo shoot. Congratulations to Rhonda and Tim, and to doting big brother and sister Blake and Isobella.
Feel free to leave a comment!

New Blog Feature

2011-03-15T20:43:00.001-07:00

Our Lent study Book Wondrous Encounters by Richard Rohr has been delayed and will not be available before next Monday (21st March). As a small compensation I am publishing the daily Bible readings and the Starter Prayer for each day on the Blog. You will see it at the top right - click on today's prayer and enjoy!

Back in Action (Wed 16th March)

2011-03-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

St. Mary's Church is back in action! Our worship was back to normal on Sunday with a good crowd attending the 9.30 service in the church. The cleaners had done a good job and the church looked (and smelled) bright and shiny.

There is no real progress on the Churchyard. The tree loppers are due back tomorrow to have another go at clearing but, again, it will be a long time before we can make an action plan for restoration and, in the meantime, people are asked to stay out of the churchyard.

The Minchin Centre continues to be well used with Beryl's Saturday afternoon tea fundraiser being a huge success. Thanks to Beryl and all those who helped make that event such a success.

Ya Can't Keep A Good Church Down (Thurs March 10th)

2011-03-09T18:28:00.000-08:00

The cleaners have started inside St. Mary's today and the loose flashing has been removed from the roof so, all being well, we will be back in the church on Sunday!
Please note: The church grounds are still out of bounds and people are asked not to walk through the churchyard. The process of determining how to restore the graveyard is going to be a long one but discussions with the Heritage Council have already started.

In the meantime, thanks to all those who came to the services on Saturday (Taize), Sunday and yesterday (Ash Wednesday) and enjoyed worshipping in the air-conditioned comfort of the Minchin Centre! These services were good occasions to re-gather and rally the community.

Life Goes On (Posted Saturday 5th March, 8am)

2011-03-04T16:21:00.000-08:00

With 6 tree-lopping crews hard at work the clearing continues around Swanleigh and St. Mary's but there is still a long way to go and the site remains closed at all times EXCEPT for our two worship services this weekend which will take place in the Minchin Centre.
Taize service at 6pm Saturday
Eucharist at 9.30am Sunday.
So far at the Minchin Centre the fridge and freezer have been cleaned out and the small branches and leaf matter that covered the lawns and surrounds have been cleared and mulched, the lawn raked and the verandahs swept.
Progress is happening but we are still not in a position to organise a busy-bee clean up. Stay tuned for news on this.
I look forward to seeing you all.

Clean Up Begins (Posted Thursday 3rd March 4.30pm)

2011-03-03T00:53:00.000-08:00

Power is back on at the church and Minchin Centre!
The tree-loppers started work on St. Mary's churchyard this morning and have removed a lot of material but by mid-afternoon they looked like they were less than half way through the job. It may still be a while before the damage in the churchyard can be properly assessed, and people are still requested to stay away from the site except for the two worship services arranged for this weekend.
I'm very much looking forward to inspiring and meaningful worship in the Minchin centre with the Taize service at 6pm Saturday (5.30 for a glass of wine beforehand) and the 9.30am service Sunday morning.
Please pray that all members of our parish will be encouraged by the positive aspects of the situation and that our community will be drawn closer together by this event.

Storm Damage Update (Posted Wednesday 2nd March 4pm)

2011-03-02T00:27:00.000-08:00

Crews have been working very hard throughout the Swanleigh/St. Mary's site today to clear trees and restore powerlines. The task is enormous. The tree-loppers will begin work on the churchyard tomorrow and have discussed with Ray Wright (churchwarden) and myself a plan for removing trees and debris that will minimise further damage. It may be some days before the damage in the churchyard can be realistically assessed. In the meantime, it is important that people do not attempt to visit the site as it is unsafe and access is restricted.
It is anticipated, however, that the Taize service at 6pm on Saturday, and Sunday morning service at 9.30am, will go ahead in the Minchin Centre. Worshippers will be directed to appropriate parking areas.
Please pray for all those who are working hard to clean-up the site, repair damage and restore essential services.

Storm Damage At St. Mary's

2011-03-01T05:02:00.000-08:00

The storm of Monday 28th February has caused major devastation at Swanleigh. Fortunately, St. Mary's is not too bad and the Minchin Centre and Rectory are relatively undamaged.

