Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Ecumenical Organ(ist)

On Sunday I attended an organ recital at one of our local Roman Catholic Churches in the Blue Mountains village of Glenbrook. The Hele pipe organ was made in Plymouth, England in 1881 to the order of St Peter's Anglican Parish, East Sydney. It was installed in St Peter's Church in February, 1882. It was bought by this parish on 8th February, 1993, when St Peter's Parish was amalgamated with the parish of Darlinghurst and St Peter's church was declared redundant.

The organ was installed in this new church during July, August and September, 1995 by Pitchford & Garside Pty. Ltd. On 15th October 1995, it was inaugurated by Mr Norman Johnston who had been the last organist in St Peter's church and who had used it as a teaching instrument for many years. It is due to his influence that the organ was kept in good working order.

The instrument is fully mechanical in its action. It was completely restored in all its parts prior to installation and a new electrically-power blower was installed under it. The organ is now in its original condition. It was classified by the national Trust of Australia on 29th May, 1996. Full details and more photos are found here.

On Sunday the organist was David Drury who until a year ago was organist at St James Anglican Church, King Street where I worship. He is now Director of Music at St Paul's Anglican College within the University of Sydney. He has given recitals in Westminster Abbey, St Paul's and Westminster Cathedrals in London & King's College, Cambridge. In Paris he has performed four times at Notre Dame, twice at La Madeleine & appeared in concert at the Toulon Festival.

He has toured extensively in the USA and Canada and appeared on all the major organs in Australia.

So it was a wonderful afternoon concert with an organ that has moved from an Anglican to a Catholic church and an organist whose main employment has been in Anglican churches.

I found on youtube the organ being played by a different organist but embedding has been disabled

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7aLogWJQ-E Bach 'Gigue' Fugue

David played among other pieces the Berceuse (lullaby) by Louis Vierne

I think I need a lullaby now as I go to sleep after a very trying day watching the stock markets. Here it is played by Greg McAusland at Notre Dame, Paris.




Help Africa

I feel a bit guilty about my previous post which might sound a bit holier than thou.
I was going to post on much happier things but have just watched 2 TV programs tonight both about Africa but also about the work of Australians. One (Australian Story) The Still Of The Night was about the work of a young couple, very much in love who had a dream to work in Tanzania. He was a builder by trade and they planned to build a children's village in Africa.

In 2007, after four years of planning and fundraising, the couple moved to Tanzania to start putting up the buildings. But at the beginning of July tragedy struck in an event that became headline news back home in Australia. Darren Stratti was shot by robbers in front of his partner.

I remember it being in the news but their life story brought it all back. His 2 brothers, eldest son and some friends have just gone back to Tanzania to complete the building hopefully by Christmas. Possibly his partner Rebecka Delforce may return to run the village but naturally she has problems at the moment with going back. Information about the organisation is at http://www.foodwatershelter.org.au/who-are-we.aspx

This was followed by a program (Four Corners) called A Walk to Beautiful about an organisation that had also moved me in an earlier interview this year. Another Australian, this time much older, Dr Catherine Hamlin AC who began working with her late husband as a gynaecologist in Ethiopia back in 1959 is still involved with the Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa.

I find the stories of women suffering from Fistula heartbreaking and make me ashamed of being upset at losing money in the current financial crisis. The Hamlin Fistula Relief and Aid Fund is well worth supporting and the USA fund is at http://www.fistulafoundation.org/.
I also have such admiration for people who give up so much to use their talents whether as a doctor or a builder to help others in these ways.

I had already decided a month ago to add this organisation to my pathetically small list of regular donations.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Economics Anyone?

I am almost ashamed to admit it but my university major is in Economics, the dismal science.
It really came about by default. At school I loved languages and wanted to teach them. I was hopeless at Sciences (we only had Physics and Chemistry, later in life I developed an interest in both Biology and Geology). Therefore in senior high school I studied English and the basic Maths, French, German (I had studied Latin in junior high but found it hard) and took up Economics and Geography rather than Science. My best subjects in the final state run exams were French and Economics so in my first year at University I took French, German, Economics and Psychology.

