Good afternoon all,

This greeted me as I walked across the carpark to church early Sunday morning:  a lovely rainbow, shining on St Nic’s! Of course it rained soon after, but it’s always a joy to see a rainbow:

This morning was Toddler Jam, so I have the songs running through my head: ‘We’re the toddler jammers….’  ‘The wheels on the bus go round and round’…… Those earworms will hang around all day! It is lovely to see the little ones having such a good time and being so engaged with the music and movement. As an extra bonus some of us had a cuddle with Laura’s baby (granddaughter of Helen & Peter Krynen) showing that we Nannas haven’t forgotten 😊

Next term Toddler Jam will move to Thursdays so we will need some volunteers please- not everyone who currently helps out is available on Thursdays. If you’d like to come to set out morning tea and enjoy the fun please let us know.

Don’t forget that on Saturday at 9:30am Darren is coming to talk to us about the work of ‘Destiny Rescue’ and everyone is invited.

We have been unable to find a Cleaner to employ so far: we’ve had a couple that looked promising but didn’t eventuate. Please pass the word around if you can- you might have a neighbour or a friend who would like a couple of hours of work. In the meantime I’m afraid our rostered volunteer cleaners need to continue.

Here is the Collect Prayer of the Week following the Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost:

Lord of all power and might,

the author and giver of all good things:

graft in our hearts the love of your name,

increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness,

and of your great mercy keep us in the same;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God bless,

     Lorna

       The Reverend Lorna A M Green

Good afternoon all,

A new, bumper edition of our monthly newsletter for September is now available at church and it looks terrific! Make sure you pick one up on Sunday; Alex has done a great job.

I’ve attached a poster for our new initiative: “Families @ 5”, Sunday September 18^th. This will be an informal social occasion, hopefully happening each month, and EVERYONE is invited. A ‘family’ can mean one or two parents with child(ren); single people; couples; grandparents (with or without grandchildren); or any other combination you can think of! There will be games for various ages to play and pizza to enjoy; tea & coffee, BYO cool drink if you wish. When the weather is nicer we might choose to meet at a park so energetic ones can kick or throw a ball around (while some of us sit in our camp chairs and watch 😊).

This would be a good opportunity to invite your neighbours or family members along. There is an online booking option and also a sign-up sheet in the foyer at church. Don’t forget that the day before, Saturday 17^th at 2pm, the Mother’s Union is holding a Beetle Drive: it’s going to be a weekend of fun!

Do you watch our live-streamed services? If you do, please let me know and if you have any constructive feedback I’d like to hear it. This week I had some very good suggestions from a parishioner that will be helpful. It’s really good to hear from people who are not able to attend church in person at the moment, and lovely to know that making services available online continues to be valuable.

I have attached a reflection I read today that spoke to me; it’s about how the Holy Spirit will guide us if we listen to the inner voice that prompts us. I hope it speaks to you too.

Here is the Collect Prayer of the Week following the Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost:

Creator God,

you have made us for yourself,

and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you:

teach us to offer ourselves to your service,

that here we may have your peace,

and in the world to come

may see you face to face;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God bless,

Lorna

The Reverend Lorna A M Green

Good morning, all

We have sunshine- for the moment at least! I’m going to the St John of God Retreat Centre at Shoalwater this afternoon, coming home on Thursday, for my annual retreat. (All clergy are to take an annual retreat). It is close to the beach and I love walking along the beach to a coffee shop that looks out to Penguin Island; but if the weather forecast is right I might be indoors the whole time! Ah well.

Tomorrow morning is Toddler Jam: do you know anyone with a toddler or two who might enjoy it? Let them know! Then the Craft & Chat group meets from 12:30 and all are welcome.

On Wednesday the 9:15am service will be celebrated by the Reverend Cassandra Nixon- please make her welcome.

The Meditation Group meets at 6pm on Thursday

Our monthly Recycling Hub is on Saturday between 9 & 11; please bring along your containers for change, plastic bottle tops, household batteries, small electricals, plastic bread tags (not the cardboard ones please) and medication blister packs; a small donation is requested for blister packs because they are recycled through Terracycle, and it is not free.

If you use Giving Envelopes for your weekly offering, there is a sign-up sheet at church if you would like a new set for the next year; or you can email the parish office on office@stnicolasanglican.org  It will help us to know how many sets are required.

The Prayer of the Week – Tenth Sunday After Pentecost

Almighty God,

you have given your only Son

to be for us both a sacrifice for sin

and also an example of godly life:

give us grace

that we may always thankfully receive the benefits of his sacrifice,

and also daily endeavour to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life;

through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Today we remember Mary, Mother of Our Lord: and here is her song, the Magnificat

Song of Mary, APBA p 388
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord:

my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,

Who has looked with favour on his lowly servant:

from this day all generations will call me blessed.

