[st uriel's] St Uriel's events Nov-Dec 2008

[Fr Tim Mansfield]

Hi Folks,

A couple of weeks ago a group of St Uriel's parish regulars gathered to
discuss what they wanted in a church. We talked for an hour or two, shared
some thoughts and came to some decisions. I wanted to let you know a little
of what we talked about.

As you know, for most of the last year, we have been meeting each week for a
service. Initially, a lay service and since my ordination a Eucharist
service (known in some communities as Mass or Holy Communion). In the last
few months, because my mother's illness meant that it was hard for me to
predict when I would be in Sydney, services have been intermittent (and not
terribly well announced).

Rather than simply return to what we have been doing, I thought it might be
sensible to take advantage of the hiatus to pause for a moment and ask if
what we were doing actually served the needs of the people who were coming
along.

I asked the group to consider what they might be expecting from a church
that they weren't getting from what we've been doing. The answers were quite
coherent across the group.

Everyone wanted to do more to build a sense of social connection in the
parish – to get to know each other better, to feel a sense of solace in
coming to church. Everyone also wanted a chance to study texts – especially
Gnostic texts – and discuss them together in a fairly structured way.

Several people present also wanted to engage in spiritual practice together
in addition to the current liturgy – meditation and prayer in which we
practice as a group.

After we'd talked about all that, I made a proposal that we shift our
emphasis towards more reading, discussion and spiritual practice and hence
celebrate the Eucharist a little less frequently. The plan for the moment is
to celebrate the Holy Eucharist once a month and in the other weeks gather
for a less formal meeting with a short meditation or contemplative prayer
and discussion of a text we'd all read in the week before.

We'll start this new programme this Sunday (9 Nov) at 6pm at our usual venue
of 15 Francis St, Darlinghurst (just half a block from Hyde Park). This week
will be a basic introduction to the simple practice of centering prayer and
an introductory discussion of Gnosticism.

>From next week, we'll start a more structure discussion of the book "Living
Gnosticism" by Father Jordan Stratford.

We hope this shift will serve the needs of our parish community a little
more effectively. As we try something new, it's a great time to come and
join in and help make St Uriel's the spiritual community you've always
wanted.

Here's the weekly schedule for the weeks up to the end of the year.

9 Nov - Practice+Discussion
16 Nov - Practice+Discussion
*23 Nov - Eucharist - All Gnostic Saints*
30 Nov - Practice+Discussion (Tim in NZ)
7 Dec - Practice+Discussion
14 Dec - Practice+Discussion
*21 Dec - Xmas Eucharist (also St Thomas, St Raphael, John the Beloved)*
28 Dec, 4 Jan - Break

Your in Love and Light,

Father Tim+
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