You have probably heard a variety of prayers before meals in your lifetime: ‘Two four six eight, dig in don’t wait!’ and ‘Grace!’ among them. I always give thanks, but sometimes it is a silent action. I don‘t need to make a spectacle of myself.

An acquaintance of mine, Iain Radvan, recently wrote, “Giving thanks before a meal can be one of the simplest and most heart-felt of prayers that an individual or group can say. It is not always spoken aloud – I believe that an unspoken ‘yummy’ or the appreciative sniff of an aroma is giving thanks to God and to the cook. Grace before meals can be extended to voicing thanks for other blessings that have come a person’s way during the day.”

“When I say ‘thank you’ before I eat, I am mindful not only of the cook, but, all in a second, of the Earth that provided the seed and soil, of the farmers who nurtured the plants, of the life and death of the animals, of the drivers who distributed the food and the shopkeepers who sold it. This meal and this prayer connects me to the whole Earth community. I feel humbled and truly grateful.”
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So, that simple prayer might contain a wealth of ‘thanksgivings’, all offered in the blinking of an eye. Thank you Lord.

 
Tuesday 5 March 2019 is Shrove Tuesday. To mark this occasion, we shall have the chance to gather and eat pancakes together between 6 – 7 pm in the church lounge.

Shrove Tuesday (also known in Commonwealth countries and Ireland as Pancake Tuesday or Pancake Day) is the day in February or March immediately preceding Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent), which is celebrated in some countries by consuming pancakes. In others, especially those where it is called Mardi Gras or some translation thereof, this is a carnival day, and also the last day of "fat eating" or "gorging" before the fasting period of Lent.

​Most of our services are based around Holy Communion.  In some churches this is also called eucharist (Greek for thanksgiving) and the Lord’s Supper.  I think of the service as more than thanksgiving, although I appreciate the verb was used by Jesus, “Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks (εὐχαριστήσας) he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it.” (Mark 14.23)

I think of the Lord’s Supper as that service we remember on Maundy Thursday. It was when Jesus shared the Passover meal with his disciples.

For me Holy Communion is right term as it is the time I recall quietly and privately at reception the sacrifice made by Jesus for me on the cross and think on his return. I appreciate the words, “Do this in remembrance of me.”

Anglicans consider Holy Communion to be one of the sacraments of the Church.  The bread and wine are considered outward symbols of an inward and spiritual grace received by the faithful as the instruments of God's grace.

We tend to use the term altar a lot.  Altars are places where sacrifices are offered and yet at a service of Holy Communion I think of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.  His death was once for all time.  Yet I know that many will talk about the sacrifice of our worship and we often say, “Father we offer ourselves as living sacrifices …” 

As a boy I attended a Norman church and the altar was a most elaborate altar with the most extravagant cloths laid over it.  Underneath was a simple pine trestle table.  Nothing could have been more simple!  Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI, father of the Reformation in England, stated that Holy Communion should be conducted on a board with a fair linen cloth on it.  No mention of altar.
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So, here are some of my thoughts around Holy Communion.  What are yours?  You might like to share them with those near you.

In one parish the girls in the youth group told me that 1 Corinthians 13 was their school reading. In another parish and referring to a different school the girls in the youth group told me that 1 Corinthians 13 was their school scripture reading. Today I wonder if our schools have selected scripture readings as they seek to be all things to all people, but is that the cynic in me talking?

In 1 Corinthians 13 the author, Paul, introduces the theme of love just at the right time, after being critical of the local church. Love can mean so many different things. Some people here might remember the free love movement of the 1960’s. Was that about love or about breaking down moral standards of behaviour?

The church in Corinth had wandered from Christian standards. There were factions, the misuse of Christian liberty and an abuse of spiritual gifts. Paul had been correcting the Corinthians, but then decides to offer a positive model of how the church should exist, which was quite a contrast to their model.

