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<h1>The Anglican Church of St Peter the Fisherman located in Bramble Bay Queensland Australia, covering the area of Kippa-Ring, Church Woody Point, Church Margate, Church Clontarf, Church Redcliffe and Brisbane.</h1>
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<h2>St.Peter's Legacy</h2>
<p>Peter was a fisherman. Much of his life was connected to the sea of
Galilee and the rhythms of commerce that rippled through the seaside
villages. Our knowledge about this part of Peter's life stems from our
knowledge about his profession. We know that Peter worked outdoors and
worked with his hands. He worked with and depended upon others and he was
used to physical labor. Fishing is an age-old profession and one that
especially lends its itself to quaint and idyllic images. Images of calm
water and a fisherman enjoying peaceful solitude amidst the beauty of
nature. Oh to lead the quiet and tranquil life of a fisherman is a lament
and a dream completely divorced from the reality of earning a living as a
fisherman.<br>
<br>
Fishing is hard work. Rowing and sailing your boat on a sea and risking
exposure to stormy weather is never an easy proposition. Exposure to the
elements especially the blazing sun can be brutal. Hauling, casting and
pulling nets remains exhausting work. Even in biblical days fishing
required a significant investment of capital. A sea worthy boat was a
major expense. In 1986, an ancient boat dating from the early centuries of
the Common Era was discovered buried in the mud along the shore of the Sea
of Galilee.<br>
<br>
An extensive excavation of the boat revealed it to be typical of ancient
Mediterranean "shell based" construction. It was skillfully built with
both pegged joints and iron nails used to join the wood and hold the boat
together. The 27-foot length tells one that many hands were required to
operate a boat of this size. The keel was shaped from willow the struts
and ribs were oak and the planks for the sides were of cedar. Further
analysis revealed that over the years many repairs had been with the
workers using what woods were available to keep the boat sea worthy.
Maintenance on such a boat would have been a constant expense to which
Peter had to add the capital cost of fishing nets and the cost of their
constant mending.<br>
<br>
Equipped with a boat and nets you would think that all Peter had to do was
gather his father and brothers together to launch his boat and fish; but
alas this was certainly not the case. Stones have been discovered along
the shore of the Sea of Galilee with inscriptions that marked and divided
the sea into sections, with each area requiring a commercial permit of
sorts in order to fish. So even in ancient times commerce was regulated —
you had to pay for the privilege of fishing; and to put the whole
enterprise on a par with our modern world, on those days where the fishing
was good, and the boat was loaded down low in the water, with a large
catch of fish-there near the shore, in an office at the end of the pier,
waiting for the boat to come in, was the tax assessor ready to collect his
own share of the catch. Some things never change.<br>
<br>
It turns out that while we may not know many of the specific details of
Peter's life as a fisherman before he was called by Jesus, we do have a
good understanding of the general conditions that shaped and circumscribed
Peter's life. Peter certainly had a good understanding of what it meant to
work and to struggle to make ends meet — and if it is true that hard work
builds character then Peter had lots of character to offer when he dropped
his nets to follow Jesus.<br>
<br>
This website is devoted to celebrating the life of our patron Saint, Peter,
who was the first apostle to confess Jesus as the Messiah. And is also
devoted to celebrating our parish life together of taking stock of
the year past and looking ahead to our unfolding future. We have
accomplishments to be proud of, blessings to count, along with our
share of challenges ahead. We mentioned the maintenance of Peter's boat
and nets and must say they seem small investments in capital when compared
to our Church, building and grounds.<br>
<br>
Over the past years — but in this year in particular — We are encouraged
by the progress that we have made caring for our property. This past year,
many dedicated parishioners who love St. Peter's and are determined to see
that our parish is a welcoming place that is tended to and well cared for.<br>
<br>
It is important to take time to acknowledge all that we have
accomplished in tending to our version of Peter's boat and nets. It is by
contrast a sad thing to see a neglected church in a state of disrepair.<br>
<br>
We have done much to enhance the beauty and to maintain the integrity of
St. Peter's building and grounds. Beginning with the day that Peter left
his boat and nets behind he spent about three years of his life following
Jesus in his ministry; and there eventually came a day when the future of
our faith rested largely on Peter's shoulders.<br>
<br>
'After Jesus' death and resurrection, Peter and the other apostles were
commissioned by the risen Lord to go and make disciplines of all nations,
baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.<br>
<br>
In our time we build upon the work of Peter. Weekly worship is focal point
of our life together where our faith is offered, shared, affirmed,
deepened and renewed, and many ministries work together to support our
worship.<br>
<br>
Beyond our regular gathering for worship we offer various opportunities to
deepen our understanding of the faith that we proclaim as Christians.<br>
<br>
But it strikes us that the central decisions that shaped and
formed the whole of Peter's life — the decisions that filled his life with
meaning, were when he decided to follow Jesus, and then latter when he
acknowledged Jesus as his Lord and Savior.<br>
<br>
Those decisions changed Peter's life. So far, We have been using the image
of Peter's boat and nets to highlight the care and attention that we must
pay to the building and grounds of Saint Peter's; but there is another way
in which the image of a boat-and especially the image of nets can be used.<br>
<br>
They could represent all those things that entangle and burden our
lives-that somehow we need to let go of or get rid of.<br>
<br>
Peter committed his life to following Jesus, and then to proclaim the good
news that he experienced in the life of Jesus.<br>
<br>
St. Peter's is an heir to that call, to that ministry — to the faith of
God in Jesus; and our mission is ever to tend to the details of our life
together so that in our generation and in our day we proclaim that which
Peter found so compelling — that we are willing to put all the busyness of
our life aside in order that we are able to follow, support and proclaim
Peter's Savior — Jesus. The one who said to Peter and ever says to each of
us "Come, drop your nets and follow me."</font>
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