Newsletter

SUNDAY 3rd October, 2010
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Our Celebrant and preacher today is Fr. Brenton Daulby

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

Sunday School is held during the 10 am service during School term times but not during School holidays. This will resume on 17th October

COLLECT FOR THE DAY
Faithful God, have mercy on us Your unworthy servants and increase our faith, so that, trusting in Your Spirit’s power to work in us and through us, we may never be ashamed to witness to our Lord, but may serve Him obediently all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever Amen

THOUGHTS ON THE GOSPEL
There is not likely to be a lot of people who would agree with the views and attitudes – about being servants etc., - expressed in this passage, now is there? We are far more likely to have people demanding that their presence be noted and their status well recognized. Servant? Bah! Hogwash!!!!!
Here lies one of the principle reasons for rejection of the Faith by many in today’s world – or at least our part of it. Power and position are the ultimate goals for rather too many. And the result of that way of life shows up in the dysfunction of what passes today for community and even family.
There is no way in which the Christian position is ‘different’ just for the hell of it. It is different because this is the time-honoured way of finding a peaceful and beneficial way of living. When I look out for you, and you for me, and each of us for the rest of us, then all of us are safe and life can be lived peacefully if not profitably. Love is the real factor that makes life tick, and while this may not be rocket science, it is reality (and not in the television sense, let me underline.)
The real reasons for taking up this Gospel issue are dual: one, to offer an alternative, and the other, to point to something that may be of great surprise to a lot of people. The cause of that surprise is found in Scripture, and particularly in the Old Testament. It is not necessary to read the whole lot of that rather large volume, but to check out some parts of it. What may be more surprising still is that the reason we have this document lies in the fact that it constitutes the Hebrew answer to the life question – why is there all this stuff-up in life anyhow?
Oddly, many of those who oppose Christianity consider it to be mere superstition, and I have the hide to wonder why. The Faith is all to do with operating with justice, truth and integrity, and being a persistent parent as the prophets see God as evidencing. It was no easy business for the Loving Father to watch His own people acting like foolish and recalcitrant idiots. His reaction was not to step in and stop their stupidity – for the simple reason that such a course of action would reduce people to something far less than human. Like any parent, He offers correction, until His next path was (and remains!) to step back and allow them to follow their own direction in the hope and longing that they would see the disaster they had chosen, and turn back to a more sensible path.
This is described in Scripture as the ‘wrath of God,’ which is no Divine belting sinners over the head, but a patient waiting for a more reasoned, balanced and solid response from those who had the humility to see the folly of their recalcitrance..
From the Ron Blog


From last Sunday’s Notices
Mary V drew our attention to the work of the Magdalene Centre, which we all support. She reported that 800 people a month, with all manner of needs, look to the Centre to keep going. Not only is nothing wasted, but our support is greatly valued.

TODAY’S READINGS read by Neil T
Lamentations 1: 1—6 & 2 Tim. 1—14
Gospel Luke 17: 5—10

PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Ben Luks
We pray for those in need: Warren and Thea, Ron Teague, Michael Boere, Sue Lloyd and Peter Little; and don’t forget Stephen with his gammy yet thankfully improving leg.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY:
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY –
YEAR’S MIND: Marjorie Norton (1990) H. John Halstead (1995) Pat Trebilcock (2005) Mary Willoughby (1990) Fr. Allan Biggs (2000) Joyce Cook (1995)

PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY – 20th Sunday after Pentecost
Readings: Jeremiah 29:1. 4– 7 and 2 Timothy 2: 8—15
GOSPEL Luke 17: 11 0 19
Refer Fr Ron’s Notes available at http://www.anglican-belair.blogspot.com/

POWERPOINT ROSTER –
This Week Craig Deane or Trevor Tregenza
Next Week Ron Keynes or Araki Family

READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER
Next Sunday Reader Trevoir T Intercessor Sue D_T
Sunday after Reader Warren Intercessor Mary V

REGULAR GROUPS AND BOOKINGS
PRAYER CIRCLE meets noon on the 2nd Tuesday each month at 36 Penno Parade North
THURSDAY 7.00m Eucharist and 7.30pm Parish Council
BIBLE STUDY 10am every Wednesday at 378 Main Road Coromandel
Valley
COMING EVENTS
Baptism on 24th October
Baptism on 31st October William Garnett
12th November Another Danny Hodgson evening of jazz. Mark diaries now!
St. John’s Senior School will be using the Hall for exams—details on the foyer board

HELPLINE
Part of being a Christian community is the support offered to each other in times of need. We offer short-term delivery of food where needed, local transport, phone calls, visits and other types of assistance. Call Christie Hodgson on 8370 3260 or Caroline Sweet on 8278 3058

TOY APPEAL
Our Anglican Toy Appeal will be held as usual in November, See ‘Joyce Arnold for details - phone 83702779’

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD
You are asked to return your Samaritan’s Boxes to Church by next Sunday please—10th October. Please phone Marlene Dixon on 8278 8568 if you have any questions.

ANGLICARE CHRISTMAS CARDS - order form for these cards is available in the foyer. Put your name on the list to place your order.

And who forgot all about Daylight Saving?????

Items for the Newsletter need to be sent to Fr. Ron at ronpkeynes@internode.on.net by Tuesday nights, please