The Almighty has done great things for me:

and holy is his name.

God has mercy on those who fear him:

from generation to generation.

The Lord has shown strength with his arm:

and scattered the proud in their conceit,

Casting down the mighty from their thrones:

and lifting up the lowly.

God has filled the hungry with good things:

and sent the rich away empty.

He has come to the aid of his servant Israel:

to remember the promise of mercy,

The promise made to our forebears:

to Abraham and his children for ever.

God bless,

Lorna

The Reverend Lorna A M Green

Good morning all,

I hope you are well, and commiserations to those currently suffering from covid or recovering or in isolation!

I realised today that church is actually one of the safer places to be at the moment in terms of covid exposure: it’s a big space, many people are wearing masks, and everyone is being careful to consider the health and wellbeing of others. I went to a meeting at the Joondalup Council building the other evening, in a room that was much smaller than St Nic’s; there were at least 30 people present and only two of us in masks. So there you go.

As I type, there are tree-lopping gentlemen at the front of the Rectory; they have been removing some overhanging branches from the beautiful big tree in the front garden, to make it safe. Albie the Rectory Cat has been not a little disturbed by all the strange loud noises and men in helmets and ear-protection! He is overseeing proceedings from the safe position of my office desk, looking out of the window to make sure they are doing the right thing.

Attached is a flyer from Grandparents Rearing Grandchildren (WA); they are seeking donations to support families having a hard time, as inflation rises and the cost of living is rising so quickly. I can only imagine how hard it would be to support children and teenagers on an aged pension….

On Sunday, the service at 7:30am will be as usual, and the 9:30am service will be a little different; it is a 5^th Sunday, when we would normally have an all-age service. We have had very few children at church for most of this year, so if you are a family that might like to break the drought and come along- we’ll be delighted to see you! There will be lovely music and a guest preacher.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails please let me know and I can stop bothering you.

Here is the Collect Prayer for this week:

Seventh Sunday After Pentecost

O God,

the protector of all that trust in you,

without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy:

increase and multiply upon us your mercy,

that, with you as our ruler and guide,

we may so pass through things temporal

that we finally lose not the things eternal.

Grant this, O heavenly Father,

for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

God bless,

Lorna

The Reverend Lorna A M Green

Good afternoon friends,

Today, a week after the event, we were able to finally celebrate Margaret Smith’s special birthday with morning tea following the Wednesday Eucharist. Special thanks to those who prepared and served morning tea; it was a lovely occasion. (For those who don’t know Margaret, she’s the redhead sitting second on the left, looking terrific!)

As you may remember, at our Annual Meeting we were only able to elect a People’s Warden (Ed Scott) in the absence of any other nominations. I am delighted to announce that Marian Green has agreed to take on the role of Rector’s Warden for this year. As this left a vacancy on Parish Council I have appointed Lyn Potter as Parish Councillor; Lyn is also a Synod Alternate, meaning that if one of our two elected Lay Members of Synod is unable to attend, Lyn can take their place. Please join me in congratulating Marian and Lyn, and please pray for your parish council and their responsibilities. Ed will have particularly responsibility for and oversight of the fabric of the church- repairs and maintenance etc. of the building.

Also at our Annual Meeting it was agreed that the parish will employ a cleaner, to clean the church, hall, kitchen and bathrooms. If you know someone who would like to work for a couple of hours per week, please let them know that this job will be available soon; they will be employed by the Diocese.

The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Holy Bible with the Apocrypha has been the default and preferred translation of the Scriptures in this Diocese since its publication almost 30 years ago and is the translation we always use in church. An updated version of the NRSV (NRSVue) with more than 20,000 edits has been released this year and will be available in bookstores (such as Koorong) from August. In the meantime, a free online version is available here https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-Revised-Standard-Version-Updated-Edition-NRSVue-Bible/ More information can be found in the attached document. The Archbishop is encouraging parishes to use the updated version; as we purchased a Lectern Bible, using a bequest, less than three years ago, we are not about to throw it away!

I will check and compare our Sunday readings with the existing NRSV and the new update and if there are significant differences we can print out that particular reading. If you are in the market for a new Bible it’s worth waiting until the NRSVue comes out; I will check prices and can order copies for anyone who would like one. If you are on the roster to read the scripture on Sundays it is useful to have your own copy so you can read ahead of time.

Here is the Collect Prayer for this week:

O God,

you alone can order our unruly wills and affections:

teach us to love what you command,

and to desire what you promise,

that, among the changes and chances of this world,

our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God bless,

Lorna

The Reverend Lorna A M Green

Good afternoon all, and Happy Bastille Day! Bonne Fete Nationale!

