Newsletter

Sunday 30th January, 2011 - Epiphany IV
Our Celebrant and preacher is Warren Huffa
Welcome to Jack and his family

WELCOME to Holy Innocents—we hope you enjoy this time of prayer as we reflect on Scripture together and celebrate the Eucharist. We invite you to join us for breakfast after the 8am service, or morning tea after the 10am service. At 10 am everything in the service will be screened on the walls. Sunday School resumes today!

COLLECT FOR EPIPHANY III
Living God, in Christ you make all things new: transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
TODAY’S READINGS Micah 6: 1—8 and 1 Corinthians 1: 18—31read by Neil T
GOSPEL Matthew 5: 1—12

PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE
We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Phyllis Morecroft, Peter Little, the Swaby family, Eddie Barber (doing better), Chris Contro— and Yvonne Myers operating under some difficulty
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Jane Raymond, Andrew Kelly, Lucy Thomas and Kirby Huffa
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY – Lucinda and David Hale, Rosemary and Sean Conlon
YEAR’S MIND—Sylvia McDonald (1994)

PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY - Epiphany V
Readingd Isaiah 58: 1—9a and 1 Corinthians 2: 1—13
GOSPEL Matthew 5: 11—20
Fr Ron’s Notes available at http://www.anglican-belair.blogspot.com/

POWERPOINT ROSTER –
Today Cynthia Macintosh or Jill Hilbig
Next Sunday Craig Deane or Don Caddy
READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER
Next Sunday Reader Trevor T Intercessor Marg P
Sunday after Reader Mary V Intercessor Max A
SANCTUARY ROSTER
Next week Flowers Audrey and Graham B Brass Bonny Tomlinson
Cleaning Group 2

REGULAR GROUPS AND BOOKINGS
PRAYER CIRCLE and BIBLE STUDY in recess until February 2010
THURSDAY 9.30am Eucharist 7.00pm Eucharist and Parish Council after
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 Marlene Dixon on 8278 8568 or Iris Downes on 8278 3260

Today the new Lutheran Pastor will be commissioned at St. Peter’s Church at 10.00am. We send our best wishes for his ministry—but wish they would have such services during the week!!!!

FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Mark your diaries, each and everyone, with particular reference to
(a) Twilight Progressive Tea on Saturday 17th February—starting at the Rectory perchance, then Barryn where Greg will cook the main course, and dessert at our Hall
(b) Pancake Party on Shrive Tuesday—8th March and a Passover Meal on 21st April, Maundy Thursday. Mary V will have more detail

From the Ron Blog—Epiphany IV
Do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
The first time I ever encountered this most remarkable of quotes from the prophet, Micah it resonated with great power and purpose. On top of that, it revolutionised my perception of the old Hebrew Faith – as well as the role of the prophets in their contribution to the formation of Judaism. Sadness remains that, in modern expression of the Jewish life, so little of those worthy contributions still seem to have power to motivate the ancient people of God.
Here, of course, is the line in the sand, the great divide between those of conciliatory mood and those who are not. History is so totally full of examples and illustrations of the battle between human concepts of power and control, and the Divine perception of what life could and should be like.

May I make the position clear, as I do from time to time, that this Judaic/Christian Faith has, as a major part of its genius, the very factor that provides real and substantial answers to what used often to be called the ‘human dilemma.’ It is a little like the proverbial ‘Murphy’s Law’ which states that whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and that ‘Murphy was an optimist.’ More to the point, this human dilemma (sin in the Biblical text) includes all that makes nonsense of human life, aspirations and history – and I doubt very much if you need any illustration of this awful fact of life.
The fact that this solution is more often despised than taken seriously is a blot on the landscape too. Certainly it has to be said that the Christian witness to what is the real Gospel is rarely heard or advertised. Part of that very dilemma is that both faith and Church are riddled with the incapacity of humans to live out what they believe. In fact, it was a rare experience for me even to hear from any source what is real Gospel, especially as a young person. ‘Religion’ was sacrosanct, beyond discussion or debate, and I recall being told very firmly from my own priest that I was not to ask questions such as I raised. Small wonder that the faith even survived!
There is nothing new in that, for such refusal to face or answer questions was the common experience of most lay people. It was all part of the power game, which is itself a denial of the ‘faith once delivered.’
So if this monologue rings any bells in your own mind and heart, do not hesitate to push your way through the baloney – and see what the Faith really is all about. It is designed to overcome precisely those resistances and reservations.
One last touch—moderns seem to hate the word sin. Are you aware that the Greek word so translated, really comes across as missing the mark.


Everyone is asked to note that Cynthia Macintosh is at the Church Office on Thursdays each week—and keeps her eyes open at other times too.

Items for the Newsletter need to be sent to Fr. Ron at 8298 7160 or ronpkeynes@internode.on.net by Tuesday late afternoon please