The man who cared about where you will spend Eternity
Update:
On 2nd August 2020, we remembered Arthur Stace in our regular online church service:
If you are old enough, and lived in Sydney, you probably saw his handiwork.
Right through the Depression years of the 1930s, the war years of the 1940s, the boom years of the 1950s, and the first half of the 1960s, someone wrote a single-word message on the footpaths of Sydney.
From Circular Quay to Darlinghurst, from Hyde Park to Newtown, and right across Sydney, there it would be, written in yellow crayon, the word Eternity.
For decades, Sydneysiders wondered who was placing these handwritten messages. Was it an organisation? A large team? No, it was just one man, a former alcoholic and World War I veteran by the name of Arthur Stace.
He was on a mission, for he wanted the people of Sydney to discover the wonderful news he had heard back in 1930.
Over the years, Arthur Stace, and his Eternity message entered into the consciousness of our city. At the dawn of the new millennium, ‘Eternity’ was featured in lights on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Via television, millions around the world saw it.
Arthur Stace died on Sunday 30th July 1967.
Exactly 50 years later, we held our “Eternity Festival” to hear about his remarkable life, and the message he so wanted to share.
Listen to the audio from the two Sundays here: –
1.) Remembering “Mr. Eternity”, Arthur Stace.
The true story of a Sydney legend.
Sunday 30th July 2017.
And here is the video played (with permission) after the talk. It’s of “Eternity” by Nathan Tasker –
2.) How to be sure you are ready for Eternity.
The wonderful news Arthur Stace discovered – on the 87th anniversary of the day he heard it in 1930.
Sunday 6th August 2017.
You can also hear the new song by Colin Buchanan we played with permission – Eternity (Arthur Stace)on this page from Eternity News.
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You are most welcome any Sunday – at 9:30am.
St. Matthew’s Anglican Church
Greystanes — Merrylands West
11 Ridge Street, Merrylands. (Map.)
Painting of Arthur Stace at Circular Quay reproduced by kind permission of the artist, David Lever. Some of his wonderful work is on display in the lobby at Macquarie University Hospital.
See his website at sites.google.com/site/davidleverart.
Photo of “Eternity” on The Sydney Harbour Bridge by Colin Mackellar, 1st January 2000.
You can download our letterbox leaflet as a 750kb PDF file here.