Disaster struck as I failed both languages but passed Economics and obtained a credit in Psychology (which persuaded my Father that it was worth my continuing). Teaching languages was no longer an option so I picked up Geography and later History to go with the Economics. I loved both these subjects but it was too late to major in them so my degree majors were in Education and Economics.
On arriving at my first teaching post, I discovered they needed a Geography teacher rather than an Economics teacher and so the result has been that, I think, I have only taught Economics in 4 or 5 of my 40 years of teaching.
Having explained all that I hesitate to continue with this post as I know enough to know how much I do not understand and how complicated it all is.

However I have always been a socialist and probably many Americans would consider me a communist. My parents went through the Great Depression and I really believed that by Government regulation to modify the economic cycle, we could avoid future depressions and only suffer occasional recessions when actions to slow a boom were a bit too severe or too late. Of course, I saw this view going out of favour as many economists seem to swing back to the laissez faire, free market beliefs that I was taught had brought about the problems of the 1890's and 1930's. Economists have instead been suckled on the dictum that markets will arrive at the correct outcomes, markets do the regulating. Now we are seeing that free marketeering is really nothing but an excuse to avoid social responsibility. As one commentator wrote this week "Old fashioned socialists must be dusting off their manifestos." I feel slightly vindicated.

Thankfully I live in a country which does have a more centralised and better organised regulatory regime than the USA but it has still followed the trajectory of less regulation for many years. We are told that our major banks are in a much better position and will be able to withstand the problems now occurring. Our Government is putting money into buying mortgages from the smaller non-banks in order to maintain competition as they find it difficult to obtain funds on the world markets which will allow them to compete with the 4 major banks. At least our Government has been running a surplus for many years so can make the funds available to do this without going into debt.

I have also been horrified as both major parties have just offered more and more tax concessions at each election. People were sucked in by these offers then did not see the link to the rundown of government services in health, education and transport.

The irony is that this crisis is occurring now when I am more vulnerable.
Recessions did not frighten me as working in education meant my job was secure. I learnt from my parents to avoid debt wherever possible. My parents gave me my first car for my 21st birthday, I chose it rather than have a party. However, the car being 10 years old I traded it in on a new station wagon just 2 years later and got a loan to do this. I again obtained a loan for the next car - a Kombivan about 3 years later but since then have kept each car 10-15 years and always paid cash.
I borrowed heavily for my first apartment but 6 years later purchased a 3 bedroom house on an acre of land for slightly less than I sold the apartment. However it is 80 km from the city and I spent over 4 hours a day travelling to and from work (by train) for 9 years. In the 80's I was told I should borrow against the house like everyone else was doing at that time but I remembered my mother saying that making that last payment and owning one's house was the best thing ever. Being unencumbered allowed me to take casual work and study for a career change in the early 90's.

I realise that if everyone was like me the economy would slow. I still have the refrigerator I bought 33 years ago, the bed I bought 30 years ago and the second washing machine in 33 years only because the first broke down completely. I did not own a television for the first six years of homeowning and no lounge suite for a few years (I still have it) I have spent a lot of money on establishing a garden and as you know I love travel. I also update my computer regularly. However I do not understand why young people today move into their first home and have to fully furnish it immediately.

I have only dabbled in shares to a very small extent but did invest in superannuation. Since 1992, it has been compulsory for all Australian employers to put 9% of wages into an employee's superannuation fund. I had a small amount before then and for a number of years put up to 20% extra into the fund.
The idea is I will not be dependent on a government pension when I turn 65 next year although I should be eligible for a health card.
Of course until half way through 2007 the fund was growing at over 12% p.a. despite my beginning to withdraw from it since 2005 (delayed about a year due to 9/11). Thankfully I moved it from 74% to 50% growth assets (mainly shares) in December and as I saw it still go down by $1,000 per month moved it further to only 32% growth in April but last Tuesday I discovered I had lost $4,000 in one week and am waiting nervously until next Tuesday for the next report.

So naturally as people talk about a possible Depression in the USA I am keen to see the US government do something to arrest the crisis. When a ship goes on the rocks because of the Captain's poor navigation, you cannot waste time telling him what a fool he has been, do that later, you have to start bailing.
I realise now that the first bill was inadequate and needed modification but hopefully something will be done in the next day (before the Australian Stock exchange opens 14 hours ahead of New York). It will look like it is assisting the reckless fools who got us into this mess but unfortunately in a free market economy ordinary little people suffer as well. It would be nice to think that lessons are being learnt but experience tells me that is unlikely.

