newsletter #o )% "'( H (%,- ISSN 1836-511 WEBSITE: www.anglicantogether.org AROUND SYDNEY DIOCESE…... EUCHARIST OF THE St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney was the scene for an ordination OILS & to the diaconate. on Saturday RENEWAL OF morning 16th February 2019. MINISTRY VOWS The Archbishop of Sydney, Glenn Davies, in the presence of 17 April 2019 -10:30am the Sydney bishops the Dean, Kanishka Raffel, Archdeacon Kara Hartley and Air Commodore Chaplain Kevin The Reverend Jeff Parker, and his wife, Michelle Russell, ordained 28 men and Reverend Jeffrey Parker was women as deacons. instituted and inducted as Rector of the Parish of St Luke’s Enmore/Stanmore by Bishop Michael Stead, Bishop of the South Sydney Region on Thursday, 31st January 2019. (Story inside) A SPECIAL EVENT The Rev’d John Bunyan is New Deacons outside St Andrew’s Cathedral, inviting his family, friends, In his sermon, the Bishop of former parishioners and North Sydney, Chris Edwards, colleagues to join him in the referred to Mark 10 and 2 Celebration of the 60th The 2019 Chrism Eucharist Corinthians 12, in urging the anniversary of his Ordination will be held at St James’ candidates to serve in humility. to the diaconate on 17th March Church, King Street, Sydney “Jesus died for us on the cross. 2019 (St Patrick’s Day - also Wednesday 17 April 2019 at That’s humility. That’s the model 20th anniversary as honorary 10:30am. for ministry” chaplain at Bankstown Bishop Michael Stead will Hospital. The service will be preside. held in St Peter’s Parish Church, Hornsby at 1.30pm. A invitation is extended to clergy There will also be a Launch and parishioners to attend this of two of John's books - service. Clergy and lay ministers "Sing Down Under" (60 are invited to robe and renew hymns) and "God in the their vows at this service. The Golden Evening" (poems). colour is white. The oils will be The new Deacons will go out John was ordained for the available after the service for mainly into Parish Ministry, Diocese of Canberra & Goulburn decanting into parish stocks. also to Chaplaincy in and served in the dioceses of Anglicare, Mission to Seafarers Newcastle and Sydney. In A light lunch will follow in the St and the Defence Force. retirement John has been James’ Hall. Please RSVP to https://sydneyanglicans.net/news traveling, writing and composing [email protected] or 8227 poems and hymns. 1300 if attending the lunch. 1 ‘ORA ET LABORA’ G re e t i n g s i n C h r i s t , ‘Living Together in Unity’ ‘Behold how good and how lovely it is when brethren live together in unity’ (Psalm 133:1) Community - people (and sometimes says it is that neither the terms ‘club’ nor Club or Communion? open to all), but on the other hand it ‘community’ adequately reflect still seeks to exclude people who do what the church should be. In recent years, many social not believe or do the right things. Moreover, the mystical church (as commentators have argued that as Of course, the narrower the against the institutional one) is people have become more definition of membership the more principally the gathering of God’s urbanised, they have also become exclusive and sectarian it becomes. people in all their diversity and more disconnected from each other. Rather than offering a radical brokenness with a view to their Popular writings and media- critique of the exclusiveness of being the continuing presence of comment suggest that there is a modern pseudo-communities, much Christ in the world today and of longing for ‘community’, but it of the institutional church has becoming part of God’s kingdom in seems to be on quite restricted instead become a reflection of the the future. In this context, God terms. In this respect, people want spirit of the age – competitive, resources and empowers people for to choose the ‘community’ to which controlling materialist and mission in the world. However, this they belong – which suggests more discriminatory. It therefore fails to concept is multi-dimensional, for it a matter of mutual association than connect with many people, extends down through history (over real community. intentionally excludes others, and time) and across cultures (or space). A community is not something often lacks the diversity and It is for this reason that we tend to created through the will of a group openness expected of a healthy talk about the church in terms of of individuals but rather a context in organisation. being a ‘communion’ and which humanity lives and operates. emphasise the relational This is probably one reason why, as It therefore includes all people, both connectedness between peoples, McCrindle Research has reported, the likeable and unlikable, the good which better