Newsletter

Saturday 5th February 2012
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

WELCOME to Holy Innocents—we hope you enjoy this time of prayer as we reflect on Scripture together and celebrate the Eucharist. Breakfast is available in the Hall after the 8 am service and morning tea after the 10 am. All are welcome. Sunday School has resumed in slightly altered state

Collect for Epiphany III
Saving God, Whose Son, Jesus Christ, healed the sick and brought them wholeness of body and mind; inspire us, His disciples, so that we may constantly proclaim His gospel by our words and by the dedication and integrity of our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. Amen

TODAY’S READINGS Epiphany V read by Vanessa
Readings Isaiah 40: 21—31 & 1 Corinthians 9: 16—23
GOSPEL Mark 1: 29—39
Fr Ron’s Notes available at http://www.anglican-belair.blogspot.com/
PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Warren
We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Peter Little, Jenny Jeffrey, Dorothy Furnival, the Swaby family , Olive Marston, Lynda Knight, Blake Vause. Ivanka Cosic, Jim (fighting cancer;) Bryan Baker: Michelle, Jake and Gail.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY Neal & Sharon Barber
YEAR’S MIND— Sylvia McDonald (1994) Bette Tickle (2002) Michael Bingham (2005) Gordon Hannaford (1994) Shirley Burdett (2003), Alice Mary Moore (2010) Alfred Barber (2003)

PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Epiphany VI
Readings 2 Kings 5: 1—14 & 1 Cor. 9: 24—27
Gospel Mark 1: 40—45

REGULAR GROUPS AND BOOKINGS
PRAYER CIRCLE meets noon on the 2nd Tuesday each month at 36 Penno Parade North
BIBLE STUDY 10amWednesdays at Pressley’s
THURSDAY 9.30am Eucharist
SINGING GROUP Meets after the 10am service each Sunday. All singers welcome
MOTHERS’ UNION - next meeting on 16th February at 2.00pm at the Church
The topic is ’travel with Paul Hilbig’ -always enjoyable and informative, and all are welcome. Margaret Pressley 8278 4427
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, and other types of assistance. Call Iris Downes on 8278 3260 and Marlene Dixon on 8278 8568..

POWERPOINT ROSTER –
Next Sunday Min Araki or Ron Keynes
Sunday after Cynthia Macintosh or Don Caddy

READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER
Next Sunday Reader Eric D Intercessor Hal S-C
Sunday after Reader Iris D Intercessor Max A

SANCTUARY ROSTER
Next week Flowers Anna Kelly Brass Margaret Carruthers
Cleaning Group 4

Ecumenical Lenten Studies
Every second year the South Australian Council of Churches organises Lenten Studies. The Mitcham Hills Inter-Church Council is co-ordinating groups in this area. This year the title is "Fast, pray, give and receive".
Material can be downloaded from the SACC website (www.sacc.asn.au) and Registration Forms are available at church. Interdenominational groups will begin in the week of 27th February. Please consider joining in these Lenten discussions. They provide opportunity for you to meet up with local people from other denominations and learn from each other. David Hall
Warren has indicated that he is doing studies using a book, available at a price either through the Parish or on line. More details later.

Thanks to all who contributed to last Sunday’s Australia Day celebration and barbecue, and further thanks to those who brought Oz items for the display., A lot of thought went into those items.

Sunday School Notes
A note of encouragement for support given to the Children’s Ministry: funds raised by recycling bottles etc. has more than doubled last year—over $250! Thanks all!

RONBLOG …… on today’s Old Testament Lesson
If ever you feel concerned that a preacher is asking you to stretch beyond where you are now, please do see that this should be a constant experience for Christians. While the Almighty does not change, it is imperative that each Christian’s perception needs to be on a learning curve, right up to the end of one’s life.
I well remember the experience when, as a theological student I was confronted with the stunning vision of God vouchsafed to Isaiah. What struck me most of all was not so much the enormous picture of the Creator, but that God was working in the vicissitudes of history to get a significant if severe message across to His people. God at work in history was a complete new possibility to me, who thought I had known a fair bit about Scripture but also had grown up in the attitude that ‘religion was private and personal.’
The point is that this aspect of God-at-work-in-His-world did not end with Isaiah or even with John’s Revelation. Once I can see where and how God works in Isaiah’s time, I can begin to see how He works in my own period. What is most stunning to me is that, in spite of Israel’s constant rebellion and failure, God remained true to His covenant, and ‘hung in there.’ Not a bad lesson for moderns to catch sight of, either.
The simple exercise of working your way through Isaiah 40 onwards, to Chapter 66 if you dare, is well worth the effort. It helps to be aware of the severe hardship for Israel at that time, slaves under house arrest in a strange and alien land. There was no chance of raising an army to break and return home, and there was no chance of building a Temple in Babylon nor of carrying on the old forms of worship. It was not just a matter of losing their Book of Common Prayer – it was a matter of giving up entirely, or of finding new and relevant methods of worship and of retaining culture and faith. Powerless, futureless, hopeless.
But not from where Isaiah sat! We have long been used to the lack of statesmen in our country; fortunately Israel had three people of Isaiah status – there was also Jeremiah and Ezekiel. And nothing but encouraging words and actions sprang from those gurus, and most of it had to do with getting a clearer picture of Yahweh. Not just their tribal god; not just one of the great gods of the time. But the only one there is, and the God Who was there in the pooh with them.
**************************************************************************

Bush Church Aid Society AGM 3 March: Christ Church North Adelaide. Lunch at 12 noon. $15 per head Guest Speaker: The new National Director Rev'd Dr. Mark Short
RSVP by 22 Feb to Helen or Vivien 8351 5950 or sa@bushchurchaid .com.au