ANGLICANS TOGETHER NEWSLETTER No.28 November 2005 ANGLICANS TOGETHER ONLINE: <www.anglicanstogether.org> expressing ideas that differ from the controlling Ch a i r m a n ‘ s Co l u m n party‘s Puritan viewpoint. W e are presently preparing ourselves for As it is now thirteen years since AT‘s the season of Christmas. The story of Christmas inception it thought that it would be wise to call a demands that we take seriously that the W ord of general meeting of all paid up members of God became a human being. God‘s coming into Anglicans Together to discuss the —Future the world in the form of Jesus is the decisive event Directions“ of our group. Therefore there will be a in human history, indeed, in the history of creation, meeting held in St James‘ Hall, 1st Floor 171 because the incarnation changed God's relationship Phillip St. Sydney on 25th February at 2-4pm. If to us and our relationship to God. The incarnation you are a paid up member please make every effort means that we can see, hear and know God in ways to attend this vital meeting. never before possible. The Father-Son relationship In addition, as I announced at the Dinner, after of God and Jesus is the key to this changed five years of serving as the Chairman/President of relationship. God's Son, because he is the incarnate AT I believe it is now time for me to resign my W ord, derives his identity from God. The position. I am honoured to have served in this relationship between divine and human is position. I believe the profile of AT is now more transformed, because in the incarnation we are evident than it was previously. Our membership given intimate, physical access to the cosmic reality has never been larger. I would like to thank the of God. This is the Good news of Christmas. other members on the committee for their support. I believe that we as Anglicans are uniquely May the Light of Christ shine in your lives qualified by our diversity to proclaim the love of this Christmas so that your lives will be a constant God as expressed by the nativity of our Lord. sign of the love of God to all people. None of us has all the answers. W e need, the world needs, to hear how the Logos has brought meaning into our lives and to all who are seeking meaning and direction in this beautiful, if sometimes confusing world. W e had a very successful Annual Dinner at Saint Alban‘s Epping on the 14th October. The evening was completely sold out and Anglicans of all traditions enjoyed fellowship, fine food and a John Cornish scintillating address by the Reverend Dr Andrew McGowan. Dr McGowan is the acting Dean of Love came down at Christmas Trinity College within the University of Melbourne Love all lovely, Love divine and the Director of the Trinity College Theological Love was born at Christmas, School. Star and angel gave the sign. Anglicans Together (AT) came into being in 1992. Since then, we have travelled through some Worship we the Godhead tumultuous times in the Church. I believe that AT Love incarnate, Love divine has been an effective voice for expressing the view Worship we our Jesus: of people who wish to maintain traditional But wherewith the sacred sign? Anglican diversity in Sydney. AT is a vehicle for Christina Georgina Rossetti 1 From Cathedral I had always been interested in liturgy and was a great student of sermons. After all, I had Organ Loft heard a few thousand in my career and could always tell why some compelled me more than to Country Parson others. From a very young age I had somehow got 9$ hat's going on? I've heard that you are into the habit of daily prayer and bible reading, joining the opposition" emailed my cynical later to develop into the daily office. Also, I had organist friend from Canada - an organist of the discovered some spiritual heroes along the way. old school who had been embroiled in many Some had mesmerised me by their preaching, classic organist/clergy confrontations. In fact, he others by the depth of their prayer life and their was the kind of organist who, although a great walk with God. Some I had met, others I friend, could have inspired that famous clergy discovered through books. W hat interested me was riddle: Q. -What is the difference between an that they crossed the borders of Christian tradition, organist and a terrorist?“ A. —You can negotiate denominations, and Anglican churchmanship. M y with a terrorist.“ spiritual heroes never indicated that their way of worship and their way of expressing their I tried to tell him what was going on, and in fact, faith was the only way. All they had in common I have found that many people were asking the was a love of the Lord Jesus. same question although expressed in more diplomatic terms. The most encouraging thing I I discovered that a call can consist of positives found was that very few expressed amazement. In and negatives. God might be opening doors or fact, one of my retired lay clerks from the cathedral windows in one direction, but start to close them told me that he always thought that was what I in another. So, a little less than three years ago, really wanted to do. life began to change. I was becoming more and more convinced that worship was the primary W hen I returned to Australia in 1981 to become purpose of life, both in personal lifestyle and in its organist and master of choristers at St Andrew's liturgical, public form. I had been deeply Cathedral Sydney, I could not see beyond that impressed by a comment from a London vicar at milestone. In the world of church music, there was a church I once attended: "Get the worship right nowhere else to go in this country. As the years and everything else follows". I was exploring the rolled on I believed I was in for the long haul, thought that liturgy and sacraments were actually and I was happy with that prospect. There was gifts from God that can get us through the low never a dull moment, the choir attained times, the dark periods, when mere words and international prestige with its tours and Christian fellowship can be insufficient. But I recordings and I sincerely believed, and still do, found that the cathedral was going in a different that God had called me to that task and had direction to where my journey seemed to be equipped me for it. However, I thought that leading. retirement would be the ultimate reason for leaving, especially as I was approaching the quarter of a A chance meeting with the Dean of Bathurst, century mark at the cathedral. after attending a Sunday service at All Saints Cathedral during school holidays early in 2003 was In the early 1990s, a colleague of mine at the the next part of the jigsaw. It led to a further cathedral school had started a Bachelor of Divinity meeting in Sydney. It seemed that the Bishop of course from the Melbourne College of Divinity. Bathurst knew that I had a theological degree and The course was so structured that most of the had suggested to the dean to ask if I would consider tuition could be done by correspondence and there the idea of coming on board as director of music was an examination centre in Sydney. I decided to and Precentor of the cathedral, possibly in an keep him company as I thought it would be an ordained capacity. This led to a meeting with the interesting hobby to study theology. By doing one bishop who encouraged me to consider ordained subject a year, occasionally two, I managed to ministry. If so, it was made clear this would complete the degree by the end of the decade, little mean going through all the 'hoops' - examining realising that it was one piece of the jigsaw that chaplains, diocesan panels, psychological would lead me to ordination. Other pieces soon assessment, tri-diocesan panel, 'checkups' with became apparent even though they had been there the archdeacon and bishop in between, and so all along. on. It was a real journey of discernment. 2 So, the pieces gradually came together. There was Earle is said to have been one of the finest never any rush. The Dean, the Bishop and the and most respected Australian print makers of Archdeacon (now Assistant Bishop of Bathurst) his generation. However he also became known were insistent that the calling had to be clear, that for other works, including his fine classically- the journey of discernment could be terminated at composed still lifes. Earle‘s work is to be found in any time by either party, and also that the timing of most national and regional galleries and he has won any move must suit my family, especially the fact many awards and prizes. that my youngest was entering the last couple of A lesser known aspect of Earle‘s artistic years of school. I was also instructed to enrol in a endeavours was his interest in religious art. He CPE course (Clinical Pastoral Education), a part- was a long-standing member of the Blake Society time course that I have only just completed. for Religious Art and served as a judge for the And so, I depart the glories of a metro political Blake Prize in 1965, 1975 and 1978.