Pewsheet Sunday April 19, 2009

WELCOME
Please join us for breakfast in the hall after the 8am service or for morning tea after the 10am service. At 10am please find all prayers and hymns projected onto the sanctuary walls.

THE PRAYER FOR TODAY: Risen Christ, whose absence leaves us in despair but whose presence is overwhelming: breathe on us with your abundant life, that where we cannot see we may have courage to believe that we may be raised with you. Amen.

TODAY’S READINGS Acts 4.32-37, 1 John 1:1-2:2 to be read by Marg P
GOSPEL John 20.19-31

PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE to be prayed by Brad.
We pray for those in need especially Betty, Janet and Peter, Joy, Ros , Ron , Eric , Bobbie & Ben , Heather, Cathy, Baby Harry & his family & Claire . We pray for the souls of Ivy Morris 23.4.02 and Alice Ridout 25.4.95.

PREPARATION FOR NEXT WEEK – THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
READINGS Acts 3.12-20 Ps 4; Acts 3.12-20 Ps 4, 1 Jn 2.15-17, 3.1-6 to be read by Hal S-C
GOSPEL Lk 24.36b-48 INTERCESSIONS to be prayed by Wendy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Oliver for the 24th, Elliot , Max & David for the 25th
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to Yvonne & Don for tomorrow.

PRAYER CIRCLE meets noon on the 2nd Tuesday each month
BIBLE STUDY 10am every Wednesday

HELPLINE
Part of being a Christian community is supporting each other in times of need. We offer short-term delivery of food when required, local transport, phone calls, visits and numerous other types of assistance. It is our way of helping one another quietly and confidentially. Call Barb and Angela

EVENTS

PICNIC IN THE NATIONAL PARK May 17 2009

ABM AUXILIARY FUND-RAISING FILM MORNING WEDNESDAY 29 APRIL at the Capri Theatre
FILM : "HOW ABOUT YOU". starring Vanessa Redgrave
Rated M. Charming, heartwarming, hilarious !
9.45 Morning Tea - Trading Table - Organ Recital - Film at 10.30
Tickets $8.00 all tickets. May be obtained at the door. Joan has 3 tickets for sale, but is not able to offer transport. Any parishioner planning to attend please advise Joan if you can offer to take others with you.

EXTERNAL MINISTRY PLANNING Sunday May 24 12-2pm – bring a plate of lunch to share.

PENTECOST MORNING TEA PARTY May 31 following the 10am service

PATRONAL FESTIVAL June 21

PARISH CAMP October 16-18 2009



HIGHLIGHTS FROM A SPECIAL PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 14TH APRIL
Parish Council has agreed to rent the Vandepeers home for the Huffa’s for a 12 month period beginning next week.

TREASURE MARKET FINAL FIGURES – WELL DONE EVERYONE

Auction 1,309.00 includes 3 pews
Barbeque 232.50
Cakes 497.00
Cake Raffle 57.00
Clothing 358.35 $50 still to come
Drinks 28.00
Donuts 9.50
Books 255.00
Collectors Corner 404.15
Produce/James 198.25
Jewellery Carolyn 137.00
Jewellery Mary 60.00
Morning Tea 223.00
Plants 786.80
Toys 247.35
Soft Furnishings 307.40
White Elephant 517.05
Raffle 98.00
Miscellaneous/Donations 167.10 *Plus $63.20 Akkerman's Bakery
Sale of sausages 50.00
Total Takings 5,942.45 14 x $50 deducted from above - floats for stalls
Akkerman's Blackwood Bakery 0.00 $63.20 pd from takings
Woolworths -38.42 Cream, Plastic wrap etc
Petty Cash -22.35 Gas refill, serviettes, p towels
Total Income to date 11/4/09 5,881.68

Still outstanding - A/c sausages $50

OUTREACH
The following monies have been banked from the Lenten Appeal:

30 March 2009 $110.75 (Holy Innocents Parishioners)
14 April 2009 $861.45 (Holy Innocents Parishioners)
14 April 2009 $984.15 (St Johns Grammar School)

Total $1956.35 and still counting

A wonderful effort - and I expect a few more envelopes to come in this Sunday. Warren and Stephen Daughtry did a marvelous job getting the children at St Johns to adopt a pig (for one of ABM’s projects in the Philippines) and make a significant contribution. We had a lot of fun counting their money with the various pigs' names and drawings etc.

ITEMS FOR NEXT WEEK’S PEW SHEET
Forward to Wendy by 5pm Tuesdays

Easter 2009 at Holy Innocents

Easter can be a powerful experience if you let yourself journey with Jesus from the Last Supper to the resurrection. Liturgically, we will watch and participate in elements of the story through art, dramatic reading, eating and drinking, light and darkness, and the kids through a range of activities on Good Friday. Allow the liturgy this Easter to grab your soul.

