SUNDAY 16th May 2010
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Our Celebrant and Preacher today is Rev’d Dr. Warren Huffa
WELCOME
Please join us for breakfast in the hall after the 8am service or for morning tea after the 10am service. At 10am you will find all prayers and hymns projected onto the sanctuary walls.
THE PRAYER FOR TODAY
Almighty God, Whose blessed Son before His passion prayed for His disciples that they might be one as You and He are one; grant that Your Church being bound together in love and obedience to You, may be united in one body by the one Spirit, that the world may believe in Him Whom You have sent, Your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
TODAY’S READINGS Acts 16: 16-34 & Rev’n 22: 12 - 21 read by Marg P
GOSPEL John 12: 20 - 26
PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Sue D-T
We pray for those in need Warren and Thea, Janet and Peter, Ron Teague, Barbara Corbett, Michael Boere,
We give thanks for the life of Catherine Cordes (2006) Christine McAuliffe (1983) Philip Lockwood (1997) and Lorna Mengler (1995)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sid Sweet and Olive Marston
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY – Margaret and Allan Pressley and Jocelyn and Craig Deane
PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY –
Eighth Sunday of Easter Acts 2: 1 – 21 and Romans 8: 14 - 17
GOSPEL John 14: 8 - 17
Refer Fr Ron’s Notes at http://www.anglican-belair.blogspot.com/
POWERPOINT ROSTER –
Today Araki Family or Don Caddy
Next Week Ron Keynes or Barb Capon
REGULAR GROUPS AND BOOKINGS
PRAYER CIRCLE meets noon on the 2nd Tuesday each month at 36 Penno Parade North
BIBLE STUDY 10am every Wednesday at 378 Main Road Coromandel Valley looking at the book of Job
St John’s Grammar have booked the Hall each day for Yr 12 exams from 19 to 23 July and 26th.
OTHER COMING EVENTS
QT 3 - Tonight at Holy Innocents 7.30pm Is God deaf?
13th June Patronal Festival
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, visits and other types of assistance. Call Iris Downes 8278 3260 or Marlene Dixon 8278 8568
The Sunday School group will be grateful for (refundable) bottles, cans and packs being made available: the proceeds will be put to good use for Children’s Ministry. See Robyn Keynes for more info.
BUSH CHURCH AID BOX OPENING
Margaret Pressley advises that May is Box-opening month, and asks all box holders to bring their boxes so that the collections can be sent on.
Family Packs
On a table in the narthex, are Family Packs, for parents and grandparents to help with teaching young ones the Faith All this for only $5.00. Robyn Keynes has more information
NOTES FROM WARREN
We've got a few extra things happening at Holy Innocents in the next few weeks. Each Thursday night (beginning this Thursday) I'll be running sessions on some of the spiritual practices of the church, studies and a monthly Eucharist. One Thursday a month will also be a follow up on the QT topic. At 7:10pm I will be celebrating the Eucharist in a simple, bare essentials way, concluding at 7:30pm. Come along to either sessions or both.
I'll be starting a 6 part series on 12 Big Passages of the Old Testament. if you would like a way to understand the Old Testament as a whole, especially as it was then used by the early church after the resurrection of Jesus, this will help. The session will begin at 7:00pm with some silence/meditation followed by the study of the Old Testament at 7:30pm. Come to either parts or both.
Hope to see you soon. Regards, Warren
Home Groups
As we now have a Thursday night program at the church it has been suggested that we attend the Thursday night session as an alternative to Home Groups for a few months. It is planned to ask Vivian Bleby to talk to interested parishioners about small group leadership and Home Groups later in the year. Therefore, please note that Home Groups are in recess on both Thursday and Friday nights until further notice. Please contact either Wendy Morecroft or Yvonne Caddy for further information or any questions etc.
Today, after the 10,00am service there will be the usual morning tea followed by the BBQ Thank You to those who have volunteered their efforts for the parish.
If there is anyone who has a use for some removalists’ cardboard packing cases, please talk to Mary Vandepeer (phone; 82272838) as there are quite a few available and I don't want to just consign them to the recycling!!
St. Barnabas’ 130th Anniversary
On Thursday 10 June, St Barnabas’ Theological College will be celebrating 130 years from the laying of its foundation stone by Bishop Short on St Barnabas’ Day, 11 June 1880. The evening will begin with 6pm Patronal Festival Evensong at Christ Church North Adelaide, with the Rev’d Dr Matthew Anstey preaching. This will be followed by a light supper, during which there will be a presentation about the College and news about its exciting future. All collegians and members of the diocese are warmly invited to this significant event. A special offering for the College will be collected during the service. To assist with catering, please RSVP to the College by Friday 4 June (mmorris@adelaide.anglican.com.au; 8416 8440).
COMMUNITY CONCERN 2010 an annual ecumenical event organized by Australian Church Women
This year we are supporting the Epilepsy Association and raising funds for the annual carers’ retreat and children’s camp. In our area, the event will be held at the Blackwood Uniting Church at 1.00pm on Friday 28th May. Come and meet people from other Churches, hear a speaker from the Epilepsy Centre, and support a worth-while cause; and enjoy afternoon tea. Donation $4.00 Trading Table Jean Fordham 82782837
And on a personal note, Mary and Graham Roberts send their regards, as they settle down near Morphett Vale.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
RonBlogMay 162010
Sunday 16th May, 2010 Seventh Sunday of Easter Sunday after Ascension
Sentence
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Acts 16:31
Collect
Almighty God, Whose blessed Son before His passion prayed for His disciples that they might be one as You and He are one; grant that Your Church being bound together in love and obedience to You, may be united in one body by the one Spirit, that the world may believe in Him Whom You have sent, Your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
FIRST LESSON Acts 16: 16 – 34
One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation." She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities.
When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, "These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe." The crowd joined in attacking them and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened.
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
Then he brought them outside and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.
PSALM 97
The Lord is king, let the earth rejoice: let the multitude of islands rejoice
Clouds and darkness are round about Him: righteousness and justice are the foundations of His throne
Fire goes before Him: and burns up His enemies on every side
His lightnings light the world: the earth sees it and quakes
The mountains melt like wax before His face: from before the face of the Lord of all the earth
The heavens have proclaimed His righteousness: and all the peoples have seen His glory
They are ashamed, all those who serve idols, and glory in mere nothings: all gods bow down before Him
Zion heard and was glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoiced: because of Your judgements, O God
For You, Lord, are most high over all the earth: You are exalted far above all gods.
The Lord loves those who hate evil: the Lord guards the life of the faithful, and delivers them from the hand of the ungodly.
Light dawns for the righteous: and joy for the true of heart
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous: and give thanks to His holy name.
EPISTLE Revelation 22: 12 – 21
"See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone's work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let everyone who hears say, "Come." And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book; if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away that person's share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. The one who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.
GOSPEL John 17: 20 – 26
Jesus prayed "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."
