Good morning, friends,

Lots of news today! It’s a beautiful sunny morning- isn’t spring lovely? The weeds think so…

• Tomorrow we celebrate All Souls, which gives an opportunity to remember people we love who have died. The Wednesday morning Eucharist will focus on All Souls and at 7pm there is a service of Prayer at the End of the Day. Come along, write their names in the memorial book, light a candle and pray.
  
• Thursday: Toddler Jam in the morning at 9:30; Meditation (final session with Grahame) at 6pm
  
• Saturday: Men’s Breakfast at 7:30am, with a speaker from the RAC who will talk about seniors and driving
  
• Sunday: All Saints, and Grahame’s final Sunday as Formation Student here at St Nic’s. Please stay for morning tea (after both services) if you can.

Coming up:

• Sunday 13^th November, 3pm: Parish Consultation with Bishop Jeremy James. This is an important opportunity to discuss your vision for the parish and its future Rector so please put the date in your diary.
• Thursday 17^th November, 7pm: reading of St Luke’s Gospel. This has been the Year of Luke in the 3-year cycle; the new year begins on the First Sunday of Advent, and will be the Year of Matthew. Hearing the entire Gospel read aloud is a moving experience, not to be missed. There is a sign-up sheet at church or you can book here: bit.ly/lukereading.
• New Lectionaries are on order and should arrive soon.
• Advent Studies: will begin on Wednesday 23^rd November, for 4 weeks, at 10:45am and 7pm.
• St Nic’s Celebration, Saturday December 3^rd: this will be an International Food Night and everyone is invited! You may like to bring a dish to share from your heritage or just whatever is your favourite. Sign up at church or online https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=975136&or call Lynn 0409542973

WANTED: Our volunteer gardeners are requesting old newspapers (no glossy inserts please). If you have any, please bring this this Sunday, 6 November. This is a one-time only request, not an ongoing requirement!

We are collecting for ‘It’s in the bag’- see here for details or ask Alex in the office https://www.sharethedignity.org.au/itsinthebag

The November newsletter can be found here: https://stnicolasanglican.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/st-nics-news-november-2022.pdf

Here is the Collect Prayer for All Saints, which is always on November 1 but celebrated on the first Sunday after that:

Eternal God,
neither death nor life can separate us from your love:
grant that we may serve you faithfully here on earth,
and in heaven rejoice with all your saints
who ceaselessly proclaim your glory;
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

Rector

Good morning friends,

It’s been a long and eventful three weeks! I am looking forward to being back with you, and I start work on Monday.

As you may remember, I had two weeks of annual leave (booked back in February) to begin straight after Synod (9-10 October). We planned to celebrate our Golden Wedding Anniversary and then spend some time in Albany. The best laid plans….. Suffice it to say that on the second day of my leave Allan was taken to hospital by ambulance and his gallbladder removed the following day. After 5 days in hospital he came home feeling sore but very much better, but all our plans had to be cancelled. That’s why I asked for another week of leave- so we could do something nice at least! Thank you to Mothers Union for the Joy Bag for Allan- such a nice thought.

Thank you particularly to Chris Albany for stepping in; he is truly a gift to this parish.

The process of discernment and search for a new Rector is beginning. Please remember that this process must remain confidential, for good reasons; just as you wouldn’t want someone to tell your employer that you have interviewed for another position, so the nomination board must keep their deliberations in confidence. Our nominators can only speak in general about how it’s going so please don’t ask them for details.

This week has an assortment of things happening: Halloween is on Monday, so we might see children in costumes roaming the streets- hopefully with a responsible adult! All Saints is observed on November 1^st; it was once known as All Hallows (=holy) hence Halloween, the evening/ night before. We will celebrate All Saints on Sunday 6^th at church. On Wednesday we commemorate All Souls, when we remember those who have died. Our Wednesday morning Eucharist will focus on All Souls and there will also be a service at 7pm for those who can’t come in the morning but would like to come and say a prayer and light a candle for their loved ones.