The services times are:

Maundy Thursday

6:30pm Passover Meal

7:30pm Last Supper Holy Communion

Good Friday

9:30am Stations of the Cross for Children and Young People

10:45am Good Friday Liturgy

Easter Day

6:00am Lighting of the New Fire, Renewal of Baptismal Vows and Holy Communion

8:00am Traditional Holy Communion

10:00am Contemporary Holy Communion with Renewal of Baptismal Vows and Children’s Ministry

May you have a holy Easter.

Warren.

Fr Ron's Notes For Easter Day

Sunday 12^th April, 2009 Easter

Sentence

Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us: there let us keep the feast 1 Cor. 5:7

Collect

Brightness of God’s glory, Whom death could not conquer nor the tomb imprison; as You have shared in the frailty of human flesh, help us to share in Your immortality in the spirit. Reveal Yourself to us this day and all our days, as the First and Last, the Living One, our immortal Saviour and Lord. Amen

FIRST LESSON Acts 10: 34 – 43

Peter began: "I now understand how true it is that God has no favourites, but that in every nation those who are god-fearing and do what is right are acceptable to him. He sent his word to the Israelites and gave the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. I need not tell you what has happened lately all over the land of the Jews, starting from Galilee after the baptism proclaimed by John. You know how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Because God was with him he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. And we can bear witness to all that he did in the Jewish countryside and in Jerusalem. They put him to death, hanging him on a gibbet; but God raised him to life on the third day, and allowed him to be clearly seen, not by the whole people, but by witnesses whom God had chosen in advance--by us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

He commanded us to proclaim him to the people, and affirm that he is the one designated by God as judge of the living and the dead. It is to him that all the prophets testify, declaring that everyone who trusts in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.'

FOR THE PSALM Hymn to the Risen Christ

Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us: so let us celebrate the feast

Not with the old leaven of corruption and wickedness: but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth

Christ once raised from the dead, dies no more: death has no more dominion over Him

In dying He died to sin once for all: in living, He lives to God.

See yourselves, therefore, as dead to sin: and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord

Christ has been raised from the dead: the firstfruits of those who sleep.

For as by one man came death: by another man has come also the resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all die: even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

EPISTLE 1 Corinthians 15: 1 – 11

And now, my friends, I must remind you of the gospel that I preached to you; the gospel which you received, on which you have taken your stand, and which is now bringing you salvation. Remember the terms in which I preached the gospel to you--for I assume that you hold it fast and that your conversion was not in vain.

First and foremost, I handed on to you the tradition I had received: that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures; and that he appeared to Cephas, and afterwards to the Twelve. Then he appeared to over five hundred of our brothers at once, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, and afterwards to all the apostles. Last of all he appeared to me too; it was like a sudden, abnormal birth.

For I am the least of the apostles, indeed not fit to be called an apostle, because I had persecuted the church of God. However, by God's grace I am what I am, and his grace to me has not proved vain; in my labours I have outdone them all--not I, indeed, but the grace of God working with me. But no matter whether it was I or they! This is what we all proclaim, and this is what you believed. Now if this is what we proclaim, that Christ was raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection, then Christ was not raised; and if Christ was not raised, then our gospel is null and void, and so too is your faith; and we turn out to have given false evidence about God, because we bore witness that he raised Christ to life, whereas, if the dead are not raised, he did not raise him.

GOSPEL Mark 16: 1 – 8

When the sabbath was over, Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought aromatic oils, intending to go and anoint him; and very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they came to the tomb. They were wondering among themselves who would roll away the stone for them from the entrance to the tomb, when they looked up and saw that the stone, huge as it was, had been rolled back already. They went into the tomb, where they saw a young man sitting on the right-hand side, wearing a white robe; and they were dumbfounded. But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place where they laid him. But go and say to his disciples and to Peter: "He is going ahead of you into Galilee: there you will see him, as he told you.'' '

NOTES ON THE READINGS ..

I will often ask people –when hearing or thinking about the Readings,- to take notice of the fine print. That means, either to know quite something about the passage and its context, and/or to refuse to allow familiarity to overlook the information given in the passage. It is far too easy to assume that you know it all, for that is when you may well miss much of the point.

First Lesson

If you are a little mystified by the inclusion of this Reading on Easter Day, then keep thinking. You may be satisfied, initially, with the fact that there is clear reference to the Crucifixion and Resurrection. Now let’s travel that extra mile.

