Sermons Online ...
Sermon - Australia Day - 28th January 2007
Saint Alban's Epping 7:00am, 8:00am and 10:00am
Readings: Deuteronomy 28:1-9, Psalm 33:12-21, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24, Mark 12:13-17
What sort of Australia do we, do you, do I wish to be a part? What do we wish it to be like? The readings today talk to me of the sort of attributes the Australia I would wish Australia to be, and as a result I believe it would be renown throughout the world.
In the first reading the writer of Deuteronomy tells the people of Israel that,
“If you will only obey the Lord your God, by diligently observing all his commandments that I am commanding you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth; all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you,”
and that applies to us as well.
In the Psalm we read that:
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. … Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love. … Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as our hope is in you.”
In the Gospel we read of Jesus telling the Pharisees that as good citizens of a nation such as Australia we should “give to the Emperor the things that are the Emperor’s and to God the things that are God’s.”
And, then finally Paul tells us along with the Thessalonians that we should,
“be at peace, … admonish, … encourage, … help the weak, … be patient, … do not repay evil for evil, … seek to do good, … rejoice always, … pray without ceasing, … give thanks in all circumstances, … do not quench the spirit, … hold fast to that which is good and to abstain from evil.”
As I was thinking about the these readings and in particular the reading form Thessalonians I was reminded of the poem called “A Desiderata” that I have hanging on the wall in my study. Desiderata (Latin for "desired things") is an inspirational prose poem about attaining happiness in life. It was first copyrighted in 1927 by Max Ehrmann. In the 1960s it was widely circulated without attribution to Ehrmann, sometimes with the claim that it was found in St. Paul's Church, Baltimore, Maryland, and was written in 1692 (the year of the founding of St. Paul's). My plaque attributes it to Old Saint Paul’s. Nevertheless, the estate of Ehrmann has kept various editions of the work in print. A spoken-word recording of the essay was made by Les Crane and reached number eight on the Billboard magazine charts and in Australia as well in late 1971.
Around 1965, copies of the poem were circulated to various publications with the attribution "Found in Old Saint Paul's Church, Baltimore 1692". One common explanation for the misunderstanding is that the poem was circulated on the church's letterhead, which listed the church as being founded in 1692 but gave no attribution for the poem.
I can hear echoes of these readings and others from the Bible in it. I guess many of you will have heard it. As far as it goes, I think that it is a valuable word picture of the sort Australia of which I wish to be a part.
“Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labours and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.”
This weekend we celebrate our democratic nation’s festival of freedom.
Democracy works most effectively when there is a bedrock of religious idealism beneath it. If we want to have democracy continue to function in Australia today, it will not last long unless our democracy is wedded to the spiritual power of religious piety and deep faith in God. As this morning’s Psalm says says,
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord”.
“Jesus said to (those) who believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.”
2. Reference used www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desiderata