Friday, September 26, 2008

In Bruges - Guns

No, sadly I have not set off on new travels, I just went to the movies.
I belong to a movie club which costs me (I think) $10 per year and gives me cheap admission and if I attend 5 movies at this theatre in 3 months, the fifth is free. It mainly shows art house movies, often in other languages.
Since returning from Europe I have seen (my ratings)
And When did you last see your Father(7)
Unfinished Sky (6)
The Visitor (8)
The Band's Visit (7)
and so had to see my 5th and free movie before the end of September.
I visited Bruges in 1974 and have a photo I took of it hanging on my wall. I visited again for just a few hours last year. So although the reviews talked about language and violence I decided to take the risk. I left in a state of shock. The views of Bruges were lovely but the trivia on IMDV says
"The word 'f..k' and its derivatives are said 126 times in this 107-minute film, an average of 1.18 'f..ks' per minute." I suppose it is a lifetime of telling students to mind their language. I do not mind an occasional use to give authenticity but....


I think I read on IMDB that there were 11 deaths, I only counted 6 but then I know I missed an important one to the story at the end when I had my eyes closed. It is not just the deaths, it is all the detail of blood etc. I have to keep telling myself it is just make believe but as stated usually close my eyes. Also each death seemed to take hours and involve at least 10 gun shots with all the grisly detail.

No, it was not entertainment for me. I wonder if these types of movies lead to the horrible massacres such as occurred in Finland this week. Such events hit home when they occur in some place with which you identify and I was in Finland in May. I was in Washington at the time of the Virginia Massacre. The news says that Finland is only behind the USA and one other country in number of guns per population. I remember my host telling me that Finns are keen hunters and believe owning guns is a right (sounds familiar)
Australia has had its terrible massacres leading to strict control of hand guns which was one time I applauded the detestable Prime Minister Howard. I do not want to speak too soon but at the moment we have a group of teenagers before the courts who attacked students and teachers at a nearby school earlier this year with baseball bats etc. There were injuries and trauma but no deaths. The results may have been different if they had access to guns. I have only been in one school where a gun was involved and it was a replica but very traumatic to the young teacher and nearby students. I am even nervous when travelling on the train next to a policeman who must carry his gun when in uniform.

I will choose my movies more carefully in future.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Personal feelings

Last Saturday I blogged about South Pacific. I began to think about the times I was in the Musical Society. I felt very nostalgic. Besides loving being on the stage and the high I was on for the two to three weeks of the production, it was great to have a group of friends away from work, most younger than me. There were the practice nights which were difficult because they often went late and I use to catch the 5.30am train to work in those days. Sometimes I had to drop out when it got too much for me. As the show dates came close, at least one day of each weekend was involved in organising scenery. I am not much good at practical things like that but I could carry the timber or hold the tools. I enjoyed the cameraderie.
I dropped out of the society in the mid 90's and lost contact except for an occasional meeting in the street. I tried to return about 5 years later but knew very few and was much older than the rest of the cast so did not stay. After writing the blog I was regretting the loss of those times and feeling a bit down.

Then I received a monthly email from Pink Mountains (I live in the Blue Mountains - get it.) I have never stirred myself to go to any of the activities advertised, I am 64 and the gay world is so ageist. However they had a link to this movie.



After watching I burst into tears of regret.

When I was at High school, in the late 50's, I did not even know what a homosexual was. I did not find out until I studied psychology at university and learnt to my horror that my inner feelings were a sin, needing psychological treatment.
When I was at school I would befriend some of the handsome guys thinking I wanted to "win them for Christ" but not understanding the goose bumps I had if they put their arm around me. I occasionally dated girls but there were no special feelings. I really did not want to kiss them goodnight. Again I put it down to living a virtuous Christian life.
How much better my life would have been, if I could have understood and acted on my adolescent feelings in a normal way.
When I did begin to act on these feelings, having found the psychological treatment a failure, I went to a newsagent away from where I lived or worked, bought magazines, sent letters to a post box (and established one of my own). Then you met a guy and would have sex straight away and usually never met again. Is it any wonder so many of us are so f...ked up sexually.

Things in schools are better today but nowhere near perfect. This film is not the norm but I have seen students in school where I worked who were not afraid to be 'out'. Very occasionally I have seen two boys holding hands in the main street. At least young people can meet in more normal surroundings and the topic is discussed in magazines, newspapers and on TV. I have heard teenagers talking in the train about who at school is gay and not obviously in any derogatory sense. Young gay men today may still be bullied but they usually know where to get help. Possibly it is more difficult in rural areas.

