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Hello Faith Pals, No need to water your garden this week! A friend in another congregation sent me their newsletter which had a picture of Jesus at the Last Supper, during Covid 19.  Police were gathered around them, and the caption was along the lines of “I don’t care who your father is, this is an illegal gathering.” I went on-line to find it (their version was in a version which did not allow me to just copy and paste) but couldn’t find it, but found these instead: Then there was this one:  I thought, “That isn’t correct.”  It portrays the absence of Jesus.   Nowadays, Holy Communion is postponed, but we remember Jesus whenever we eat bread and whenever we take the cup (whatever the liquid-water/tea-it is IN THE REMEMBERING). Then I found this one: I thought: Yes!  Jesus is here, even if we are not. Jesus accompanies us through the tough times. I had been reading about the ocean, and sea monsters.  Apparently what we see, is not a strict photographic image.  At sea, elements such as balance/light/distance play a part in what we see.  In the past, sailors were inclined to ‘see’ things at sea (like sea monsters) because of balance/light/distance-and hypothermia, vitamin deficiencies, lack of sleep, anxiety and their own cultural stories and folklore.  So the brain would distort their perception of what they thought they saw in the rough seas, especially during storms. The ocean was (and still is) an untamed region. ‘Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar- the Lord of hosts is his name.'(Jeremiah 31:35). It made me think about out own times.  We are scared, we are fearful-BUT is that overpowering us, distorting our view of the beauty and wonder of God and  of God’s world?  Is our fear stopping us from living?  Yes, there are things we are not allowed to do-but there are many things we can still do!  In this edition of the Presbytery Newsbeat: http://www.ucappep.org  Rev Greg Crowe addresses that topic. Count your blessings. Another version of this hymn has ‘when you’re worried, and you can’t sleep, Count your blessings instead of sheep.’ Well, I had lots more to say, but I think that might be enough for you! I might just get into another sermon if I am not careful! I will leave you with a prayer that was in a Presbytery mailout: The She Oak Prayer Michael McGirr God of bad hair days We thank you for the she oak, perhaps the most untidy of all your trees. It looks like it just got out of bed, its branches and leaves all over the place. Yet its texture of greys and greens are the most subtle shades in the bush. Its thousands of tiny branches dance in hot winds and cold gales when the rest of us have sought shelter. Help us to be true to ourselves, to appreciate our unkempt beauty, to stand our ground in all seasons, not to disguise our mess, our confusion, our search for love which is wonderful in your eyes even when it is frustrating in our own. Amen. Michael McGirr’s Trees Without Masks Blessings and love, Barbara Hello Everyone, I forgot to say, that I included those cartoons not to make fun of a significant faith event, BUT to highlight it has got people (including the secular community) thinking about the impact covid-19 has on faith, and how we continue to worship, when in isolation.  If we had been worshipping in church, we could have projected one of those images on our screen and used it as a time of reflection: What does it mean to worship in lockdown? Is Jesus still here when we are not in the building? (or in the Upper Room, the place of the Last Supper) Where is Jesus? Where are we? Now you have questions to use when you look at those images again. Where is God?  Beside you. Perhaps in the cartoon with ‘cancelled’ there could have been another image, off to the side, of a hospital room, and Jesus there next to the bed, holding the hand of the covid-19 sufferer. NOW I will stop because THIS is getting to be a sermon! Blessings Barbara

Hello Faith Pals, Welcome to Friday, a day ready to be embraced, enjoyed, and lived through.  There will be no other day quite like today.  I know I have included this before, but it is worth repeating: Sunday is the Feast of St Francis.  The sermons and prayers reflect that theme.  Please pray your own prayers as well, remembering especially Alan and Fredrica, Rohini and Jaya, Shirley, Russell and Joan.  It is a shame that we won’t be in church, accompanied by our pets, but they can still join us to watch church services on-line (my cat Leaf does not like my singing!) It seems appropriate to include the story of St Francis and the wolf.  There are a number of different versions, but this one is well written: St. Francis and the Wolf  ‘Perhaps the most famous story of St. Francis is when he tamed the wolf that was terrorizing the people of Gubbio. While Francis was staying in that town he learned of a wolf so ravenous that it was not only killing and eating animals, but people, too. The people took up arms and went after it, but those who encountered the wolf perished at its sharp teeth. Villagers became afraid to leave the city walls. Francis had pity on the people and decided to go out and meet the wolf. He was desperately warned by the people, but he insisted that God would take care of him. A brave friar and several peasants accompanied Francis outside the city gate. But soon the peasants lost heart and said they would go no farther. Francis and his companion began to walk on. Suddenly the wolf, jaws agape, charged out of the woods at the couple. Francis made the Sign of the Cross toward it. The power of God caused the wolf to slow down and to close its mouth. Then Francis called out to the creature: “Come to me, Brother Wolf. In the name of Christ, I order you not to hurt anyone.” At that moment the wolf lowered its head and lay down at St. Francis’ feet, meek as a lamb.  