St. Mary's has lost some metal flashing from the roof and there are a couple of cracked beams in the roof. The church yard is a real mess and several large trees have come down. Power is not expected to be restored before Wednesday night.

At this point the whole site is unsafe because of loose limbs and damaged trees so please do not attempt to visit as you will be turned away. If you are hoping to help clean up that would be fantastic but we can't do anything until the site is safe. Once it is, all offers of help will be welcomed! Please check this blog for updates.

In the meantime, please pray that the clean-up will be smooth and swift and that all members of our parish will be inspired with humility, generosity and gratitude in the face of this difficult situation.

Blessings,
Rev'd Stuart Fenner

Rest In Peace John Williamson

2011-02-14T18:06:00.000-08:00

Sadly, John Williamson passed away on Monday 14th February. He had remained quietly active at home for the last few weeks but contracted an infection on Sunday which would not respond to medication and caused a rapid deterioration. He died in the early hours of Monday morning.

John was a much loved member of this parish and retired last year as Churchwarden and Maintenance coordinator. He was always looking out for everybody else, noticing what needed to be done and quietly organising for it to happen. He was great at encouraging other people and his loyalty, dedication, strength of character and humour were an inspiration to myself and many others in this parish. He will be sorely missed.

In your prayers please commend his soul to eternal rest and give thanks that his passing was very peaceful, that he was surrounded by family, and that he enjoyed quality of life right to the end. Please pray for Janet and all their family as they grieve his loss. The funeral will be held at St. Mary's, Middle Swan, at 10am on Monday 21st February.

If you would like to leave a tribute message about John please click on the "comments" link below,
where it says "comment as" choose "anonymous",
type your comment in the box,
click "post comment".

Any comments will be forwarded to Janet

Greetings From John and Janet

2011-02-09T21:37:00.000-08:00

John Williamson is still battling the symptoms of his leukaemia and managing to stay home most of the time with just some brief visits to hospitals, doctors etc. Unfortunately, John and Janet cannot attend church (or other crowded places!) because of the risk of infection, so I took a photo on my last visit (10th Feb) to remind you all what they look like!

John and Janet want you all to know that you are very much in their thoughts and they are grateful for all the phone calls and good wishes. They also had a wonderful night at the Vines Resort on Wednesday of last week - a gift from the parish that was presented to them at last year's AGM.

Fresh Start For the Young at Heart

2011-02-05T21:47:00.000-08:00

The year has started off with more action for the young at Swan Parish. Last Friday the Young Adults enjoyed a social barbecue with great food and company as a way of regrouping for the coming year. And today the St. Mary's crowd were treated to the first "Kids Take The Church" service of the year. During these services most of the leadership roles and rostered jobs during church are performed by the kids. Its very satisfying to see how confident they have become after several years of running these services. What a great way of engaging, training and discipling the kids as well as deepening their understanding of liturgy and worship. Thanks to Paula, Nicole and Doug and all the parents and others who support these services. Also, big thanks to the Swan Parish Youth (SPY) who chipped in at the last minute to provide an impressive morning tea.

A new worship initiative in the parish, for all ages, is the monthly Taize service. On Saturday night a small group gathered for a friendly glass of wine and snacks before moving into the church for this peaceful and moving service involving reflective singing, readings, silence and prayer. I always leave the church after the Taize service feeling I have just been given a great gift. Lyn and Sharon are doing a great job coordinating these services and we all look forward to the crowd growing as word spreads.

Youth Lead the Way

2010-12-22T23:16:00.000-08:00

The young people have been one of the most active sections of our parish this year. The Swan Parish Youth enjoyed a fantastic afternoon at Lake Leschenaultia last weekend, to celebrate the end of a year of learning, service, physical, and fun activity. Even this week Ben Miles, Isaac Johnston and Chris Fenner attended a Christmas review and planning session with the Perth Young Christian Students.

The Young Adults Group have also been very active and shown that giving and service are cornerstones of the Christmas spirit. A group of young adults recently attended the monthly service at the Pines Retirement Village to sing carols for the residents - which was a real blast for everyone involved. Also they ran the sausage sizzle at the parish Carols by Candlelight which significantly boosted the donations to the Christmas Bowl. We celebrate the fact that the young in our parish have been leading the way in Christian service and community building. We have much to be thankful for.

Whiteman Park Worship

2010-11-16T20:51:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday the whole parish gathered in Whiteman Park for an outdoors service followed by picnic and family fun activities. We do this every year and its a great opportunity to get out of our buildings and experience church as its meant to be - the people engaging with the world. Some thoughts on the gospel passage from Sunday...

