During our visit to the Village of Lower Crackpot, the Laird, Brian Inder, presented the Rector of Lower Crackpot, Rev Bob McKay, and myself with a copy of his just published memoir, The Road to Lower Crackpot.
Like the author, a jaunty journey through early life in Sydney: nurseryman at Yates,
The book can be purchased and read the publisher’s comment at,
http://www.scholarly.info/book/9781921509810/
See also, Of cracked pots and Easter and Village of Lower Crackpot.
On recent visit to the Parish of Holy Trinity Launceston, I had the pleasure of wearing a bishop’s mitre which was decorated by the children! It was a fun visit for all 🙂 This Sunday @ 5 Service is part of a parish initiative to reach out to children and their families.
I was very grateful to The Reverend Julie Kelly for sharing her testimony and the role that scripture has played in her life at the Retired Clergy Luncheon at St. Aidan’s Lindisfarne on Wednesday 24 October.
One of the things I really appreciated about Julie’s sermon was the integration of the hymns with the Bible readings and the development of a very personal and challenging sermon. You can read her whole sermon here.
2012 Clergy Lunch 24.10.2012 ‘Treasures of the Word’ by Julie Kelley
Bible Readings: Nehemiah 8:1 – 3; 5 – 12; Psalm 19:1 – 10; James 1:19 – 25; Luke 4:14 – 21
Hymns: 515 Fill Thou My Life; 537 May the Mind of Christ My Saviour; 516 second Tune Master Speak Thy Servant Heareth; Hymn 339 Thanks to God Whose Word Was Spoken
Below are snippets from her talk for your reading and encouragement.
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My attendance at church was a way of life, a family tradition, but not necessarily anything to do with a living faith.
It took me a long time to realise that going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
I had a profound spiritual experience with the scriptures after I became a Christian rather than just a church goer.
After becoming a Christian, I began to act on and live the word. I found that if I was faithful in following the Lord and studying the scriptures then the Holy Spirit would highlight particular verses at times when I needed them, words vivified, brought to life by the Holy Spirit.
In 1995 when I was diagnosed with bowel cancer I learned to rely on the verse “We take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ.” 2Corinthians 10:5
We are the custodians of a great treasure – a treasure that perhaps our non-Christian family or friends have dismissed as out dated; old fashioned; superstitious… When Ezra began reading, the people stood up and listened. But that’s not often the case in the world today. Christianity and the word of God are often dismissed as inconsequential, or even a joke.
We may have friends or relatives who do not know Jesus and so may not have experienced the concept of a living word. There is power in the word of God. Some of that power is mentioned in this morning’s psalm. The word of God revives the soul, makes the simple wise, gives joy to the heart and gives light to the eyes. The pharmaceutical industry would give their eye teeth for a formula such as that: words that grow, take root and bear fruit; words that heal; words that give direction; words that enable; words that reveal the truth; words that give life to the full; Jesus the word living in us.
God wants us to use our treasure, rather than bury it in the ground. But how? How much time has each of us got left? How could we share our treasure this Christmas? Are we prepared to step out and be bold for Christ? To give a present of life giving words?
God enjoys communicating with people, especially through the scriptures. He wants us to know scriptures and to put them into practise today. God invented people. He knows what we are like and his words in the Bible show us the best way to live. He can speak to us through the scriptures if we will let him. Our psalm this morning tells us that “Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path.” In a dark world it is vital to have the light of Christ. God wants us to spread the treasure of his word and his love in the world. Let’s do it.
The following article was written by Ezekial Emanuel and published in the New York Times on October 27, 2012 under the title: Four Myths About Doctor-Assisted Suicide. You can read the whole article on the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition’s blog here.
1. PAIN The fundamental claim behind arguments for physician-assisted suicide is that most patients who desire it are experiencing excruciating physical pain. The 1996 decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit supporting a constitutional right to physician-assisted suicide in Washington State summarized the conventional wisdom: “Americans are living longer, and when they finally succumb to illness, lingering longer, either in great pain or in astuporous, semi-comatose condition that results from the infusion of vast amounts of painkilling medications. “But this view is false. A multitude of studies based on interviews of patients with cancer, AIDS, Lou Gehrig’s disease and other conditions have demonstrated that patients who desire euthanasia (in which a doctor administers a lethal drug) or physician-assisted suicide (in which the patient himself takes the lethal drug prescribed by the physician) tend not to be motivated by pain… Patients themselves say that the primary motive is not to escape physical pain but psychological distress; the main drivers are depression, hopelessness and fear of loss of autonomy and control… Typically, our response to suicidal feelings associated with depression and hopelessness is not to give people the means to end their lives but to offer them counseling and caring.
2. ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY A second misconception about assisted suicide is that it is the inevitable result of a high-tech medical culture that can sustain life even when people have become debilitated, incontinent, incoherent and bound to a machine… The first such bill introduced in the United States was in 1905, before the discovery of antibiotics and dialysis, much less respirators and feeding tubes. If interest in legalizing euthanasia is tied to any trend in history, it is the rise of individualistic strains of thought that glorify personal choice, not the advances of high-tech medicine.
3. MASS APPEAL A third misconception about assisted suicide is that it will improve the end of life for everyone. After all, death afflicts everyone, and legalized assisted suicide would allow any individual to avoid an excruciatingly painful death. But the fact is that, even in places where physician-assisted suicide is legal, very few people take advantage of it. In Oregon, between 1998 and 2011, 596 patients used physician-assisted suicide — about 0.2 percent of dying patients in the state. In the Netherlands, where euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide have been permitted for more than three decades, fewer than 3 percent of people die by these means… Whom does legalizing assisted suicide really benefit? Well-off, well-educated people, typically suffering from cancer, who are used to controlling everything in their lives — the top 0.2 percent. And who are the people most likely to be abused if assisted suicide is legalized? The poor, poorly educated, dying patients who pose a burden to their relatives.
4. A GOOD DEATH The last misconception about assisted suicide is that it is a quick, painless and guaranteed way to die. But nothing in medicine — not even simple blood draws — is without complications. It turns out that many things can go wrong during an assisted suicide. Patients vomit up the pills they take. They don’t take enough pills. They wake up instead of dying. Patients in the Dutch study vomited up their medications in 7 percent of cases; in 15 percent of cases, patients either did not die or took a very long time to die… Instead of attempting to legalize physician-assisted suicide, we should focus our energies on what really matters: improving care for the dying — ensuring that all patients can openly talk with their physicians and families about their wishes and have access to high-quality palliative or hospice care…
Life is full of surprises. Consider my beautiful grandmother, affectionately known as ‘Gertie’.
Gertie’s grandson was struggling at school: her response to her grandson’s struggle? (You can listen in.)
If you study hard this year, once a week at school lunchtime I will cook your favourite meal and dessert for you.
Would a sixteen year-old grandson have to ponder this for long? A quick walk to Gertie’s from school and ‘Ah!’ meat pie, tomato sauce and mashed potatoes – followed by lemon meringue pie! What a way to encourage a wayward student?!
Who was it who sat her grandchildren down on a Sunday evening in front of a big mantelpiece radio to listen to a special program? Which program? More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. The program’s title came from a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The radio program’s sponsors believed that ‘the family that prays together stays together’.
One hundred years ago my grandmother won a first prize. What prize was awarded? A hint: it was for memorising a Bible passage. What passage? My grandmother won First Prize for memorising the Sixth chapter of the Gospel according to John! Now I reckon that’s fantastic! Her First Prize was a book Come Ye Apart: Daily Bible Readings in the Life of Christ. Her prize was to encourage her to continue reading the Bible!
Praise the Lord!
In my humble and unbiased opinion my grandmother won first prize for many things. What I particularly remember are her first prizes in encouraging a struggling student, promoting family prayer and reading and memorising the Bible.
Now, I know that we cannot all win first prizes like my grandmother. But we will all be remembered. The question is, ‘For what will we be remembered?’
For what do I want my grandchildren, family, friends, church and community to remember me?
For me personally, at my best, I seek to honour Christ and, with his help and in His grace, win a few ‘first prizes for him’. Therefore, I work at encouragement, prayer and Bible reading. Just like my Gertie!
I think my grandmother would be pleased. ‘Is there another serving of lemon meringue pie, please Gertie?’
Shalom,
+ John Bishop of Tasmania
You can also read my Tasmanian Anglican article from the October 2012 edition on their website here.
May I encourage you to read the interesting articles about life and ministry of the Anglican family in Tasmania and beyond!