On Thursday at 6pm the meditation group will meet with Grahame as leader for the final time; and Sunday 6^th will be the last day of Grahame’s placement as formation student with us. Grahame will preach on All Saints, which I look forward to very much. I’m sure you will agree that Grahame has been a blessing to us this year and we will keep him in prayer as he waits to know whether he will be ordained Deacon in the new year. There will be opportunities to farewell Grahame at morning tea after each service.

Here is the Collect Prayer of the Week until Sunday:

Almighty and everlasting God,

give to us the increase of faith, hope and love;

and, that we may obtain what you promise,

make us to love what you command;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God bless,

Lorna

The Reverend Lorna A M Green

Rector

Good afternoon, friends,

I hope all is well with you and yours.

First some good news- WE HAVE A CLEANER!!! A lovely lady named Jeanne; Alex has emailed everyone on the cleaning roster to thank them and tell them they are now off the hook!

So what we need now is for all the people who were at the Annual Meeting, who voted to have a cleaner AND said they will contribute to the cost, to please start making your contributions towards paying the cleaner. It will cost the parish around $3,000 per year. At the meeting of Parish Council last night our Treasurer informed us that we have had another month with a deficit, so we need to be able to cover this added expense.

Here are some photos from Sunday afternoon’s Blessing of the Animals; it was a really lovely and enjoyable time, and the doggies were all so good!

The Synod of the Diocese of Perth meets this weekend; if you would like to read about what Synod is for and what happens there is information on the Diocesan website: https://www.perth.anglican.org/church/governance/synod

I will be attending along with John Hillyer and Ed Scott; please remember us in your prayers; Archbishop Kay as she chairs Synod; and all the people responsible for organising this meeting of 400+ people from all around the Diocese. Each parish sends their priest and two lay representatives; also present are Anglican Chaplains from health, aged care and justice, and representatives from Anglican schools, Anglicare, and other Anglican organisations. Synod begins at 8:30am Saturday until 6:30pm and reconvenes on Sunday at 1pm until 6:00pm.

There will not be a Meditation Group tomorrow (Thursday) as Grahame will be at the Cathedral for the service with the Archbishop of Canterbury. The group will meet on Thursday 14^th.

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

Generous God,
whose hand is open to fill all things living with plenteousness:
make us ever thankful for your goodness,
and grant that we,
remembering the account that we must one day give,
may be faithful stewards of your bounty;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God bless,

Lorna

The Reverend Lorna A M Green

Happy Monarch’s Birthday!

My phone calendar says today is the Queen’s Birthday holiday, Allan’s says it’s the King’s Birthday….. anyway it’s a beautiful day and I hope you can get outside and enjoy the spring sunshine.

The ‘news flash’ is that in place of the Men’s Breakfast this Saturday (1^st October) we are having another ‘combined’ get-together, which means EVERYONE is invited to come along at 9am. There will be morning tea and a presentation by yours truly, and it will be lovely to see you there.

On Sunday (2^nd) there will be a short service of Blessing of the Animals, to thank God for all the creatures that are important to us: the furry and feathery ones, the tiny and terrifying ones (I’m thinking of spiders…), the slithery or supportive ones- our pets and other animals. We will meet under our lovely patio at 2:30pm, and if your pet isn’t happy (or suitable) to bring along then a photo will do. This will not be a communion service and might be something to which you can invite grandchildren, neighbours etc. who don’t generally go to church.

Albie the Rectory Cat (and my office assistant) is elderly, grumpy, and would probably howl and yell if we brought him because cat carrier = vet, so he might miss out.

Here is the Prayer of the Week following the Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost:

O God,

you declare your almighty power

chiefly in showing mercy and pity:

mercifully grant us such a measure of your grace

that, running in the way of your commandments,

we may obtain your gracious promises,

and be made partakers of your heavenly treasure;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God bless,

Lorna

The Reverend Lorna A M Green

Good afternoon all,

We had a great time at our first ever Families@5 on Sunday; 24 people including children came and all enjoyed themselves. I played 2 games of chess, won one and lost one, and there were carpet bowls, battleships, craft activities and all kinds of good things happening. One family brought lovely chocolate cake- made by the young ones- and we had a good supper. Come along next time– date to be confirmed.