Prophetic bible passages, like today’s gospel from Luke 21:5-19, can be difficult for us to make meaning from. We wonder if they are still relevant thousands of years after they were written. I think a clue to getting contemporary meaning out of today’s passage is the fact that it begins with the Temple. In dream analysis a building such as a house or temple is believed to symbolize the self. The temple can be seen as an archetypal image of myself. What is seen, or what happens, inside the house is symbolic of what is inside me. In this story people are admiring the beauty of the temple and the fact it is dedicated to God. Jesus warns them that it is not permanent and will one day be destroyed. At some level he is warning us not to be self satisfied with our own beauty or dedication to God because one day we too will be “destroyed”. We cannot rely on our self-image or achievements – they will pass away to nothing. More than that Jesus goes on to say that we cannot rely on governments, legal systems or religion (governors, prisons and synagogues). Even our friends and families will betray us. What may have been a prediction of the future for Jesus’ followers has become for us a reminder about what is truly important. We can rely only on God. This is very appropriate as we meet today in the outdoors having “stripped away” our church buildings which represent the security of the institution. Today we are church “in the raw” – no trappings or pretence just people present to God and one another in the moment. Gathered here we remember that in the end we will be judged purely on how much we loved God and served our neighbours. Let’s take time to experience God in the natural world and our neighbours who are all around us.

Young Adults Pray

2010-11-10T20:38:00.000-08:00

Although a few couldn't make it the Young Adults got together on Sunday 31st October to pray for those about to take exams. The prayer service was simple but involved some enthusiastic prayer and singing. We also had a discussion about how our approach to study and exams (or any other time of stress!) tells us a lot about ourselves - this is certainly good material for spiritual reflection.

Afterwards we shared a simple bring-and-share meal before the mosquitoes let us know it was time to go.

Men And Boys Camp

2010-09-29T01:51:00.000-07:00

The desert expanse of Koora Retreat Centre in Boorabbin National Park worked its magic on 18 male souls who attended the 2010 Men and Boys Camp 24th -27th September. As always, settling in at Koora brought an immediate sense of easy friendliness and cooperation as we helped each other to set up tents and organise our gear. The camaraderie between men, boys and teenagers was humourous, inspiring, touching and deeply satisfying. I am struck with a sense of sadness that so few men ever get the opportunity to spend a weekend in the company of such a great group of guys, walking, working, cooking, swimming, nurturing, fire-building, chilling-out, star-gazing, nature-studying, spud-gun-firing, laughing, playing, praying, sharing, reflecting and discussing together - not to mention mercilessly ribbing each other.
Our hosts, Peter Harrison and Anna Killigrew again welcomed us with warm hospitality, practical advice, mountains of food, plenty of humour and lots of activity to help us access the natural and spiritual treasures of the surrounding desert. It is a wonderful ministry they offer. Why not check out their website http://kooraretreat.yolasite.com/
During our discussions we examined our primal nature as hunter/gatherers and how culture and spirituality overlay our primal energy to direct it in positive ways leading ultimately to contentment, compassion, and wisdom. We spent time in the wilderness in groups and alone, discovering our own inner strength and realising the contemplative side of our nature. In our final discussion on the Monday morning many comments were made that directly or indirectly highlighted the power of the desert to act as a teacher, guide, leveller, or spiritual director.
I am grateful to all the men and boys who made time to attend the camp and make it such a profound experience.

Sustainable September 3

2010-09-19T05:46:00.000-07:00

For this third and final sermon in the Sustainable September series we have the theme "What is the Challenge to The Christian Community?"