NOTES ON THE READINGS
First Lesson
This story of the Philippian gaoler is interesting in a number of ways, not least the way in which the circumstances of conversion of the man affected the Apostle’s ministry in the city. It reflects in another interesting way, in that those who demanded the arrest of the apostle changed their charge from the obvious one about losing their income, in an untrue but facile direction. Note that Paul was charged as a Jew, and doing what he was not. The healing of the young girl had nothing to do with ‘customs that are not lawful.’ So very often, people will move against others, not on their real grounds of complaint, but rather in terms that are likely to evoke support from locals who have similar hang-ups. Truth is the first casualty!
The conversion of the gaoler was followed by the baptism of all his family, - more likely ‘retinue.’ This sort of action by the Apostle must create some difficulty for those who seem not to understand the basis for baptism: entry into the Covenant rather than expression of their faith.
Psalm
Rather too often, I suspect, the psalmists of old tend to be misunderstood as they rejoice in God as King. It may all seem rather twee or naive to think in this way, but it is suggested that one thinks a little deeper. (We tend to assume that kings tend to prove their point and press or compel people into allegiance, but there seems to be no attempt on the part of the Divinity to compel. SO how does this work, if at all?)
That which seems to mark the huge difference between the Judaic-Christian Faiths from the run-of-the-mill religions is the constant emphasis on justice, integrity and compassion. As often repeated in these notes, please see that ‘righteousness’ translates not inner purity (which which I grew up!) but justice. This justice of course is not that ‘variety’ than demands retribution from the evil-doer, but rather takes all the factors into consideration, requiring humans to act truthfully and with compassion with each other.
Truth, justice, integrity, compassion. As Paul once wrote, ‘against such there is no law.’ And the psalmist (as with all OT writers,) saw that no matter how long these ancient verities might be suppressed by tyrants or peoples, they will re-emerge as important factors in the survival of any civilization. They are eternal. Hence, in the quiet logic of the psalmist, God is eternal. (A reverse argument if you like, but it does provide reality.)
So perhaps these psalmists were not all that silly after all!
For the Epistle
Pardon my cynicism, but I suspect, along with many commentators, that the curse laid on anyone who alters the ‘word of this book’ are not part of the original. First of all, they are quite un-Johannine, and also they provide quite an irregular jarring note on an otherwise powerful statement of faith.
As mentioned previously in the notes on Revelation readings, the focus in quite some of John’s writings have to do with goal not end. The Biblical goal of life is ‘to love God and to enjoy Him for ever.’ And life is distorted out of shape by human evil. Revelation looks to the final removal of all evil, and the achieving of the Divine goal. This goal is open to anyone and everyone who searches for truth – and justice. It is not for malefactors.
GOSPEL
I have more than a sneaky suspicion that this High Priestly prayer of Jesus, recorded in John 17, may well leave a lot of people bemused and confused. It does not seem to make sense for many, and is rather repetitive for others. This partly because (as mentioned earlier) we are not all that sure of the meaning of some of the words used. We have looked already at ‘glorify,’ and may need to pursue that direction some more.
One of the sadly misunderstood factors both of the Faith and of this prayer in particular has to do with being ‘One.’ This does not mean being peas in pods, but it does mean being reconciled. Christian history is riven with the failure to see the importance of unity, and much of the reason that ‘the world does not believe,’ is because Christians can never seem to be one in any sense of the word. Ask a Jew, Jewish people will say, and you will get three opinions. I suspect the answer for Christians is double that. And the divisions between Christian denominations and the plethora of sects makes the whole business laughable. Perhaps the lack of love is one of the great issues for us all.
NOTES FOR A SERMON
This Sunday after the Ascension has been marked, for many years now, by being in the middle of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. It does not take a great deal of thought to see that, although this celebration is many decades old, there is little to show of any progress in the great debate. That this is tragic, even blasphemous, is underlined by the Gospel for the day, and, in fact, by the whole raison d’etre of the Faith.
Perhaps part of the reason that this goal has been bypassed is because there is a rather strange but immensely popular misrepresentation of the faith in terms of personal salvation. So much of the divide between denominations and others has been on what grounds the believer is ‘saved.’ This has led to an introversion of faith, a looking inwards for one’s own redemption, when the Faith (Hebrew and Christian, actually,) has its first focus on the world at large.
We have a great logos of material to underline where we are meant to be heading. From Abram’s call, to be a blessing to the whole world, to the repetitive emphasis in prophets, to the contrast between the Babel myth and Acts 2, and even Genesis 3, the Faith has been offered to the world as the means par excellence of dealing with what moderns call (or used to call) the human dilemma. Why is it, as in Murphy’s Law, whatever can go wrong will go wrong. Why ever is it that the ‘war to end all wars’ has done nothing of the sort?
Here lies the unity which is at the heart of the Biblical Faith, and the failure to reach out in that direction is also part of the very human dilemma mentioned above. Religious people are often at the very van of the process that militates against progress. ‘I am right and you are wrong’ is as much sin as is murder of genocide. And the philosophy that force of arms will produce a just outcome is as utterly stupid as are the people who promote such a view. There has got to be a better way, and – properly understood, if rather risky – is the offer put forward by the ‘faith of our fathers.’
There is some hope, of light at the end of the tunnel, but it will require people of goodwill to see past both their own prejudices and those of other people too. None of us have any monopoly on the truth, but I have a sneaky suspicion that this ‘faith once delivered,’ if seen for what it is, has the best possible solution that I have encountered anywhere, in any religion, philosophy or ism in circulation or past.
Reconciliation is the drum that I have been pumping for many years – decades! – now, and it still falls on deaf ears. Perhaps that is because the whole thing is seen as far too difficult; perhaps it looks like a daydream to many. However, it can be said with considerable truth, that because Christians of all sorts and colours have missed or bypassed the point, the world at large has considered that bubble pricked, and not longer worthy of any attention.
So where does that leave YOU?
Sentence
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Acts 16:31
Collect
Almighty God, Whose blessed Son before His passion prayed for His disciples that they might be one as You and He are one; grant that Your Church being bound together in love and obedience to You, may be united in one body by the one Spirit, that the world may believe in Him Whom You have sent, Your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
FIRST LESSON Acts 16: 16 – 34
One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation." She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities.
When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, "These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe." The crowd joined in attacking them and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened.
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
Then he brought them outside and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.
PSALM 97
The Lord is king, let the earth rejoice: let the multitude of islands rejoice
Clouds and darkness are round about Him: righteousness and justice are the foundations of His throne
Fire goes before Him: and burns up His enemies on every side
His lightnings light the world: the earth sees it and quakes
The mountains melt like wax before His face: from before the face of the Lord of all the earth
The heavens have proclaimed His righteousness: and all the peoples have seen His glory
They are ashamed, all those who serve idols, and glory in mere nothings: all gods bow down before Him
Zion heard and was glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoiced: because of Your judgements, O God
For You, Lord, are most high over all the earth: You are exalted far above all gods.
The Lord loves those who hate evil: the Lord guards the life of the faithful, and delivers them from the hand of the ungodly.
Light dawns for the righteous: and joy for the true of heart
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous: and give thanks to His holy name.
EPISTLE Revelation 22: 12 – 21
"See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone's work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let everyone who hears say, "Come." And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book; if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away that person's share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. The one who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.
