A clergy colleague of mine recently observed he had only come up on the Church's radar when he was ordained. As a committed Christian running a major welfare organisation, he felt his contribution to Christ's cause did not really register with the Church until he was ordained. In another setting, a high powered business friend asked me how the Church could better resource him in living out his faith in the marketplace. Both were expressing frustration with the secular/sacred divide, which tends to pervade our thinking and practice within the Church.
It was exposed tellingly by a teacher responding to a survey by the Institute of Contemporary Christianity: "I spend an hour a week teaching Sunday School and they haul me up in front of the congregation at Church and pray for my ministry at Sunday School. The rest of the week I am a full time high school teacher and the Church has never prayed for me in that role. That says it all."
Historically, the divide goes back a long way and is related to the retreat of the Church from what Leslie Newbigin called 'the realm of public fact to that of private opinion'. Newbigin saw clearly that Christians had largely lost confidence in the value and importance of faith across the whole spectrum of life. Christian faith had become a 'leisure option' not something which can and should impact, shape and influence every aspect and sphere of society. The tide currently seems to be on the turn in the public realm, in that the contribution of faith communities is increasingly being recognised by some government agencies in the formulation of public values and policy. As a Church and as the Anglican Men's Society it is high time we broke out from the confines of the secular/sacred divide and moved on to the larger canvass Christ expects his disciples to inhabit.
Since the divide is principally to do with attitudes this means changing our culture. (Culture in this sense is "the way we do things around here"!) So as members of AMS, what part can we play in effecting this change through our local branches and parishes?
Here are a few thoughts:
Introduce regular interviews into our services, magazines or web-sites where members of the Church are invited to speak about their working life. Bring out the impact that faith makes on how work is carried out, with its challenges and opportunities. One parish that I know of decided to produce an aid to meditation and prayer for Advent which had daily reflections on this theme from church members.
Monitor intercessions and prayer diaries to ensure they recognise the concerns and contributions of a wide range of jobs and activities, and their value for human flourishing and the revealing of the Kingdom of God. Ask church members to write a prayer that springs from their experience and needs within a non-church context (eg: being a member of the school P & F, running a scout troop or local football team).
Invite clergy to work-shadow a member of the congregation to discover more of the issues and settings of whole-life Christian ministry. How about asking to work-shadow the Parish Priest or the Bishop? (I know a good number of parish councillors and church wardens who have little idea of what I do!).
Organise a series of services and sermons focussed on God in the whole of life. Last year I encountered one parish church which had a series entitled "God on Monday" with contributions on being a Christian in commerce, education and science, as well as being a home-maker, retired or made redundant. By inviting church members to bring an item which represented the week from Monday to Friday and placing them in the Sanctuary around the Altar, a congregation had a sense of all life and work being hallowed.
Run a short course on connecting work and faith, perhaps using some specific resources like "thank God it's Monday". Encourage text-messaging or short e-mails between church members to share situations and prayer needs during the week.
In my view, the key to changing our Church culture and breaking the secular/sacred divide, is a more robust appreciation of the priesthood of all believers as demonstrated in Scripture. Too often we have carried an unconscious pecking order of vocations which matter to God with being ordained or a mission partner somewhere near the top, nursing and 'caring' professions somewhere in the middle, and marketing executives and trades persons towards the bottom! We need to recover as Church a more adequate understanding of the ministry of the whole people of God in the world in order to better appreciate and exercise ordained ministry.
As members of AMS we should help the Church to identify how the divide between secular/sacred is frustrating Christ's Mission, and model ways to assist our parishes and agencies in pursuing 'whole-life' discipleship. It's my prayer that AMS will become a leavening influence in the Anglican Church in order to help the Church create communities of wholeness with Christ at the centre.
With every blessing - + Richard
There was a State Council meeting at Holy Trinity, Launceston on Friday 24th August. The decision to hold a mid week meeting appears to have paid off as 19 members attended from across the Diocese.