The weather in Paris today is set to be 32 degrees and humid….. Whereas here, the earth is drinking up the rain, and the weeds are visibly growing.

Thank you, everyone who has requested a favourite hymn recently; they are gradually being included on Sundays. Feel free to request more of your favourites!

The Recycling Hub is on Saturday (16^th) 9-11am: a brochure is attached. Please save your bottle tops, bread tags, batteries, containers for change etc. and bring them along on scheduled Saturdays OR the following day, following the services. Please don’t bring them and leave them at any other time; if you miss the day, save them at home for the next one. We have nowhere to store them.

Our orange Anglicare Bin is getting regular use, which is great! But again, if the bin is full- and it is emptied frequently- please don’t leave your donations in bags or boxes near the bin or anywhere else. Take them home and bring them another day. Remember that Anglicare can only accept donations of goods that are saleable in their op-shops, so if it is damaged, stained, or bits are missing- it will end up in landfill AND cost Anglicare money for its disposal. Only donate things you would happily give to a friend.

That also includes books for our little library: please don’t leave books that are very old, dog-eared, or only of specialist interest. Do leave books that are in good condition, that you have enjoyed and would like others to read. We hate throwing away books but sometimes have to because they are unsuitable….

How are you feeling about the coronavirus pandemic these days? Are you over it and wish everyone would just get on with being ‘normal’? Or are you concerned for your health or that of others?

The increasing number of infections (certainly under-reported) and hospital admissions tells us that we are certainly not living in a ‘post-pandemic’ time. The pandemic is still with us, still causing people to be ill and still causing deaths. It is understandable that many people are tired of it after all this time: but I believe we must maintain the good practices we previously put in place. In the absence of any government mandate, I as your Rector can only strongly recommend the following:

• Wear a mask to church, preferably an N95; cloth masks provide very little protection and surgical masks only slightly more and must be worn only once
• Continue to use the hand sanitiser provided
• If you are serving morning tea, please wear a mask and disposable gloves.
  • Make sure you wash your hands BEFORE putting on gloves and before touching any crockery, cutlery or food
  • Continue to serve all refreshments from the kitchen servery
  • Put all food containing protein (sandwiches containing eggs, fish or meat for example) in the fridge until ready to serve
  • Use provided disinfectant wipes to clean surfaces
  • Use the dishwasher whenever possible
  • Take home used tea towels for washing

These simple measures can help to protect us and anyone else who is vulnerable, not only from coronavirus but also flu, colds, and gastro viruses.

We can’t avoid all risk- life is risky! But we can go the extra mile because of love for our neighbour.

The Psalm set for this morning was Psalm 34: here is an extract:

Psalm 34

I will bless the Lord continually:

his praise shall be always in my mouth.

Let my soul boast of the Lord:

the humble shall hear it and rejoice.

O praise the Lord with me:

let us exalt his name together.

For I sought the Lord’s help and he answered:

and he freed me from all my fears.

Look towards him and be bright with joy:

your faces shall not be ashamed.

Here is a wretch who cried, and the Lord heard me:

and saved me from all my troubles.

The angel of the Lord encamps round those who fear him:

and delivers them in their need.

O taste and see that the Lord is good:

happy are they that hide in him!

God bless,

Lorna

The Reverend Lorna A M Green

Good afternoon,

Here is a link to the July edition of the Messenger: https://www.perth.anglican.org/news-and-events/messenger/messenger-july-2022  or a PDF is attached. There is now a new facility to read it on your smartphone, which is good.

What’s on this week?

• Tonight at 6:30pm: Taizé Service at City Beach Anglican Church
• Tuesday: Eucharist at Opal Carine Aged Care 11am; Craft & Chat from 1:30pm; Parish Council 7:30pm
• Wednesday: Eucharist 9:15am
• Thursday: Kids Creative Play Workshop 1-3pm (see our website for details & how to book)
• Saturday: Recycling Hub 9-11am

Here is the Collect Prayer for this week:

O Lord,

we beseech you mercifully

to receive the prayers of your people who call upon you,

and grant that they may both perceive

and know what things they ought to do,

and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil them;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God bless,

Lorna

The Reverend Lorna A M Green

Good evening, Friends,

I’ve had a pretty relaxing 3 weeks of annual leave and now I’m back and raring to go! I hope you are all well and enjoying the winter sunshine we’ve had. And I hope everyone who is on school holidays has an enjoyable, relaxing break too.

The Wednesday Eucharist at 9:15am is on and I look forward to seeing the usual bunch and anyone else who’d like to come along.

On Thursday at 11am we will remember Dean Evans, son of Ian & Leonie, as we celebrate his life with a Memorial Eucharist. You are all invited to come to St Nicolas’ to be with Dean’s family as they grieve for him.