Have you heard that the Greek language had more than one word for love? There was eros, which was the love of deep desire and sensuous longing. You won’t find this word in the Bible, but in The Song of Solomon we read of erotic love. The word storge is the love that exists between members of a family. Again, this is not found in the New Testament, but the opposite astorge is in Romans and elsewhere. The two forms of love that we are familiar with from the scriptures is philia and agape. Philia is brotherly love or the deep love of friendship. An example is “love one another with mutual affection” Ro 12.10 Agape love is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love. It is the love expressed towards us through Jesus. It implies loving when there is nothing worthy to evoke love. This is the word Paul used in chapter 13 of his first letter.

So, when we think of love as romantic and that 1 Corinthians 13 is appropriate for weddings please note that the original intention was referring to a very different love.

​The final verse is “And now faith, hope and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” And Margie likes to remind me that in heaven only love will exist, because the other two will have been fulfilled. 

Last week in my sermon based on 1 Corinthians 12.1-11, which focussed on spiritual gifts, I referred to a study I had heard the day before, whilst at SUTS, based on Ephesians 4.1-24.  This was easily done as both passages refer to gifts from God for ministry in his church.

These studies and the passage we have today from 1 Corinthians 12.12-31 stress oneness in the church despite the various gifts and the concerns of individual members.  Christians will disagree on many things, but mature Christians will work to maintain bonds of peace. 

As individual Christians we often ponder the best way forward for the church.  Done in isolation this is dangerous.  At SUTS Wei-Han Kuan recalled his days at college and the thoughts he had, “If I were writing the Bible …”  He would then give thought to the issues he considered most important. We face the danger of our hearts being drawn to our own pet issues.  Yet, of course, we have fallen hearts and so at times we react negatively to the scriptures or wish to change the place of emphasis. 
The passages in the Bible that refer to spiritual gifts speak of the individual’s role in building up the congregation. Using our gifts makes it possible for others to do the same with their gifts, which are different to ours.

And we were asked how well we used our gifts.  Four questions were put to us:

1. How well are you equipping others to do ministry?
2. How many people have you empowered to do ministry?
3. Are you doing ministry through a team?
4. How successful are the people around you?

We might ask ourselves:  what gift are we to our church?

To keep everything in focus we need to go a little beyond Ephesians 4 and 1 Corinthians 12.  Chapter 5 of Ephesians commences with stress on love.  What do we read about in 1 Corinthians 13?
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Bless you as you give thought to your gifts.

In my morning readings this week I had the chance again to read through Daniel 3. As I did so I was reminded of how three words from the text had been used during World War 2 and it seemed
appropriate to tell the story again as we celebrate Remembrance Day.

As the allied troops faced annihilation at Dunkirk in 1940 a message was dispatched to Whitehall. It was simply this, “But if not.”

These were the words of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were threatened by King Nebuchadnezzar with death in the fiery furnace.

In the NRSV we read “If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up.” Dan 3.17-18

“But if not.” What a poignant phrase. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were resolved to obey God, whether or not he chose to save them. They knew he wasn’t obliged to help them.

“But if not.” These words were instantly recognizable to the people who were accustomed to hearing the scriptures read in church. They knew the story told in the book of Daniel. The message in those three little words was clear: The situation was desperate. The allied forces were trapped. It would take a miracle to save them, but they were determined not to give in. One simple three-word phrase
communicated all that.

Boat-owners heard about the cry for help, and they answered. They answered with merchant marine boats, with pleasure cruisers, and even with small fishing boats. By a miracle, they evacuated more than 338,000 soldiers and took them to safety.

This is a great story that has a happy ending (for many) because people of the day were familiar with the scriptures. What would the plight of those soldiers be if the same message was sent today?

Dear Friends,

As Christians we know that the cross is central to our faith and an understanding that Jesus was the sacrificial one who was executed for the benefit of all.  It is his death that gives us confidence to approach God and seek forgiveness from him – all in the name of Jesus.

