Newsletter

Sunday 19th February 2012
Seventh Sunday after Epiphany—Transfiguration

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 VII—Transfiguration
Almighty God, Whose Son was revealed in majesty before He suffered death upon the cross: give us faith to perceive His glory, that being strengthened by His grace we may be changed into His likeness, from glory to glory; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
TODAY’S READINGS
Readings 2 Kings 2: 1—12 & 2 Corinthians 4: 3—12 read by Iris D
Gospel Mark 9: 2—9
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, Jenny Jeffrey, Dorothy Furnival, the Swaby family , Lynda Knight, Dianne Cordes. Blake Vause. Ivanka Cosic, Jim (fighting cancer;) Bryan Baker: Jake and Gail. Michelle in NY and. Eddie Barber.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mark Williams, Roy Dixon, Anna Kelly
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY Meg & Don Baker
YEAR’S MIND— Ray Holderness (1993) Erica Carter (2003)

LENT IS COMING
Shrove Tuesday This week - 21st Feb 6.00pm Pancake Night. Bring your own toppings, savoury and sweet—bring a friend as well
Ash Wednesday 7.45pm Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes.

PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Lent I
Readings Genesis 9: 8—17 & 1 Peter 3: 18—22
GOSPEL Mark 1: 9—15

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

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 Jill Hilbig or Joy Campbell
Sunday after Barb Capon or Jill Hilbig
READER AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER
Next Sunday Reader John F Intercessor Don B
Sunday after Reader Paul H Intercessor Vanessa D
SANCTUARY ROSTER
Next week Flowers Jan Tregenza Brass Bonny Tomlinson
Cleaning Susan Lee
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.
Also Warren is doing studies using ‘Language of Love, a book available at a price either through the Parish or on line. More details are available on a poster in the narthex.
Details of these studies are as follows:
Thursday mornings 10.30am to 11.45am From 23rd Feb to 29 Mar (but not 15 Mar)
Sunday mornings 11.45am to 12.30pm in the Church starting 26 Feb
Monday evenings 7.45pm – 9.15pm at the Rectory, 12 Gulfview Road, Blackwood. Starts 27 Feb

Thank you ....In the height of summer the church gardens flourish. Trees that have become a fire hazard are gently dealt with. Leaves that choke gutters and drains disappear. Like magic. Our thanks to Craig, his good wife, and his other helpers, Wayne and Trevor particularly. Don Baker

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

ST. BARNABAS COLLEGE
The college offers the chance for people to sit in on some of the subjects available. This is a great opportunity to broaden one’s mind and deepen one’s faith. Applications close at the end of February. Cost is $175.00 per subject. Discounts for groups or seniors. Flyers available in the Church or phone Jayne Taylor on 8426 8442 or email jtaylor@sbtc.org.au
Also. on Tuesday, 28th February 2012 at ACD Chapel, 34 Lipsett Terrace, Brooklyn Park there will be the Commencement Service at 6.00 pm including the commissioning of the Lay Education Facilitator, Mrs Helene Bentley followed by light refreshments in the St Barnabas’ Room
Commencement Lecture at 7.30 pm Dr Lynn Arnold, AO CEO, Anglicare-SA Christ and/or Culture? Living the Gospel in a Global Context BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL: RSVP to Melanie Morris by Wed 23rd February, 8416 8440; admin@sbtc.org.au Matthew Anstey

Mark your diary please ......
World Day of Prayer - at 10.00am on Friday 2nd March at the Blackwood Church of Christ. All welcome. See poster in Church narthex
(a) The Parish Annual Vestry Meeting on 25th March and
(b) A Flea Market in May .............. More details to come.

ABM Notes …… We draw attention to the following activities in the coming months :
1. Preparation of palm crosses. We have been able to help the diocesan committee of ABM in recent years by making palm crosses in excess of those needed for our own church. 00. If you would like to help, please contact Joan Durdin (8178 0704).
2. Supply of palm fronds to make palm crosses. Joan would be glad to know of sources of good clean palm fronds. One frond usually makes about 50 crosses.
3. The Diocesan Committee has arranged for the sale of Spring Bulbs, which can be ordered on a form on the notice board in the hall. .
4. On the first Sunday in Lent you will be ioffered an envelope for your six weekly Lenten Offerings. You are encouraged to bring the weekly offerings to church on Easter day.

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Night
Our annual pancake night is on again. Start time is 6pm February 21, but anytime after will be fine. We will supply the pancakes if you bring your own toppings and what you would like to drink. It is always a great night with yummy food, good conversation and that excellent view from our paved area out the back.