Anyway after having a good cry, I went and put my CD of South Pacific on and was soon waltzing around the lounge room. (Perhaps it is just as well I live alone). The next day at church the sermon was about the labourers in the field and the preacher at one stage said we should not hold regrets about the past. I am often amazed at how God speaks to me.

I get depressed but from observation of friends who suffer from depression, I know I do not. None of them would find a cure by playing a Broadway musical CD.
And this is the reason I become so angry with the fundamentalists today who would turn us back to those times of repression.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

South Pacific

I have decided to be a little self-indulgent and blog about my "musical career". I have been inspired by a segment on the morning classic breakfast program to which I listen, which usually runs through an opera or operetta each week telling the story and playing some pieces. Last week was a little down market when they chose Rodger & Hammerstein's South Pacific but set me reminiscing.

This was the second show in which I participated with the Blue Mountains Musical Society way back in 1986. As always, I was just one of the chorus, a sailor, and can be seen on the left in the two photos below. The second with Bloody Mary in the front.The program shows me as playing the part of Seaman Tom O'Brien and I think I had a few lines of dialogue, I was always too nervous to take even a small singing part.

I always thought it was a rather sexist show 'There is nothing like a dame' but should take into account that it was first staged in 1949 and apparently it was ahead of its time in dealing with racism 'Carefully Taught'.
Of course, it is not unusual for a gay man to love musicals but to my knowledge none of those on stage with me were gay but then I was not out at the time. I was a bit bemused that the young men, mostly married, were keen to vaunt their heterosexuality despite obviously enjoying taking part in musical theatre.
Listening to the score, there are several songs in which the word 'gay' is used but not in its modern connotation. "I'm as trite and as gay as a daisy" in 'A Wonderful Guy' and 'gayer than laughter' in 'Younger than Springtime' which I love but could not find a good version on Youtube without all the lead up so instead have found this rendition of everyone's favourite 'Some Enchanted Evening' apparently by members of a current Broadway cast. Enjoy.



Playing the CD today and thinking how wonderful the songs are, I have been wondering why I do not remember enjoying my participation as much as some of the other shows I did. I think it is because the men's chorus is not involved in any of the great songs. They only sing 'There is nothing like a dame' which did not inspire me, 'Bloody Mary' which was OK and 'Honey Bun' also only okay. I will continue with this in future weeks.

Friday, September 19, 2008

A Sensible Archbishop

Oh that the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, were Archbishop of New South Wales.
Most of you have probably read his latest remarks but I do want to applaud him and stress these parts.
The Scriptures are primary but we read them informed by reason, tradition and from our cultural context as others read them from the perspective of their culture. God’s eternal word to us is Jesus and therefore we read and interpret the Scriptures in His light.
Why is it that as far as Anglicanism is concerned, we do not interpret the Scriptures literally when it comes to issues such as usury or marriage and divorce to name but two, but insist on a literal interpretation of texts that allegedly deal with homosexuality. It is difficult to believe that we have boxed ourselves into this particular corner. Allegorical, symbolical and mythical interpretations are allowed and have been allowed from the time of the Fathers to the present day for every part of the Bible, except for those that deal with sexuality and one is also left wondering why there cannot be diversity on this issue as on so many other moral issues.

GAFCON members do not believe in engaging in dialogue with people with whom they disagree on human sexuality because it means being open to the possibility that the position of one’s opponent might be true when the plain sense reading of Scripture shows in their view that it is not.

the consecration of a bishop living in a same-gender union has caused deep upset and outrage and questions both the view of Scripture and tradition, has hampered mission in some parts of the Communion and led to the persecution of Christians in others, and has impaired ecumenical relationships as our Roman Catholic observers told us.
On the other hand, in other places, it has sent positive messages about the place of homosexuals in God’s church. (my bold)

The whole of his sermon is well worth reading and pondering. O Excellent Archbishop.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Election

That got your attention :-) but no, it is not the US Presidential but the Local elections in the state of New South Wales which were held last Saturday.

The local councils are not very important in the scheme of things. They look after rubbish collection, footpaths and local roads, approve development unless it is important, in which case the State government takes control. The only education they provide are council libraries and some child care, the only health are baby health clinics and ensure cleanliness of food establishments.
They do not even have a place in our constitution and only exist if the State government allows. It is quite common for the State government to sack a council if there is a hint of corruption and put in administrators. Many of the councillors are just seeing their election as training for the bigger things although to be fair I guess a lot do see themselves as working for the community.

