Assistant Priest's News - 3 May 2026

2 hours ago
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Duccio, di Buoninsegna –Apostles Philip and James the Elder (Panel from the Maesta Altarpiece of Siena: 1308-1311)

Philip and James, Apostles and Martyrs

This week I attended a talk on Medieval Art on the Move: Global Networks in a Pre‑Global World by Dr Alicia Walker. It was fascinating to discover how deeply interconnected the medieval world truly was.

Byzantine church art – often imagined as purely local and self‑contained – was in fact shaped by influences that travelled from Persia, Syria, Armenia, the Islamic world, and even China. Architectural ideas, decorative motifs, and precious materials moved across continents (perhaps via the Silk Road), were welcomed into new settings, and then transformed into expressions of art and worship.

As I delve deeper into the topic through my own reading, what inspired me most was the way the Byzantine Church didn’t fear these foreign elements; instead, it wove them into its liturgy and theology, turning diversity into beauty and using the world’s gifts to encase the mysteries of faith. It reminded me that the Church has always been a place where cultures meet, where difference becomes richness, and where God gathers many threads into one tapestry of faith.

Reflecting on this made me think of the ANZAC Commemoration Service last week, where the community came together to honour our shared values and beliefs – values shaped by Australia’s story and by the wider Commonwealth tradition of service, courage, loyalty, and mutual responsibility.

Parishioners and friends approached me afterwards to congratulate St Andrew’s for holding a worthy, solemn, and graceful service. It showed again that hard work truly bears fruit. The servers, choristers, our Parish Organist (Calvin), SACPA and many unsung heroes of St Andrew’s came to assist. Member of Parish Council Mrs Jean Hawkins invited many new friends from The Granton. A Cross covered in 100 red poppies was made by members of the congregation. Much like those diverse artistic traditions that once contributed to the beauty of Byzantine worship. A flower wreath lovingly made by our Churchwarden Ken and laid by Keith and Dale, added a deeply personal touch. In short, our congregation came together and made this service a memorable one.

The Anzac Commemoration Service became a living example of what happens when many hands, many stories, and many gifts come together for a shared purpose, creating something greater than any one of us could have done alone.

This week our Gospel takes us to John 14:6–14, where Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” In light of everything above, this passage feels especially resonant. Just as the medieval Church gathered influences from many cultures and allowed Christ to transform them into expressions of divine beauty, so too our community gathers its many experiences, memories, and offerings – and Christ meets us in the midst of them. He is the One who holds all things together, who turns diversity into unity, remembrance into hope, and community into a living witness of God’s love.