Below are excerpts from the newsletter of the Parish of Glenorchy and Moonah. It was an encouraging and exciting visit to the parish last month.
Channels of Hope for Gender
Orientation Workshop – Senior Anglican Church Leaders
Solomon Islands – October 10, 2012
Opening Remarks by the Right Reverend John Harrower OAM, Bishop of Tasmania
May I begin my remarks today by congratulating you, the leaders of the Anglican Church in Solomon Islands, for your willingness and commitment to overcoming gender-based violence. I can say this confidently because of the good news I have heard about your ministry in this area through the Men’s Advocacy Group and the Christian Care Centre (which I was able to visit yesterday) and also your willingness to join in today’s seminar.
As the Bishop of the Anglican Church in Tasmania and a member of the Board of World Vision Australia I am very pleased to be able to join with you in learning further about this Channels of Hope program.
Marriage is to be like the relationship between Christ and the Church. Marriage is to be loving, generous, joyful, forgiving and growing.
Marriage vows: “In sickness and health, in riches and poverty.” Husbands and wives are to stay together in good and bad times. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the Church. When a wife uses her tongue to hurt her husband, then her tongue may be the cross for her husband. Husbands must never respond with violence.
With sadness I say to you that in Tasmania I am challenged with the knowledge that within our churches and within the broader community, gender-based violence is occurring. That women and children are living in fear.
Let me share one example:
I know of a lady who had suffered for years from gender-based violence. She was married to a man who hurt her both physically and emotionally, and along with her children she lived with constant anxiety and fear. Part of the problem for her was that her husband was a “nice” man very much committed to his church and respected by everyone. On the outside it looked like they had a happy life.
When she finally tried to explain to her church what was happening to her at home, some listened and some even spoke to her husband. But because it all looked “happy on the outside” and the husband was a nice man who regularly came to church, people did not really understand. The lady felt that no one believed her and that she was a bad person for speaking about her husband’s behaviour.
She eventually left her husband but she still thinks that no one in the Church ever really understood what was happening to her. She felt that, because the Church didn’t believe her. She is also worried that the problem will be repeated. She fears her children will think violence against women is normal.
She is angry because she feels that the Church does nothing to help in these situations. It does not make people aware that this might be happening and is in no position to help save her children from making the same mistakes as their father.
Yes, I confess that the Church has often been far from helpful. The Church has not always been there for victims of gender-based violence. We have not always believed the victims’ stories. We have not always known what to do. In our discomfort, sometimes we have drawn away from the victim when we should have been like Christ and drawn closer in love and support.
As I stand before you today I testify that I want to be part of what it takes to end gender-based violence.
When studying gender-based violence we cannot overlook male power and privilege that justifies violence against women and children. A challenge for our churches is to examine our history and to look to a future where we challenge our own attitudes about male power.
Challenges within the Church community include understanding what God wants from us.
For example:
Sometimes we have misused the wonderful and liberating message of forgiving, and turned it into a heavy burden on victims. This occurs when we insist on victims forgiving without the community confronting the person who acted violently. We have therefore kept victims powerless. We have put too little energy into condemning violence and holding offenders accountable. We have been silent when we should have spoken loudly.
We needed to be stronger in saying that repentance by offenders involves much more than saying sorry and confession. Repentance involves changing both attitudes and behavior. (See for example Ezekiel 18.30-31.)
What can the Church do?
The Church needs to actively address gender violence
Channels of Hope for Gender is one of the advocacy initiatives that World Vision is using around the world to promote healthy family relationships.
The role of the Church in promoting the equal worth of men and women, boys and girls cannot be overemphasized. The equal sacred worth of all human beings regardless of gender or class or race is a biblical value. We are all made in the image of God. There is none that is better placed than the Church to advocate for that in communities.
While it is true that gender-based violence is a global challenge, it is also a fact that Solomon Islands has some of the highest statistics on violence against women and girls. World Vision is making an invitation through Channels of Hope for a joint effort towards the reduction and even eradication of gender-based violence in our communities. We see this as the beginning of a common vision for harmony and progress in our communities. For the next few hours, we will sample some of the life-changing biblical tools for development and decide for ourselves to what extent this could contribute to our ministry together.
May the Spirit of Christ guide and bless our time today. Amen.