Anyway it provided me with my first day of paid work this calendar year. I work as an election official. Last year there was the State election in March and the National election in November. This year just the one and unless something unusual occurs there will be no work next year.

It is a long day as we start setting up just after 7am, the doors open at 8am and close at 6pm then we begin counting. The other elections with 2 houses to elect usually see us finishing after 10pm but the council elections are simpler so we were able to leave at 8pm. But I was still tired on Sunday.
For that reason, I have only just caught up with reading all the blogs. I do not know how those of you with full time jobs cope.

Our council is divided into 4 wards and the booth where I worked was the only one which took votes for all wards. It is on the border of wards 2 and 3 and someone made a monumental stuff up. The boundaries were changed since the last election and so there were 4 tables for ward 2 in which it was actually located and 1 table for each of the other wards. The officials moved around the tables to give us variety. When working on 1 and 4 it was a bit boring but Ward 3 (also with only one table) was flat out with a queue way out the door. Wards 1 and 4 had less than 50 votes all day, ward 2 (with 4 tables) took 2000 but ward 3 took 900. There were some very angry people.
Most of you will be surprised to learn that people did not just give up and go away. You see you cannot, unless you want to incur a $55 fine. Voting is compulsory in Australia. We could not increase the number of tables as we were only given one roll book to mark off.

We have to ask people if they have voted anywhere else in this election (it could be by post or at the pre-polls or at one of the other booths). I would like a dollar for everyone who tells me "once is enough". I feel like saying "Be thankful you live in a democracy and can vote" but instead I just smile and issue them with a vote after crossing their name off the list.

I am glad voting is compulsory as candidates do not have to 'get out the vote'. I believe most people do take it seriously knowing they have to attend. Some put in a blank vote, some do a 'donkey vote' (1,2,3,4 down the page) which give a very slight advantage to the person on the top (so there is a draw for ballot paper order). Some write rude words or even a rude essay which is only seen by those of us counting (plus scrutineers) and at that time of the night we could not care less and just put it on the informal pile. One man did screw his up and throw it in the bin but thankfully one of my co-workers noticed and retrieved it. Our books have to balance at the end of the night between votes issued and votes counted.

Our State Labor Government sort of imploded the week before the elections (new inexperienced Premier, lots of resignations and dummy spits) but does not have to face the electors until March 2010. Therefore many people took their annoyance out on the poor Labor local councillors. However in the Blue Mountains the gains were made by the Greens and in Ward 3, a group opposed to the building of a new chain supermarket in the main town rather than the main Liberal opposition.
Such fun and games but not very important in the world scheme of things. However am looking forward to the increase in my bank balance in a week or two.

Friday, September 12, 2008

On this rock the Jensens build a church

Only a half truth but one does not know whether to laugh or cry.

Scene: St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney. The stained glass windows have been boarded up, the altar table pushed into a corner, and the choir stalls broken up for scrap. A team of qualified demolition experts are using specialist heritage-sensitive tools (a jackhammer and two wrecking bars) to prise the last pipes out of the organ for scrap.Peter Jensen, Archbishop of Sydney (enters, looks round): All the Gothic business means the acoustics are rubbish, but this will do until I can bulldoze it and build something modern.
Read the rest
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/on-this-rock-the-jensens-build-a-church/2008/09/11/1220857739151.html

Sunday, September 07, 2008

US Elections and Abortion

I guess the blogs will be full of the US Presidential elections for the next 2 months. I wish they were only of little interest to me here in Australia but unfortunately they do result in the election of probably the most powerful person in the world. Thankfully since our elections last December, our new government will be more independent and not slavishly follow the requests of the US government as occurred in the Howard years. I am not likely to comment as it is really none of my business however the Palin woman does frighten me. If McCain wins, his continuing good health will be uppermost in my prayers.

Thankfully religion does not play a major role in Australian elections. Our present Prime Minister is a regular churchgoer but my favorite Prime Ministers from the past were either atheists or did not pay much attention to their religion. I do not think many Australians would know or care about the religious beliefs of the leaders of our governments.

