This coming week Michelle will have finished her final paper for this year, and we bless her efforts to finish her theology degree. I’m sure she will feel relieved at the loss of the pressure of study. I am celebrating the Bi-lingual Service on Sunday at 10am so Michelle can concentrate on here final essay. Please join us then by clicking here.
We have no word yet from the State Government regarding a further relaxation of the restrictions on church service numbers but we continue to take registrations for our proposed services commencing Wednesday 24 June at 11am, and Sunday 28 June at 9.30am in the hope that we can have up to 50 people at each service. Reserve a place on a pew by ringing me on 0421321321 or 0395921240 or email to vicar@standrewsbrighton.org.au.
Even though we hope to begin services later this month, we will continue to have a video service on-line for those who may wish to keep self-isolating at the present time and a bi-lingual service, though at a later time. More details to follow.
We pray for every blessing on David and Kristen who were married in a delightful ceremony here at St Andrew’s on Saturday.
We thank Fr Roger Featherston who is the preacher today at both services. Chris Roache was here during the week and we presented him with a book in thanks for his music ministry with us. A short video of the presentation will be on-line shortly. There will be a link to this next week in the Vicar’s News.
Fr Ian
The Holy Trinity
It is never easy to try to describe God, using words we understand about a concept we cannot understand. I will leave that to Fr Roger during today’s services. However, these words from C S Lewis may assist:
A world of one dimension would be a straight line. In a two-dimensional word, you still get straight lines, but many lines make one figure. In a three-dimensional world, you still get figures but many figures make one solid body. In other words, as you advance to more real and more complicated levels, you do not leave behind you the things you found on the simpler levels: you still have them, but combined in new ways–in ways you could not imagine if you knew only the simpler levels.
Now the Christian account of God involves just the same principle. The human level is a simple and rather empty level. On the human level one person is one being, and any two persons are two separate beings- just as in two dimensions (say on a flat sheet of paper) one square is one figure, and two squares are two separate figures. On the Divine level you still find personalities; but up there you find them combined in new ways which we, who do not live on that level, cannot imagine. In God’s dimension, so to speak, you find a being who is three Persons while remaining one Being, just as a cube is six squares while remaining one cube. [Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis p. 137-138]
牧师寄语
下星期Michelle将完成她今年的期末论文，我们祝福她努力完成她的神学学位。我相信不用操心周日的崇拜事宜她会感到轻松。我将在周日上午10点主持双语敬拜，这样Michelle就可以集中精力写最后一篇论文了。请点击这里(here)加入我们。
我们还没有收到州政府关于进一步放宽教堂礼拜人数限制的通知，但我们会继续进行在6月24日(星期三)上午11点和6月28日(星期日)上午9点30分登记，希望每次礼拜能有50人参加。若您计划参敬拜, 请致电0421321321或0395921240，或发送电子邮件至vicar@standrewsbrighton.org.au。
虽然我们希望在本月晚些时候开始面对面的敬拜，但我们会继续为那些目前希望保持自我隔离的人士提供在线视频服务，以及提供双语服务，更多细节随后通知。
周六，David 和 Kristen的婚礼在圣安德烈教会举行，我们为他们祈祷祝福。
我们要感谢Roger Featherston牧师，他为今天这两场崇拜布道。Chris Roache这周来教会了，我们送给他一本书以感谢他和我们一起的音乐事工。我们会在网上发布一个简短的视频。链接将在下周的牧师寄语中提供。
Fr Ian
关于三位一体的理解
试图用我们理解的词语来描述上帝绝非易事。在今天的崇拜中，我将把这个问题留给Fr Roger。然而，来自C·S·Lewis的解释可能会帮助我们
一维世界是一条直线。在二维世界中，你仍然得到直线，但许多直线构成一个图形。在三维世界中，你仍然会得到图形，但许多图形构成一个立体。换句话说，当你上升到更真实、更复杂的层次时，你不会把在更简单层次上发现的东西抛在身后: 你仍然拥有使用它们，但以新的方式组合在一起——一种在你只知道更简单层次的时候，无法想象的方式组合在一起。
基督徒对上帝的描述也包含同样的原则。人的层次是一个简单而相当空泛的层次。在人的层面上，一个人是一个存在，任何两个人都是两个独立的存在——就像在二维空间中(比如在一张纸上)，一个正方形是一个图形，两个正方形是两个独立的图形。在神学的层面上，你仍然可以找到人格; 但在那里，你会发现它们以新的方式结合在一起，这是我们这些生活在下层层次的人所无法想象的。
可以说，在上帝的维度中，三重身份合而为一，成为一个存在，就像一个立方体有六个正方形，但只是一个立方体一样。
《纯粹的基督教》，C.S.Lewis 第137-138页
