Given the State election yesterday and our Annual Vestry Meeting today, this is rather a political weekend! Somewhere in Aristotle’s Politics (I am pretty sure), it says that politics is the art of living together. Our political processes are our way of working out how to live together: what rules and principles to live by, how to share our common resources, what will be acceptable in our community and what will not.
The reason politics is often difficult and rancorous is because it’s not easy for sinful humans to work out how to live together. If you’ve ever lived in any sort of proximity to another human, you’ll know what I mean!
We often are disappointed and complain about our professional politicians, but the truth is that they, as our representatives, are trying to work out how we can all live together in harmony, and if their job is difficult, that’s because of you and me! We cannot completely evade responsibility for the politics of our elected representatives.
The main political responsibilities that the Bible places on us as Christians are: (i) to pray for those in authority (1 Tim 2:1-2); (ii) to respect those God has put over us (1 Peter 2:17); and (iii) to obey them (Romans 13:1) – except of course when to obey them would directly disobey God (Acts 5:29). With that in mind, we will be praying for the newly elected NSW State Parliament in church today, and I hope you will also keep our representatives in your private prayers.
Our Vestry Meetings at St Jude’s have usually been friendly and encouraging occasions, reflecting what I think is our people’s general happiness to be a part of the congregation here. While I have no reason to think today’s will be different, we should not take this for granted, but keep on working at living together in harmony, “bearing with one another in love”, and seeking to agree together in the truth of the gospel so that we grow up into him who is the head, our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope you will be able to be at today’s meeting, and also keep our wardens, parish councillors, nominators and synod reps in your prayers.
In brief:
- The second volume of our Lent notes (on 1 Peter 5 and 2 Peter) is being distributed today.
- Please take a bundle of Easter flyers to deliver if you can.
- Don’t forget the Sculpture dedication (11.15 am) and Choral Evensong (4.30 pm) next Sunday, which is also Mothering Sunday.