St. Francis explained to the wolf that he had been terrorizing the people, killing not only animals, but humans who are made in the image of God. “Brother Wolf,” said Francis, “I want to make peace between you and the people of Gubbio. They will harm you no more and you must no longer harm them. All past crimes are to be forgiven.” The wolf showed its assent by moving its body and nodding its head. Then to the absolute surprise of the gathering crowd, Francis asked the wolf to make a pledge. As St. Francis extended his hand to receive the pledge, so the wolf extended its front paw and placed it into the saint’s hand. Then Francis commanded the wolf to follow him into town to make a peace pact with the townspeople. The wolf meekly followed St. Francis. By the time they got to the town square, everyone was there to witness the miracle. With the wolf at his side, Francis gave the town a sermon on the wondrous and fearful love of God, calling them to repent from all their sins. Then he offered the townspeople peace, on behalf of the wolf. The townspeople promised in a loud voice to feed the wolf. Then Francis asked the wolf if he would live in peace under those terms. He bowed his head and twisted his body in a way that convinced everyone he accepted the pact. Then once again the wolf placed its paw in Francis’ hand as a sign of the pact. From that day on the people kept the pact they had made. The wolf lived for two years among the townspeople, going from door to door for food. It hurt no one and no one hurt it. Even the dogs did not bark at it. When the wolf finally died of old age, the people of Gubbio were sad. The wolf’s peaceful ways had been a living reminder to them of the wonders, patience, virtues and holiness of St. Francis. It had been a living symbol of the power and providence of the living God. ‘ Source : Retold by Sharaon Callahan  http://www.whitewolfpack.com/2011/07/st-francis-and-wolf-myths-legends.html In other versions the legend states that the wolf only killed because it was hungry. In 1872, during renovations at the Church of St Francis of Peace, in Gubbio,  an old skeleton of a large wolf was discovered outside near the foundations.  The people of Gubbio decided to bury these remains inside the church.  Brother Wolf of Gubbio now rests in peace. As well as the service-sermon, I have included two other attachments.  These are from my time at Synod, when I worked on animal matters.  I wrote an animal breviary (though by Week 27 it had been changed to animal compendium, because my boss though ‘breviary’ was too confusing for people).  Anyway, I wasn’t sure what to include for extra reading, so thought I’d include the  writings about sloths and butterflies.  It was written to be a multi-faith resource, hence the inclusion of prayers from other faith traditions, and a prayer that all could, probably, pray. News: Alan’s psa has increased 3.5 points from his previous blood result.  His oncologist says he is not to worry about it, it should start to decrease by the time of the next round of chemotherapy (21st October).  Alan has been told that as long as he feels well, he need not be concerned.  Alan’s integrative medicine diet has made some difference to some of his results too, which is good news. Please keep them, and Adrian and Sherine and Elijah, in your prayers. Shirley : still in hospital, but I spoke to her niece just before, who thinks she may be discharged either today, or over the next day or two. Doug: he sends his regards. He is doing okay, but he is very tired. Joan and Russell

Hello Faith Pals, Hope you are looking forward to a warmer week!  Firstly, I was going to fill you in on Henry Morton Stanley, the person who is responsible for uttering: “Dr Livingstone, I presume.”  Well, he had  a role in bringing a strange creature to the attention of zoologists.   The creature was the okapi. The okapi, a shy, solitary, elusive animal that lives among dense cover, is one of the oldest and most distinctive mammals in the world.  The okapi is also known as the African Unicorn.  It has earned this name due to its scarcity (it came to be understood as being as rare or as scarce as a unicorn) and because the female has a knobbly bump in the corner of its head, and the male has horn-like protuberances, known as ossicones. This creature, which resembles a zebra, a donkey, and a giraffe, had been spoken about by central African tribes.  It had been brought to Europeans’ attention back in 1887, due to Henry Morton Stanley’s book about his travels.  When Stanley had been exploring the Congo, he had heard tribes tell of this creature, which Stanley transcribed as ‘atti’(but  the word the tribes used was ‘o’kapi’). Even when several skins were produced as evidence of the existence of this creature, Westerners viewed than as fakes.  Referring to it as an ‘African Unicorn’ tended to reinforce its mythical status. Its status from unknown changed in 1901 when Sir Harry Johnston, the British governor of Uganda, became fascinated by Stanley’s accounts of this animal. He had freed several Mbuti Pygmies of the Congo, caught by a showman, and they informed him of their knowledge of this creature. He also investigated other stories about the animal. Johnston received some skins, and two skulls of this supposed mythical creature, from grateful pygmies. Johnston sent parts of its hide to the British Museum. Then, after a live okapi was captured the creature was recognized as ‘real’ by scientists, and the mammal became known as the okapi (okapi johnstoni).  