From the Dean
Dear Friends,
Warm greetings from St Paul’s Cathedral as the days are lengthening, and bushlands, parks and gardens stand in bloom. The plentiful growth we observe in spring is a reminder that we each are encouraged to grow in our own journeys with Christ, both as individuals and as a community of faith. In the past five years, the Cathedral has changed and grown considerably. Our governing body, the Cathedral Chapter, and we have put in place some milestones for the next stages of our journey together, which is contained in our Strategic Plan 2020-25. We recently shared with you another important document, our Covid19 Ministry and Worship Charter, in which the Cathedral Team and Chapter provide a framework to help us reimagine and reshape our worshipping life and ministry when we are able to open again.
Christian growth is never done in isolation but as a community. In order to help us all grow together, we invite you to join with us in reflecting on what form the next few stages of the way ahead might take. During October, you are invited to share in reflecting with us. In our worship that month we will be reflecting on Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians, in which our patron saint speaks of the lavish provision God has for us – his people. In our services, our sermons, prayers and Bible Studies we will be thinking about God’s goodness and grace to us. In turn, we encourage you to reflect on what it is that God calls you to do with the goodness and grace he has gifted you. How your own gifts of work and service can help shape our community.
We enclose this journal for you to use: in it you may record your own thoughts, prayers, and reflections, and work out your own commitments for the year ahead. And if you would like to share some of the thoughts you have had, and some of the insights you gained, with us, there is an opportunity to do so at the end of our time of reflection together. On page 14 you will find details of how to share more about yourself, your thoughts and hopes for our community, with the team at St Paul’s. We would love to hear from you.
I pray that this time of shared reflection and discernment will be a time of great blessing for all of us. Please know that we pray for each of you daily. And do please keep us in your prayers, asking that God, the giver of all good things, would pour out the lavish riches of his grace on us and use us in his service; that he would pour his Spirit into our lives and move our hearts to prayer; that he would equip us to recognise our gifts, and move us to good works to build up his kingdom, right here at the heart of Melbourne. May we be equipped by God’s lavish generosity to work together to transform our City and Church.
With all good wishes,
Dean Andreas
Week 1 • October 4
God’s lavish grace to us
Reading: Ephesians 1.1-14
Sermon by the Dean, the Very Revd Dr Andreas Loewe
All Age Bible Talk
Week 2 • October 11
Encouraging one another in the lavish life
Reading: Ephesians 1.15-23
Sermon from the Ven. Canon Heather Patacca
All-Age Talk
Week 3 • October 18
Thanks for lavish grace: good works
Reading: Ephesians 2.1-10
Sermon from the Revd Canon Dr Bob Derrenbacker
All-Age Talk
Week 4 • October 25
Thanks for lavish grace: good works
Reading: Ephesians 4.1-16
Sermon by the Revd Emily Fraser
All-Age Bible Talk
Where to from here?
Thank you for spending time with us in our shared reflections over the past few weeks as we have thought through the implications for us of St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. We would be most grateful to receive your feedback about what you have personally found helpful in this process, what God has brought to mind for you, and your thoughts and hopes for our community. Please click the below link to complete the questionnaire.