GOSPEL John 17: 20 – 26
Jesus prayed "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."
NOTES ON THE READINGS
First Lesson
This story of the Philippian gaoler is interesting in a number of ways, not least the way in which the circumstances of conversion of the man affected the Apostle’s ministry in the city. It reflects in another interesting way, in that those who demanded the arrest of the apostle changed their charge from the obvious one about losing their income, in an untrue but facile direction. Note that Paul was charged as a Jew, and doing what he was not. The healing of the young girl had nothing to do with ‘customs that are not lawful.’ So very often, people will move against others, not on their real grounds of complaint, but rather in terms that are likely to evoke support from locals who have similar hang-ups. Truth is the first casualty!
The conversion of the gaoler was followed by the baptism of all his family, - more likely ‘retinue.’ This sort of action by the Apostle must create some difficulty for those who seem not to understand the basis for baptism: entry into the Covenant rather than expression of their faith.
Psalm
Rather too often, I suspect, the psalmists of old tend to be misunderstood as they rejoice in God as King. It may all seem rather twee or naive to think in this way, but it is suggested that one thinks a little deeper. (We tend to assume that kings tend to prove their point and press or compel people into allegiance, but there seems to be no attempt on the part of the Divinity to compel. SO how does this work, if at all?)
That which seems to mark the huge difference between the Judaic-Christian Faiths from the run-of-the-mill religions is the constant emphasis on justice, integrity and compassion. As often repeated in these notes, please see that ‘righteousness’ translates not inner purity (which which I grew up!) but justice. This justice of course is not that ‘variety’ than demands retribution from the evil-doer, but rather takes all the factors into consideration, requiring humans to act truthfully and with compassion with each other.
Truth, justice, integrity, compassion. As Paul once wrote, ‘against such there is no law.’ And the psalmist (as with all OT writers,) saw that no matter how long these ancient verities might be suppressed by tyrants or peoples, they will re-emerge as important factors in the survival of any civilization. They are eternal. Hence, in the quiet logic of the psalmist, God is eternal. (A reverse argument if you like, but it does provide reality.)
So perhaps these psalmists were not all that silly after all!
For the Epistle
Pardon my cynicism, but I suspect, along with many commentators, that the curse laid on anyone who alters the ‘word of this book’ are not part of the original. First of all, they are quite un-Johannine, and also they provide quite an irregular jarring note on an otherwise powerful statement of faith.
As mentioned previously in the notes on Revelation readings, the focus in quite some of John’s writings have to do with goal not end. The Biblical goal of life is ‘to love God and to enjoy Him for ever.’ And life is distorted out of shape by human evil. Revelation looks to the final removal of all evil, and the achieving of the Divine goal. This goal is open to anyone and everyone who searches for truth – and justice. It is not for malefactors.
GOSPEL
I have more than a sneaky suspicion that this High Priestly prayer of Jesus, recorded in John 17, may well leave a lot of people bemused and confused. It does not seem to make sense for many, and is rather repetitive for others. This partly because (as mentioned earlier) we are not all that sure of the meaning of some of the words used. We have looked already at ‘glorify,’ and may need to pursue that direction some more.
One of the sadly misunderstood factors both of the Faith and of this prayer in particular has to do with being ‘One.’ This does not mean being peas in pods, but it does mean being reconciled. Christian history is riven with the failure to see the importance of unity, and much of the reason that ‘the world does not believe,’ is because Christians can never seem to be one in any sense of the word. Ask a Jew, Jewish people will say, and you will get three opinions. I suspect the answer for Christians is double that. And the divisions between Christian denominations and the plethora of sects makes the whole business laughable. Perhaps the lack of love is one of the great issues for us all.
NOTES FOR A SERMON
This Sunday after the Ascension has been marked, for many years now, by being in the middle of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. It does not take a great deal of thought to see that, although this celebration is many decades old, there is little to show of any progress in the great debate. That this is tragic, even blasphemous, is underlined by the Gospel for the day, and, in fact, by the whole raison d’etre of the Faith.
Perhaps part of the reason that this goal has been bypassed is because there is a rather strange but immensely popular misrepresentation of the faith in terms of personal salvation. So much of the divide between denominations and others has been on what grounds the believer is ‘saved.’ This has led to an introversion of faith, a looking inwards for one’s own redemption, when the Faith (Hebrew and Christian, actually,) has its first focus on the world at large.
We have a great logos of material to underline where we are meant to be heading. From Abram’s call, to be a blessing to the whole world, to the repetitive emphasis in prophets, to the contrast between the Babel myth and Acts 2, and even Genesis 3, the Faith has been offered to the world as the means par excellence of dealing with what moderns call (or used to call) the human dilemma. Why is it, as in Murphy’s Law, whatever can go wrong will go wrong. Why ever is it that the ‘war to end all wars’ has done nothing of the sort?
Here lies the unity which is at the heart of the Biblical Faith, and the failure to reach out in that direction is also part of the very human dilemma mentioned above. Religious people are often at the very van of the process that militates against progress. ‘I am right and you are wrong’ is as much sin as is murder of genocide. And the philosophy that force of arms will produce a just outcome is as utterly stupid as are the people who promote such a view. There has got to be a better way, and – properly understood, if rather risky – is the offer put forward by the ‘faith of our fathers.’
There is some hope, of light at the end of the tunnel, but it will require people of goodwill to see past both their own prejudices and those of other people too. None of us have any monopoly on the truth, but I have a sneaky suspicion that this ‘faith once delivered,’ if seen for what it is, has the best possible solution that I have encountered anywhere, in any religion, philosophy or ism in circulation or past.
Reconciliation is the drum that I have been pumping for many years – decades! – now, and it still falls on deaf ears. Perhaps that is because the whole thing is seen as far too difficult; perhaps it looks like a daydream to many. However, it can be said with considerable truth, that because Christians of all sorts and colours have missed or bypassed the point, the world at large has considered that bubble pricked, and not longer worthy of any attention.
So where does that leave YOU?
Friday, May 7, 2010
Newsletter
SUNDAY 9th May 2010
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Our Preacher today is Stephen Daughtry
Our Celebrant is Rev’d Dr. Warren Huffa
WELCOME
Please join us for breakfast in the hall after the 8am service or for morning tea after the 10am service. At 10am you will find all prayers and hymns projected onto the sanctuary walls.
