Newsletter

Sunday 8th July, 2012 SIXTH SUNDAY OF PENTECOST Viv Bleby of BCA will preach today 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 for School holidays …... Collect O Lord our God, You are always more ready to bestow Your good gifts upon us than we are to seek them; and more willing to give than we desire or deserve: in our every need, grant us the first and best of all Your gifts, the Spirit who makes us Your children. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen. Today’s Readings read by Trevor T Readings 2 Samuel 5:1-5 & 9-10 and 2 Corinthians 12: 2—10 GOSPEL Mark 6: 1—13 Fr Ron’s Notes available at http://www.diowillochra.org.au/Archives Sermons/Ron/Sermons Canon Keynes—or follow the prompts on the Willochra website. The Parish Blog setup seems to make a mess of these files. PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Hal S-C We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Peter Little,- thanks for his report last Sunday! - Jenny Jeffrey, Dorothy Furnival, the Swaby family , Lynda Knight, Dianne Cordes. Ivanka Cosic, Jim (fighting cancer;) Michelle and Jack,. Hazel Looney, Tommy Ferguson, Judith Manning, Barb Capon, Bob Arnold, premature baby Hayley Haig , Genevieve Forster. Pray especially for Helen, Yuri and family on their very sad loss.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY - Meg Baker, Yena Kim, Caroline Sweet, Sue Parham, Carol Barber HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY - YEAR’S MIND— Peter Phillips (2010) PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Seventh Sunday after Pentecost Readings 2 Samuel 6: 1—5 & 12b-19 and Ephesians 1: 1—14 GOSPEL Mark 6: 14—29 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 5.45pm Evening Prayer with Wendy and Sue 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 Saturday of each month at 4.00pm at Belair National Park gates near railway station bridge. Each Friday morning, coffee and tea will be served in the Parish Hall from 8.30am to 11.30am so please come along and bring a friend or neighbour for a relaxing chat among friends. Only $2.00 for your tea or coffee and biscuit. Archdeacon Michael Whiting (Janine and Michael worship usually at the 8.00am Eucharist) has completed his time as Chaplain to the Archbishop after three years. Michael will continue to assist the parish by taking services when asked by Father Warren. The Archbishop kindly made Michael an Archdeacon Emeritus in recognition of his service to the Diocese over many years. 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 Stephanie Lloyd 8278 4260 and Lucinda Hale 8278 8814 POWERPOINT ROSTER – Next Sunday Min Araki or Cynthia Macintosh Sunday after Craig Deane or Don Caddy READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER Next Sunday Reader Mary V Intercessor Max A Sunday after Reader Max A Intercessor Don B SANCTUARY ROSTER Next week Flowers Jan T Brass Yvonne Caddy Cleaning Group 3 Mark your diary please ...... (a) St John's Exams 17-20 July and 29/10-14/11 CHRISTIAN PASTORAL SUPPORT WORKER (Previously known as “School Chaplain”) BLACKWOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL Schools Ministry Group along with Mitcham Hills Inter Church Council are seeking applications for this 7 to 7.5 hour per week position, commencing late in Term 3, 2012. The position exists to offer support to students, staff and the school community. A Job and Person Specification, including details on “How to Apply”, is available from Schools Ministry Group on 8378 6800 or mail@smg.asn.au Closing date: Friday July 13th @ 5pm to SMG More info at www.smg.asn.au RONBLOG ‘Tis a funny thing about today’s Gospel! How could something as inoffensive as ‘religion’ become a threat to anyone? Well, wonder on. The Gospel has rather more kick to it than being just lovey-dovey! It is all that talk of the Kingdom, and the direction one takes to respond to the Kingdom! Here is no easy path to follow nor an easy choice for people to make. And there lies the real issue. The Gospel, the Kingdom, is about the huge issue of finding a viable response to the vast tangle in human relationships brought about by the dysfunction that disfigures our lives and our familles and nations. Human sin, in other words. Gospel is not an easy option to follow, but – like any religion, - it can be distorted from something designed to be creative and conciliatory into something harsh and divisive. Most religious history is scarred deeply with all manner of horrific events and ugliness, and there is no hiding from that. As I have mentioned before, when the Church is weakest, it is far more likely to reflect the Gospel more truly, serving instead of ruling, caring instead of dogmatizing, reflecting the character of the Father rather more clearly. When was Jesus at His weakest – if I can put it that way? The answer is ‘on the Cross.’ That Cross is the symbol of utter rejection by the populace of the time, glad to get rid of One Who was pointing to the need for radical change, away from self-serving to self-giving. And that was far too much for those with a power base to protect. What am I saying? That in spite of the faults and failures of human Christians, the Faith remains the most positive and effective answer to the world’s issues. Religion and politics not only DO mix, but MUST mix, but not be pressed upon people. Each of us are free to choose, even to choose foolishly, but I live with the conviction that when and whenever the Faith is lived and preached honestly, there will be people who will respond and become disciples of He Whom to me is the only One Who makes sense of life as we live it. The Church may shrink for a while; the Faith will not. And the shrinking has its positive uses, from where I sit. The ‘problem’ for the Church right here and now is to re-examine its teaching, its preaching, its actions and attitudes, to get back to grass-roots and to the Biblical faith. And leave the rest to God, O.K?