I heard a quote during the week from Albert Einstein: "No problem can be solved by the same consciousness that caused it in the first place." This seems particularly apt in relation to global warming - the consciousness that caused the problem cannot solve it.
The consciousness, or state of mind, that has brought about this environmental crisis seeks to solve it by such things as pumping CO2 into space, or developing nuclear energy, or fusion energy. This state of mind wants to keep doing more and more of the same thing and finding expensive, complicated technological solutions to solve the resulting problems.
We know that what is needed is a transformation of consciousness.
Even if global warming was not happening our economic system is still unsustainable because it relies on the increased consumption of finite resources - resources that are running out. This consciousness must change.
A visual image of the problem - I heard of a method of catching monkeys which involves cutting a hole in a coconut just big enough for a monkey to squeeze its hand through. Salt, which monkeys really like, is then put into the coconut. A monkey comes along, squeezes its hand through the hole, grabs a fistful of salt but cannot extract its fist while it is clenched. No matter what happens the monkey will not let go of the salt in its fist and is easily captured.
This is where western society is at. Our dedication to egoism, and material acquisition is a fistful of salt that we will not release. Even the impending crisis of global warming will not allow us to release our grip.
The only way I can think to get the monkey to release its grip on the salt is to present it with something even more attractive.. Something that it will reach out for with both hands, thus releasing the salt.
Surely as the witnesses of Christ in the world the Christian community is charged with the responsibility of presenting the gospel in a way that will allow "the World" to release the salt.
Lets not forget, that Christians, on the whole, have been as materialistic and egoistic as anyone else. We need a new gospel too!
We need an understanding of our life in God as something that goes way beyond the projections of our egos. A life that leaves us fulfilled and content, non-desiring. A life that sees service to God, the community, the poor, as more important than material acqusition. A life that liberates us from the need to prove ourselves worthy, successful, or anything else. A life that leaves us with a humble compassion for all living things and the creation that sustains them.

Sustainable September 2

2010-09-12T20:44:00.000-07:00

Last week we looked at the theme "What is the Challenge to Creation". This week we consider the theme "What is the Challenge to you and me."

I want to name this challenge the "Grand Challenge", that's grand as in grand parent. Each one of us has to make ourselves accountable to our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren when it comes to our actions or inactions to combat global warming. Someday they are going to want to know what we did about the problem.
Try writing a letter to them explaining your position on global warming.
I'm not giving an exhaustive list of practical changes we can each take in out lives - there is plenty of information about this, including the regular sustainability tips we print in the Passion and Purpose newsletter. We should all be taking these things seriously.
Again, the problem is our level of wealth and consumption, we must take constant reality checks on our lifestyle. Remember, only 25% of human beings live in the developed world. That means, basically, 75% of humanity live at subsistence level or below. Owning a car or flying in an aeroplane are experiences they would never hope for.
Most of us could easily halve our wealth and still lead very comfortable privileged lives. We could halve the number of car trips we make (and double the time we hang on to our 'old' car). Halve the size of our house and still have a beautiful comfortable home, halve the number of overseas trips, halve the amount of meat and imported food we eat and substitute it for fresh locally grown produce, halve what we spend on entertainment. Think about it - we could do all of these things and still have very interesting, comfortable lives! And save a lot of carbon emissions!
There is a moral/spiritual question we must all ask ourselves; "If the wealth we enjoy (e.g. owning a motor car) cannot be enjoyed by every person on earth (and it certainly cannot be) what right do I have to it?"
The main spiritual issue behind our over-consumption is our own ego. This means our dissatisfaction with ourselves and our lives. We live in a constant state of striving for something better.
Today's gospel is helpful in addressing this. Luke 15:1-10. The story of the shepherd searching for one lost sheep and the woman seeking the lost coin.
This passage is usually understood as emphasising God's forgiveness - no one is unforgivable or "too" lost for God to want back.
This is clearly a valid interpretation of the story but when put in the context of the rest of the New Testament it has a deeper meaning as well.
It tells us that each of us already belongs to God and is already forgiven. The "sheep" and the "coin" in the story do nothing - they neither convert nor repent - The story is about the action of God. God goes searching for them to bring them back.
Jesus was not very interested in salvation in the future. He put far more emphasis on healing now. Even this gospel story is told as a justification for the fact that he is seeking out the lost now, in the present. He was being challenged for eating with sinners.
An image of God which may be useful here is God as the sun. The sun just shines constantly, it doesn't change in anyway, however we choose to stand in the shade, or to put up an umbrella, a barrier between ourselves and the sun. This "umbrella" is our own ego, our projection of who we think we are.
If we let go of this projection we stand once more in the sunlight which warms and purifies us and we reflect the light to others.
This is a radical understanding of God's love and yet entirely consistent with Christian theology - God never changes. We are already loved, already forgiven, already in communion with God. The only change necessary is that we realise it.
All our religious systems, rituals, disciplines and practices are designed to help us to this realisation. They are not designed to win favour from God - there is simply no need!
When we achieve this realisation we come to a place where compassion is the natural response. To care for others, and the planet, is the natural way of being, not to win God's favour, but because its now the only thing that makes sense.
If we truly realised that we were already loved, forgiven, redeemed by God we would be truly content and be free of the craving and dissatisfaction that drives us to constantly want, and consume, more.
Finally, we cannot allow ourselves to be disillusioned by negative thoughts about the ability of people to work together to achieve the changes necessary to halt climate change. All Christians must hold fast to a firm belief in the goodness of human nature. God believes in human nature - who are we not too!
The creation and redemption of the human race is God's masterwork. It is blasphemy to suggest human beings are not capable of working together for the common good. We must assert a belief in the limitless potential of human beings to do good. Because the spirit of God is within us.