THE PRAYER FOR TODAY
Loving God, Your Son has chosen us and called us to be His friends: give us grace to keep His commandments, to love one another, and to bear fruit which shall abide: through Him Who is the True Vine, the source of all our life, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
TODAY’S READINGS Acts 16: 9-15 & Rev’n 21: 10-14 and 21:22 – 22:5 read by Arndrae L
GOSPEL John 14: 21 – 29
PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Sue D-T
We pray for those in need Warren and Thea, Janet and Peter, Ron Teague, Barbara Corbett, Michael Boere,
We give thanks for the life of Catherine Cordes (2006) Christine McAuliffe (1983) Philip Lockwood (1997) and Lorna Mengler (1995)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sid Sweet and Olive Marston
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY – Margaret and Allan Pressley and Jocelyn and Craig Deane
PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY –
Seventh Sunday of Easter Acts 16: 16-34 & Rev’n 22: 12 - 21
GOSPEL John 12: 20 - 26
Refer Fr Ron’s Notes at try looking up diowillochra.org.au/Archives Sermons /Ron /Sermons Canon Keynes/May 2010
POWERPOINT ROSTER –
Today Trevor Tregenza or Ron Keynes
Next Week Araki Family or Don Caddy
REGULAR GROUPS AND BOOKINGS
PRAYER CIRCLE meets noon on the 2nd Tuesday each month at 36 Penno Parade North
BIBLE STUDY 10am every Wednesday at 378 Main Road Coromandel Valley looking at the book of Job
The Germein Room is booked for counselling , Mondays noon – 7.30pm and Wednesdays 9am – 7.30pm: 19 – 27 July St John’s Grammar have booked the Hall each day for Yr 12 exams from 19 to 23 July and 26th.
OTHER COMING EVENTS
QT 3 - Sunday 16th May at Holy Innocents 7.30pm Is God deaf?
13th June Patronal Festival
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, visits and other types of assistance. Call Iris Downes 8278 3260 or Marlene Dixon 8278 8568
The Sunday School group will be grateful for (refundable) bottles, cans and packs being made available: the proceeds will be put to good use for Children’s Ministry. See Robyn Keynes for more info.
BUSH CHURCH AID BOX OPENING
Margaret Pressley advises that May is Box-opening month, and asks all box holders to bring their boxes so that the collections can be sent on.
Family Packs
On a table in the narthex, are Family Packs, for parents and grandparents to help with teaching young ones the Faith All this for only $5.00. Robyn Keynes has more information
School Chaplaincies:
Coffee and Cake . The MH Inter Church Council continues to need additional funds to support its projects. The idea of Coffee and Cake is a plan for people to give a small amounts each week based on what they would spend on a weekly basis on coffee and cake so the money can go to support School Chaplains .You can place an envelope with your donation in the offertory plate addressed Coffee and Cake for the work of School Chaplains
Beacon. Beacon an MHICC endorsed project sets out to help the needy in the area. To this end it urgently needs donations of long life food. Donations can be taken to the Blackwood Church of Christ Office during office hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Ross Hill-Brown
ABM LENTEN APPEAL
"This week a cheque for the sum of $2,618.40 was forwarded to the Anglican Board of Mission - Australia of which $2,174.25 was the parishioners' response to the Lenten Appeal, and $444.15 from other parish fund raisers.
The Lenten Appeal funds will be directed to the support of a Community Library in Ethiopia, one of the projects promoted by ABM-A. This library is operated by St Matthew's Anglican Church in Addis Ababa. In a country where opportunities for education are limited, children who have access to a library are able to pursue their interest in learning beyond the classroom. As a result they will be better prepared to seek employment or further education when they leave school. It is good to know that we are able to help children in Africa in this way. Thanks to all who contributed to the Lenten Appeal." Joan Durdin
NOTES FROM WARREN
We've got a few extra things happening at Holy Innocents in the next few weeks. Each Thursday night (beginning this Thursday) I'll be running sessions on some of the spiritual practices of the church, studies and a monthly Eucharist. One Thursday a month will also be a follow up on the QT topic. So this Thursday (May 6) at 6:45pm I will be introducing the practice of silence, leading into (in future weeks) the tradition of the prayer of the heart and contemplation which is so deeply embedded in the Christian tradition. And then at 7:10pm I will be celebrating the Eucharist in a simple, bare essentials way, concluding at 7:30pm. Come along to both sessions or either one.
On Thursday May 13 I'll be starting a 6 part series on 12 Big Passages of the Old Testament. if you would like a way to understand the Old Testament as a whole, especially as it was then used by the early church after the resurrection of Jesus, this will help. The session will begin at 7:00pm with some silence/meditation followed by the study of the Old Testament at 7:30pm. Come to both parts or either.
On Sunday, May 16 the next QT will be held, entitled 'Is God Deaf?' following the questions raised last month about the efficacy of intercessory prayer. Details to follow, but on the Thursday following, May 20, I and/or Stephen Daughtry will be hosting a night to follow up the discussion from QT.
Our Sunday services at 8am and 10am continue as usual, with a special BBQ on 16th May at 11:30am where we will say thank you to all those who contribute to the life of our church. So if you do anything that keeps our church alive come along so I can say thanks on behalf of us all. And if you would like to say thanks to everyone else, come along too!
Hope to see you soon. Regards, Warren
More on the THANK YOU BBQ
Please tell us us if you plan to be at the BBQ on 16th May when we will express our thanks to all who contribute to the life and family of the church in this place. There is a list in the foyer.
Also,, - If there is anyone who has a use for some removalists’ cardboard packing cases, please talk to Mary Vandepeer (phone; 82272838) as there are quite a few available and I don't want to just consign them to the recycling!!
"Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil - it has no point."
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Our Preacher today is Stephen Daughtry
Our Celebrant is Rev’d Dr. Warren Huffa
WELCOME
Please join us for breakfast in the hall after the 8am service or for morning tea after the 10am service. At 10am you will find all prayers and hymns projected onto the sanctuary walls.
THE PRAYER FOR TODAY
Loving God, Your Son has chosen us and called us to be His friends: give us grace to keep His commandments, to love one another, and to bear fruit which shall abide: through Him Who is the True Vine, the source of all our life, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
TODAY’S READINGS Acts 16: 9-15 & Rev’n 21: 10-14 and 21:22 – 22:5 read by Arndrae L
GOSPEL John 14: 21 – 29
PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Sue D-T
We pray for those in need Warren and Thea, Janet and Peter, Ron Teague, Barbara Corbett, Michael Boere,
We give thanks for the life of Catherine Cordes (2006) Christine McAuliffe (1983) Philip Lockwood (1997) and Lorna Mengler (1995)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sid Sweet and Olive Marston
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY – Margaret and Allan Pressley and Jocelyn and Craig Deane
PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY –
Seventh Sunday of Easter Acts 16: 16-34 & Rev’n 22: 12 - 21
GOSPEL John 12: 20 - 26
Refer Fr Ron’s Notes at try looking up diowillochra.org.au/Archives Sermons /Ron /Sermons Canon Keynes/May 2010
POWERPOINT ROSTER –
Today Trevor Tregenza or Ron Keynes
Next Week Araki Family or Don Caddy
REGULAR GROUPS AND BOOKINGS
PRAYER CIRCLE meets noon on the 2nd Tuesday each month at 36 Penno Parade North
BIBLE STUDY 10am every Wednesday at 378 Main Road Coromandel Valley looking at the book of Job
The Germein Room is booked for counselling , Mondays noon – 7.30pm and Wednesdays 9am – 7.30pm: 19 – 27 July St John’s Grammar have booked the Hall each day for Yr 12 exams from 19 to 23 July and 26th.
OTHER COMING EVENTS
QT 3 - Sunday 16th May at Holy Innocents 7.30pm Is God deaf?
