There may be light at the end of the tunnel - the possibility that we will be out of isolation in July. The limitations on the size of funeral and wedding parties looks set to be slightly relaxed soon, as are the number of people who can gather together. Let us see how well people adhere to the slow release of restrictions so that all may benefit, rather than the selfish ones spoiling it for everyone else.
We have had some mulch delivered under the trees fronting Church Street. If anyone fancies an hours spreading it around under the tree canopies, feel free to do so – bring your own shovel though.
The parish’s financial resources has taken a beating and so a significant loss is expected at the end of the financial year. Our reserves are being rapidly depleted due to the lack of income. An appeal will be launched this week to arrest this decline and, hopefully, to provide for a reversal of fortune and funds to enable essential work to be carried out. Please respond generously.
Can't get out to deliver your envelope giving - no worries. You can use a credit card below.
A reflection on the Gospel reading for today
In this morning’s gospel, Thomas asked Jesus, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus replied “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
In some churches that last sentence which reads, “no one comes to the Father except through me”, is omitted because for centuries this sentence has been used to literally attack other religions.
Puritans and now conservatives have taken Jesus, who in his human life is so consistently inclusive, and then created a religion in his name that was exclusive, and exclusionary. That was never his way.
In talking about God no metaphor is perfect, and some can be misleading. We know that all roads do not lead to the same place. One road might lead to the mountain while others lead to the desert.
All the great religions warn against the superficiality of a tuck-shop or cafeteria approach in which we take a little of this religion and a little of that religion, because it can never go deep enough to quench our thirst for God and we don’t like any of the ‘hard’ religious bits. But cafeteria religion is part of the post-modern zeitgeist, the spirit of the age. It sounds so accepting and tolerant, but in fact it is disrespectful of all the religions to think they are so simplistic and easy that all you have to do is take a little of each.
But if all you get is a little of this and a little of that it means you’re left with a lot of ego—which is the one thing we need to be freed from if we are to find peace in this life.
All the major religions teach the total surrender of the self to God.
Today’s gospel is a call to faith. Not a pick-and-choose faith in which we move from one road to another without getting anywhere on any of them, but a faith of whole-hearted commitment to the way of Christ through the grace and power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus says, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father”. This is the heart of our faith to which we are called to give our hearts. I believe Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, the only way for those baptized into his death and resurrection.
Join us tomorrow for an on-line Zoom bi-lingual service
of which Michelle writes:
Dear brothers and sisters, Peace be with you!
Zoom bilingual service @ Sunday 10am (weekly)
We have Fr Ian preaching and the Hardy family playing music for our tomorrow's Zoom service. I sincerely invite you to join us to worship God "together".
The hymns are:
1. How great thou art
2. What a friend we have in Jesus
3. Because He lives
4. Amazing Grace
Zoom
Meeting ID: 6980736508
Password:5070
In Him,
Michelle
Join me for a chat on Wednesday mornings using Zoom.
Go the our website www.standrewsbrighton.org.au and click on the link on the front page.
For yummy dumplings, phone our parishioner, Wilson, at Tang's dumplings for home delivery and special prices for St Andrew's parishioners.
For sale
6 white interlocking wire storage baskets
Dimensions: L 43cm (18.5 in)
W 40cm (15.5in)
Ideal for storage
In very good condition
$20
Contact: Barry Martin 9599 2946 0410 343 665
Vicar's News - 10 May 2020
在隧道的尽头，我们看到了曙光——我们有可能在7月结束自我隔离。葬礼和婚礼的规模限制似乎很快就会有所放宽，可以聚集在一起的人数也会有所放宽。让我们拭目以待，人们是如何坚持缓慢释放限制，以使所有人都能受益，而不是因为某些自私的人破坏了公众的利益。
我们已经Church St前的树下堆了一些木屑。欢迎大家志愿花上一个小时在树冠下把木屑撒上——不过要带上你自己的铲子。
这个教会的财政状况受到了打击，预计在本财政年度末将出现重大亏损。由于缺乏收入来源，我们的储备正在迅速枯竭。本周将发出一项呼吁，以遏制这种下降趋势，并有望提供资金和财富的逆转，使必要的工作得以开展。请慷慨的回应。
在今天早上的福音中，多马问耶稣说:“主啊，我们不知道你往哪里去。”我们怎么知道路呢?耶稣说，“我就是道路，真理，生命。若不藉着我，没有人能到父那里去”。
在一些教堂里，最后一句“若不藉着我，没有人能到父那里去”被省略了，因为几个世纪以来，这句话一直被看作是用来攻击其他宗教。
以耶稣为例，他在人生中始终是包容的，然后那些人确用他的名义创造了一种独一无二的宗教。这从来不是他的方式。
在谈论上帝时，没有任何隐喻是完美的，有些隐喻可能会误导人。我们知道并非所有的道路都通向同一个地方。一条路可能通向大山，而另一条路可能通向沙漠。
所有伟大的宗教都告诫我们不要采取肤浅的快餐店或自助餐厅的做法，我们采取这种宗教和那种宗教的一点，因为它永远不可能达到足够的深度来满足我们对上帝的渴望，我们不喜欢任何“难”的宗教部分。
但自助餐厅的宗教是后现代时代精神的一部分。这听起来是如此的包容和宽容，但事实上，如果你认为所有的宗教都是如此的简单，你所要做的就是每一种宗教都取一点，这是对所有宗教的不尊重。
但如果你得到的只是这个的一点，那个的一点，那就意味着你剩下了很多自我——如果我们想要在生活中找到平静，我们就需要从自我中解脱出来。
所有主要的宗教都教导我们完全降服于神。
今天的福音是对信心的呼召。
这不是我们从一条路走到另一条路，却不能在任何一条路上取得任何进展，而是一种全心全意通过圣灵的恩典和力量致力于基督之路的信心。耶稣说:“凡看见我的，就是看见了父。”
这是我们的信仰的核心，我们被召唤将我们的心奉献给它。我相信耶稣是道路、真理和生命，是受洗进入他的死亡和复活的唯一道路。