Ash Wednesday Services
This year we kick off Lent with two services of Holy Communion with the imposition of ashes. The service times are 9:30 AM and 7:45 PM on Wednesday, February 22.

Lent Study 2012
For those who would like to join a discussion group this Lent I will be running some groups that will be reflecting on prayer by reading a beautiful little book by Greg Moses, former Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral. Each chapter has a short introduction to some aspect of prayer followed by a number of quotes from some of the great names in the Christian tradition. It really is good, and is worth reading even if you don’t want to join a group! Copies are available from me. Three groups will be running, and you can attend whenever it suits you, and mix and match groups as you please. The groups will meet at 10:30 AM Thursday morning in the church beginning February 23; 11:30 AM Sunday morning in the church beginning February 26; and 7:45 PM Monday at the Rectory beginning February 27. The Rectory’s address is 12 Gulfview Rd, Blackwood.

Walking Church
Saturday the 3rd of March at 5pm will see the first meeting of ‘Walking Church’, a fresh expression of church led by Jan Tregenza and Vanessa Daughtry. Walking Church will happen in Belair National Park on the first Saturday of each month and is designed to be a form of worship and spiritual exploration that is more approachable for those who don’t walk through our doors. The ‘Walking Church’ idea has grown out of the Mission Shaped Ministry course that Jan and Vanessa attended on behalf of the parish last year. Many people in our local community walk and talk in Belair NP already and this is a way of meeting people ‘where they are at’. The ‘Walking Church’ will follow a form of relaxed and revised liturgy but will embrace the beauty of nature and God’s presence in nature. There will be a gospel reading but no sermon. Rather than doing any sort of mass publicity, the group will grow by invitation only – through relationship. This is an exciting new initiative for the parish as we find new ways of being church for our community. There will be information at church this Sunday for those interested in the new idea. Speak to Vanessa, Jan and the Rev’d Steve for more information.

Faith of the Elders
The ‘Faith of the Elders’ Exhibition will happen on Sunday the 25th of March at 5pm with wine and nibbles and Bishop Tim Harris opening the event. The church will become a gallery for the evening as we display photographic portraits of 12 of our ‘elders’ alongside their stories of faith and connection with the church. This promises to be a wonderful evening and a great chance to get to know more about the people among whom we worship and live. Please come and invite anyone you know who might be interested. It’ll be a combination of faith, art, local history and celebration.
And who are the ‘twelve’? You’ll have to come along to find out. Their faces tell a story and their stories give faith a face.
Another Holy Innocents activity designed to open our doors to the wider community.

Bible study/discussion for young adults.
This week (hopefully) Stephen will be beginning a Bible Study/discussion group for the young adults in our congregation. We’re wanting to support these fantastic young people as they grow in faith. Please pray for the group as they meet on Sunday evenings.

RONBLOG …… on today’s Readings - Transfiguration
The real point of this transfiguration (metamorphosis if you like) was not to assure Jesus in what He was doing, – it was in fact something Jesus needed to do to get that silly trio of disciples off their mental backsides, and to understand and be part of what was happening around them. Here was a real kick in the duds for them, so to speak. A short time before this, Jesus asked the disciples what they had heard people saying about Him. That was no ego-trip on the part of the Lord, but a gentler kick to get the Twelve to face harsh reality.
Transfiguration is always the dawning awareness of what was right in front of you which you missed seeing because you were not thinking about what was going on.
This is nothing uncommon but very much a matter of what some call a ‘light bulb moment.’ It is a sudden and clear recognition of where reality lies, and is not some sort of airy-fairy dream. It is a flash of light, a blast of sound, a sudden shock that brings you back to earth. Read on and see that this was what happened – precisely – to the disciples. No ivory tower existence was available for followers of Jesus! Nor is it ever for us.
Put yourself into the disciples’ shoes that next morning, when they were confronted with the real world and the awful difficulties under which some people operate. Notice too, if you dare, the impassioned response Jesus made to the blithe dullness of the Twelve. This Faith is not about being safe– it is about change for the world at large, starting with us.

Fr. Gary Priest is celebrating for the 40th anniversary of his ordination with a Eucharist and refreshments on Friday, Feb 24 at 6pm at St Bede's Semaphore. All welcome.
The Calendar Group Would you like to be part of what we are planning to do this year as regards social events and fundraising? Maybe you have an idea? A special meeting is this morning at 11:30am in the Germein Room. Bring your cup of tea if you like! All welcome.