13th June Patronal Festival
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, visits and other types of assistance. Call Iris Downes 8278 3260 or Marlene Dixon 8278 8568
The Sunday School group will be grateful for (refundable) bottles, cans and packs being made available: the proceeds will be put to good use for Children’s Ministry. See Robyn Keynes for more info.
BUSH CHURCH AID BOX OPENING
Margaret Pressley advises that May is Box-opening month, and asks all box holders to bring their boxes so that the collections can be sent on.
Family Packs
On a table in the narthex, are Family Packs, for parents and grandparents to help with teaching young ones the Faith All this for only $5.00. Robyn Keynes has more information
School Chaplaincies:
Coffee and Cake . The MH Inter Church Council continues to need additional funds to support its projects. The idea of Coffee and Cake is a plan for people to give a small amounts each week based on what they would spend on a weekly basis on coffee and cake so the money can go to support School Chaplains .You can place an envelope with your donation in the offertory plate addressed Coffee and Cake for the work of School Chaplains
Beacon. Beacon an MHICC endorsed project sets out to help the needy in the area. To this end it urgently needs donations of long life food. Donations can be taken to the Blackwood Church of Christ Office during office hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Ross Hill-Brown
ABM LENTEN APPEAL
"This week a cheque for the sum of $2,618.40 was forwarded to the Anglican Board of Mission - Australia of which $2,174.25 was the parishioners' response to the Lenten Appeal, and $444.15 from other parish fund raisers.
The Lenten Appeal funds will be directed to the support of a Community Library in Ethiopia, one of the projects promoted by ABM-A. This library is operated by St Matthew's Anglican Church in Addis Ababa. In a country where opportunities for education are limited, children who have access to a library are able to pursue their interest in learning beyond the classroom. As a result they will be better prepared to seek employment or further education when they leave school. It is good to know that we are able to help children in Africa in this way. Thanks to all who contributed to the Lenten Appeal." Joan Durdin
NOTES FROM WARREN
We've got a few extra things happening at Holy Innocents in the next few weeks. Each Thursday night (beginning this Thursday) I'll be running sessions on some of the spiritual practices of the church, studies and a monthly Eucharist. One Thursday a month will also be a follow up on the QT topic. So this Thursday (May 6) at 6:45pm I will be introducing the practice of silence, leading into (in future weeks) the tradition of the prayer of the heart and contemplation which is so deeply embedded in the Christian tradition. And then at 7:10pm I will be celebrating the Eucharist in a simple, bare essentials way, concluding at 7:30pm. Come along to both sessions or either one.
On Thursday May 13 I'll be starting a 6 part series on 12 Big Passages of the Old Testament. if you would like a way to understand the Old Testament as a whole, especially as it was then used by the early church after the resurrection of Jesus, this will help. The session will begin at 7:00pm with some silence/meditation followed by the study of the Old Testament at 7:30pm. Come to both parts or either.
On Sunday, May 16 the next QT will be held, entitled 'Is God Deaf?' following the questions raised last month about the efficacy of intercessory prayer. Details to follow, but on the Thursday following, May 20, I and/or Stephen Daughtry will be hosting a night to follow up the discussion from QT.
Our Sunday services at 8am and 10am continue as usual, with a special BBQ on 16th May at 11:30am where we will say thank you to all those who contribute to the life of our church. So if you do anything that keeps our church alive come along so I can say thanks on behalf of us all. And if you would like to say thanks to everyone else, come along too!
Hope to see you soon. Regards, Warren
More on the THANK YOU BBQ
Please tell us us if you plan to be at the BBQ on 16th May when we will express our thanks to all who contribute to the life and family of the church in this place. There is a list in the foyer.
Also,, - If there is anyone who has a use for some removalists’ cardboard packing cases, please talk to Mary Vandepeer (phone; 82272838) as there are quite a few available and I don't want to just consign them to the recycling!!
"Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil - it has no point."
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Ron's Notes May 9, 2010
Sunday 9th May, 2010 Sixth Sunday of Easter
Sentence
‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.’ John 14: 27
Collect
Loving God, Your Son has chosen us and called us to be His friends: give us grace to keep His commandments, to love one another, and to bear fruit which shall abide: through Him Who is the True Vine, the source of all our life, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
First Lesson Acts 16: 9 – 15
During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days.
On the Sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she prevailed upon us.
PSALM 67
Let God be gracious to us and bless us: and make His face shine upon us
That Your ways may be known on earth: Your liberating power among all nations
Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You
Let the nations be glad and sing: for You judge the peoples with integrity, and govern the nations on earth
Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You
Then the earth will yield its fruitfulness: and God, our God, will bless us
God shall bless us: and all the ends of the earth will fear Him
For the Epistle Revelation 21: 10 – 14, 21- 22 & 22:5
In the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It has the glory of God and a radiance like a very rare jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal. It has a great, high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates are inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites; on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.
And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honour of the nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
GOSPEL John 14: 23 – 29
Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.”
NOTES ON THE READINGS
First Reading
If you have never spent the time reading the Acts of the Apostles, it would be both a good read and a helpful thing to do – it would provide all sorts of info about the Infant Church. This passage marks both the move from Asia to Europe for the Apostle, and the point at which (according to most commentators) where the beloved physician, Luke, joined the Pauline bandwaggon. Luke is thought to have been that man from Macedonia. On the other hand, it was a culmination of Paul’s response to the Spirit’s leading, and a great step forward at that.
It was no accident that Paul was ‘at the place of prayer’ on the Sabbath. Most Jewish communities outside Israel had either a synagogue – if they had the required number of male Jews, or a place in the open where the faithful ones would meet. Lydia, apparently, was a god-fearer, a Gentile searching for faith, and her step forward was a sort of double one: baptism marked her move towards faith in Christ. It is a beautiful insight into the nature of what we would call evangelism, not with a flourish but with a quiet and rather intimate progression.
Psalm
Here is another of the Psalms, sung at Evensong according to the Book of Common Prayer, when I was a choirboy eons ago. It is a gladsome song, rejoicing in the potential for life that faithfulness to God and loyalty to each other has for everyone. Note that bit about ‘judging with integrity,’ for that would be quite a rarity even in Jewish circles of the time. It is not easy to be true to one’s faith, especially it seems for the leadership.
For the Epistle
Pardon me when I wax lyrical about this most remarkable of books. Here, in apocalyptic and highly dramatic terms is described the real goal of life for the people of God. This is no reward for ‘being good!’ This is the natural outcome when life is lived as the Creator designed it to be lived. It is a description of what can be when evil is no longer part of the scenery. (Are you aware that when John in Chapter 21 writes about ‘no more sea’ he is not talking water, saline or fresh, but that which is very often epitomised by sea, or the Nile, or even the Jordan. That sea of glass like crystal is no pretty sight, but the conglomeration of evil, which has departed in Chapter 21 and has gone for good in this description.
Gospel
Never, never, never associate the peace of which Jesus talks with some sort of ‘blessing’ that comes to the spiritual ones. Here is no Christian nirvana or ‘off with the fairies.’ It is the solid outcome of reconciliation of which the Gospel is full, reconciliation both vertical and horizontal. Peace is not the absence of war; it is the concrete outcome of that reconciliation between humans.
