Posted by: Clayton Fopp
on 9 May, 2012
In the Trinity Mount Barker office we try to be careful with grammar and punctuation! It seems good to us that the material we distribute reflects the care and effort taken to prepare it. Unsurprisingly, one of the points of discussion at different times is the apostrophe; when should it be used? Where in the word does it belong? I’m sure that some of you find yourselves having these discussion in your workplaces and as parents, many of you will be trying to teach your children about this.
About this time every year, I find myself in discussions about where the apostrophe belongs in Mother’s Day, or should that be Mothers’ Day?!
While the European tradition of “Mothering Sunday,” a day for domestic servants to visit their “mother church” with their own families, stretches back to the 16th Century, what we celebrate as the modern Mother’s Day began in the 19th Century. A lady named Ann Jarvis and her daughter, Anna Marie Jarvis, inaugurated a small commemoration at the Andrew's Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia. It should come as no surprise to us that Mother’s Day started in a Christian church. God commands us to honour our mothers. It’s in Exodus 20:12. There among the other 10 Commandments, like, “I am the LORD your God … you shall have no other gods before me,” God says, “honour your father and your mother." In an ancient patriarchal culture, the inclusion of “your mother” is unexpected, even surprising, yet this is God’s command to his covenant people Israel, and it’s repeated by Jesus and the Apostle Paul. There’s no getting around it! Of course how we honour our mothers will look different for different ones of us, varying for example according to whether we’re a child still living at home, whether we live near our mothers or not, etc. But no matter what our age or stage, Mother’s Day is a good occasion to spend some time reflecting on how we can honour our mothers and how we might do it better.
Posted by: Clayton Fopp
on 23 September, 2011
On behalf of the Fopp Family let me say a huge thank you to all our family at Trinity Mount Barker for the concern, care and love you’ve shown us since the arrival of Abigail last week. In what we hope is a sign of a child who will never run late for anything, Abby arrived three weeks early on September 14. Despite catching her parents a little by surprise with her sense of timing, Abby is doing really well, as is Kathy, and the rest of the family are enjoying having a baby in the house! We’re so thankful to God for the safe arrival of this little member of our family.
In the last week and a bit, we have been touched by numerous expressions of concern, cards, flowers, meals and more. It has been a real blessing to be members of this community of God’s people. People have been kind and gracious in allowing me the flexibility to cancel and reschedule appointments and meetings which has been a great help to our family.
Posted by: Clayton Fopp
on 18 August, 2010
Recently, the Trinity Mount Barker Leadership Team approved the implementation of ChildSafe as part of our commitment to creating safe environments for children and young people. We are blessed with a large number of children and youth in our church community – sometimes as many as 40% of Sunday attendees are in Crèche, Minis or Kids’ Church! If we needed a reminder of how significant this ministry is in our church, the National Church Life Survey provides it: over 70% of people who identify themselves as Christians say they became followers of Christ before 20 years of age.
Over the coming weeks the various protocols and processes of ChildSafe will be implemented across our church. Perhaps the first major step for those involved in ministry to children and youth will be the “appointment” of all volunteers to their ministry areas by the Leadership Team. People who are currently serving in these areas have been appointed in a variety of different ways, including many who have been approved for ministry with children under the Anglican system at Trinity Hills or Trinity City. Asking all these volunteers (plus staff, like me!) to go through the ChildSafe application and appointment process means everyone will be “on the same page” in terms of expectations and roles. The new appointment process includes submission of a National Police Certificate and also recommendations from two referees. All appointments of volunteers for youth and children’s ministry will need to be renewed every three years
Posted by: Clayton Fopp
on 26 July, 2010
Over at the SMH there are some great comments on sex in our culture from two great observers of our culture.
Dr Pat Weerakoon and Melinda Tankard Reist were addressing a conference in Melbourne. Dr Pat's message, as quoted by the Herald, was that "non-religious people expected the church to be fearful, ignorant, defensive, repressed and hypocritical with only one message about sex: don't do it ... while a biblical understanding of sex was deeply positive: 'do it - God made us for it.'"
Melinda Tankard Reist's comments focussed on the "pornified" world that young girls live in. She encouraged parents to take action when they see, for example, overtly sexual and offensive T-shirts for sale in shops, intended to turn young girls into sex objects.
Posted by: Clayton Fopp
on 24 July, 2010
In the few weeks that we’ve spent in Genesis so far, there have been a few dominant themes. One of these has been the focus on God himself at every turn in the creation story. Chapter 1 with its beautifully scripted account of the order and pattern of creation drives our focus not to the creation itself, but to the Creator. From the very beginning when there is nothing but God, to the repeated refrain “And God said…”, to the creation of humans as image-bearers of God, we’re constantly having our eyes turned to this personal, loving, creative sovereign God.
When we come to chapter 2 and the origins of marriage, we find again, that marriage has God’s fingerprints all over it – if I may be permitted such an anthropomorphism! Marriage is God’s idea. It comes into being at his initiative. The verbs (the “doing words”) of this section show God is bringing is purposes and intentions about: The Lord God said… (v 18), the Lord God had formed…, He brought… (v19), the Lord God caused…, he took…, closed up… (v 21), the Lord God made…, he brought… (v 22). As the commentators and scholars like to point out, when God brings the newly-created woman to the man, it is as if God is the father of the bride, bringing her to her new husband. Divine initiative!
Posted by: Clayton Fopp
on 5 May, 2010
In recent weeks I have been following a discussion between some Christian friends about whether we should commemorate “secular” or “civic” occasions in our Sunday gatherings. The debate hinges on the challenge of acknowledging occasions such as Anzac Day, Australia Day or Mother’s Day in a way that doesn’t seem trite but also reflects our commitment to keeping Jesus at the centre of our gatherings.
Regardless of the debate (which I suspect will rage ad infinitum!) if you're at Trinity Mount Barker this Sunday you’ll notice from the prayer of thanksgiving (amongst other places!) that we’re celebrating Mother’s Day!
The traditions associated with Mother’s Day started late in the 19th Century with Ann Jarvis, her daughter, Anna Marie Jarvis and a small ceremony at the Andrew's Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia. It should come as no surprise to us that Mother’s Day started in a Christian church. God commands us to honour our mothers. It’s in Exodus 20:12. There among the other 10 Commandments, like, “I am the LORD your God … you shall have no other gods before me,” God says, “honour your father and your mother."