It is a remarkable creature, the only living relative of the giraffe, (in the family Giraffidae) is classified as a short-necked giraffe.  It is also known as the ‘forest giraffe.’ It shares the giraffe’s characteristic of having a long blue tongue, and its hind legs and rump are striped black and white, a little like a zebra’s marking. It also walks like a giraffe, stepping out with the same front and hind leg on each side, rather than moving alternate legs. It is endemic to the dense, lowland rainforests of the central and north eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.  Sadly, deforestation, poaching, and mining have all led to a decline in numbers. The okapi has its own World Day, observed on 18th of October.  I thought it was worth writing about, as we near the Feast of St Francis-World Animal Day next Sunday.  ” alt=”” class=”Apple-web-attachment” src=”blob:https://www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au/d8319437-726c-40b6-a002-4d5fb0dce804″ subtitle=”Downloading…” progress=”0.01″>   Now, here is a story passed on from a member of Heatherton-Dingley Uniting Church.  I read this story in a book several months ago, so it was quite uncanny to read it again. You many know it: Beautiful story…. makes you understand that things happen for a reason The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On December 19 a terrible tempest – a driving rainstorm – hit the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high. The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity, so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church. By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. “Pastor,” she asked, “where did you get that tablecloth?” The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials ‘EBG’ were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria . The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten “The Tablecloth”. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. He was captured, sent to prison and she never saw

Hello Faith Pals, The blessing of rain.  When the roof doesn’t leak!  I know that Alan and Fredrica have moved into Quest for a few days because of plastering work on the ceilings.  After 3 attempts, our leaking roof is now fixed and I can enjoy, once again, the sound of rain on colourbond!  Reminds me of the story in the Gospels of the crippled man being lowered on his stretcher through the roof to be set in front of Jesus.  (Luke 5:19, Mark 2:4)  In Mark it says that they removed the roof and dug.  In Jesus’ day,  they were flat roofs, made of beams.  Mud clay (like today’s cement) with clay tiles in between the earth.  It was not an easy thing to make a hole in the roof-in Mark it says ‘they removed the roof…and dug…’ .  It was major demolition work, it took some effort to tear up the roof.  In Luke’s account it talks about removing the tiles, but in Mark-it is digging through!  Now, Jesus didn’t say, “Do you know you have destroyed a roof?” or “Haven’t you heard about using a door?” No, he saw their faith, and their lives were changed forever. I read two comments about this passage, which I thought worth sharing: ‘Do you have friends who would tear off a roof for you?’ Another one, equally challenging, is a statement for the church: ‘It’s never been done that way before.’ That is a thought to hold on to, as you prepare for the next phase of ministry.  Just because something hasn’t been done that way before, doesn’t mean it is not worth attempting, or embracing. Now, some of you have shared some of your favourite pieces of music.  I will compile a list WHEN I GET SOME MORE.  (did you get the hint?) Brenda send me this this morning.  Beautiful!  Brenda said it has been around for awhile. Well..so have most of us…it is still beautiful to watch! Andrea Bocelli, voice of an angel!  He was diagnosed with congenital glaucoma when he was just  5 months old, and became completely blind at age 12, following a soccer accident. Watch this clip and pray along with his rendition of The Lord’s Prayer: https://gloria.tv/?language=P9tZ8xVKoXVn4e3o1NykVavHR&post=e43KLmR1DsMm1DCTibL3zfaeF Now, other home work.  Favourite music (type, or songs) AND next Sunday is the Feast of St Francis/World Animal Day.  If we had been meeting in church we would have had some others joining us (with Church Council approval beforehand, of course!).  So…if you want to share a story/memory etc of a pet companion, or mention your favourite animals, please do so.  I have already had one response to this, but I would like more please. Last Tuesday (22nd) was World Rhinoceros Day.  I hope you celebrated!  I watched a program during the week, about the treasures of the British Library.  One of the treasures was a map drawn by David Livingstone, one of the most popular British heroes of the late 19th century. A name many of us have known from childhood! Not only was Livingstone a medical missionary and explorer, he was a passionate advocate of anti-slavery.  In 1866 he set out to find the source of the River Nile, but when nothing was heard from him, journalist Henry Morton Stanley  was commissioned in 1869 to find the explorer. Livingstone, it must be said, had an ulterior motive for seeking the Nile’s source.  