Newsletter

Sunday 22nd July, 2012 EIGHTH SUNDAY OF PENTECOST 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 back in action Collect Eternal God, author of our life and end of our pilgrimage: guide us by Your word and Spirit amid all perils and temptations, that we may not wander from Your way, but may run our course in safety until we come to our eternal rest in You; through the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Today’s Readings read by Max A Readings: 2 Samuel 6: 1—5 & 12b—19 and Ephesians 1: 1—14 GOSPEL Mark 6: 14—29 Following difficulties referred to previously, I wonder if those who follow my blogs may prefer to receive them by email.. If that is so, please email me to go on to a group to receive said notes. No charge of course. PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Don B We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Peter Little, Jenny Jeffrey, Dorothy Furnival, the Swaby family , Lynda Knight, Dianne Cordes. Jim (fighting cancer;) Michelle and Jack,. Hazel Looney, Tommy Ferguson, Judith Manning, Barb Capon, Bob Arnold, Genevieve Forster. Remain in support of Helen, Yuri and family in their very sad loss..The Haig family thanks us for prayers for her baby. Caroline Sweet had an op this past week, and Kathy Pennos is fighting cancer. So is Danny Hodgson. Please pray for the family of the lad struck by lightning.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY - Craig Deane, Ron Teague, Simon Downes, Jessica Browne HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY - YEAR’S MIND— PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Ninth Sunday after Pentecost Readings: 2 Samuel 11: 1—15 & Ephesians 3: 14—21 GOSPEL John 6: 1—31 Winter Warm-up Soup lunch today As has been advertised, there is to be a soup lunch after the 10.00am service to mark the return of Fr. Warren. All are welcome to share this meal, and thanks go to those who have made their share of the soup. This function will raise money for missions - free-will donations will be accepted as 'payment' for the soup! 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. Jobs being carried out by parishioners We are attempting to compile a record of "who is doing what" in the parish. Some people have already responded and the results are in the 'Display Book' on the table in the foyer. This has the potential to be a very useful document as it will provide an excellent Parish Profile, telling people who they should contact over particular matters and avoiding duplication. Chances are that you are doing things for Holy Innocent's church. Please put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and let me know what you are doing. E-mail to dandlhall@bigpond.com or your written offering into an empty sleeve in the display book. Thanks for your co-operation David Hall - Warden 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. 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 Trevor Tregenza or Joy Campbell Sunday after Ron Keynes or Barb Capon READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER Next Sunday Reader Araki family Intercessor Vanessa D Sunday after Reader Clare B Intercessor Ben L SANCTUARY ROSTER Next week Flowers Bains family Brass Margaret Carruthers Cleaning Group 2 Mark your diary please ...... (a) St John's Exams 29/10-14/11 RONBLOG When I first had the call to ministry at the fairly tender age of 17 the main consideration that blew up in my head was the expectation of sheer and utter boredom. Who wants to be cooped up in Church for most of your lifetime? It was not a pleasant prospect, and left me wondering if I should avoid the challenge. I am glad that I did not. Boredom has never been a factor in my priesthood; there has never been enough time to be bored, and why? One of the fascinating challenges has been the constancy of questions from people who either did not understand where the Faith was taking them, or who had been led up myriads of garden paths – none of which led to other than dead ends. In other words, it has been a great necessity to be quite a few steps ahead of people, (or choose the lesser path of suggesting that people stop questioning and simply ‘believe.’ That path is really quite dishonest.) When I ‘met’ the OT prophets for the first time it became clear to me that they were in a very similar boat. They had people clamouring for answers, so those prophets found themselves with a lot of thinking to do. As you may have noticed, Isaiah has long become my favourite prophet, largely because it became quite clear that he was very much the questioning, probing, dissatisfied follower of JHWH, but aware that the Almighty knew what He was on about, right from the beginning. Perhaps the real thing that struck me as my studies and questionings continued, very few of the local hoi polloi either took notice or grew in their own understanding. Hence, for many, the Faith (and here we are talking Judaism,) marked time, going nowhere. Brothers, we are treading where we’ve always trod. Sadly, tragically, and even blasphemously, too many Christians over the centuries have followed the same pattern of no movement. Christian history is littered with the evidence of complete lack of thought sometimes for centuries, and – what is worse – refusal to listen to anyone who dared to challenge the dogmas of the time, regardless of how short-sighted such refusal proved to be. Thank heavens (and my parents!) that I was born with a wooden spoon in my mouth - for stirring !!!!!!!!!!