Ministry Blog

On being ready to share life-giving news and compassionate actions.

In the nineteenth century England, the Christian faith had become largely individualised. Sydney was little different. Once right with God, little attention was given to the circumstances of others. People living in poverty were not given attention. There was a housing crisis. The rent on houses exceeded the capacity of the poor to pay, hence house-crowding. Some people owned multiple empty houses preferring to keep them empty rather than lower the exorbitant rent, while others slept in filth, in overcrowded conditions, under bridges and in drains. Often multiple families were jammed into a single house. It is hard to imagine that sometimes a family and animals lived in a laundry. There were no minimum wages and no social support. The church and much of society gave the matter little attention.

Tended by angels rather than consumed by wild beasts!

There is a lot on. We are in that start-up phase or rapid escalation of events and activities for the year. This year compressed by the early Easter which therefore means Lent starts early. That means the Lenten Bible study preparation – this year “in-house” by many in our church, is in full swing. Further, there is a Church retreat day on 24 February, the election of Church Council Leaders, commissioning of new leaders and covenant Service on 3 March, an organ 150th celebration on 10 and 13 March, all before Easter. We also take into consideration the recommencement of other church activities. Then there are all the community activities. Work . . . School is back and even for households with no children, there is the back to school or commencement of pre-school, school, high school, university, or work for grandchildren, maybe great-grandchildren, and nieces and nephews. Some families seem to have a sequence of significant family birthdays – one each weekend of January and February this year. A lot is happening. It would be a shame to get to Easter exhausted.

We are in the last month of the church year. The last month is bookended with All Saints Day on 1 November, and Christ the King on 26 November. Following the lectionary cycle, this is our last month with the gospel of Matthew, for three years. From Advent, which this year is 3 December, the lectionary (fully called the Revised Common Lectionary) will follow Mark through to the end of the church year in November 2024.

“I’ll be watching you”

The following statement is often attributed to St Francis of Assisi, “Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” It is doubtful if St Francis of Assisi ever said that epithet, but it has a use. Sometimes it is used as an excuse not to speak about faith in Jesus Christ. “I am not very good with words,” someone will say. Except when it comes to talking about their recent holiday, or latest grandchild, niece, nephew, favourite hobby. Then they can speak. At length. With great enthusiasm. It is important that we can speak. In 1 Peter 3:13, the writer encourages the reader to “Always be ready to give an account of the hope that is with in you.” Good words. The statement also speaks to the need for actions. James (2:14-26) said, “Faith without works is dead.” James continues and implies that one cannot have faith without works, it is not an either or situation in which one person has faith and another has works but rather faith informs works. And works are to be consistent with faith.

‘In the one body there are many members, many gifts, but the same Spirit.’

The world does not need to be flat

Most of us know that the world is not flat. Yet we often live as if the world is flat. We can live as if there is nothing beyond the immediate and beyond the imminent. It plays out in our busyness, with no time to wait, no time to sit and relax, no time to admire the beauty of the world around us, even on a cold and wet day. No time to enjoy the company of others. Such things are deemed a waste of time. Such living in the imminent is as if there is nothing transcendent. But is that living?

Managerialism, individualism, rationalism and the church of God

St Augustine wrote the book the City of God. In sub-section of the City of God, in what is referred to as Book 14, Augustine makes a contrast between two cities.

He writes of the two cities constructed by two kinds of love. The love of self that leads to a forgetting of God, and a love of God that leads to a forgetting about self.