Geographical accomplishments took second place to his passionate desire for ending the East African Arab-Swahili slave trade. He is reported to have said: “The Nile sources are valuable only as a means of opening my mouth with power among men. It is this power with which I hope to remedy an immense evil.” In fact, he never did find the source. Pushing through what is now Stanley was to finally encounter him in the town of Ujiji on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in 1871. Livingstone was  thin, ill and weak – and surrounded by a possibly unfriendly tribe. ‘As I advanced towards him,’ says  Stanley, ‘I noticed he was pale, looking wearied, had a grey beard, wore a bluish cap with a faded gold band round it, had on a red-sleeved waistcoat and a pair of grey tweed trousers. ‘I would have run to him, only I was a coward in the presence of such a mob, – would have embraced him, only he being an Englishman, I did not know how he would receive me; so I did what cowardice and false pride suggested was the best thing – walked deliberately to him, took off my hat and said: ‘Dr Livingstone, I presume?’ ‘Yes,’ said he, with a kind smile, lifting his cap slightly. I replace my hat on my head, and he puts on his cap, and we both grasp hands, and then I say aloud: ‘I thank God, Doctor, I have been permitted to see you.’ He answers: ‘I feel thankful that I am here to welcome you.’ The words became famous partly because of their humour: apart from Livingstone there was no white man around for hundreds of miles. (some of this was edited from https://www.onthisday.com/articles/dr-livingstone-i-presume) Now, I will mention more about Henry Morton Stanley on Monday!  I will keep you guessing. News: please continue to pray for our ill ones.  Alan will be having more blood tests and chemotherapy next week, so please keep Alan and Fredrica and family in your prayers. Fredrica’s hand is improving, but slowly.  They are both coping with the integrated diet!  Well done!  Rohini and Jaya need prayer as well.  John  is now home from hospital.  Please keep Russell and Joan  in your prayers too.  And  families with young children. Well, I think that is enough to read. I will close with a prayer that was in our Presbytery newsletter, submitted by Presbytery minister, Duncan Macleod: Prayer of DedicationEven our best intentionscan be stumbling blocks.Yet you can redeem evenour half-hearted attempts,our half-baked schemes,our well-meaning failures.Take our flawed faithand our incomplete

Hello Faith pals, I have included a video clip from Geoff Serpell, for those who can access it.  Some of you may have  seen it, but it is worth watching again. Made me think about war, and  good inventions that have been created due to war. Let’s look at some from World War 1: Tea bags:  Not invented during World War 1 (in 1908 in the United States), but a German company copied the idea in the war, and supplied troops with tea in cotton bags.  They called them ‘tea bombs.’ Wristwatches.  Although many say they were invented during World War 1, they were not (for example, Elizabeth 1 had a small clock she would strap to her arm) BUT their use took off dramatically, because a wrist watch kept both hands free in the heat of battle.  Distances were too great for signalling (and in plain view-far too risky) but artillery barrages had to be synchronized, so wrist watches became the answer. Zips: the US military, particularly the Navy, incorporated them into uniforms and boots.  After the war they were used in civilian clothing, and bags. Stainless steel. This one I love: vegetarian sausages!  NOT something invented by hippies in the 1970s!  Konrad Adenauer, mayor of Cologne had to work out a way to combat starvation in the city and region.  He added soy as the meatless ingredient.  It was dubbed the Friedenswurst, the ‘peace sausage.’ He was denied a patent in Germany (it was contrary to German regulations about the proper content of a sausage-it had to include meat) but Britain, Germany’s enemy at the time, granted the soy sausage a patent on June 26, 1918. To conclude with these amazing life changing/life giving inventions: Cosmetic/plastic surgery: During the height of World War I, a young British sailor named Walter Yeo was wounded horribly in the 1916 Battle of Jutland. His upper and lower eyelids were burned off. Nearly a year later, he found himself in a facial injury ward started by the father of modern plastic surgery, Harold Gillies.  A native of New Zealand, Gillies had come to Europe as part of the Royal Army Medical Corps. In 1917, he performed what is known as the world’s first plastic surgery, grafting a flap of skin over Yeo’s disfiguring wounds. Blood Banks: Doctors rarely performed blood transfusions prior to World War I. However, following the discovery of different blood types and the ability of refrigeration to extend shelf life, Captain Oswald Robertson, a U.S. Army doctor consulting with the British Army, established the first blood bank in 1917 on the Western Front. “The point was to have a blood supply as close to the front as possible for wounded patients,” Casey says. To facilitate storage, blood was kept on ice for up to 28 days and sodium citrate was added to prevent clotting. So…there you have it!  What good inventions will come out of this covid war? News: Jenny Longmuir had a birthday last Friday.  Happy birthday Jenny! John Wallace is back in hospital.  Hopefully home later in the week. ‘This is my comfort in my distress, that your promise gives me life.’ -Psalm 119:50    This prayer came through from Presbytery: Sapling Prayer Loving God, we thank you for the gift of new growth.For the people who never give up.For the ones who look after the sick.For those who insist that black lives matter.  For those who bring food to those who can’t leave home.They are all like saplings, small plants that point to a bigger future.We thank you for the call to new growth in our own lives,To new commitment, to fresh honesty, to deeper love.Be with us as we begin to branch out. Make us stronger.Amen.    by Michael McGirr, from Trees Without Masks: Simple Prayers in the Time of Virus Garrett Publishing Blessings and love, Barbara

