In the name of our living God, creator, redeemer and sanctifier. Amen.
Today we view Australian Anglicanism’s beginnings as a lens through which we may better know God who calls us ever onwards into Christ=s mission sustained with the true and living bread. How do we as Australian Anglicans move from the attitudes of neglect and contempt towards the church to hospitality, graciousness and reverence?
Under the leadership of New South Wales’ Governor, Captain Arthur Phillip, the First Fleet landed at Sydney Cove on 26 January, 1788. The Fleet consisted of 872 convicts, four companies of Marines, the Governor and his staff. They were boat people. Among them was the Reverend Richard Johnson, Anglican priest, and chaplain responsible for that fleet and the new colony - about one thousand people. He conducted the first Anglican service in this land eight days later. Johnson came under the authority of the Church of England but under the direction of the Governor of the colony.
Given that the 215th Anniversary of the first Anglican service is tomorrow, 3rd February, we can imagine the day being hot and set in bushland. The Union Jack was flying. The land was strange to all and no less to Johnson, the 32 year old priest - a Cambridge graduate originally from Yorkshire. He summed up his field preaching mission: It is my duty to preach to all, to pray for all, and to admonish [teach] every one. (Iain H. Murray, Australian Christian life from 1788: An introduction and an anthology, Banner of Truth, 1988, p.3) His charge was vast. Governor Phillip asked for a service of public worship on that Sunday at 10am and that no one was to be absent on any account whatever (Murray, p.3.) The service was held under a large tree near the water. Johnson preached on the text from Psalm 116 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord.
It was an act of considerable vision and faith to proclaim this in such a hostile cultural and physical environment. It was hostile culturally because of the pervading penal colony culture - we can imagine eight months at sea with convicts chained and in filthy conditions arriving sick and rebellious towards authority and often to one another. It was hostile physically because of the heat and the untamed landscape. What if we were to go out into the parched, barren paddocks today and proclaim What shall I render to the Lord for all his bounty to me. Some may wonder what the grounds were for such confident optimism. Richard Johnson attempted to point people to the God of yesterday, today and forever, the great >I am=. How could he exhort people to labour for the food which endures and take up the cup of salvation in such an apparently hopeless context? Johnson however tried to help people lift their vision to see beyond the transitory misery to that which really matters.
It would be beyond most of us to minister in the conditions Richard Johnson faced. He and his wife Mary moved into their hut of cabbage tree and rushes completed 10 months after arriving. A couple of weeks later their first child was born dead. They lived in that hut for three years until a brick house was finally built - well after the Governor was comfortably housed. The lack of interest in building adequate shelter for the chaplain and places of worship for the colony is a worrying theme emerging in Richard Johnson’s journal. He met with continual hostility (and contempt) and neglect (and disregard), two themes I look at.
An excerpt from Richard Johnson=s journal gives insight into something of the hostility: 1789 This morning I got up at four o’clock. Took boat at five for Rose Hill; arrived there about half-past nine. Preached from I Cor 1.7 [God’s grace provides all spiritual gifts needed]. Am more and more convinced of the total insufficiency of all human efforts to change the heart without the grace of God. Have been now nearly two years preaching, as well as privately admonishing [teaching] these people; but after all, they seem to grow more and more abandoned. Have distributed many books among them; but this I fear has done little good. One sold his Bible for a glass of liquor; others tear them up for waste paper; - this discourages me greatly. I have no heart to go amongst them; my spirit is sorely grieved to see the misery and blindness of this people. Oh that they were wise! (Murray, p. 10)
Still commenting on Rose Hill the next near year in 1780 his writing reveals the experience of neglect: Set off for Rose Hill this morning about five o=clock; arrived there at nine. Performed divine service. Returned home to Sydney about eight o’clock in the evening. A very unpleasant day altogether. And though I have been to Rose Hill from time to time for now two years, I have no place provided for myself, neither a room, a table, nor a stool, and no place of worship. In short, no attention seems to be paid to these things, though I have so frequently desired it. God help me to bear with such treatment in a becoming manner. (Murray, pp. 10f)
The disregard for and neglect of the church, clergy and people makes me think about how far we=ve come in Australia today. Not only disregard and neglect, but also contempt - the two things that stood out in Johnson=s journal. Disregard and neglect are seen in attitudes. We need to be careful that we do not use the church as a convenient building for family rites of passage like baptisms, weddings and funerals in a way that forgets the ongoing life and witness of the church and its faith community. Everyone needs to be responsible for the wellbeing of our church and clergy. People who use the church can sometimes expect a lovely sparkling church and grounds with lovely, sparkling clergy and parishioners with little contribution to the associated expenses. Many however have come to better understand the needs of the church and many are taking a much greater responsibility to care for the church fabric, grounds and faith community.
Along with disregard and neglect there is also contempt and hostility. The acts of vandalism in our church building and our grounds in Mudgee is one way I perceive contempt. We were distressed by last week=s desecration, and saddened by the constant litter of bottles, cans, paper goods and things broken. I am not wanting to berate people here, but outside people need help to understand the needs of the church and the realities of sustaining Christian witness. But we also need to be aware that we do not show contempt for each other. I was shocked when someone told me her experience when a person with whom she shared the greeting of peace in church apparently ignored her in the supermarket.
In spite of the negative things we see in Johnson=s journal and the current church in Australia God still nourishes God=s people. The church wants to invite people into an enduring, loving relationship and communion as the body of Christ. The church stands for the witness to the one true God; for the living sign of God=s pardon; for worship of the God who gives new life and bounty; for the sharing of God=s good news in Christ; for renewal by the Holy Spirit in the community through prayer, the sacraments, story and song: the church is the eternal wellspring in a dry and parched land. For these reasons, and others, I have slowly come to see Australia and the people with whom we minister as a mission field. Yes, we eat well and are relatively wealthy and educated; but so hungry in spirit.
How do we as Australian Anglicans move from the neglect and contempt towards the church to hospitality, graciousness and reverence? How do we offer this true and living bread today? Some examples point to God=s presence alive and active in our midst: we symbolise God=s feeding today as we gather at Cooyal, one of our centres - having a service and then sharing lunch under the trees in the midst of weather-torn paddocks. Soon we=ll be celebrating marriage and relationships in a service of renewal; other events planned are a harvest festival, a music evening with All Saints= school, hosting the Sydney Welsh choir at Easter. All these things are part of God=s gracious feeding of us.
Shall we then embark on this mission of feeding souls in an Australian context? In worship, prayer and spiritual reading we place ourselves into God=s hands who feeds our souls. We do not feed our souls by ourselves or by purchasing it. The Gospel according to John 6.25-35 has Jesus saying these words: Labour for the food that endures to eternal life. This indeed is the true bread from heaven. With our eyes thus trained on our Lord it is far easier to see the bounty and eternity portrayed in Psalm 116 - What shall I render to the Lord for all his bounty to me?
Today we have glimpsed Anglicanism’s early presence in Australia as a lens through which we may better fix our eyes on God who calls us ever onwards into Christ=s mission, where we are now, and being sustained in that mission with the true and living bread.
References:
Iain Murray, "Australian Christian Life From 1788", Banner of truth trust:Pennsylvania, 1988.