Last Tuesday and Wednesday saw Jewish people observe Yom Kippur, a 25-hour period of prayer and fasting, which I am told is the holiest day of the year for them.  In English it is the Day of Atonement. To gain atonement Jews must pray, repent of their sins and give to charity.
This isn’t so different to the undertaking of Christians who seek forgiveness from God.  We don’t have to wait for a special day in the year, because we know that we can approach God at any time and confess our sins and seek his forgiveness. And, of course, we do all this in the name of Jesus. To gain forgiveness Christians are not required to give to charity, but as we have seen by reading through the Letter of James, our response to God’s grace in Jesus will require a changed life, which might well involve giving to charity.
In western Christian theology, atonement describes how human beings can be reconciled to God through Christ's sacrificial suffering and death.  Atonement refers to the forgiving or pardoning of sin in general and original sin in particular through the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus, enabling the reconciliation between God and his creation, which includes us.
Guilt and its partner, shame, can paralyse us. You may have experienced it. Yet Christian people have a way to minimise guilt by turning to God and seeking his forgiveness. This all contributes to a healthy life for us – which is exactly what God wants for us.
Blessings,
Philip

Dear Friends,

My mind has been on mission beyond the parish this week.  On Wednesday we hosted a lunch for the Bush Church Aid Society, which was attended by about 33 people, with a number coming from other parishes. Many of our people contributed by making soup, which was followed by a wild array of sandwiches and then cakes and slice with tea and coffee.  Thanks to everybody who supported the occasion.

The speaker was Topher Hallyburton who works in Darwin teaching religious education in schools and building a team of volunteers to support the work. Topher is supported by Buch Church Aid (and us via our support), Scripture Union and the Anglican Church in the Northern Territory. He quickly won us over with one person offering to go there for a short time to support his ministry.

Moving to another mission agency now, the Church Missionary Society, we must remember to pray for Andrew and Dominique Gifford and their family as they relocate back to Melbourne next month following ten years in Barcelona, Spain. When Andrew finishes his deputation for CMS he will be seeking a parish in the Diocese of Melbourne in which to settle and minister. Pray also for those they have ministered amongst as they grief the loss of their minister and ponder their future.

And whilst writing about CMS let me tell you that Margie and I have registered to attend the CMS summer school known as Summer Under the Son.  This will be held in January at Syndal Baptist Church and will feature the Giffords.  It is a great programme and I would encourage you to attend with us.

Over the weekend I attended some of the Anglican Future Conference at Southbank. The theme was Grace and Truth in Uncertain Times. I was particularly keen to hear Rev’d Frog Orr-Ewing whose church (All Saints) Margie and I visited in Peckham, South London, a few years ago. A couple from our times in Tanzania are now members of the congregation there.

And whilst we look beyond the parish, next Sunday our speaker will be Karyn Doyle who is the CEO of BayCISS [Bayside Community Information and Support Service], an agency to which we send groceries and which is heavily supported by our Op Shop.  Come and hear the message she has for us.

All of these agencies need our support – financial, prayerful and commitment to be involved.

Blessings,

Philip

.Dear Friends,

Next week we shall be in September and the season of spring will have commenced.  In chilly Melbourne we are looking forward to the signs of warmth and green that spring promises. Wherever we live, we are increasingly aware that the seasons, the weather patterns and the climate of all our countries, has been changing, not only bringing more frequent and extreme weather conditions, but also belying the wisdom of farmers who can no longer reasonably predict how their crops or livestock will fare from season to season. How good it was that the Op Shop could send such a generous amount to drought relief ($10,000).

The ABC has been promoting a series called War on Waste, which has a message for us all. Just recently I ordered an orange juice in a café and it was served in a Mason (?) drinking jar and it came with a metal straw.  I pondered whether somebody had used the straw ahead of me (undoubtedly so), but then comforted myself with a reminder of dishwashers.

As we think about changing our habits and doing without plastic shopping bags, disposable cups, straws, etc we might remind ourselves that we live in absolute comfort still. I think of the Maldives, the world’s lowest country, which aims to be carbon neutral by the end of next year, yet will its highest point at 2.4m be sufficient to save it from rising sea levels? How will my changing habits help the Maldives?

So while green action can be perceived as a privilege of upper middle class inner city dwellers, ecological injustice impacts most heavily on those far away from me. [Be it in Australia or The Maldives or some third-world country.]

All the communities and cultures we belong to are challenged– our church, our town or city, and our families.

We must make our prayer lives more mindful of the impact of our lifestyle choices on the environment and on the most vulnerable people. God hasn’t finished with us yet.  Listen to what he has to say to you.

Philip