Hello Everyone, Friday’s email is being sent Thursday evening, because nbn is being connected tomorrow morning, and…just in case there is a glitch…I thought I should send this out today.  If you didn’t receive it, you might wonder what had happened to me! I have attached the service and sermon, and a piece by Bill Pugh about Leighmoor UC. One of the suggested hymns is Amazing Grace. A powerful hymn. Most of us have heard the story of John Newton, the writer of the hymn.  His father was a sailor, and his mother died when he was just seven.  After only two years of schooling, he was sent to sea at the age of eleven.  At the age of twenty-two, he was captain of a ship engaged in the slave trade.  Three years later, he underwent a dramatic conversion to Christianity,  partly due to  reading Thomas a Kempis’s book The Imitation of Christ, and partly due to surviving a fierce storm.  It was a sense of deliverance from this storm that made him commit himself to Christ, and forsake the slave trade and the seafaring life.  He became friendly with John Wesley, and went on to study for the Anglican ministry.  When he was curate at Olney, he collaborated with the poet William Cowper, to produce a collection of hymns.  After his ministry at Olney, Newton spent his remaining 28 years as minister at St Mary Woolnoth Church in London.  By this time he had established a strong friendship with William Wilberforce and other political leaders engaged in the crusade for the abolition of the slave trade.  The year of Newton’s death, 1807, was the same year that the British Parliament finally abolished slavery throughout its domain.  I remember watching the powerful movie about William Wilberforce called ‘Amazing Grace’, a number of years ago (2006), and seeing him meet a very old Newton. Newton continue preaching until his death at the age of 82.  Not long before he died, a spokesman from the church asked him if he had considered retirement because of his failing eyesight, health and memory.  Newton replied: “What, shall the old African blasphemer stop while he can still speak?” (in other words, “No!”) I wonder if the spokesperson from the church had drawn the short straw?  I think I would have trembled a little! In the small cemetery in the parish churchyard in Olney, stands a tombstone with this inscription:  ‘John Newton, clerk, once an infidel and Libertine, a servant of slavers in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the Faith he had long laboured to destroy.’ A powerful testament to the ability to change, to repent, to God’s grace.  Apparently Newton was a wonderful pastoral minister, often preaching, using his life story.  He also wrote the fabulous hymn Glorious things of you are spoken. Now this is a very long-winded introduction to this youtube clip of Amazing Grace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-8fWHjfUl4 The band is the Turner Brown Band, composed of several Americans and several Australians.  I have been fortunate enough to see them twice, the last time was just up the road at The Caravan Club, which used to be part of the Clayton Bowls Club (I think the concert was about two years ago).  They are an incredible band, playing what is known as ‘sacred steel.’ Sacred Steel is a musical style and African-American gospel tradition that developed in a group of Pentecostal churches in the 1930s. The lap steel guitar is used instead of the traditional organ for the church music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpVyq8y7Qao The clip above is of a bishop (yes, he is a minister, he is the senior pastor of Overcoming Church Bible proof Ministries, so theology is quite a bit different from the Uniting Church!)-gosh, maybe Tony is learning steel guitar during lockdown, look what could happen! I don’t think I have asked for your favourite pieces of music/songs?  If I have and I have forgotten-then you may have too!  I love blues music-it is about emotion, being at the bottom, soul music really.  What about your favourite type of music, or a particular song?  I know I have asked about favourite hymns, but what about other music? Well,  time for notices.  Robyn had a birthday this week: “Happy birthday, Robyn!”  I think I heard somewhere that Leighmoor UC has cake for morning tea to celebrate birthdays?  How many cakes will you have to celebrate all the birthdays that happened during lockdown when we finally are back worshipping face to face! My David is improving.  He is now back to driving to the Epworth three times a week for dialysis.  Still on crutches and physiotherapy phone calls. I spoke to Russell  this week.  His daughter Robyn is staying there, until tomorrow evening.  This evening I spoke to Joan, home from hospital. It will be a slow recovery for her.  Robyn will let me know how they are going, as it is hard for Russell to hear on the landline. A book I was reading talked about trying to avoid using the words ‘should’ and ‘must.’  I agree-I bristle a bit when I hear ‘You must…’ The writer says: ‘If you wish to make someone feel guilty or inferior, try saying “You should.” Also lethal are “You must…” or “You need to…”or “You have no other choice but…”   Perhaps replace a ‘should’ or ‘must’ with “One possibility is…”or “you might consider this…”   Later, the writer concludes with this old saying: ‘Those who offer advice when advice is not requested, need advice.’ A couple of jokes-I am a bit behind.  I was trying to include a joke each week to make you smile: 1. Did you hear about the first restaurant to open on the moon? It had great food, but no atmosphere. 2. What did one ocean say to the other ocean? Nothing, it just waved. 3. Do you want to hear a construction joke? Sorry, I’m still working on it.