Certainly this peace is not available to those who turn their backs on truth, integrity, justice and love; not because they are sinful and naughty, but because they are looking in a direction horizontally opposed to that to which our Lord points.
NOTES FOR A SERMON
It is probably some sort of evidence about where I have come from in my Christian pilgrimage, and also something of the encounters with those of other views that brings out the following thoughts for a sermon. So if this makes sense to you, then I am glad; if it does not, then just move on.
As a young person in the congregation and youth fellowship to which I belonged, all the ‘high and holy ones’ talked incessantly about ‘abiding in Christ,’ and being spiritual and holy. I confess that it never rang any bells for me, as it seemed so remote from ordinary life and relationships. It was all so moody and introverted, and whilst I was a shy young person, it did not resonate.
Even in those days, back in the 50s, there was also a contrary pressure from those who confessed and called themselves atheists, and were sometimes quite astringent in presenting their viewpoint. They were particularly vocal about those ‘holy ones’ whose heads were in the clouds as far as the non-believers were concerned. So one needed to determine who was correct in the great debate, and as often is the case, the reality was somewhere in the middle. I guess I have never been a conformist, (at least not by intention) so it was a matter of exploring both what Scripture has to say, and what connection there was in ordinary life and living.
Part of that search led me to the point of trying to determine what the substance is for the atheist view, and also that for the Christian (or believer in other faiths, come to that.) And – if you have been a regular reader of these notes, you will know of my encounters with those of disbelieving mien.
Sentence
‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.’ John 14: 27
Collect
Loving God, Your Son has chosen us and called us to be His friends: give us grace to keep His commandments, to love one another, and to bear fruit which shall abide: through Him Who is the True Vine, the source of all our life, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
First Lesson Acts 16: 9 – 15
During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days.
On the Sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she prevailed upon us.
PSALM 67
Let God be gracious to us and bless us: and make His face shine upon us
That Your ways may be known on earth: Your liberating power among all nations
Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You
Let the nations be glad and sing: for You judge the peoples with integrity, and govern the nations on earth
Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You
Then the earth will yield its fruitfulness: and God, our God, will bless us
God shall bless us: and all the ends of the earth will fear Him
For the Epistle Revelation 21: 10 – 14, 21- 22 & 22:5
In the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It has the glory of God and a radiance like a very rare jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal. It has a great, high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates are inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites; on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.
And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honour of the nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
GOSPEL John 14: 23 – 29
Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.”
NOTES ON THE READINGS
First Reading
If you have never spent the time reading the Acts of the Apostles, it would be both a good read and a helpful thing to do – it would provide all sorts of info about the Infant Church. This passage marks both the move from Asia to Europe for the Apostle, and the point at which (according to most commentators) where the beloved physician, Luke, joined the Pauline bandwaggon. Luke is thought to have been that man from Macedonia. On the other hand, it was a culmination of Paul’s response to the Spirit’s leading, and a great step forward at that.
It was no accident that Paul was ‘at the place of prayer’ on the Sabbath. Most Jewish communities outside Israel had either a synagogue – if they had the required number of male Jews, or a place in the open where the faithful ones would meet. Lydia, apparently, was a god-fearer, a Gentile searching for faith, and her step forward was a sort of double one: baptism marked her move towards faith in Christ. It is a beautiful insight into the nature of what we would call evangelism, not with a flourish but with a quiet and rather intimate progression.
Psalm
Here is another of the Psalms, sung at Evensong according to the Book of Common Prayer, when I was a choirboy eons ago. It is a gladsome song, rejoicing in the potential for life that faithfulness to God and loyalty to each other has for everyone. Note that bit about ‘judging with integrity,’ for that would be quite a rarity even in Jewish circles of the time. It is not easy to be true to one’s faith, especially it seems for the leadership.
For the Epistle
Pardon me when I wax lyrical about this most remarkable of books. Here, in apocalyptic and highly dramatic terms is described the real goal of life for the people of God. This is no reward for ‘being good!’ This is the natural outcome when life is lived as the Creator designed it to be lived. It is a description of what can be when evil is no longer part of the scenery. (Are you aware that when John in Chapter 21 writes about ‘no more sea’ he is not talking water, saline or fresh, but that which is very often epitomised by sea, or the Nile, or even the Jordan. That sea of glass like crystal is no pretty sight, but the conglomeration of evil, which has departed in Chapter 21 and has gone for good in this description.
Gospel
Never, never, never associate the peace of which Jesus talks with some sort of ‘blessing’ that comes to the spiritual ones. Here is no Christian nirvana or ‘off with the fairies.’ It is the solid outcome of reconciliation of which the Gospel is full, reconciliation both vertical and horizontal. Peace is not the absence of war; it is the concrete outcome of that reconciliation between humans.
Certainly this peace is not available to those who turn their backs on truth, integrity, justice and love; not because they are sinful and naughty, but because they are looking in a direction horizontally opposed to that to which our Lord points.
NOTES FOR A SERMON
It is probably some sort of evidence about where I have come from in my Christian pilgrimage, and also something of the encounters with those of other views that brings out the following thoughts for a sermon. So if this makes sense to you, then I am glad; if it does not, then just move on.
As a young person in the congregation and youth fellowship to which I belonged, all the ‘high and holy ones’ talked incessantly about ‘abiding in Christ,’ and being spiritual and holy. I confess that it never rang any bells for me, as it seemed so remote from ordinary life and relationships. It was all so moody and introverted, and whilst I was a shy young person, it did not resonate.
Even in those days, back in the 50s, there was also a contrary pressure from those who confessed and called themselves atheists, and were sometimes quite astringent in presenting their viewpoint. They were particularly vocal about those ‘holy ones’ whose heads were in the clouds as far as the non-believers were concerned. So one needed to determine who was correct in the great debate, and as often is the case, the reality was somewhere in the middle. I guess I have never been a conformist, (at least not by intention) so it was a matter of exploring both what Scripture has to say, and what connection there was in ordinary life and living.
Part of that search led me to the point of trying to determine what the substance is for the atheist view, and also that for the Christian (or believer in other faiths, come to that.) And – if you have been a regular reader of these notes, you will know of my encounters with those of disbelieving mien.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Pewsheet Sunday April 19, 2009
WELCOME
Please join us for breakfast in the hall after the 8am service or for morning tea after the 10am service. At 10am please find all prayers and hymns projected onto the sanctuary walls.
THE PRAYER FOR TODAY: Risen Christ, whose absence leaves us in despair but whose presence is overwhelming: breathe on us with your abundant life, that where we cannot see we may have courage to believe that we may be raised with you. Amen.
TODAY’S READINGS Acts 4.32-37, 1 John 1:1-2:2 to be read by Marg P
GOSPEL John 20.19-31
PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE to be prayed by Brad.
We pray for those in need especially Betty, Janet and Peter, Joy, Ros , Ron , Eric , Bobbie & Ben , Heather, Cathy, Baby Harry & his family & Claire . We pray for the souls of Ivy Morris 23.4.02 and Alice Ridout 25.4.95.