Yesterday, members of Mothers’ Union and the Friendship Group went to Araluen and in spite of patchy weather had a lovely time, tiptoeing through the tulips.

This morning was the final Toddler Jam for this term and lots of toddlers & parents were there. Nikki is doing a superb job! Next term it will be on Thursdays and we’d love a few more volunteers to help out and share the fun.

Don’t forget that Thursday is a public holiday, so the Meditation group will not be meeting.

If you read this email today, our daughter Sarah has asked for your prayers; she has an important appointment with a new specialist this afternoon. Thank you.

I have attached a copy of the sermon given by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, at the funeral for her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth, for your interest.

In case you are wondering what happens next in terms of the next Rector of the Parish, I’m meeting with Bishop Jeremy today and will clarify a few things and let you know how the process will begin and work out.

Prayer of the Week following the Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Loving Father,

whose Son Jesus Christ has taught us

that what we do for the least of our brothers and sisters

we do also for him:

 give us the will to be the servant of others as he was the servant of all,

who gave up his life and died for us,

and yet lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever. Amen.

God bless,

Lorna

The Reverend Lorna A M Green

Good morning, friends

Bit of a damp day here in (usually sunny) Perth- but the gardens are loving it. I can see a magpie wandering around looking for bugs and worms in the front garden as I type.

Today I’m off to Canberra along with Archdeacon Angela Webb, joining with Christian Women leaders from different denominations and organisations around Australia, to speak to politicians about the global food crisis and foreign aid. You can read about Micah Australia, who organise this event, here: https://www.micahaustralia.org/ And I’ve attached some information for your interest.

I will be back on Thursday evening; the Wednesday 9:15am service will be conducted by the Revd. Chris Albany. Please pray for us as we meet with members of parliament on Wednesday, that they will be open to listen and- more importantly- to take action.

I have also attached yesterday’s sermon if you’d like to read it; it was a difficult and challenging gospel reading, about the cost of discipleship and the choices we make. And if you are in the mood for reading, I’ve attached an article by renowned Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggeman about what the Bible actually says about homosexuality. It’s long but easy to read and I think very good.

Here is the Collect Prayer of the Week for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

O God,

you know us to be set in the midst

of so many and so great dangers

that by reason of the frailty of our nature

we cannot always stand upright:

grant to us such strength and protection

as may support us in all dangers

and carry us through all temptations;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God bless,

Lorna

The Reverend Lorna A M Green

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 afternoon friends,

You will find attached a letter and an article regarding the launch this week of the ‘Diocese of the Southern Cross’, which has been reported in the news; I hope it helps to explain the situation and will gladly attempt to answer any questions you may have.

Tomorrow- Saturday- is the Recycling Hub, open from 9 to 11 am; maybe I’ll see you there! Marian will take your recyclables on Sunday following each service if you can’t get to St Nic’s tomorrow.

This is from the Revd. Dr Elizabeth Smith, in response to the events of this week:

It’s a big week in the Anglican Church of Australia. Some people have formed a breakaway church. We can pray for our parish to be a place where everyone will be at home, including LGBTQIA+  people and their families and friends. We can pray for God to give us the kind of unity that shows the love of Jesus for all of us. Here are some prayers that anyone could pray for their local church.

Revd. Dr Elizabeth Smith

God of love, we pray for the unity of your Church in all the world.

God, give us grace to persevere in communion with one another

through differences of opinion on many matters.

Keep us true to the Good News of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen.

Teach us to embrace with joy the diversity you keep on giving us:

women and men, old and young, gay and straight,

people of faith from every race and language and culture.

Show us the face of Jesus in every one of our neighbours. 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