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Vicar's Musings for Ordinary Sunday 3313 November, 2016 This week at daily Mass we have been reflecting on Paul's letter to Titus. On Wednesday we read (3:1): "Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities." We laughed, because the voting booths were about to close in America, and all the polls pointed to a Clinton victory. In the afternoon, at our "Mystics Anonymous" meditation group, I heard the news that the election was tipping Trump's way. By the the time I sat down to watch the news that evening, and saw the magic number of 270 turn red; I was feeling decidedly depressed. The next day, at the Provincial Council meeting, our Archbishop opened with a reading from the daily office, Revelation (4:1): "After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, 'Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.'" One of the Council members muttered under his breath: "What comes next? End of the world!" Let's hope not. Today is Remembrance Sunday; a day to remember that at 11am on 11th November 1918 the guns on the Western Front fell silent after more than four years continuous warfare. It was one of the most deadly conflicts in all human history; 20 million were wounded, 17 million died, and of the dead 7 million were civilians. We remember the horrors of war, with great sadness, but we also hold onto the peace and hope that follows war. Our own war memorial, the Wayside Cross on the corner of Gisborne and Albert Streets, is a powerful symbol of that peace and hope in remembrance. By God's grace life does go on, in abundance. This Sunday we also mark a more joyful anniversary; it was 60 years ago that two youngsters joined the parish, Cheryl Duff and Helen Drummond. After each service today we will also celebrate the launch of the St Peter's Bookshop website. Our Bookshop manager, Carol O'Connor, and volunteer Sue Deutscher have been working on this for the past year. If you've not yet seen the website, here is the url: http://www.bookroom.stpeters.org.au. Congratulations to Carol and Sue on a job well done! For your prayers: I spoke to parishioner Mabor Tut this week. Earlier in the year Mabor was shot, during the renewed conflict in South Sudan, shattering the bone in one of his legs. By God's grace he was able escape the fighting and fly back to Australia, but he was hospitalised for months with multiple life-threatening infections. Last month the infections finally subsided enough for the surgeons to repair the bone with a plate, and last week he finally took his first painful steps on crutches. Thanks be to God! Although we have not seen Mabor at church since he left for Sudan, he tells me that he has been visiting the web site each week to read the pew sheet and sermons. When I spoke to him he was very up to date on all our parish news. He asked me to say hello to everyone, and to pass on greetings from Anjelina, and young Rachel too! The Rev'd Dr Hugh Kempster |
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