satisfies the idea of only around 8% of Sydney’s and the bad, the saint and the sinner. covenant. population now has any regular We belong to a community because church involvement. we live in it rather than because we Unity and Diversity subscribe to a set of ideals or beliefs Exclusivist behaviour works against The New Testament describes the about it. Community can be likened the spirit of ‘covenant’ that I gathering of Christ’s followers in to citizenship (or possibly family) – addressed in my last article. Today, terms of ‘koinonia’, a Greek word which is a state of being connected society tends to seek a ‘social meaning ‘communion by intimate to each other politically, culturally contract’ by getting people to agree participation’. It emphasises the and situationally, rather than to a code of beliefs that then result aspects of sharing and fellowship in belonging to a particular group of in a set of behaviours. In contrast, a communion with one another. The like-minded people who choose to covenant acknowledges a series of concept appears in the Book of the socialise with each other. relationships that in turn bring Acts, where part of the early church identity and transformation. In Conversely, while the institutional is described in these terms: baptism, the church follows the church also articulates the modern notion of covenant by welcoming a “They devoted themselves to the desire for community, it person into ‘God’s family’ rather apostles’ teaching and nevertheless operates more as a than into the institutional church fellowship, to the breaking of religious club by emphasising and, like the prodigal son, that bread and the prayers. Awe membership to it through adherence person remains a member of God’s came upon everyone, because to particular beliefs and the family even if they ‘wander far off’ many wonders and signs were exhibiting of particular behaviours. (Luke 15:11-32). It therefore seems being done by the apostles. All On the one hand, it seeks to include who believed were together and 2 had all things in common; they person as well as in the church and Communion (which we often call would sell their possessions and the wider world. the Eucharist, a Greek word goods and distribute the meaning ‘thanksgiving’), and also It is also important to recognise that proceeds to all, as any had the five ‘sacramentals’ (or means of the church is a very diverse need. Day by day, as they spent blessing) of Confirmation, organisation, and an aspect of this much time together in the Confession, Ordination, Marriage diversity is to recognise that God temple, they broke bread at and Anointing. However, it may be provides a huge range of gifts for home and ate their food with understood that there are many the benefit of its corporate life. As glad and generous hearts, other ways by which people St Paul wrote: praising God and having the inwardly experience the grace of goodwill of all the people.” ‘Now there are varieties of God, expressed through outward (Acts 2:42-47) gifts, but the same Spirit; and actions and signs. there are varieties of services, It may well look like an The church, as koinonia, but the same Lord; and there unobtainable ideal, but it is the goal demonstrates the intimacy of are varieties of activities, but it of Christian communion. relationships in communion; which is the same God who activates Nevertheless, there is clearly a in turn reflects the communal nature all of them in everyone. To each problem; for the Bible talks in terms of the Trinity – Father, Son and is given the manifestation of the of unity, yet how do we account for Holy Spirit. Just as the Trinity is a Spirit for the common good.’ the myriads of divisions, schisms, set of relationships so too is the (1 Corinthians 12:4-7) sects and failings of a body that is The implication of this is that the church, especially in its gathering meant to be a sign of God’s church needs this diversity of gifts together of which the Eucharist is presence in the world? Responses to (and people) to remain healthy, and its sign. this vary from an apathetic shrug of that the gifts given it are for the Through the Eucharist, God and his the shoulders in acknowledgement corporate good, not for the benefit people meet and have fellowship. that ‘it is the way of the world, of an individual. To be sure, the An aspect of this fellowship is the nothing can be done, so we should nineteenth century idea of robust nurture of God’s people through just all keep doing our own thing’, individualism and self-interest word and sacrament, by which they to a more belligerent position that would seem to have little Biblical are empowered to carry out God’s suggests ‘of course we should be warrant.