Sustainable September 1

2010-09-07T23:45:00.000-07:00

Sunday 5th September.
This month the Diocese of Perth is asking us to reflect during our Sunday worship on the environmental crisis facing our planet. I am going to address some of the theological and practical issues during the "September Sermons" and thought I'd try writing a few notes on each one on this blog.

This week's theme is the question "What is the challenge for Creation?"

The Challenge is Global warming!
This does not mean a mild inconvenience with the weather getting a little hotter and drier in some places and a little wetter in others over a long period of time.
It means catastrophic changes including: the inundation of vast areas of habitable land creating hundreds of millions of 'climate refugees'; decreasing crop productivity with millions starving, increased frequency and severity of storms and extreme weather events; extinctions and migrations of animal species, the breakdown of food chains. Some of these changes could happen quite suddenly.
The two principle causes of global warming are the burning of fossil fuels and land clearing.
These two factors greatly accelerated as a result of industrialisation beginning in the 18th century. The rise in global temperatures matches the increase in idustrialisation throughout the western world. Check out www.ipcc.ch/ for more information - this is the website for the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Even without the problem of global warming our industrial/economic system is fundamentally flawed because it is based on a principle of "economic growth". This means that our prosperity depends on an economy that is constantly increasing its consumption of natural resources. These resources are finite and will eventually run out. This economic system is, and always was, unsustainable. Global warming is just emphasising the point!
THE PROBLEM IS FUNDAMENTALLY SPIRITUAL
I say this because as industrialisation has increased religion has decreased. The church has declined in all the industrial nations of the world. The nations where the church is booming are all under-developed countries. Our desire for material wealth rather than to serve God is causing massive, unsustainable, over-consumption.
THE SOLUTION IS ALSO SPIRITUAL
In order to halt global warming the richest nations of the world need to voluntarily reduce their consumption and adopt economic practices that are environmentally sustainable - this mean we must choose to be poorer.
History suggests this is unlikely to happen unless courageous individuals are prepared to lead the way and change their own lifestyle. The people most likely, and best equipped, to do this are those with a strong spiritual life and commitment to God.
Believe it or not none of this is bad news, it is GOOD NEWS! Because the root of the problem is our own spiritual malaise and impoverishment, the challenges presented by global warming will be our very salvation.
God's people are called at this moment to stand up and become leaders. We are called to make our lives count for something, to be a light to the world, to show the way of Jesus.
In today's gospel, (Luke 14:25-35) Jesus tells us to give up our possessions, take up our cross, and follow him.
Jesus' whole message is that individual sacrificial action, done selflessly for the good of all, is salvation.
This is the message we are called to demonstrate to the world.
The prospect of facing this challenge should fill us with determination, resolve, clarity, and joy.