We observed a minute's silence in honour of Ken Keygan and Henry Baldwin both of whom have died since our June meeting.
Secretary - Treasurer, Max Robinson reported a comfortable financial position and also through Longford and Moonah branches further donations have been made to Hearts for Africa. It is rewarding to members that we are able to continue giving that support. Longford, Moonah and Launceston reported recent happenings in their branches and all three celebrated St. Oswald's Day in fine style.
Much of the meeting was devoted to considering a submission from Trevor Cowell regarding the updating of the blue AMS Leaflet. Copies of a draft prepared by Trevor Cowell were distributed and a decision made that each Branch and Diocesan member report at the next meeting in November. Similarly further time has been given for all members to study the findings of the Ezra groups from the Hobart National Council meeting and some decisions about these will be made in November for reference to the National Executive.
Holy Communion was celebrated by Father Doug Edmonds and a wonderful lunch enjoyed in the Holy Trinity Cafe - a regular Friday event in that Parish.
- Trevor C
REPORT FROM THE LONGFORD / PERTH BRANCH, TASMANIA.
We have had several productive activities recently. In July we were invited to cater for a clergy gathering at Longford. Our tender was accepted and with assistance from AMS ladies with cooking , the men catered very well with providing morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea.
Members have been involved in several wood-cuts which have raised funds for the branch and we installed a memorial seat in the grounds of St. Andrews, Perth on behalf of a local family and in gratitude the family made a substantial gift to AMS funds.
As a result of these efforts the branch was pleased to contribute $250 to Hearts for Africa and we hope to add to that in the near future.
For St. Oswald's Day - falling on a Sunday this year created some problems - we were invited to join Holy Trinity, Launceston for a Choral Evensong and pizza supper after. It was a wonderful service, Father Doug Edmonds gave an account of St. Oswald and explained why he is appropriately our Patron Saint. Our only regret, that our State Chaplain, Rev. Jo P, was unable to share the service with us. We wish Jo well and pray for her husband Martin as he battles illness.
For those who attended the last National Conference it is pleasing to report that Rita B has pretty well recovered from her fall which occurred on the Saturday ladies outing - AMS has been able to cover most of Rita's expenses incurred as a result of this accident.
We send greetings to all AMS members and especially those who are unwell.
- Trevor C
The AGM of the Provincial Council was held in Bundaberg on the weekend 26 - 27th May. 21 members and some ladies attended. It was a great pleasure to welcome the National Lay Vice Chairman, Trevor C, all the way from Tasmania. The current office-bearers were re-elected unopposed. The Meeting was based at the Acacia Motor Inn, where Russ and Wendy H made us most welcome and I would recommend this Motel to anyone travelling to Bundaberg.
Our most recent Council Meeting was held at the Mission to Seafarer's at Fisherman's Island, Brisbane on Sunday 26th July. This Mission is the Provincial Council's current fund raising project and the staff made us most welcome. The Banyo branch has been providing volunteers for this Mission since 1974, while the Ekibin ladies have been knitting beanies for the sailors.
CEBS in Queensland is closing due to lack of numbers and their final function will be in March, 2008. The AMS Egg Cup & Lighter Trophy will be held at Ipswich on Sunday 7th October, 2007. This was also the venue for our Corporate Communion and Lunch on 5th August.
It is with sadness I report on the passing of the following members. Fred W and Alan E from Banyo branch. Fred and Alan were members of the Nundah branch from 1969 to 1975 when Banyo was formed. Fred was President from 1975 to 1983. Alan was Treasurer from 1975 for 31 years until his passing and a foundation member of Banyo. Les W from the Ipswich branch and Stan P from the St. James', Toowoomba branch. Stan was a returned soldier from the battle of Milne Bay and a much loved member of the branch and the church family at St. James. Stan's wife, Lorna, and Leslie, the wife of our Treasurer, Des, have been serving meals at AMS meetings for the past 25 years and I think that is a record. Another loss was Robin W from the Ekibin branch. John R, the past National Secretary, is in a home but does not enjoy good health. Keith B visits him regularly and a report will be in the next Newsletter.
