{"id":3531,"date":"2020-09-18T10:49:33","date_gmt":"2020-09-18T00:49:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/?p=3531"},"modified":"2020-09-18T10:56:32","modified_gmt":"2020-09-18T00:56:32","slug":"barbaras-friday-email","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/?p=3531","title":{"rendered":"Barbara’s Friday Email 18-09-2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello Everyone,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 If you didn’t receive it, you might wonder what had happened to me!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I have attached the service and sermon, and a piece by Bill Pugh about Leighmoor UC.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

One of the suggested hymns is Amazing Grace<\/i>. A powerful hymn. Most of us have heard the story of John Newton, the writer of the hymn.\u00a0 His father was a sailor, and his mother died when he was just seven.\u00a0 After only two years of schooling, he was sent to sea at the age of eleven.\u00a0 At the age of twenty-two, he was captain of a ship engaged in the slave trade.\u00a0 Three years later, he underwent a dramatic conversion to Christianity,\u00a0 partly due to\u00a0 reading Thomas a Kempis’s book The Imitation of Christ, <\/i>and partly due to surviving a fierce storm.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 He became friendly with John Wesley, and went on to study for the Anglican ministry.\u00a0 When he was curate at Olney, he collaborated with the poet William Cowper, to produce a collection of hymns.\u00a0 After his ministry at Olney, Newton spent his remaining 28 years as minister at St Mary Woolnoth Church in London.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 The year of Newton’s death, 1807, was the same year that the British Parliament finally abolished slavery throughout its domain.\u00a0 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.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Newton continue preaching until his death at the age of 82.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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?\u00a0 I think I would have trembled a little!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In the small cemetery in the parish churchyard in Olney, stands a tombstone with this inscription:\u00a0 ‘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.’<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A powerful testament to the ability to change, to repent, to God’s grace.\u00a0 Apparently Newton was a wonderful pastoral minister, often preaching, using his life story.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

He also wrote the fabulous hymn Glorious things of you are spoken<\/i>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Now this is a very long-winded introduction to this youtube clip of Amazing Grace:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6-8fWHjfUl4<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The band is the Turner Brown Band, composed of several Americans and several Australians.\u00a0 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).\u00a0 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.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wpVyq8y7Qao<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I don’t think I have asked for your favourite pieces of music\/songs?\u00a0 If I have and I have forgotten-then you may have too!\u00a0 I love blues music-it is about emotion, being at the bottom, soul music really.\u00a0 What about your favourite type of music, or a particular song?\u00a0 I know I have asked about favourite hymns, but what about other music?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Well,\u00a0 time for notices.\u00a0 Robyn had a birthday this week: “Happy birthday, Robyn!”\u00a0 I think I heard somewhere that Leighmoor UC has cake for morning tea to celebrate birthdays?\u00a0 How many cakes will you have to celebrate all the birthdays that happened during lockdown when we finally are back worshipping face to face!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My David is improving.\u00a0 He is now back to driving to the Epworth three times a week for dialysis.\u00a0 Still on crutches and physiotherapy phone calls.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I spoke to Russell \u00a0this week.\u00a0 His daughter Robyn is staying there, until tomorrow evening.\u00a0 This evening I spoke to Joan, home from hospital. It will be a slow recovery for her.\u00a0 Robyn will let me know how they are going, as it is hard for Russell to hear on the landline.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A book I was reading talked about trying to avoid using the words ‘should’ and ‘must.’\u00a0 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…”\u00a0\u00a0 Perhaps replace a ‘should’ or ‘must’ with “One possibility is…”or “you might consider this…”\u00a0\u00a0 Later, the writer concludes with this old saying: ‘Those who offer advice when advice is not requested, need advice.’<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A couple of jokes-I am a bit behind.\u00a0 I was trying to include a joke each week to make you smile:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. Did you hear about the first restaurant to open on the moon?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It had great food, but no atmosphere.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

2.\u00a0What did one ocean say to the other ocean?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Nothing, it just waved.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

3. Do you want to hear a construction joke?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Sorry, I\u2019m still working on it.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Blessings and love<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Barbara<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 His father was a sailor, and his mother died when he was just seven.\u00a0 After only two years of schooling, he was sent to sea at the age of eleven.\u00a0 At the age of twenty-two, he was captain of a ship engaged in the slave trade.\u00a0 Three years later, he underwent a dramatic conversion to Christianity,\u00a0 partly due to\u00a0 reading Thomas a Kempis’s book The Imitation of Christ, and partly due to surviving a fierce storm.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 He became friendly with John Wesley, and went on to study for the Anglican ministry.\u00a0 When he was curate at Olney, he collaborated with the poet William Cowper, to produce a collection of hymns.\u00a0 After his ministry at Olney, Newton spent his remaining 28 years as minister at St Mary Woolnoth Church in London.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 The year of Newton’s death, 1807, was the same year that the British Parliament finally abolished slavery throughout its domain.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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?\u00a0 I think I would have trembled a little! In the small cemetery in the parish churchyard in Olney, stands a tombstone with this inscription:\u00a0 ‘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.\u00a0 Apparently Newton was a wonderful pastoral minister, often preaching, using his life story.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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).\u00a0 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?\u00a0 If I have and I have forgotten-then you may have too!\u00a0 I love blues music-it is about emotion, being at the bottom, soul music really.\u00a0 What about your favourite type of music, or a particular song?\u00a0 I know I have asked about favourite hymns, but what about other music? Well,\u00a0 time for notices.\u00a0 Robyn had a birthday this week: “Happy birthday, Robyn!”\u00a0 I think I heard somewhere that Leighmoor UC has cake for morning tea to celebrate birthdays?\u00a0 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.\u00a0 He is now back to driving to the Epworth three times a week for dialysis.\u00a0 Still on crutches and physiotherapy phone calls. I spoke to Russell \u00a0this week.\u00a0 His daughter Robyn is staying there, until tomorrow evening.\u00a0 This evening I spoke to Joan, home from hospital. It will be a slow recovery for her.\u00a0 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.’\u00a0 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…”\u00a0\u00a0 Perhaps replace a ‘should’ or ‘must’ with “One possibility is…”or “you might consider this…”\u00a0\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0What did one ocean say to the other ocean? Nothing, it just waved. 3. Do you want to hear a construction joke? Sorry, I\u2019m still working on it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Leighmoor.Master","author_link":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/author\/leighmoor-master"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"Other Posts<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"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.\u00a0 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…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3531","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3531"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3531\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3536,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3531\/revisions\/3536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3531"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3531"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3531"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}