Newsletter

Sunday 18th November, 2012 TWENTY-FIFTH 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, young people! Collect for the day O God, welcoming refuge for the outcast, and upholder of justice for the oppressed: maintain the hope of the poor, so that the time may soon come when no one need want for food and shelter, and all will learn to share freely following the example of Your Son, Who gave His very self; Who now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Today’s Readings read by David C Readings 1 Samuel 1:4—20 and Hebrews 10: 11—14 & 19—25 GOSPEL Mark 13:1-11 PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Don B We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Peter Little, Dorothy Furnival, the Swaby family, Dianne Cordes. (coping reasonably) Tommy Ferguson, Bob Arnold, Ann Daughtry, Pat Pater, Susan Daulby, Bonney Tomlinson, - home again now - Janet Phillips., Jan, Mollie and Margaret. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Pat Pater, Sue Daw-Thomas, David Hale HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY YEAR’S MIND— Beryl Wilson (1995) PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Christ the King - Sunday next before Advent Readings 2 Samuel 23: 1—7 and Revelation 1:4b—8 GOSPEL John 18: 33—37 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 5.30pm Evening Prayer with Wendy YOUNG PEOPLE’S GROUP 5pm every second Sunday 14th at Daughtry’s home MOTHERS’ UNION - meets third Thursdays each month at 2.00pm WALKING CHURCH First Saturday of each month at 5.00pm at Belair National Park gates near railway station bridge. Friday morning teas will recommence on Friday 30th November, thanks to the return of the Baines from the UK. All are welcome. Planned-Giving Confirmation Letter Thank you for being in the Planned-Giving Scheme. Parishioners who have handed in their pledge form by the 11th of December will find their confirmation letter on the table in the foyer. Parishioner who hand it in after this date will receive confirmation letter later on. Min The Recorder minaraki@adam.com.au 7129-6758 WORLD DAY OF PRAYER 1st March 2013 With our Parish hosting the Day of Prayer next year, we need to be ready for all the duties involved. The focus next time is France. We need to be ready for speaker, publicity, in the kitchen, and other matters. Please be ready to play your parts in this important event. Yvonne Myers. OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD - SHOE BOXES. We are pleased to let you know that we sent 29 Shoes Boxes and l donation to the Samaritan’s Purse this year. Slight improvement over last year. Thank you all so much for filling these boxes. Much appreciated. Marlene Dixon Saturday 1st December, 10am at St. Peter’s Cathedral, clear for Stephen Daughtry’s Ordination as priest. Also Wendy Morecroft and Clare Bruce have been selected for Discernment by the Diocese, in moves towards training and possible Ordination. 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 Joy Campbell or Ron Keynes Sunday after Min Araki or Cynthia Macintosh READER AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER Next Sunday Reader Vanessa Intercessor Vanessa Sunday after Reader Eric D Intercessor Ben L SANCTUARY ROSTER Next week Flowers Noelene Carter Brass Rosemary Conlon Cleaning Cleaner SUNDAY AFTERNOON FAMILY FUN DAY 2nd December Do not forget our Sunday afternoon Family Fun Day on December 2nd at 4.00 pm. We are asking folk to help with craft and activities and the Mothers’ Union for refreshments, and in the meantime would you (a) bring to Church any old Christmas cards (preferably no Santas!) and (b) any catalogues advertising Christmas gifts and shopping (junk mail really!) Robyn Keynes asks people to save their 2 ltr wine-casks, please—they are very useful as building blocks for junior Sunday School. Friday 7th December is the Blackwood Pageant. As in previous years it will be led by the churches and it is hoped as many of you as possible can turn out and walk with our church banner. Meet in Gulfview Road, near Hungry Jacks end at about 5.30 pm for a 6.30 kick off. Anglicare Christmas Toy Appeal is back with the request for donations, toys that can be put in the toy box from today until 15th December. Further information from Joy Campbell on 8398 5163. The Quire St. Nicholas will be singing their Annual Lessons and Carols at the Cathedral at 3.00 pm on Sunday 23rd December. You may well need to make your plans early ….. RONBLOG on today’s Readings People, Christian and otherwise, seem to have a fascination with end of the world themes. Movies pander to the urge, but if all this is thought to respond to Biblical imagery, then the point is missed entirely. It is a remarkable thing to note, even if you are not a student of history, that it is important to realize that most cultures and civilisations come to the end of their life not from invasion from outside, but by collapse within. That collapse tends to emerge through a rather common failure of people to react in terms compatible with justice and truth, compassion and equity. This is what the Old Testament prophets were all about, as is the Kingdom of which Jesus spoke constantly. The further I have gone in my ministry and pilgrimage, the more I am surprised how few people really understand John’s Revelation. Apocalyptic writings are sadly misunderstood and mis-interpreted. St. John was not, repeat NOT talking about the end of the world any more than Jesus was, as per today’s Gospel passage. Both our Lord and John were underlining the fact that moral decadence is the chief factor that brings about its own collapse in peoples. Jesus expected calamitous events to follow the Crucifixion, and although it took some time, happen it did. John expected the end of Empire (Roman of course) because of the exploding trade in luxuries and the gap between rich and poor, and while it took rather longer than John expected, happen it did. It is not so much a matter of wealth, as it is a matter of unfair distribution of wealth, with widening gaps between those who had and those who had not. If I am wealthy and you are poor, and I give not a damn about you, then I have strayed too far from where truth and justice lies, and my disregard for you is blasphemous – even if I have no God. It is very telling stuff, and should make us all look very much more closely at how we live and operate as humans in a world where we Australians, rich or poor in relation to each other, are living like kings when compared to much of the rest of the world’s population.