PREPARATION FOR NEXT WEEK – THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
READINGS Acts 3.12-20 Ps 4; Acts 3.12-20 Ps 4, 1 Jn 2.15-17, 3.1-6 to be read by Hal S-C
GOSPEL Lk 24.36b-48 INTERCESSIONS to be prayed by Wendy
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Oliver for the 24th, Elliot , Max & David for the 25th
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to Yvonne & Don for tomorrow.
PRAYER CIRCLE meets noon on the 2nd Tuesday each month
BIBLE STUDY 10am every Wednesday
HELPLINE
Part of being a Christian community is supporting each other in times of need. We offer short-term delivery of food when required, local transport, phone calls, visits and numerous other types of assistance. It is our way of helping one another quietly and confidentially. Call Barb and Angela
EVENTS
PICNIC IN THE NATIONAL PARK May 17 2009
ABM AUXILIARY FUND-RAISING FILM MORNING WEDNESDAY 29 APRIL at the Capri Theatre
FILM : "HOW ABOUT YOU". starring Vanessa Redgrave
Rated M. Charming, heartwarming, hilarious !
9.45 Morning Tea - Trading Table - Organ Recital - Film at 10.30
Tickets $8.00 all tickets. May be obtained at the door. Joan has 3 tickets for sale, but is not able to offer transport. Any parishioner planning to attend please advise Joan if you can offer to take others with you.
EXTERNAL MINISTRY PLANNING Sunday May 24 12-2pm – bring a plate of lunch to share.
PENTECOST MORNING TEA PARTY May 31 following the 10am service
PATRONAL FESTIVAL June 21
PARISH CAMP October 16-18 2009
HIGHLIGHTS FROM A SPECIAL PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 14TH APRIL
Parish Council has agreed to rent the Vandepeers home for the Huffa’s for a 12 month period beginning next week.
TREASURE MARKET FINAL FIGURES – WELL DONE EVERYONE
Auction 1,309.00 includes 3 pews
Barbeque 232.50
Cakes 497.00
Cake Raffle 57.00
Clothing 358.35 $50 still to come
Drinks 28.00
Donuts 9.50
Books 255.00
Collectors Corner 404.15
Produce/James 198.25
Jewellery Carolyn 137.00
Jewellery Mary 60.00
Morning Tea 223.00
Plants 786.80
Toys 247.35
Soft Furnishings 307.40
White Elephant 517.05
Raffle 98.00
Miscellaneous/Donations 167.10 *Plus $63.20 Akkerman's Bakery
Sale of sausages 50.00
Total Takings 5,942.45 14 x $50 deducted from above - floats for stalls
Akkerman's Blackwood Bakery 0.00 $63.20 pd from takings
Woolworths -38.42 Cream, Plastic wrap etc
Petty Cash -22.35 Gas refill, serviettes, p towels
Total Income to date 11/4/09 5,881.68
Still outstanding - A/c sausages $50
OUTREACH
The following monies have been banked from the Lenten Appeal:
30 March 2009 $110.75 (Holy Innocents Parishioners)
14 April 2009 $861.45 (Holy Innocents Parishioners)
14 April 2009 $984.15 (St Johns Grammar School)
Total $1956.35 and still counting
A wonderful effort - and I expect a few more envelopes to come in this Sunday. Warren and Stephen Daughtry did a marvelous job getting the children at St Johns to adopt a pig (for one of ABM’s projects in the Philippines) and make a significant contribution. We had a lot of fun counting their money with the various pigs' names and drawings etc.
ITEMS FOR NEXT WEEK’S PEW SHEET
Forward to Wendy by 5pm Tuesdays
Please join us for breakfast in the hall after the 8am service or for morning tea after the 10am service. At 10am please find all prayers and hymns projected onto the sanctuary walls.
THE PRAYER FOR TODAY: Risen Christ, whose absence leaves us in despair but whose presence is overwhelming: breathe on us with your abundant life, that where we cannot see we may have courage to believe that we may be raised with you. Amen.
TODAY’S READINGS Acts 4.32-37, 1 John 1:1-2:2 to be read by Marg P
GOSPEL John 20.19-31
PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE to be prayed by Brad.
We pray for those in need especially Betty, Janet and Peter, Joy, Ros , Ron , Eric , Bobbie & Ben , Heather, Cathy, Baby Harry & his family & Claire . We pray for the souls of Ivy Morris 23.4.02 and Alice Ridout 25.4.95.
PREPARATION FOR NEXT WEEK – THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
READINGS Acts 3.12-20 Ps 4; Acts 3.12-20 Ps 4, 1 Jn 2.15-17, 3.1-6 to be read by Hal S-C
GOSPEL Lk 24.36b-48 INTERCESSIONS to be prayed by Wendy
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Oliver for the 24th, Elliot , Max & David for the 25th
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to Yvonne & Don for tomorrow.
PRAYER CIRCLE meets noon on the 2nd Tuesday each month
BIBLE STUDY 10am every Wednesday
HELPLINE
Part of being a Christian community is supporting each other in times of need. We offer short-term delivery of food when required, local transport, phone calls, visits and numerous other types of assistance. It is our way of helping one another quietly and confidentially. Call Barb and Angela
EVENTS
PICNIC IN THE NATIONAL PARK May 17 2009
ABM AUXILIARY FUND-RAISING FILM MORNING WEDNESDAY 29 APRIL at the Capri Theatre
FILM : "HOW ABOUT YOU". starring Vanessa Redgrave
Rated M. Charming, heartwarming, hilarious !
9.45 Morning Tea - Trading Table - Organ Recital - Film at 10.30
Tickets $8.00 all tickets. May be obtained at the door. Joan has 3 tickets for sale, but is not able to offer transport. Any parishioner planning to attend please advise Joan if you can offer to take others with you.
EXTERNAL MINISTRY PLANNING Sunday May 24 12-2pm – bring a plate of lunch to share.
PENTECOST MORNING TEA PARTY May 31 following the 10am service
PATRONAL FESTIVAL June 21
PARISH CAMP October 16-18 2009
HIGHLIGHTS FROM A SPECIAL PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 14TH APRIL
Parish Council has agreed to rent the Vandepeers home for the Huffa’s for a 12 month period beginning next week.
TREASURE MARKET FINAL FIGURES – WELL DONE EVERYONE
Auction 1,309.00 includes 3 pews
Barbeque 232.50
Cakes 497.00
Cake Raffle 57.00
Clothing 358.35 $50 still to come
Drinks 28.00
Donuts 9.50
Books 255.00
Collectors Corner 404.15
Produce/James 198.25
Jewellery Carolyn 137.00
Jewellery Mary 60.00
Morning Tea 223.00
Plants 786.80
Toys 247.35
Soft Furnishings 307.40
White Elephant 517.05
Raffle 98.00
Miscellaneous/Donations 167.10 *Plus $63.20 Akkerman's Bakery
Sale of sausages 50.00
Total Takings 5,942.45 14 x $50 deducted from above - floats for stalls
Akkerman's Blackwood Bakery 0.00 $63.20 pd from takings
Woolworths -38.42 Cream, Plastic wrap etc
Petty Cash -22.35 Gas refill, serviettes, p towels
Total Income to date 11/4/09 5,881.68
Still outstanding - A/c sausages $50
OUTREACH
The following monies have been banked from the Lenten Appeal:
30 March 2009 $110.75 (Holy Innocents Parishioners)
14 April 2009 $861.45 (Holy Innocents Parishioners)
14 April 2009 $984.15 (St Johns Grammar School)
Total $1956.35 and still counting
A wonderful effort - and I expect a few more envelopes to come in this Sunday. Warren and Stephen Daughtry did a marvelous job getting the children at St Johns to adopt a pig (for one of ABM’s projects in the Philippines) and make a significant contribution. We had a lot of fun counting their money with the various pigs' names and drawings etc.
