Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
Grace and Peace to you!
“Mate, get your kids to learn the drums because the drummer controls everything!” My friend, Jack (not his real name) was giving me a bit of advice as a new father – him, not me. From then on I watched – and still do – to see how this works. I’ve learnt it’s very hard to correct the beat when the drummer is in full flight. Some of my drummer friends are quite skilled at speeding up or slowing down the singing of a whole band and its audience, so it’s best just to go along with them.
But what if the beat is written differently from how they are playing, and the audience learns the song, goes his or her way rather than how the composer intended? Does it matter?
Of course, I know no musicology, as you can probably tell. And I’m aware I probably have a discussion already on my hands about this, especially from the bass player who will say they control everything. And of course I’m using this as a metaphor.
In 1 Kings 19 we read of God appearing to Elijah: At that moment, the Lord passed by. A great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper. [1]
The point is not that the LORD needs to try and get our attention by “playing loudly” as though his previous words were powerless or inaudible. It is rather that he has spoken clearly; his word does not need “a different beat” as though it is wrong or deficient. In actual fact the phrase “there was a voice, a soft whisper” could be better translated as “After the fire – silence!” That is, God has, in Elijah’s case, already spoken. He disdains the “fireworks” and reminds Elijah “I have already spoken. You do not need anything more. Just follow what I have already said.”
In our case, with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have all we need. “In these last days, God has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he created the world. (Hebrews 1). Waiting for something more, looking for the fireworks, is pointless. God has said what he has said, and it’s not beyond us to understand – and to follow the composer’s beat.
COVID update
Please continue praying for a vaccine to be successfully developed and made available to all. Please continue praying for continuing effectiveness of the control measures in place across our general community. Please continue bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4) especially as we have different views as to how Sunday church should function and the level of risk involved.
We are taking returning to Sunday meeting slowly as you know, for reasons you know (although I’m very happy for you to ring me with concerns, questions, or ideas, as a number have). Thank you to those who’ve already put their hand up to give some of the extra help we need to have a “live” congregation at 10am and 6pm. We still need more volunteers to be trained as Covid Marshalls. Please email or phone Kylie in the office with your offer of help.
Although the Archbishop and other leaders have successfully lobbied the government to increase numbers able to attend church services, and particularly events held outside, it’s still not possible for St Peter’s to plan for doing more than will be possible on 15 November. We’ll let you know next week the arrangements for attendance of limited numbers at 10am and 6pm on that day.
Please take note of the announcement below about Christmas at Home this year. Begin to think and pray now about the (up to 20) friends, family and/or neighbours you’d love to invite to your celebration on 13 December at 6pm.
And please continue to pray for our Year 12’s, their families and carers working their way through the HSC exams.
Finally, on Monday 26 and 27 October our ministry staff will be meeting with Jason Veitch, our soon-to-arrive new Senior Minister to do some team-building and planning for next year. Pray for this time to be well spent and encouraging.
Yours prayerfully in Christ,
Deryck Howell
Acting Rector
[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (1 Ki 19:11–12). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.