Newsletter

Sunday 26th June, 2011 - Second Sunday after Pentecost

WELCOME to Holy Innocents—we hope you enjoy this time of prayer as we reflect on Scripture together and celebrate the Eucharist. After the 8am service breakfast is served and morning tea after the 10am service. At 10 am everything in the service will be screened on the walls. Sunday School is well and truly in action

Collect for Second Sunday after Pentecost
O God, Your Son has taught us that those who give even a cup of cold water in His name will not lose their reward; open our hearts to the needs of Your children and in all things make us obedient to Your will, so that in faith we may receive Your gracious gift, eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

TODAY’S READINGS
Readings Genesis 22: 1 –14 and Romans 6: 12—23 read by Clare
GOSPEL Matthew 10: 40—42
Fr Ron’s Notes available at http://www.anglican-belair.blogspot.com/
PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Hal S-C
We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Peter Little, the Swaby family, Chris Contro, Yvonne Myers, Joy Campbell, Jenny Jeffrey, Dorothy Furnival, and others known to us,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Graham Browne, Christopher Morecroft, Jan Tregenza, Rita Musolino, John WIlsom
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
YEAR’S MIND—Fr. Allan Daw (2001) Fr. Frank Maygar, (2004) Marjorie Webster (1991)

PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Third Sunday after Pentecost
Readings Genesis 24: 24 …. 67 and Romans 7: 14—25
GOSPEL Matthew 11: 15—19, 25 –30

REGULAR GROUPS AND BOOKINGS
PRAYER CIRCLE meets noon on the 2nd Tuesday each month at 36 Penno Parade North
BIBLE STUDY 10am every Wednesday at 378 Main Road Coromandal Valley
THURSDAY 9.30am Eucharist
HOME GROUP At Wendy and Andrew Morecroft’s home, every 2nd and 4th Thursday evening at 7.30pm. Call Wendy for details on 0417 806 943

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 Barb Capon 8278 3584 and Lucinda Hale 8278 8814.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS—
Flinders Medial Centre helpers are reminded that Sunday 10th July is our turn to visit the wards and take patients to the service in the Chapel. Please be there by 10.00am. Our turn comes around just four times a year and we are looking for people fro Holy Innocents to join us. Please contact Jean Fordham on 8278 2837

HOLY INNOCENTS' BACK TO SCHOOL QUIZ NIGHT Saturday 2 July at 7pm in the Church $10/Adults $5/Concession BYO Supper and Drinks. Optional dress is school attire and prepare to be very well behaved for Quiz & Head Master, Andrew Morecroft. Book your table by writing your name on the form in the foyer

RON-BLOG On Sin and Death .... and even Hell from today’s readings
Warren talked last Sunday about the Copernican Revolution of the Self. Add that to this, please.
Sin. So what the hell is it? Rebellion, we were told. Nasty naughty things we were told. Things that made one’s soul black – we were told. And yet there were lots of things that Christians were doing that really did a lot of damage. Things like being terribly judgemental. Isolating people, making them feel put down, turning backs on them.
The more I thought the more I discovered, and when finally I realized that the Faith was not about being religious but being fair dinkum, and that Genesis was not about some irremediable event in the distant past that Adam did and so we were all sinners, but about what has gone wrong in life and history, and from whence comes a remedy, things began to look up. Genesis 3 is not about judgement; nor is Genesis 4! It is the recognition that - very sadly – human misbehaviour does enormous damage, to the perpetrator as well as to others in the way, and that anyone who looks for a move away from the root causes will find a far better path to travel, a more valuable sort of life to live. (In spite of that awful tale of Cain and Abel, Cain was not condemned but offered alternatives, and also the assurance that God would keep an eye out for him. The tale might sound naïve, but – like all of the creation sagas, -there is strong hope for the future.)
The problem with sin is not so much that it is naughty, but that it is damaging. And if and when I step over the mark, it is you and someone else that gets hurts. And I am responsible.
So when we come to today’s Epistle, the death that is spoken of there is not hell, but that dying within us of care, concern or interest in the effect I have on others. The life that it speaks of is the benefit to others when ‘I turn from my wickedness and live.’ Eternal life, if you understand that.
It has long been a bother to me that so much of the ‘gospel’ preached by some over-keen ‘evangelists’ has more to do with escaping hell than it has with positive choosing in life. Will you understand me when I suggest that to choose to follow Christ because of the apparently ugly alternative, then it would have to make my discipleship remarkably questionable? It would be the result of moral or emotional blackmail, and that does not correspond to the Biblical picture either of Jesus or the Father. In fact, it is a picture that jars down to the deepest level.
The Gospel, in Biblical terms, is the offer to choose life, not for myself but for life that challenges me to be open to all other people. Love is the basis of it all, and love that bears all. It is a challenge but it is also remarkably positive and with limits removed.

ROSTERS
POWERPOINT ROSTER –
Today Don Caddy or Ron Keynes
Next Sunday Trevor Tregenza or Joy Campbell
READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER
Next Sunday Reader no info Intercessor no info
Sunday after Reader no info Intercessor no info
SANCTUARY ROSTER
Next week Flowers Jan T Brass Sweet family
Cleaning Group 2
OTHER ITEMS …….
Some years ago a kind parishioner gave us a folding table-tennis table. It is in good order but no longer used and is something of a problem to store in a hall where everything is moved around frequently. It is available to anyone who would like to have it for a very modest donation. See Don Baker

GOODS FOR THE MAGDELENE CENTRE URGENT ….. Please check out your cupboards for surplus blankets, doonas, sleeping bags and rugs in good condition which can be given to Mary Magdalene's for homeless people. We are happy to collect them or bring them to the Church in the next couple of weeks. Allan and Kate call 8370 3166 Thank you.
St. Barnabas’ College offers the opportunity for people sit in on some of the theological subjects available. Those choosing to do so receive reading materials, attend lectures and participate in discussion,. There is no requirement to do written work . Applications close at the end of June . Details can be found on the poster and flyers at the back of the church or contact jtaylor@sbtc.org.au or 8416 8442.

LOOKING AHEAD .....
Plans are being laid for the next Parish Magazine, coming out in time to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the ‘new’ Church building. If you have photos or stories from that time in the parish’s life, Fr. Ron would be most glad to hear from you.

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