Newsletter

Sunday 8th April, 2012
EASTER

Holy Week and Easter Services
Good Friday, Stations of the Cross for Children at 9:30AM,
Traditional Good Friday Service at 10:45AM.
Easter Lighting of the paschal candle and Eucharist, beginning at 6:00AM,
Traditional Eucharist 8:00AM
Contemporary Eucharist at 10:00AM.

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 will be in recess during the School holidays ……

Collect for Easter
Glorious Lord of life, by the mighty resurrection of Your Son You overcame the old order of sin and death to make all things new in Him: grant that we, who celebrate with joy Christ's rising from the dead may be raised from the death of sin to the life of righteousness; through Him Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
TODAY’S READINGS read by Paul H (8) and Max A (10)
Readings Acts 10: 34—43 and 1 Corinthians 15: 1—11
GOSPEL John 20: 1—18
Fr Ron’s Notes available at http://www.anglican-belair.blogspot.com/

PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE
We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Peter Little, Jenny Jeffrey, Dorothy Furnival, the Swaby family , Lynda Knight, Dianne Cordes. Ivanka Cosic, Jim (fighting cancer;) Jake and Gail. Hazel Looney, Tommy Ferguson, Judith Manning, Valda Seith, Barb Capon and Sid Sweet

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Aileen Shepherd, Judy Ellis, Don Baker, Clare Bruce
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
YEAR’S MIND— John Hall

PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY - Easter II
Readings: Acts 4:32—37 & 1 John 1: 1—2:2
GOSPEL John 20: 19 –31

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 third Thursdays each month at 2.00pm

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 Barb Capon
Sunday after Joy Campbell or Craig Deane

READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER
Next Sunday Reader Araki family Intercessor Ben L
Sunday after Reader Clare B Intercessor Sue D-T

SANCTUARY ROSTER
Next week Flowers Jan T Brass Sweets—if available
Cleaning Group 4

Bonney Tomlinson would be glad to hear from anyone who has spare plastic mugs, suitable for use for children and their Milo at morning tea after Church. She would be grateful for any contributions.

Mark your diary please ......
(a) Wedding May 5 Private function in Hall May 6
(b) St John's drama production in hall afternoon and evening of May 31 and June 1
(c) St John's Exams 17-20 July and 29/10-14/11
The Flea Market – 19th May YOU can help make this a successful event…..it is planned to keep the Flea Market / Jumble Sale to a manageable level with stalls mainly occupying the hall.

ATTENTION SIDESPEOPLE
The key to the safe has been damaged and thus it was unable to be used to open or close the safe. One of the teeth on the key has been broken off. A replacement key has now been attached to the key ring. However, to prevent this happening in the future please ensure that the door is closed firmly with all items placed well back in the safe. Turn the handle to horizontal and then GENTLY turn the key to securely lock the safe. When unlocking the safe, the door requires a sharp tug to open. Please do not force the key in the lock. If you encounter any difficulty, please seek assistance. Many thanks again for your work as sidespeople and hopefully the above instructions will make your job easier.

Special Note: A strong capable father of two requires work to support his children—willing to do gardening, cleaning or anything. Phone Yvonne Myers on 8278 6297

RONBLOG …… on today’s First Lesson from Acts
I have commented before that this passage is included in the Lectionary perhaps more often than any other. There is good reason of course, for it marks yet another stage in the development of Peter and the Infant Church in their understanding of the Gospel. This matter has to do with the acceptance or not of Gentiles into the Church; small drama for you, you say, but that is because you have two millennia of Christian discovery right in your lap. BUT it was a vast and significant step for the Early Church.
Like any human being of any time and age, we bring a lot of baggage into our pilgrimage. Sadly we are often totally unaware of it until some ‘egg hits the fan’ and we have to do a rethink. Jews had been convinced for centuries that they were the Chosen People of God, the only humans in whom God had the slightest interest. It was embedded so deeply in the Jewish psyche that I suspect much of Judaism today has the same understanding. Had the Church remained with that dogma, it would never have survived the first century. It would first have become simply a Jewish sect, and then almost certainly died out.
On the other hand, one of the great, repeated and strong emphases of the Old Testament prophets, and the Psalms, and, indeed, the original promise of blessing to Abraham had the focus on the entire human population. If you find that hard to believe, Google ‘Gentile(s)’ or ‘nations’ in your Bible and stand ready to be overwhelmed with the response. As the final and irreversible evidence, read the Gospels again to see the irrepressible Jesus in His wide acceptance of Gentiles. Over the top of that is our Lord’s remarkable (for that time) acceptance of women. Luke, in particular, underlines the hugely important role women played in Jesus’ ministry – another shock for His contemporaries.
Read the entire incident in Acts 10 to get the full picture. In spite of being the ‘hay-seed’ Jew – from Galilee – Peter was still very much the kosher person. But that experience led him so far past tradition as to be breath-taking. Mind you, that same man had trouble with his contemporaries who were certain that he had crossed over that ‘line in the sand.’ Thank heaven he did!!!!!
So who do we translate as ‘Gentiles’ in today’s world? Fr. Warren is for ever pointing us to the need to make room for people however different to us in our fellowship ........


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