Newsletter

Sunday 20th January, 2013 Second Sunday after Epiphany Welcome to Asher and Thomas 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. Collect for today Bountiful God, Whose Son revealed His glory at Cana of Galilee, help us to believe and obey so that, as our Saviour promised, we may be filled with the wine of new life, and show forth His joy and love, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. Amen Today’s Readings Epiphany II read by Araki family Readings: Isaiah 62: 1—5 and 1 Corinthians 12: 1– 11 GOSPEL John 2: 1—11 PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Wendy M We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Peter Little, Dorothy Furnival, the Swaby family , Dianne Cordes. Tommy Ferguson, Bob Arnold, Ann Daughtry, Pat Pater, Susan Daulby, Janet Phillips,, Jan and Mollie, Eddy Klose (prostate ca) Hal Shaw-Calverley,. Robyn Keynes’ older sister Pam.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Anthony Kelly, Tom Araki HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY - Anthony and Alysia Kelly YEAR’S MIND— Valerie Hall (2009) George Forward (1996) George McAuliffe (1990) Bess Newland (2013) PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Third Sunday after Epiphany Readings Nehemiah 8: 1 – 3, 5-6, 8-10 and 1 Corinthians 12: 12 – 31 GOSPEL Luke 4: 14 - 21 REGULAR GROUPS AND BOOKINGS - some activities do not start till February 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 MOTHERS’ UNION - meets third Thursdays each month at 2.00pm—next meeting February WALKING CHURCH First Saturday of each month at 5.00pm at Belair National Park gates near railway station bridge. Again, not till February 2nd Friday Morning HI Tea and Coffee is on again from 8.30am. Don’t miss the chance for a yarn 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 Should anyone wish to send support to Tassie bushfire-victims , the Anglican Diocese of Tasmania offers the following opportunities. Contact Fr. Ron is you require further information: 1. Direct deposit into the bank account for Anglican Health and Welfare BSB: 067-000 Account Number: 10720017 Reference: Bushfire (plus surname) Please send an email to finance@anglicantas.org.au letting us know of your donation, including your name and address, so that a tax-deductible receipt can be sent to you. 2. Cheque made out to Anglican Health and Welfare and sent to GPO Box 748, Hobart TAS 7001. Be sure to include your name and address so that a tax-deductible receipt can be sent to you. OR 3. Online credit card donations can be made through our Anglicare website: http:// www.anglicare-tas.org.au/BeInvolved/Donate.aspx . A receipt for tax deductible donations will be mailed out if the caller leaves their mailing address POWERPOINT ROSTER – Next Sunday Ron Keynes or Joy Campbell Following week Don Caddy or Cynthia Macintosh READER AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER Next Sunday Reader Clare D Intercessor Sue D-T Sunday after Reader David C Intercessor Mary V SANCTUARY ROSTER Next Sunday Flowers Marilyn Little Brass Joan D Cleaning Group 5 RONBLOG on today’s Readings If some people find this story of water into wine somewhat hard to swallow, it may help to realize the extent to which Biblical stories are often rather more imaginative than real. If that bothers you, please do see that humans often vary the facts to suit the ‘lesson’ without a single blush. The story of Jonah and the whale is an instance, for no author even then or ever after expected anyone to believe that a person could survive in the belly of a great fish: water would get them before digestive juices. And if you remain somewhat shocked, how does the Gallipoli legend strike you? A sound defeat is still trumpetted as the birthplace of our nation. The reality that we celebrate, however, remains untouched does it not! So what have we done with the Faith, and the expression of it? This story points to an awful lot of wine, so get the implication that much of the fun seems to have been removed from the Faith, from worship and from life. There, surely, lies an area where we need to be having a long hard look to change things. Mind you, such a change needs to have solid ground underneath it. The Faith is not some sort of ‘feel good’ panacea, but that with which life can be laced with a joy and gladness that includes having one’s feet very firmly on the ground. This Faith, as Scripture underlines and worship should also, has far more to do with responding to the human dilemma brought about by what we call sin. That response is a gentle one of meeting human failure, not with judgement but with a way of reconciliation. It contains all the beneficial elements in life of compassion and love, but also with justice and truth. It may sound all a little impotent and low-key, but the reality of outcomes can be far more creative and productive. And it is designed to be expressed here, not waiting for some future Nirvana, but right now. One need look only to the most recent headlines in papers or on TV, to be reminded of our terribly human capacity to head off into directions diametrically opposite – revenge and retaliation, for instance, and then wonder why the problems and conflicts escalate. Perhaps the greatest tragedy is that so-called Christian democracies call out for retaliation! Would you like me to list the battlefields? What strikes me as most odd here in our own country is that the cynical disregard of the Christian ethic leaves many of our leaders propounding the very policies that do nothing but escalate the problems rather than alleviate them. Truth of course is the first casualty, which means fairness drops right off the radar. So much of our government direction is ego-driven, having nothing to do with the solution of issues.