Hello Faith Pals, This image is a positive one, that reminds me that although we are going through tough times, we must still dance, still hope! Welcome to Monday, after some very exciting news!  Appointing a new minister is like getting a wonderful package/gift: the minister is what is in the wrapped box, but the congregation is the wrapping and the ribbon, so you are a gift to each other!  Sparkly too! Perhaps the box is the church building?  Perhaps I am getting too carried away? Anyway, today I thought I would forward you a picture of a sea turtle, to continue the theme of hope.  I have included the letter as well, because it gives interesting information about the hatchlings (and because it is a pdf and I can’t delete parts of it!)  One of our neighbour’s daughters was working as a volunteer at this organization in Malaysia, so that is how I learned about this work.  They buy up eggs, saving them from the food industry, and incubate them, and then release them into the ocean, to freedom.  They are near a resort, so tourists have been involved as well, but this involvement has been down because of covid. Last year we adopted a nest.  We had to give it a name, so we named it ‘Hope.’ This year, as you will see from the photo, that theme continues!  I have copied some information from the website: ‘The Organisation After Founder, Hayati Mokhtar, sought help from friends, WWF conservation specialists and Terengganu state government officials, the Lang Tengah Turtle Watch was born. With enthusiastic interest from local Malaysian volunteers and students from the Universities of Cambridge, Birmingham and University College London, by April 2013 the project was underway. Since the project began it has grown steadily; to date saving over 46,500 turtle eggs from being sold to the market and hosting in excess of 460 volunteers from 23 different nationalities. Volunteers on the beaches of Lang Tengah – an island off the East Coast of Malaysia – monitor turtle landings and save their eggs from poachers.  We are striving to protect what is evidently threatened, and to discover what other conservation issues lie hidden on the island. Our satellite programmes are bringing the local community to Turtle Bay, so they too can experience our project first-hand. Improvement of waste management on the island is now another key focus area for us.’ http://www.langtengahturtlewatch.org I find it interesting how and why people set up organizations/charities; isn’t it wonderful that people all over the world see a need and then work out what to do about it?  That is what we do in the church all the time, within our communities, and within the wider world.  We call it mission.  We call ourselves Christians…we could also call ourselves ‘the hopeful!’  We live, facing the light of the resurrection. This was my  first ‘feel good’ story for today. The second is about a young toddler, named Eleanor.  She has a rare life threatening illness called SMA (spinal muscular atrophy).  I met her aunt when she was putting leaflets in letterboxes.  They were raising funds to get a miracle drug, only available in America.  The good new this weekend is that they have been approved for special medical help in Sydney, so she has a chance of eventually leading a normal life.  I thought of this special loving aunt, doing the letterbox drop (I saw her on a number of days) doing what she could for little Eleanor-and, like the turtle story, it is a story of hope, of hearts being filled with hope, not giving up. ‘…so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints’-Ephesians 1: 18 Blessings and love, Barbara Allen Virus-free. www.avg.com

Hello Faith Pals, Welcome to sunny, windy Melbourne.  At least we have variety! Here is a beautiful piece of music-I keep forgetting to send it to you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYJCYr1I-Sk   Now, some news.  Alan  had his next bout of chemotherapy.  His psa has gone up (not too much) but will be carefully monitored during the coming weeks.  Alan has now taken up integrative medicine as well, concentrating on a special diet (lots of things he is not allowed to eat), which also includes times of eating/fasting. We wish Alan and Fredrica (companion on this journey too) well, as they take on another challenge. Sunday: voting day!  This is wonderful and exciting for Leighmoor UC!  Lots of work has gone on behind the scenes, with Synod, and then Presbytery and the Joint Nominating Committee.  It is a time of hope, and a time of prayer.  During these challenging times, things are having to be done differently.  Even so, please trust the process, trust God.  None of this has been taken lightly.  I always remember the first line of a book by Chaim Potok: ‘All beginnings are hard.’  Yes, even exciting ones.  Change can be frightening, making us anxious.  For those of us who are married…didn’t you feel a little anxious on your wedding day?  Or after having a baby?  Didn’t things (for the most part) work out? Choosing a new minister is a bit like an arranged marriage.  Being on the other side of the process, I have felt nervous before each new placement-BUT I have left each one with many blessings, having met (yet again), a wonderful part of God’s family. God is there with you during this, endeavouring to bring to you the right person for the next phase of your journey as ‘church’ at Leighmoor.  Every minister brings something different, something new, as does each congregation.  Yes, there will be times when you look back and say, “Oh but Peter would have done this…” or “Dev did this, why can’t we do that?”  Remember the Israelites complaining in the desert, having been brought out of from slavery…they look back, saying “Oh back in Egypt at least we had plenty to eat…” etc. (see Numbers 20: 3-5)  It is human nature-to look back, BUT our faces are on the front, WE ARE MEANT to look forward, not back.  Learn from the past, embrace its lessons, but don’t let it prevent you from enjoying the present, or from dreaming into the future. Charlotte Bronte put it this way: ‘I avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward.’  (which is fine if she is not out walking!) Gosh…you are getting another sermon!  