Monday in Holy Week

I was on my way to St Paul's Manuka for Holy Communion on the evening of the Monday in Holy Week when the thought suddenly hit me that I could write a bit about what I am up to this week. I haven't written a blog for a long time but now is the right time.

My first  service at St Paul's was on Good Friday 1967. It was in the days when St Paul's Choir was about the best in Australia. I had travelled down from Armidale with a group of friends who were attending a conference. It was about a 15 hour trip and I arrived a little tired and dishevelled. That didn't matter because of the person that I was visiting and together we went to this amazing service. I heard, for the first time the Passion of St John sung by this outstanding choir. It was an unforgettable experience.

For 9 months in 1982 we lived in London and most weeks went to St Mary-at-Finchley. This is where my journey towards ordination really began. St Mary's dates back to 1329. Until then, for some time we had been worshipping in a school hall. On our return to Canberra we decided to start attending St Paul's. The choir was still of a high standard and eventually all the children and I found our way into it. In 1985 I became the Parish's only Lay Reader. I officiated and preached at Evensong regularly as well as being the liturgical deacon and sub-deacon.

After my ordination in 1989 I spent the first of my two years as a Deacon at St Paul's. There are so many stories about my time as a Lay Reader and Deacon at St Paul's. It really was a remarkable journey for me among a community that was incredibly supportive.

At the end of that first year I moved on to All Soul's Chapman where I spent my second year as a Deacon and then was ordained as a Priest. Since then I have not been part of the life of St Paul's though I have done a few services there from time to time. Tonight's was the first service that I had attended just as a member of the congregation in a very long time. It was outstanding! The atmosphere was just right, added to I think by the collapse of a chair in the middle of the service! It just showed that nothing on earth is ever perfect. There was a really good and appropriate sermon - I particularly liked the story about the dying man and the chocolate chip biscuits!  (Don't ask me ask Archdeacon Brian).

Altogether an outstanding start to my Holy Week journey. I will keep you posted.