Newsletter

Sunday 10thMarch, 2013 Fourth Sunday in Lent Mothering Sunday Welcome to Connor and his family 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 well into action Collect for today God of compassion, You are slow to anger and full of mercy, welcoming sinners who return to You with penitent hearts: receive in Your loving embrace all who come home to You and seat them at Your bountiful table, that they may feast with delight in all that satisfies. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen Today’s Readings Lent IV read by Hal S-C Readings: Joshua 5: 1—12 and 2 Corinthians 5: 16 –21 GOSPEL Luke 15: 11—32 PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Vanessa 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, Jan and Mollie, Eddy Klose, Bonney Tomlinson, Allan Pressley, Eva and Ben Forster HAPPY BIRTHDAY Jill Hilbig. Barbara Almond, Marilyn Little, Rosemary Conlon, Brittany Luks, Emma Bruce, Maya Araki HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY - YEAR’S MIND— Doris Kelly (1995) John Walder (1988) Jack Kelly (1999) PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Lent V Readings Isaiah 43:16—21 and Philippians 3: 3—13 GOSPEP John 12: 1—8 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 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. Friday Morning HI Tea and Coffee is on again from 8.30am. Don’t miss the chance for a yarn Lenten Studies are to be held on Luke’s Gospel. Meetings for this week are , Tuesday at 10 in the foyer, and 7.30pm in the Rectory The second of our READY, SET, GO Children's Ministry Events is set for 3.30pm next Sunday. More details are available with advertising and invites going out. On the day, watch out for a donkey or two, and other items as well. The Annual Vestry Meeting of the Parish will be held after Church on Palm Sunday 24th March. Reports need to be in hand for printing. a fortnight before that date please. That means this Sunday!!!!!!!! Mothering Sunday, TODAY we will have a BBQ to 'Refresh' us in body (even though it is a long weekend!!) after the 10 am service. Please come and join in the festivities! 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 Ron Keynes or Barb Capon Following week Jill Hilbig or Joy Campbell READER AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER Next Sunday Reader Arndrae L Intercessor Wendy T Sunday after Reader Hal S-C Intercessor Mary V SANCTUARY ROSTER Next Sunday Flowers No flowers Brass Caroline and Sid Sweet Cleaning Cleaner Here are some activities for Lent, 1. Making Palm Crosses. Palm crosses are distributed on Palm Sunday. Each year a group undertakes to make crosses from palm tree leaves. It is a tricky process, though quickly learnt, or re-learnt. 2. The Lenten Envelope Appeal In this annual appeal, all parishioners are invited to contribute weekly. Your contribution can be placed in a special envelope, which will be available on Sundays in Lent, and may be returned with your offering on Easter Day. Parish Directory We are looking for someone to spend the time collating the information we need to produce a revised parish directory. It is not difficult work, just some chasing up and encouraging people to get their details in. If you are interested please see Warren or Wendy. We have been informed that the Commissioning of Public School Chaplains has been deferred till 17th March at 10am at All Hallows, Coromandel Parade, Blackwood. All are welcome to be present for that service. Parish Camp Friday 8 - Sunday 10 November 2013 at Pt Elliot Caravan Park Powered site $33/night Units $115/night, Cabins $90/night For more details refer notice board in the hall or contact Wendy Morecroft awsc@internode.on.net 0400576364 RONBLOG on today’s Readings One of the saddest elements of Christian Faith and worship, to my mind, is the fact that so many Christians of all denominations seem to focus only on their own forgiveness and reconciliation with God. “Heaven is assurred and now nothing else seems to matter.” What blasphemy that is!!! Heaven is a long way off, and now is the critical moment, and nothing could be more necessary for human life and lives to attain potential, than to act on that for which Christ died. And here in this rather disparate but interesting set of readings for today is expressed all that is necessary to reach such a goal or at least to move towards it. And harsh, punitive responses do nothing to resolve issues, but rather they only harden people in their intransigence, and multiply the hatreds. God, we are idiots. And the Faith is ignored. How dare I charge Jews with the same error! That OT Lesson points up again the necessity of the Covenant between God and humans, not for His sake but for ours in retaining connection with the important issues of that covenant. This is no two-way agreement, but specifically ‘take it or leave it.’  The Psalm underlines the necessity - for us, not God – to recognize and take responsibility for our foolish, sinful and damaging actions. This is not to avoid punishment (though that is how it was seen early in OT times.) It is only as ‘I acknowledge my sin’ knowing that Someone is there to listen and know, and for me to be responsible, that I can learn from mistakes and move on from there. This is a process very largely avoided and even refused these days, with the concomitant downward slide that will always emerge from such refusals. I have nowhere to move if and when I have to hide my mistakes and errors for the purview of those close to me, let alone those most distant. EASTER SERVICES March 28 Maundy Thursday, 9.30am Eucharist 7:30pm Eucharist (Last Supper) March 29 Good Friday, 9.30am Children's Service Stations of the Cross 10.45am Traditional Good Friday Service March 30 EASTER 6.30am Lighting of the Paschal fire and Eucharist, 8.00am Traditional Eucharist 10.00am Contemporary Eucharist