One of the many disappointments about being in lockdown and not able to meet for worship on Sunday, is that on Sunday October 4th it is the Feast of St Francis of Assisi/World Animal Day, and I was looking forward to a Blessing of the Animals service (I am sure Church Council would have agreed to it!)  Well, that isn’t going to happen, so, instead, I wonder if any of you have some stories or thoughts about your own pets, past or present you’d like to email me, or like to nominate your favourite bird/animal/ fish and why?  Then I will collate a page or two of them to accompany that week’s service/sermon. Which reminds me (and you will be pleased that we are NOT meeting…because I would be voicing my frustration at this in church)-Christmas goodies (ie food items) are now on the shelves in the supermarkets.  September 1 seems to be the day for this.  I have real concerns about this.  I know it is about making money etc but it is confusing for those who are not churched.  I know Hot Cross buns go on sale on Dec 27-we are losing our footing in the world.  What does it mean, to have Hot Cross buns available for half the year, and Christmas items for a third?  They lose their significance, their specialness, the religious association. This is probably one of the times when we can take a stand, and not be persuaded to eat mince pies before Christmas.  (and I am looking forward to sharing information about Christmas decorations/Christmas traditions as we get closer to Christmas.  Love Christmas.  One for now-mince pies…why do we have them?  There are a number of reasons, one being that they were originally oblong in shape, to represent the manger, the spices to remind us of the magi/wise men from the East). ‘Cherish all your happy moments: they make a fine cushion for old age.’-Christopher Morley.  I think we could say they make a soft cushion for lockdown! One quote to use to get you thinking about animals: ‘God made the cat in order that man might have the pleasure of caressing the lion.’-Fernand Mery.  (Just had to stop typing up this email to rescue one of our ‘lions’ who got stuck behind the couch!  She would not survive in the wild!) If I Had My Life To Live Over by Erma Bombeck If I Had My Life To Live Over……. I would have talked less and listened more. I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded. I would have eaten the popcorn in the ‘good’ living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace. I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth. I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed. I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage. I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains. I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life. I would have shared more of the

Hello Faith Pals, Welcome to the warmth of spring!  Some lovely blooms are in the garden, our pink carmelia bush is magnificent, displaying something of God’s grandeur. The angel Israfel is part of Islamic tradition. In Judaism and Christianity, he is commonly known as the archangel Raphael.  In 1831 Edgar Allen Poe wrote a poem called ‘Israfel:’ ‘If I could dwell where Israfel hath dwelt, and he where I, he might not sing so wildly well a mortal melody, while a bolder note than this might swell from my lyre within the sky.’ In Islam, this angel is thought to be the one who will blow his trumpet, from the holy rock in Jerusalem, on the Day of Resurrection. He is the angel of music, said to sing praises to God in thousands of languages.  In the mystical tradition of Sufism, the perfect human being is said to have a heart like Israfel’s. Israfel’s heartstrings are a lute, or a harp. What about your  heart?  I know some of you have had stents etc inserted. What sounds do our hearts sing or make?  Sweetness, or sadness/lament? Do our strings need tuning?  What do we need to do to tune our heart strings, so they sing praises to God and are light and full of zest and life?  Do we need to have more joy in our lives?  I know these are challenging times, but we can choose our responses. Perhaps we need to think back to a wonderful memory or two.  Maybe a special birthday.   When I was a child, my mother would make me an ice-cream birthday cake.  Birthday parties were great fun, with games like pin the tail on the donkey, hide and seek, musical chairs.   I couldn’t sleep the night before my birthday.  Do you have a fond memory of a particular birthday? In some traditions, tomorrow (8th September) is celebrated as the birthday of the Virgin Mary.  If you need a reason to celebrate, why not do something special in her honour, tomorrow?  Maybe sing out loud the hymn:  ‘Tell out my soul.’  In our Protestant tradition, we remember Mary for her willingness to say “yes.” For her bravery  and courage.  For giving birth to Jesus, and for being a loving parent. A good thing for us to reflect on, to pray about. Are we willing to do what God requires of us? We each have a part or role to play. Other ways to play lightly on our heart strings is to balance sad/tough news about covid-19, with the positives we can gather from this experience.  Some of you are  already doing this.  I know Sarah Simko is keeping an ‘isolation diary’ and  wondered if some of you are also making notes/keeping a record of this unique experience in which we find ourselves ?  If, as someone discussed with me the other day, it is a little like the movie Ground Hog Day (the movie was repeating the same day over and over again…until it got better/lessons were learned…Bill Murray became a nicer, generous, compassionate person) in that some days may seem the same…BUT THEY NEVER ARE!  We each have the power to make them different, and to change our attitude too.  I am not advocating that we become naive,  but we can use this time well to tally up lessons learned.  Some of these might include: -the importance of family -blessed with a phone/computer -being able to sit in my garden -having hot and cold running water -reading a particular book I have wanted to for years -noticing the small things of life-the bees, bird song -enjoying hearing children out riding their bikes -becoming more patient -including  politicians in our daily prayers (who would want their jobs?  