This event took place well after the Resurrection, when it is clear that much of the ramifications of the Gospel had yet to impact even on the Apostles. This incident, with the Roman Centurion, is another of those fascinating learning curves for the Apostles, and for Peter in particular. They had to work through their theology just as much as you do!

Peter was stunned to confront the extent to which this pagan military overlord understood about life and faith and reality. It was an affront to Peter’s religious heritage and background. Like all Jews, he remained convinced that all Gentiles were beyond the pale, ignorant, and of utterly no interest to God. This incident had the effect of (beginning the) changing all that. Like any ‘epiphany’ or transfiguration,’ it ran against Peter’s grain, and needed some time in order for him to come to terms with it all.

In other words, it is about time Christians, including the most conservative of them all, took off their blinkers and saw things as they really are.

For the Psalm

There is rather a lot to ponder in this rather stunning old Christian hymn: not least of which is the reference to the Passover. In case it has never hit you before, the Biblical record is quite constant in its appreciation of the fact that the Passover, and the Exile are all part of the one plan of redemption, and are all very illustrative of the Divine approach to the human dilemma. The Resurrection is rather more than the means whereby you get to heaven. It is in fact the example par excellence as to how Christians should operate as humans in a world that turns its back on God. Here is no religious illustration: here is down-to-earth information on why to operate as Christian, for here lies the only workable and valid way to reconciliation for any human situation. That reference to Adam (yes, that is what is being referred to) is making it quite clear that in Christ there is a completely different way to operate. Why do se few Christians even see that let alone follow?

Epistle

Back when I was a very young priest, the old Prayer Book has this passage as the reading as a Funeral. It is powerful stuff, but I am sure that most if it went over the heads of mourners unless they were believers. There are a couple of items that strike me as important as we refer to this passage.

First, please do see that Paul saw the necessity of offering to people of his day some real and tangible evidence that Jesus has risen. None of that evidence (talking to people who spoke to the Risen Christ) is available to us today, but there were mobs of witnesses, eyewitnesses, then. So Paul was saying that there were then lots of people who could verify the facts. (If he was trying to fool people, then he was being remarkably stupid.)

Now second, that raises a problem for moderns. If such evidence was necessary then, why it is that we are no longer able to access such evidence for something so hugely important. I find the answer to that rather stunning. If resurrection sounds all a bit too much in this cynical and scientific age, then Iask you to ponder awhile.

What does the resurrection say to us? It is not just (if I can put it that way) that Jesus rose again from the dead. It is a powerful statement that truth can be suppressed but not killed. The same is true about love, and about all the important factors of life. And the only way I can be sure of that is to be committed to truth, to love, to justice and everything else. Only by treading that path can I be sure that these things are true. The evidence is there all right; but I need to stick my neck out to be sure of it.

GOSPEL

It is always the ladies, is it not, who are there bright and early to deal with the practical issues of life and of death. Nothing seems to put them off. Mind you, I have more than a sneaky suspicion those Jewish peoples, and the ladies in particular, have always been down to earth. I can tell a story of a particularly remarkable lady and her response to her husband dying right there at home. Certainly, they were overtaken by events, but they had their feet on the ground. There was a job to be done, and an unpleasant one at that. But there they were, with all the equipment needed for the task.

On the other hand, none of the disciples were in any way prepared for the events that were to unfold before their very eyes. And it was the ladies that had to convey the message to the Eleven, - which is something which makes us look beyond the old male hang-ups, surely, as the women led the way.

NOTES FOR A SERMON

Perhaps it has been a matter of over-exposure, but I am getting to the stage where the great Christian celebrations do not excite me as they did. Much of the reason for that response in me has very little to do with the reality behind the season – it has more to do with the strange and inflated stuff that passes as sermons or explanations of the Seasons.

I guess that part of my problem also lies with dearly-loved parents who lived their faith without wearing in on their shirt-sleeves, and were really quite down-to-earth people in everything that they did. While we were certainly excited by Christmas as kids, it was always made clear that there was little point in celebrating if the rest of one’s life did not reflect the attitudes that the Season emphasised. Christmas is giving; Easter is forgiving; and if one did not operate along those lines every day of the year, then one was missing the point.

Run all that alongside a world where advertising for Christmas spending begins in late October, and where the hard sell increases in stridency as December 25^th draws closer. Parallel to that is the constant news flashes of under-age drinking and car accidents, sudden death or long-drawn-out depression. One of the things that must be of almost total disappointment to the unbelieving world is the tinselled pointlessness of the season. Worse happens when the credit card chickens come home to roost about a month later.

I am not being all morose and negative! I am wondering why people other than Christians celebrate Christmas at all. It must be totally pointless for them.