Vegetarian

2010-08-24T00:22:00.000-07:00

The latest carbon-reducing tips from the Caring For Creation Project include the suggestion of having at least two vegetarian days per week. Good idea! But what about a vegetarian lifestyle? There is no evidence that Jesus was a vegetarian or that Christians in all times and places should be vegetarian but maybe the time has come?
I've been a full-time vegetarian for 25 years and have no regrets. I first started because of a concern about justice and "food politics". I was persuaded by facts like: you could feed all the hungry people in the world on the grain that is fed to cattle in the United States alone. The production of animal protein requires vastly more land, feed, and water than the production of vegetable protein. We could all enjoy more than enough food and arable land to feed the world's population if we didn't waste so much raising livestock.
Later I was interested in Gandhi's claim that you could judge the character of a nation by the way it treated its animals. In Australia our animals are treated with enormous amounts of love, affection, veterinary care, grooming and food - if they are pets. Meanwhile in dark, hidden places unprecedented numbers of cows, sheep, pigs, chickens and other livestock die gruesome, painful deaths, only to appear on supermarket shelves in bright, sterile packaging that looks fresh and pristine and nothing at all like a dead animal. What does this say about our nation and our attitude to life and death?
Now, global warming has provided a new justification for vegetarianism. The high carbon cost of raising and transporting meat reinforces further that it is a luxury item that we can increasingly ill-afford. I have always shied away from taking the high moral ground about this because, in all honesty, I have not found it a sacrifice to give up meat. In my younger days I ate everything from raw clam, which I gouged myself out of coral reefs in Tonga, to emu roadkill freshly extracted from the roo bar of a vehicle in the Gascoyne - and, of course, loads and loads of supermarket meat. But I don't miss any of it and I never have.
Clearly, we should all be cutting down on the amount of meat we consume but I don't know that it's necessary for everyone to be a vegetarian. What I can recommend though, is making decisions, even very small ones, to reduce or avoid cooperation with systems, structures or behaviours you know to be wrong.

Walk Against Warming

2010-08-17T06:56:00.000-07:00

Five of us from the Swan Parish attended the Walk Against Warming at the Fremantle Esplanade on Sunday afternooon. Although there wasn't any "Walk" there was plenty of talk from the speakers on the stage and the bands and entertainment that had been lined up for the event.
I've been attending this kind of protest rally since I was sixteen and wouldn't have a hope of remembering how many I've been to and for what causes - although the Palm Sunday March for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament was an annual fixture on my calendar for many years. In all that time, though, the character of these events hasn't changed much. The crowd is made up mostly of the young "hippies", who stilll look exactly the same as they did when I was their age - is there a whole new generation of them or are they kept in cryogenic storage and brought out specially for rallies? - and the ageing ex-hippies who look pretty much like any other 45+ year-olds but they are likely to have arrived on a bicycle and be wearing a straw hat. For the record, I was wearing an extremely munted Piping Hot hat and attempted to go by train but was offerd a lift with someone else.
It was hard to tell how many were there because the whole of the esplanade was full of people, many of whom were just out enjoying the sunshine, but the concentration of people generally increased as you approached the stage. It certainly seemed to be more about enjoying the festivities than expressing rage, outrage, or old age.
I found myself wondering if such events are necessary. Sure, they give a bit of a boost to those who attend but this wears off when you get to my vintage and does it really do any good anyway? Having thought seriously about it, though, I'm quite certain that rallies and marches are essential to the process of achieving social change. In an era when hundreds, thousands, or millions of people can be contacted in no time by social networking sites, we are better, and more quickly, informed than ever before. But information seems to be where it ends. - it doesn't translate into action. Unless we involve our bodies, take physical action, literally make our presence felt, I'm convinced we don't subscribe to our own opinions and beliefs. To have the courage to take serious action for carbon reduction in our own lives we have to know physically, not electronically, that we are part of a movement of like-minded people. We need to actually stand shoulder-to-shoulder with others who care about this world and who believe in the power of God and humanity to change it. In the words of a protest song by Holly Near "When we turn out its good for the world".

Justice

2010-07-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you who have contributed thoughtful comments about our response to climate change. An important aspect of the problem that we Christians have to be aware of is that its fundamentally a matter of social justice. The rich, industrialised countries, who have contributed the most to global warming, will be the last to feel its effects. The poorest, least industrialised countries, are already experiencing devastating effects from relatively minor increases in temperature and sea levels. The most obvious example is Bangladesh. The world's most densely populated country (155 million people in an area two thirds the size of Victoria)is also one of the world's poorest and is extremely vulnerable to global warming. Bangladesh is under siege from all sides. Increased ice-melt from the Himalayas is causing massive erosion of its soil, every centimetre increase in sea level means salt creeping into its underground water and rice paddies as well as making low-lying areas more susceptible to inundation by storm surges. On top of this global warming is increasing the frequency and intensity of tropical storms making such inundations more likely. Climate change is not just an issue for us and our grandchildren. We have to see it as an immediate threat to the poorest and most vulnerable people of the world. What is required of Christian people at such a time?