Thankfully the abortion issue is kept out of party politics as such matters are usually declared a conscience vote and members of parliament are free to vote according to conscience rather than along any party line. Abortion law is a State matter so differs accordingly but there is a private member's bill before the national parliament later this month to scrap Medicare funding for abortions in Australia for women who are more than 14 weeks pregnant. Of course, if it is passed it will just mean that wealthy women can still have later abortions and only impact on the poor and vulnerable. It seems unlikely to be passed. Similarly a year or so ago a bill to end the Health Minister's (a devout Catholic at the time) decade-long control over the abortion pill RU486 was passed by conscience voting.

I believe it is none of my business as to what a woman does with her body. But it is wrong to call anybody pro-abortion just because they believe it should not be a criminal offence. In an ideal world, abortion would not be necessary. There would be good sex education along with easily obtainable and foolproof contraception. Abortions would only be needed for health reasons. But we do not live in such a world and strangely the opponents of legalised abortion seem to also be against sex education in schools. These people, like the Palin woman, say they are pro-Life yet are pro capital punishment (thankfully it is 60 years since the last hanging in Australia)and pro war, even pro blood sports.

I have done some research and find it was not until the late 1800s that the Catholic Church instituted the belief that the embryo acquires a soul at conception. Before that, there was no general consensus on abortion.

Also surveys in Australia conducted from 2003 to 2005 suggest that 80 per cent of Australians support a woman’s right to choose. A 2003 survey found that 77 per cent of respondents who held religious views believe in the right to choose. Of the 1,000 Catholics surveyed 72 per cent favoured choice. Evangelical groups held more restrictive views but even among this group 53 per cent were pro-choice.
http//www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=7528

For some enlightened (in my view) discussion go and read Elizabeth Keaton

Friday, September 05, 2008

Nun's Story


A cabbie picks up a Nun

She gets into the cab, and notices that the VERY handsome cab driver won't stop staring at her.
She asks him why he is staring.
He replies:
'I have a question to ask you but I don't want to offend you.'
She answers,
'My son, you cannot offend me. When you're as old as I am and have been a nun as long as I have, you get a chance to see and hear just about everything. I'm sure that there's nothing you could say or ask that I would find offensive.'
'Well, I've always had a fantasy to have a nun kiss me.'
She responds,
'Well, let's see what we can do about that:
First you have to be single and
Second, you must be Catholic.'
The cab driver is very excited and says,
'Yes, I'm single and Catholic!'
'OK' the nun says. 'Pull into the next alley.'
The nun fulfills his fantasy, with a kiss that would make a hooker blush.

But when they get back on the road, the cab driver starts crying.
'My dear child,' says the nun, 'why are you crying?'
'Forgive me but I've sinned. I lied and I must confess,
I'm married and I'm Episcopalian.'
The nun says, 'That's OK.
My name is Kevin and I'm going to a fancy dress party

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Mandalay

While I love reading the posts listed on the right and usually agree with their philosophies and theologies, I do not usually enjoy the music they post, especially madpriest. Culture Choc is an exception with some wonderful Bach cantatas. Things however improved over the weekend when Counterlight posted for Grandmere Mimi 'We'll meet again' and Fr Scott posted the Los Angeles Gay Men's Choir singing the Anvil Chorus from Verdi's Il Trovatore.
By coincidence I had just returned from a concert by the Sydney Men's Choir who had also sung the Anvil chorus (but did not remove their shirts)
However I came home singing 'The Road to Mandalay' which is within my vocal range although I do not have the voice displayed here nor the even better rendition by one of the choristers on Sunday afternoon, a man who is intellectually challenged but certainly not vocally challenged.

Monday, September 01, 2008

Missed him


Our church St James, King Street has 3 services most Sundays. 7.45 Said Eucharist is far too early for me (1 would need to leave home about 5am). 9am Sung Eucharist suits me fine and I can be home at 1pm for lunch. 11am Choral Eucharist is beautiful but I prefer to keep it for special occasions (when it is often combined and at 10am). Thoroughly confused? :-)
Yesterday went at 9am and watching news last night got a shock when I saw our assistant priest. Then followed the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd and his wife. Several other views followed during the news. Kevin Rudd is a devout Anglican and the reporters seem to like interviewing him as he leaves church each Sunday. He grew up in Brisbane and naturally now lives in Canberra so he would not feel very at home in the usual Sydney church. He must have been in Sydney for the weekend and yeay, he chose a good inclusive non fundamentalist church.