Newsletter

Sunday 4th September, 2011
Twelfth 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 will continue today
Collect for Today
Go before us, O Lord, and further us with your continual help, that in all our works, begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy name, and finally, by your mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Loving God, You call us to your mission, strengthen us to serve You here in this church and in the wider community. May our deeds and action show to our friends and neighbours that we are Your people and follow the ways of Jesus Christ. Open our hearts and minds to the financial challenges facing our church, and with our gifts of time and talent fulfil our vision of becoming a church for the whole community. Amen.

TODAY’S READINGS Exodus 12: 1—14 & Romans 13: 1—10 read by Jane S
Gospel Matthew 18: 10—20
Fr Ron’s Notes available at http://www.anglican-belair.blogspot.com/

PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Max A
We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Peter Little, the Swaby family, Chris Contro, Yvonne Myers, Jenny Jeffrey, Dorothy Furnival, and Olive Marston,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Matthew Browne, John Kelly
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
YEAR’S MIND— Bob Russell (1995), Ruth Shelley (1999), Meg Cameron (1996), Joan Richardson (1997) Evelyn Goreham (1989)

PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Readings Exodus 14: 19—31 and Romans 14: 1—14
GOSPEL Matthew 18: 21—35

REGULAR GROUPS AND BOOKINGS
PRAYER CIRCLE meets noon on the 2nd Tuesday each month at 36 Penno Parade North
BIBLE STUDY Wednesdays at 10.00am at Pressley’s home
THURSDAY 9.30am Eucharist
SINGING GROUP Meets after the 10am service each Sunday. All singers welcome.

MOTHERS’ UNION Branch meets at 2.00pm on the third Thursday of the month in the Germein Room. All are welcome.

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— ………….
Do not forget the Regenerate Dinner to be held in the Hall from 7.00pm on Friday 23rd September - you would have received your letter and invitation last Sunday. This is the time to look forward as we plan for the future of this parish. Archbishop Driver will be speaking to us all. Please let us know if you are coming or not.

POWERPOINT ROSTER –
Today Don Caddy or Cynthia Macintosh
Next Sunday Jill Hilbig or Barb Capon
READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER
Next Sunday Reader Caroline S Intercessor Don B
Sunday after Reader Neil T Intercessor Vanessa D
SANCTUARY ROSTER
Next week Flowers Noeleen Carter Brass Bonney Tomlinson
Cleaning Susan Lee

RONBLOG .... On today’s Epistle
I have reported elsewhere, from time to time, that one needs to receive the Biblical entreaties with some balance. In particular, today’s Epistle deals with the relationship the People of God should have to the government of whatever time and place. The powers that be are ordained of God ....This epistle of Paul was written well before his execution under Nero, along with Peter, so one would suspect that his ‘theology’ of governing powers would have modified somewhat too well before that.
There is an interesting ambivalence in the Biblical view of kings and kingdoms, Empires and such. And that has always been so. Much of this has to do with the rather constant threat of chaos if ever marauding tribes from the far north west ever attacked. Order of any sort was considered far preferable to that sort of utter chaos. Anyone who had been through the extreme that was Europe after WW Two would understand that!
But there was more ... The book of Daniel was written to warn the Israelites against the overweening power of Hellenistic {Greek} culture. And others …. It has always surprised me that Australians are content to absorb of American culture, without the slightest struggle in most cases!!!!!!! Other cultural impacts occur without much reaction.
It behoves most people to be very wary about political and cultural power—or rather the abuse of it.. Notice that what we call democracy was never an issue for Biblical times, nor is it always the sort of ‘better way’ that some people like to present it. History shows that there are some very short steps between democracy and totalitarian government. You will realize, of course, that democracy was a Greek gift to the world,. In Biblical times, any form of government, therefore, was seen as a bulwark against such chaos, which is the point from which Paul would have been writing this passage.

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SAMARITAN'S PURSE - OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD. Time once again to fill a shoe box for the Operation Christmas Child Appeal. Boxes available in the Foyer. More Information from Marlene Dixon. Boxes need to be returned by the beginning of October.


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