Now that we have been given permission to share the Common Cup at Holy Communion, we need to slightly adjust the way we come for communion in order to avoid confusion for those who are serving.

• If you choose to take the cup, just wait for the LA as usual.
• If you choose not to (which is absolutely fine) please return to your seat as soon as you have received the bread.
  
• If you are waiting to go forward to the altar, please don’t fill in gaps left by people not taking the wine; take your turn when nobody is still waiting for wine.

We will all get the hang of it- we’re just out of practice! And just a reminder that we do NOT have permission to intinct (dip the host into the wine).

Here is the Collect Prayer for this week:

O God,

you have prepared for those who love you

such good things as pass our understanding:

pour into our hearts such love toward you,

that, loving you above all things,

we may obtain your promises

which exceed all that we can desire;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And here is the Canticle for Monday Evening Prayer:

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me:

because the Lord has anointed me

to bring good tidings to the afflicted.

The Lord has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted:

to proclaim liberty for the captives,

and release for those in prison,

To comfort all who mourn:

to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,

The oil of gladness instead of mourning:

a garment of splendour for the heavy heart.

They shall be called trees of righteousness:

planted for the glory of the Lord. 

Isaiah 61.1–3

God bless,

Lorna

The Reverend Lorna A M Green

Dear Friends,

The rain is lovely- I hope your garden (if you have one) is enjoying it!

Tomorrow is Trinity Sunday when we give thanks for the mystery that is God- One in Three and Three in One. And even more excitingly- our Annual Meeting of Parishioners! Come to think of it, both are a bit of a mystery to many of us…. 😊 Come along and wonder; come with your questions. Everyone should have received an email copy of all the Reports, and there will be a few printed copies available tomorrow.

On a more serious note, I am concerned that we only have one nomination for the position of Warden: we need at least two. It is not too late to put your hand up; and if you know this is not for you, please pray that someone will be moved to offer.

This morning I was in the office at church, doing some last minute preparation for tomorrow. While I was there a bag of books was dropped off outside the front door. During the week, someone had left two bags of books outside the office door. PLEASE don’t leave bags or boxes of stuff inside or outside of the church. I assume- but don’t know for sure- that books are left for our little library. Sometimes things are left that might be Anglicare donations- but I don’t know. If you want to donate ANYTHING please let someone know and preferably bring it on a Sunday or Wednesday when you can tell us what it’s for. Regarding books: we have had to throw away donated books that are very old or damaged.

Thank you for your generosity, but remember- anything you would not give to a friend is not good enough to be donated, so please consider carefully before you put things in the Anglicare bin or donate books.

Today we remember the Apostle Barnabas, known as the son of encouragement. Here is the Collect Prayer for today:

Generous God,
whose Son Jesus Christ has taught us
that it is more blessed to give than to receive:
help us by the example of your apostle Barnabas,
a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith,
to be generous in our judgements
and unselfish in our service;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

God bless,

Lorna

The Reverend Lorna A M Green

Good afternoon friends,

I hope all is well with you and yours.

As you know the Annual Meeting of Parishioners will take place on Sunday, following the 9:30am service and a quick cuppa- so at around 11am. There will be no 7:30am service this Sunday.

I have emailed the Enrolment Form in case you haven’t done one yet- it’s not too late to bring it with you tomorrow (service at 9:15am) or on Sunday. I have also sent some information from the Parish Governance Statute which outlines the responsibilities of Parish Councillors, Wardens etc.- I hope you find it interesting! All the Statutes and Policies are on the Diocesan website https://www.perth.anglican.org/

‘People’s Choice’: As I’ve mentioned we would like to give everyone the opportunity to choose a favourite hymn for the services in the weeks after Pentecost; there is a sign-up sheet at church or you can email the office or me.

Please remember in your prayers the people of Nigeria, where more than 50 people were shot dead and many more wounded as they attended Mass in Owo on Pentecost Sunday.  Owo, a relatively peaceful town, is now the latest site of a mass killing or major attack – such events are occurring frequently, as multiple security crises overwhelm the country’s security agencies. About 3,000 people were killed by armed groups in Nigeria in the first three months of 2022, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. From The Guardian

This prayer can be for them, for the people of Ukraine and all places where war and violence are present:

God, our redeemer and sustainer,

                we pray for survivors of violence, abuse and neglect.

Give your power to the powerless,

your fulness to the empty of spirit.

Heal their wounds, free them from fear,

And restore them to true health.

Grant this through Jesus Christ,

the crucified and risen Saviour,

who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Collect Prayer for this week:

                O Lord, from whom alone all good things come:

                grant that by your holy inspiration

                we may think those things that are good,

                and by your merciful guiding may perform them;

                through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God bless,

Lorna

The Reverend Lorna A M Green