A Prayer for those suffering abuse
Loving God, whose Son was both victim and victor, we cry to you for those who suffer abuse, [especially…….]. Be with them in confusion and pain. Heal the wounds of body and mind; break open the prisons of fear, self doubt and despair; and strengthen them to face the future with faith, hope and courage. Enable us to listen, to believe and to love. Reach out to them with your love, that they may be made whole in body, mind and spirit, through the healing touch of the suffering Christ. Amen
A Prayer for those who abuse
Judge of all the earth, God of justice, we bring before you all who abuse others. Turn the hearts of the violent from the way of evil. Fill them with a hatred of the damage they do, so bringing them to true repentance and amendment of their lives for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen
(From, A Prayer Book for Australia, The Anglican Church of Australian, 1995)
See also, A Christian Response to Domestic Violence.
936 ABC Radio Hobart’s Leon Compton ‘Statewide Mornings’ speaks with me from 10.30 am tomorrow morning about my trip to Solomon Islands earlier this month. I am excited about the opportunity to share some of what I learnt. If you can listen please let me know your thoughts.
For your interest the media briefing said:
Eye opening trip to the Solomon Islands
for Bishop of Tasmania
Tasmanian Bishop John Harrower has just returned from the Solomon Islands where he joined World Vision Australia’s chief executive Tim Costello to visit programs that address widespread domestic violence issues through church partnerships.
“The visit was an eye opener into the culture of the Solomon Islands, their needs, joys and sorrows. I saw the difference that basic development projects make to the communities,” said Bishop Harrower.
“An astounding 2 in 3 Solomon Islander women have experienced physical or sexual violence. So in a context where 97% of the population are Christian, World Vision’s Channels of Hope programs have seen great success by partnering with church leaders to promote gender equality,” he said.
Both the Bishop and Rev Costello participated in the Channels of Hope for Gender workshops, which challenge commonly misinterpreted Bible verses and offer alternatives which reflect how women should be valued and treated in society.
The two leaders met with the Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Gordon Darcy Lilo and Australian High Commissioner, Matt Anderson.
The visit also highlighted the importance of a healthy environment. “I also saw the need for a focus on the environment, particularly the impact that rising sea levels have on Solomon Islanders,” Bishop Harrower said.
All a bit formal but that’s a media release/ briefing. See also, Solomon Islands’ Trip.
This article from SPCKA is especially close to my heart and this was part of our ministry when we lived in Argentina: setting up a Christian publishing company so Christians could have access to more resources. Enjoy and be encouraged 🙂
“I have always loved the way literature makes possible the impossible.”
For several years Ayelen Horwitz has worked as an editor and project coordinator with Certeza Argentina. With your support, she will go to LittWorld in Nairobi at the end of this month.
Held once every three years, LittWorld is the only global conference for Christian publishers and a unique opportunity for networking, training and professional development.
Ayelen recently answered our questions about the challenges she faces in Argentina and her reasons for attending Littworld:
What is your vision for Christian publishing and writing in Argentina?
“Our government has approved same-sex marriage and is now reviewing abortion law. It is clear that our society is changing. Society is turning more individualistic and hedonist, but also more spiritually open. As Christians we need to understand how to be light and salt in this political reality as well as in the particular situations that families and people face.
“My goal is to make books of excellent quality, appropriate for Argentine society. To achieve this I need to continue to improve my skills and learn from others.
“I have always loved the way literature makes possible the impossible. Literature creates a space in which people can experience freedom, give meaning to their lives, educate and equip themselves, find help to overcome difficulties and feel accompanied. In short, books can change lives.”
How might attending LittWorld 2012 be significant for you?
“I believe that training is essential to becoming more professional. It would be enriching to learn from the experience of others, but I don’t personally know many Christians that are involved in editing and publishing. I think that meeting people who do the same work in a different context will give me ideas, hope and a sense that I am not alone. From shared difficulties, challenges and vision will come shared solutions and a common hope.”
| It will cost $2500 to send Ayelen Horwitz to join more than 150 publishing professionals in Nairobi at LittWorld 2012, the global conference for Christian publishers. Why not support Ayelen by making a donation today? Call us on 1300 137 725 or email admin@spcka.org.au for details. |
Photo: Ayelen Horwitz with a number of books published by Certeza Argentina.