Oh I do feel sorry for them). What helps you?  Some laughter?  Some perspective? I find that if I get stuck, I grab a Christmas book, or a children’s picture book,for a quick read. The Gospels are good too! Or a cuppa in the garden. This too will pass. I couldn’t resist ending with the following! Now, according to Edward Hays, September 10 is ‘Iron Retirement Feast, or Liberation Day, 1954’.  Before the 1950s, it was necessary to spend up to 20 hours a week ironing-shirts, skirts, tablecloths, bed linen.  Then a new age arrived, with the invention of synthetic fabrics, the ‘wash and wear’ era. So, Hays wants to know, where have those 20 extra/free hours a week  gone? He wants to know who stole your free time, your 20 hours or so?  I confess, I don’t iron much-that is my bit for the environment!  When we lived in Canberra, and our son was young, a friend from Melbourne would visit several times a year.  Our son loved to watch our friend use our iron (she is keen on ironing) as he rarely saw us use it!  The iron still doesn’t get out much-sometimes I think I hear it and my swim suit lament their years stuck in the cupboard! They have become good friends. This photo is from a youtube segment ‘ How to iron a shirt.’ I won’t need to watch it, so have saved some myself several minutes! ‘I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.’ -Psalm 9:1-2 Blessings and love Barbara Virus-free. www.avg.com

Hello Everyone, I hope you are all chugging along!  You are all doing so well in this time of lockdown.  If nothing else…it is teaching us the virtue of patience! Priya sent me an email about the deaths of the disciples.  I will include it now: ‘Hi Barbara, Got this yesterday. I never knew this.   HOW EACH OF THE DISCIPLES DIED   1      MATTHEW Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, killed by a sword wound.   2      MARK Died in Alexandria, Egypt, after being dragged by horses through the streets until he was dead.   3      LUKE Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the lost.   4      JOHN Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge Basin of Boiling Oil during a wave of persecution in Rome However , he was miraculously delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison Island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos. The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve as Bishop of Edessa in modern  Turkey. He died as an old man the only apostle to die peacefully.   5      PETER He was crucified upside down on an X – shaped cross. According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died.   6      JAMES The leader of the church in Jerusalem, was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies  beat James to death with a fuller’s club. *This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation.   7 JAMES (the son of Zebedee) Was a fisherman by trade when Jesus called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial Later the officer walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by  conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.   8   BARTHOLOMEW Also known as Nathaniel was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was  flayed to death by a whip.   9    ANDREW Was crucified on an  X shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that,  when he was led toward the cross , Andrew saluted it in these words :  “ I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it” He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he expired.   10   THOMAS Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the Sub- continent.   11    JUDE Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.   12  MATTHIAS The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.   13   PAUL Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D.67  Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to churches he  had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters , which taught many of the foundational Doctrines of Christianity , form a large portion of the New Testament.’ Thank you Priya. There are different accounts re how some of them died, https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1-300/whatever-happened-to-the-twelve-apostles-11629558.html there are a number of different legends, stories, but I suppose the most important thing to remember is that they were prepared to die for their faith.  The Bible only tells of the death of two: Judas Iscariot, and James the brother of John, killed by King Herod, by a sword (Acts 12:2). The disciples/apostles were the first in a long line to be tortured/die, persecuted because they followed Christ.   We are lucky in this country, but in some parts of the world, Christians still have to hide their beliefs from the authorities.  Priya wanted to know why the deaths of the apostles isn’t common knowledge.  I think it is to do with the Protestant tradition-we don’t tend to dwell on bloodshed, or focus on the actual events of martyrdom. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t come up (such as on St Andrew’s Day (30th November) but it hasn’t been a focus.  When we talk about the persecution of Christians, and martyrdom, we include the apostles in that list. This contribution came in from Peter Campbell, from Heatherton-Dingley: Good morning Barbara. I copied this off Facebook, so I can’t verify any of it as truth, but it’s still a nice story. What Love means to 4-8 year old kids?? Slow down for three minutes to read this. A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, ‘What does love mean?’ The answers they got were broader, deeper, and more profound than anyone could have ever imagined ! ‘When my grandmother got arthritis , she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore.. So my grandfather does it for her all the time , even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.’ Rebecca- age 8 ‘When someone loves you , the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.’ Billy – age 4 ‘Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.’ Karl – age 5 ‘Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give