P.S. A quick net search will reveal plenty of information on these issues. You might like to check out
http://www.theage.com.au/world/bangladeshs-global-warning-20081010-4yb8.html?page=-1
or http://politics.usnews.com/news/energy/articles/2009/03/26/how-global-warming-threatens-millions-in-bangladesh.html

CHANGE

2010-05-08T02:51:00.000-07:00

Well, our discussion of liturgy has been interesting for some (and thank you all for your contributions) but it seems to have failed to grab the attention of a significant portion of the parish. Perhaps blog discussions are never going to attract a huge following but I'm going to test the waters again by changing the direction of discussion towards climate change. Following on from Stan Dunwell's presentations at church on climate change its important that the whole parish grapples seriously with the issues from a Christian perspective. The intergity and sustainability of God's creation is someting that all Christians should be deeply concerned about. We need to be informed and prepared to act. The challenge with reducing carbon emissions is that it requires sacrifices in our lifestyle. These sacrifices are not going to be easy but someone has to show the way. Are Christians natural leaders in sacrificial action for the common good and what would this look like when it comes to reducing emissions? What do you think?

How Do We Rate?

2010-03-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

One of the questions we have to ask ourselves when talking about liturgy and worship is: who is the audience of our worship?. The "audience", perhaps surprisingly to some, is not the people sitting in the pews! The audience is primarily God. Our church is not filled with observers who have gathered to watch a small group in the sanctuary engage in "worship" - we are all engaged in the work of worship. This is a difficult concept to get across to Anglicans sometimes because I think the former is exactly what we have been sub-consciously indoctrinated to believe.
There is a secondary audience, however, and that is the outside world - those who don't belong to the church. Paradoxically they are (usually) not present, but they may be there in the form of newcomers or visitors and our worship is intended to witness to them our faith in Jesus Christ and our following of the gospel. We have to constantly ask ourselves what would the unchurched think of our worship? And what does it say about us? And...if we dare... we have to ask ourselves the really interesting question - what does God think of our worship??!!
How do you think God would rate our worship during Lent - lets say on a scale of 1 to 10?

Lent Liturgy

2010-03-11T04:11:00.000-08:00

Well I think we've done enough on personal discipline during Lent! What about corporate discipline - our worship. During Lent we have simplified our church and liturgy - no flowers, no Paschal candle, no Gloria, fewer hymns, silent procession, no music during communion. This "stripping down" of the liturgy is often described using words like "austere". To me this sounds severe, almost as if we are punishing or depriving ourselves so we can enjoy Easter more! There is probably a valid sense in this but I prefer to think of it differently. When you are with someone who is suffering, perhaps dying, there is not a whole lot you can say. Often the best way to minister to that person is to be present, sit with them, in silence. When we consider the great mystery of Jesus' incarnation, suffering, and death what can we say that makes any sense? An awe-struck silence seems to me a highly appropriate response. That's the "feeling" I like to take into our Lent liturgy - what do you think?

The Rubber Hits The Road

2010-03-03T23:17:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all of you who have added comments on last week's post. Its great to hear other people's experiences, they are always encouraging. The halfway mark of Lent is approaching (Sunday 7th March is the 19th day out of 40)and the rubber is really starting to hit the road, especially if you have taken on a discipline that is proving hard. You might also be feeling a little restless if you're tired of the "stripped down" liturgy and can't wait to launch into some guts-and-glory-type hymns.

I've taken on my usual Lent discipline which is giving up tea and coffee. This year I have found it harder than before - for some reason the foggy head feeling that persists for at least a week during detox has been more pronounced. Now that I've come out of that I'm feeling good! I always feel empowered by giving up something that I am, lets face it, addicted to. I get a sense of taking control of my life again.

I've also added a twist to the discipline this year and given up not just tea and coffee but all hot drinks. I did this because I've been doing further reading on global warming and I'm even more convinced of the need for all of us to take leadership in our personal lifestyles to tackle carbon emissions. I thought the carbon saved by not boiling the kettle would mean others benefit, in a small way, by my abstinence. Some quick online research revealed that boiling the kettle 5 times a day (conservative for me)would produce 3kg of carbon dioxide during Lent. And, yes, this translates to over 27kg a year! And that is tiny compared to when the rubber literally hits the road through motor transportation. I'm making progress here with my bike and public transport but there's still a long way to go. Ultimately (as I think Gabi was getting at in her comment on my last post) all discipline must lead us to prayer. Prayer is the ultimate discipline and takes care of all the others. Even a quest to reduce carbon emissions is perfected in prayer because when I take time out to pray I'm carbon neutral!

