Newsletter

Sunday 15th April, 2012
SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER

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 is in recess during the School holidays ……

Collect for Easter II
Risen Christ, Whose absence leaves us in despair but Whose presence is overwhelming: breathe on us with Your abundant life, that where we cannot see we may have courage to believe that we may be raised with You. Amen.

TODAY’S READINGS read by Araki family
Readings Acts 4:32—37 & 1 John 1: 1—2:2
GOSPEL John 20: 19 –31
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 Oliver Vialls, Elliot Hale
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY - Yvonne and Don Caddy
YEAR’S MIND— Ivy Morris (2002)

PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY - Easter III
Readings: Acts 3: 12—20 and 1 John 2:15—3:6
GOSPEL Luke 24: 36—48

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
Walking Church First Sunday at 5.00pm at Belair Nat Park gates near railway station bridge.

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..

Next Sunday is the last Sunday Fr Warren will be with us before he starts Long Service Leave. Fr. Conrad Patterson will be locums for the rest of April and May, and he is no stranger to many of us. We look forward to his time back here as locums.

POWERPOINT ROSTER –
Next Sunday Joy Campbell or Craig Deane
Sunday after Trevor Tregenza or Ron Keynes

READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER
Next Sunday Reader Clare B Intercessor Sue D-T
Sunday after Reader Mary V Intercessor Wendy M

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

Mark your diary please ......
(a) Wedding May 5 Private function in Hall May 6
(b) School bookings: May 19 afternoon, May 25 afternoon & evening
(c) St John's drama production in hall afternoon and evening of May 31 and June 1
(d) 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.

The S.A. ABM Auxiliary is presenting a fund-raising film morning on Wednesday 2 May at the Capri Theatre, Goodwood. The film to be shown is 'Midnight in Paris', described as ' beautiful to look at and abundant with charm'. Joan Durdin has five tickets at $9.00 each. Transport can be arranged. Morning tea available at 9.45 a.m. and the film commences 1030 a.m.

RONBLOG …… on today’s Gospel—and Thomas….
Three huge issues are enunciated here, in this brief and telling passage. First has to do with the forgiveness of sins, then resurrection, and the nature of faith.
Have you ever stopped to realize how remarkable is this business of Jesus giving His Apostles the authority to forgive sins. The very mention of forgiveness drew constant antagonism from His enemies, religious leaders of Israel, during His ministry. Remember? And here He is handing out that authority to mere humans. You may notice that our Church tends to limit that authority to the ordained priesthood, which is a mark of the seriousness of that authority. It is not to be acted upon willy nilly. That is the point.
And faith? I have to express my solidarity with dear old Thomas: he – alone of the Twelve – was most aware of the enormous difference that Jesus’ resurrection brought, if in fact it had happened. Thomas was not prepared to take someone else’s word for such a gigantic change. He had to see the evidence for himself. And please note that Jesus both recognized and honoured that. Faith is never some sort of ‘cross the fingers’ business. Faith is ever the choice a person makes on the basis of the evidence available. And never forget that.
And what impelled Thomas to ask the serious question is simply this: if that tale of Jesus rising was a furphy, it was not worth the candle. That would simply be following some sort of dream. On the other hand, if this were true, then nothing could ever be the same again. The resurrection made clear that evil had been defeated in Cross and resurrection, a stunning situation in a world where evil and power always had the upper hand, and so it appeared in the death of Jesus. Neither truth, nor love can be killed, for in ordinary life, both and either somehow overcome their ‘crucifixions.’ And that ‘moved the goal posts’ in a way never thought possible before.

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