Ave Petch: “Well-done, good and faithful servant”

St. George’s church has probably never been so full—of people, of Presence, of sorrow and of joy—as it was recently for the funeral of Ave Petch, longtime parishioner and tireless community worker.

Chris Postlethwaite knew her well. The following is excerpted from an article Chris wrote for the parish newsletter back when Ave was awarded "The Bishop’s Award for Faithful Service" from then Archbishop Terence Finlay.

"Ave received the award for her untiring service to her God, church and the community throughout the years. This has included her quiet work as Directress of the Chancel Guild, assisting [then rector] Christopher [Greaves] with server training, working with brides for their wedding arrangements, and decorating the church for festivals and special occasions as only Ave can, with such artistic talent.

She has been instrumental in keeping the ACW functioning, and has made endless phone calls for organizing Pancake Suppers, receptions for funerals, comforting the families, and organizing fund-raising lunches. The list is endless, but all these functions are handled with quiet dignity and tasteful presentations.

As Director of the 4 C’s, she dons another hat, and organizes the ordering, receiving, and distribution of huge quantities of groceries for the food bank. She has been involved with this organization since its inception by the Rev. Trevor Denny in 1979.There is no mistaking Ave’s love for God, and her courage to serve Him. She may not be a missionary in faraway places—her discipleship is close to home, where she has shown by her actions that serving God is a rewarding and often humbling experience."

All the activities Chris mentioned Ave kept up till her sudden passing.

As the master in the book of Matthew congratulates his servant on faithful and fruitful activity, we know our Lord does the same for our friend and fellow-parishioner, Ave Petch. We’ll miss you, Ave.

Ave Petch with her 2003 ‘Bishop’s Award for Faithful Service’

Empire vs. Love

By Bill Guerrant

In the 4th century, the Roman emperor Julian was concerned about the spread of Christianity in his empire, and was determined to revive the traditional Roman pagan religions.

Here's how he expressed his frustration at his seeming inability to stop the growth of Christian faith:

"Nothing has contributed to the progress of the superstition of these Christians as their charity to strangers. The impious Galileans provide not only for their own poor, but for ours as well.”

No empire can stop humble servants empowered by GOD's love

Julian failed. Christianity was irresistible. Why? Because no matter what charge could be made against the Christians, their charity to strangers and their provision for the poor, Christian and non-Christian alike, was evident for all to see. Love won. It still can.

Stepping into a new life

By Jon Walker

'Come!' answered Jesus. So Peter got out of the boat and started walking on the water to Jesus.
Matthew 14:29 (TEV)

When Peter stepped out of the storm-tossed boat and onto the water, where was the safest place to be? In the boat or in the arms of Jesus?

The answer, of course, is to be with Jesus, and for a brief time, Peter saw that. Right then he got a glimpse of what it is like to TRUST in Jesus and what it is like to operate within the realm of costly grace as a citizen of the kingdom of heaven.

And we get a glimpse of that too. We see that following Jesus requires us to step into apparent insecurity in order to find true security.

It's a paradox of faith: Our first step of faith places us in a position where faith becomes possible. By our obedience, we learn to be faithful. If we refuse to follow, we never learn how to believe. We stay stuck in the shallow end of faith, trusting in ourselves, living by sight and not by faith.

The essence of discipleship is Jesus constantly pushing us into new situations where it is possible for us to trust him even more. He pushes us toward "the impossible situation in which everything is staked solely on the word of Jesus," says the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

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Jon Walker is the author of Costly Grace: A Contemporary View of Bonhoeffer's 'The Cost of Discipleship', from which this has been excerpted.

Influential thoughts

While this is long-standing biblical wisdom, many secular sources now agree on the huge influence our thinking has on our lives. The following is adapted from a recent Daily Hope reflection posted by Rick Warren.

"Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts." (Prov. 4:23)

My interpretation influences my situation. It's not what happens to me that matters as much as how I choose to see it. The way I react will determine whether the circumstance makes me better or bitter. I can view everything as an obstacle or an opportunity for growth — a stumbling block or a stepping stone.

My beliefs influence my behavior. We always act according to our beliefs, even when those ideas are false. For instance, as a child, if you believed a shadow in your bedroom at night was a monster, your body reacted in fear (adrenaline and jitters) even though it wasn't true. That's why it's so important to make sure you are operating on true information! Your convictions about yourself, about life, and about God influence your conduct.

My self-talk influences my self-esteem. We constantly talk to ourselves. Do you run yourself down with your self-talk? Stop doing that: "As you think in your heart, so are you" (Prov. 23:7).

Don't be reluctant to show mercy

by Rick Warren

We all need mercy, because we all stumble and fall and require help getting back on track. We need to offer mercy to each other and be willing to receive it from each other.

You can’t have fellowship without forgiveness because bitterness and resentment always destroy fellowship. Sometimes we hurt each other intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, but either way, it takes massive amounts of mercy and grace to create and maintain fellowship.

The Bible says, “You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13 NLT).

The mercy God shows to us is the motivation for us to show mercy to others. Whenever you’re hurt by someone, you have a choice to make: Will I use my energy and emotions for retaliation or for resolution? You can’t do both.

Many people are reluctant to show mercy because they don’t understand the difference between trust and forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past. Trust has to do with future behavior.

Forgiveness must be immediate, whether or not a person asks for it. Trust must be rebuilt over time.

Trust requires a track record. If someone hurts you repeatedly, you are commanded by God to forgive them instantly, but you are not expected to trust them immediately, and you are not expected to continue allowing them to hurt you. They must prove they have changed over time.

The best place to restore trust is within the supportive context of a small group that offers both encouragement and accountability.

(from Rick Warren's Purpose Driven daily devotional site, Daily Hope)