The Lent Event

2010-02-27T14:38:00.000-08:00

The practice of fasting before Easter probably dates back to New Testament times but it wasn't until the fifth century that a forty-day fast leading up to Easter became fairly standard practice througout the Church. It became known as "Lent" - the original word meant simply "the Spring season". It also became a time of preparation for new believers who were then baptised "into new life" on Easter Day. Today, for the practicing Christian, Lent is a time for renewal - to prepare ourselves again to commit to Christ as we renew our Baptismal vows on Easter Day. The traditional Lent disciplines of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving help us to focus more on God, to take stock of our lives, to appreciate what we have and what Jesus Christ has done for us. What discipline{s} have you taken on this Lent? Please share with us in Swan Symposium your own thoughts and experiences. How are you finding your Lent disipline? Is this the first time you've done it? Is it easy or hard? Have you decided, for some reason, not to take on a discipline? Tell us about it.

The Real Deal

2009-07-30T06:24:00.000-07:00

The final part of our liturgy is the "Sending Out". The gathered believers are commissioned to go out into the world and take the presence of Christ to the people. This is the work that communion empowers us for. The latest Anglican Messenger has a story about a church in San Fransisco that distributes food to 800 families a week. The food is distributed in the sanctuary, around the altar! that's liturgy meeting real life! Whenever we feed the hungry, visit the sick or imprisoned, empower the powerless, or stand up against injustice, we take liturgy to the world, and the Kingdom of God is revealed. Check out the article entitled True Communion on page 24 of the Messenger.

The Ultimate Meal Deal

2009-07-22T05:29:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we had a close look at the Eucharist and the way our liturgy seeks to highlight the sense of Jesus' presence with us in communion. The way we "treat" the bread and wine - the kind of implements it is stored in, the words and actions of the priest and pastoral assistants, the words and actions of the people receiving communion - are all "outward, visible signs of an inward, invisible grace." Its awe-inspiring to think these ways of "doing" communion have been passed down to us from the very earliest Christians. Jesus himself may not have had an altar with a silver chalice but he did break bread, share it and pass round a cup of wine, in the Jewish tradition, much as we still do in the Eucharist today.
Perhaps this "eucharistic model" of revealing our faith in Jesus' presence by our words and actions can be applied to all areas of life!?

Getting High On Liturgy

2009-07-16T00:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all those who have contributed to this Blog so far. Hopefully there will be many more comments as people get the hang of it!

Last Sunday we explored the meaning of our liturgy (our order of service) and I asked the question: is it boring doing the same thing every week? My answer to that question is that its only boring if we are boring. Everything that gives rhythm to our life - the sun rising and setting, the routine of sleeping, waking, working and eating - are all potentially boring if our life has no meaning.

I think we should see liturgy in this way. It's not entertainment for us, it is an offering of praise and thanksgiving to God by the gathered people of God. If we see our purpose in life as giving glory to God by living life to the full and seeking to be in God's presence always then we will look forward with excitement and anticipation to the experience of praise and worship with others.

What does our Sunday liturgy mean to you? Are there ways it could be improved?

Let's Get Started

2009-07-09T16:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Swan Symposium! As we spend July reflecting on the history and traditions of the Anglican Church we are creating our own tiny piece of history with this first ever blog for the parish. It is hoped that, amongst other things, this blog will provide a forum for those people who have asked questions or raised issues following last week's sermon about the history and development of the Anglican Church. This kind of online discussion could be a very powerful way of involving people in shaping the mission and mindset of our parish as we continue our quest to become better followers of Christ in the Anglican context.

Its important to note that this blog is not about "questions for the rector!" Although I will be kicking off the discussion with a post each week the aim is that contributors will respond to each other's comments and opinions in an ongoing discussion.

Now, to get the discussion going, In last week's sermon I suggested that one of the positives of the Anglican tradition is that we embrace a wide range of cultures and beliefs in a very tolerant and diverse community. We also occupy a "middle way" between the Catholic Church and the Protestant churches. During the week I also read research which shows the name "Anglican" is generally perceived very positively in the community and associated with community support through organisations like Anglicare. Putting all these factors together, what potential do you see in being Anglican to have a positive influence in the world?

(Click on "comment", write your thoughts in the text box, submit the comment with your web address OR, if you don't have one, register as anonymous but please remember to put your name at the end of your commment so we know who you are)