Yours in WFS - Jim S - Provincial Secretary.
A 'Centenary Book of Witness' recording the faithful witness of Anglican men, 1905 - 2005, this is a much needed document of hope for our own time and our own future. Whilst one is sometimes tempted to assume that outside the priesthood the role of men in the Anglican Church is rapidly diminishing, this celebration of a hundred years of service to God and the Church of by the Anglican Men’s Society (formerly the Church of England Men’s Society) serves both as a corrective and an inspiration. As we look randomly around our contemporary society, it is hard to avoid asking a supplementary to the prophet’s question: where are the seven thousand who have not bowed their knee to the Balls of competitive profit returns, aggressive marketing, utilitarianism and bottom lines? Well, here are fifty of them.
As National Chairman of the Anglican Men’s Society, Bishop Colin Sheumack has compiled the testimonies of fifty of the Society’s members, who, drawn from all walks of life, have pledged themselves by their membership to regular prayer and service in the Church. Indeed their churchmanship is almost as varied as their professional lives, but there is no doubting the unity or sincerity of their brotherly commitment to “the Jesus of history and the Christ of Eternity”.
It would be difficult to find a more diverse group of men within any Australian denomination. Well represented, of course (and thankfully) is the clergy - five Archbishops, four Bishops and three Priests - although the parishioner’s inevitable curiosity about their identity will not be satisfied by this reviewer. Businessmen, lawyers, farmers, academics, surgeons, one nurse, at least one truck driver, teachers, engineers (including one who literally ran away to sea), politicians (one clue towards the end of the review) two men of Vice-Regal rank and the odd Headmaster are all numbered in this cross-section of membership, with a good sprinkling of war service (although most were too young) and overseas service, especially Papua New Guinea and Africa.
Whilst there are stories of dramatic conversions - classically, one from criminal drug addiction, and several via the Billy Graham Crusades - the overwhelming majority of these men recall with gratitude their early attachment to the Church through Sunday School, church attendance and Youth Fellowship, the Jesuit seven year rule being more than vindicated.
The faith journeys recorded here will encourage all Christians - especially men - at all stages of their pilgrimage, and there is plenty also for the intellect to ponder. The research scientist who became an Oxford don, ANU Professor, and Director of an International Institute in Grenoble, has dedicated his life to understanding the scriptures in the context of scientific discovery by interpreting the two books of God’s revelation: “The Bible and the Book of Nature in which science looks”. The latest political and media discussion of the teaching of Intelligent Design alongside Darwinian Evolution not only proves that there is nothing new under the sun but also harks back to a conflict which is shown by this man’s expert testimony to have no basis in fact or logic.
These fifty testimonies make good reading as well as providing spiritual nourishment. The modest writers honestly face failure as well as success, in the spirit of James McAuley’s famous poem, as quoted by the former Tasmanian Senator:
Nor is failure our disgrace:
By ways we cannot know
He keeps the merit in his hand,
And suddenly, as no one planned,
Behold the Kingdom grow.
Neville Clark is a former headmaster of the Mentone Grammar School.
Would any Secretary or person wanting a copy (or copies) of this book, please order their copies below.
The National Council are handling ALL ORDERS.
The Perth AMS Day Dinner in honour of St. Oswald was held here on Friday 10th August. The Warnbro branch organised the function, but because of building additions at the Warnbro Church, the venue was All Saints', Kwinana. The ladies catering group there supplied a three course dinner. Perth president, Bishop Tom W, presided at a Holy Communion service at 7pm and was the dinner speaker later, telling us about the wit and humour in the Scriptures.
A total of 41 attended (including partners) and all branches were represented - a very good function.
Yours in WFS - Paul D - Diocesan Secretary