Thoughts from Church today

Again a wonderful Offertory hymn today. This time for Lambeth in my mind at least (I wonder if the new head of music had it in mind, he was inducted today so may not have actually chosen the hymns)

"O thou, who at thy Eucharist didst pray
that all thy Church might be for ever one,
grant us at every Eucharist to say
with longing heart and soul, "thy will be done."
O may we all one Bread, one Body be,
through this blest Sacrament of unity.

For all thy Church, O Lord, we intercede;
make thou our sad divisions soon to cease;
draw us the nearer each to each, we plead,
by drawing all to thee, O Prince of Peace;
thus may we all one Bread, one Body be,
through this blest Sacrament of unity."
Tune may be heard at http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/o/o645.html

Actually the new Head of Music seems to be quite a find for St James.

	Warren Trevelyan-Jones

has just arrived from England.
He was commissioned at the 11am Choral Eucharist. My usual service is the 9am Sung Eucharist in which I can sing my heart out probably to the annoyance of my neighbours rather than sit as an admiring listener to the choir.

At the 9am service today we dedicated the young volunteers who are working with the Brothers of Taize at services in St James during World Youth Day (week?)
St James is located opposite St Mary's Catholic Cathedral (the bells sometimes conflict). To my knowledge this is the only official involvement of the Anglican church in the Catholic World Youth Day. We prayed for its success (along with Lambeth, I wonder if it is in the prayers of other Sydney Diocesan churches). Our Rector referred in his sermon to the Editorial in the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday which ends:

There is a lesson for clergy and laity alike in the words of author C.S. Lewis: "If you read history you will find the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this."

The whole editorial is well worth reading.

He (the Rector) stated that those on the Right of the church think only of salvation as acceptance into Heaven while those on the Left think only of salvation in the world today. Rather we should be combining both in our concept of Salvation. Something to think about.

I also want to draw your attention to the (as always) wonderful article by Bishop Gene Robinson in the Guardian. He continues to amaze and inspire me. Was going to write more but Doorman-Priest has beaten me to it. However please read the blog and keep Bishop Gene in your prayers for his safety and for the words he speaks. Commentators and blog replies (often anonymous) say he is obsessed but I give thanks that he is speaking for so many of us who have not had a voice in the church in the past.

I have decided to keep well away from Sydney (I live 80km away) during World Youth Day (Week). I do not like crowds and after 40 years as a High School Teacher have become allergic to young people but I will pray for its success even though I have reservations about some of the more conservative aspects as well as the cost. Alcibiades who lives closer to the centre of things may be able to keep you more up-to-date.