ITEMS FOR NEXT WEEK’S PEW SHEET
Forward to Wendy by 5pm Tuesdays
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Easter 2009 at Holy Innocents
Easter can be a powerful experience if you let yourself journey with Jesus from the Last Supper to the resurrection. Liturgically, we will watch and participate in elements of the story through art, dramatic reading, eating and drinking, light and darkness, and the kids through a range of activities on Good Friday. Allow the liturgy this Easter to grab your soul.
The services times are:
Maundy Thursday
6:30pm Passover Meal
7:30pm Last Supper Holy Communion
Good Friday
9:30am Stations of the Cross for Children and Young People
10:45am Good Friday Liturgy
Easter Day
6:00am Lighting of the New Fire, Renewal of Baptismal Vows and Holy Communion
8:00am Traditional Holy Communion
10:00am Contemporary Holy Communion with Renewal of Baptismal Vows and Children’s Ministry
May you have a holy Easter.
Warren.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Fr Ron's Notes For Easter Day
Sunday 12th April, 2009 Easter
Sentence
Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us: there let us keep the feast 1 Cor. 5:7
Collect
Brightness of God’s glory, Whom death could not conquer nor the tomb imprison; as You have shared in the frailty of human flesh, help us to share in Your immortality in the spirit. Reveal Yourself to us this day and all our days, as the First and Last, the Living One, our immortal Saviour and Lord. Amen
FIRST LESSON Acts 10: 34 – 43
Peter began: "I now understand how true it is that God has no favourites, but that in every nation those who are god-fearing and do what is right are acceptable to him. He sent his word to the Israelites and gave the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. I need not tell you what has happened lately all over the land of the Jews, starting from Galilee after the baptism proclaimed by John. You know how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Because God was with him he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. And we can bear witness to all that he did in the Jewish countryside and in Jerusalem. They put him to death, hanging him on a gibbet; but God raised him to life on the third day, and allowed him to be clearly seen, not by the whole people, but by witnesses whom God had chosen in advance--by us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
He commanded us to proclaim him to the people, and affirm that he is the one designated by God as judge of the living and the dead. It is to him that all the prophets testify, declaring that everyone who trusts in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.'
FOR THE PSALM Hymn to the Risen Christ
Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us: so let us celebrate the feast
Not with the old leaven of corruption and wickedness: but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth
Christ once raised from the dead, dies no more: death has no more dominion over Him
In dying He died to sin once for all: in living, He lives to God.
See yourselves, therefore, as dead to sin: and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord
Christ has been raised from the dead: the firstfruits of those who sleep.
For as by one man came death: by another man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die: even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
EPISTLE 1 Corinthians 15: 1 – 11
And now, my friends, I must remind you of the gospel that I preached to you; the gospel which you received, on which you have taken your stand, and which is now bringing you salvation. Remember the terms in which I preached the gospel to you--for I assume that you hold it fast and that your conversion was not in vain.
First and foremost, I handed on to you the tradition I had received: that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures; and that he appeared to Cephas, and afterwards to the Twelve. Then he appeared to over five hundred of our brothers at once, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, and afterwards to all the apostles. Last of all he appeared to me too; it was like a sudden, abnormal birth.
For I am the least of the apostles, indeed not fit to be called an apostle, because I had persecuted the church of God. However, by God's grace I am what I am, and his grace to me has not proved vain; in my labours I have outdone them all--not I, indeed, but the grace of God working with me. But no matter whether it was I or they! This is what we all proclaim, and this is what you believed. Now if this is what we proclaim, that Christ was raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection, then Christ was not raised; and if Christ was not raised, then our gospel is null and void, and so too is your faith; and we turn out to have given false evidence about God, because we bore witness that he raised Christ to life, whereas, if the dead are not raised, he did not raise him.
GOSPEL Mark 16: 1 – 8
When the sabbath was over, Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought aromatic oils, intending to go and anoint him; and very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they came to the tomb. They were wondering among themselves who would roll away the stone for them from the entrance to the tomb, when they looked up and saw that the stone, huge as it was, had been rolled back already. They went into the tomb, where they saw a young man sitting on the right-hand side, wearing a white robe; and they were dumbfounded. But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place where they laid him. But go and say to his disciples and to Peter: "He is going ahead of you into Galilee: there you will see him, as he told you.'' '
NOTES ON THE READINGS ..
I will often ask people –when hearing or thinking about the Readings,- to take notice of the fine print. That means, either to know quite something about the passage and its context, and/or to refuse to allow familiarity to overlook the information given in the passage. It is far too easy to assume that you know it all, for that is when you may well miss much of the point.
First Lesson
If you are a little mystified by the inclusion of this Reading on Easter Day, then keep thinking. You may be satisfied, initially, with the fact that there is clear reference to the Crucifixion and Resurrection. Now let’s travel that extra mile.
This event took place well after the Resurrection, when it is clear that much of the ramifications of the Gospel had yet to impact even on the Apostles. This incident, with the Roman Centurion, is another of those fascinating learning curves for the Apostles, and for Peter in particular. They had to work through their theology just as much as you do!
Peter was stunned to confront the extent to which this pagan military overlord understood about life and faith and reality. It was an affront to Peter’s religious heritage and background. Like all Jews, he remained convinced that all Gentiles were beyond the pale, ignorant, and of utterly no interest to God. This incident had the effect of (beginning the) changing all that. Like any ‘epiphany’ or transfiguration,’ it ran against Peter’s grain, and needed some time in order for him to come to terms with it all.
In other words, it is about time Christians, including the most conservative of them all, took off their blinkers and saw things as they really are.
For the Psalm
There is rather a lot to ponder in this rather stunning old Christian hymn: not least of which is the reference to the Passover. In case it has never hit you before, the Biblical record is quite constant in its appreciation of the fact that the Passover, and the Exile are all part of the one plan of redemption, and are all very illustrative of the Divine approach to the human dilemma. The Resurrection is rather more than the means whereby you get to heaven. It is in fact the example par excellence as to how Christians should operate as humans in a world that turns its back on God. Here is no religious illustration: here is down-to-earth information on why to operate as Christian, for here lies the only workable and valid way to reconciliation for any human situation. That reference to Adam (yes, that is what is being referred to) is making it quite clear that in Christ there is a completely different way to operate. Why do se few Christians even see that let alone follow?
Epistle
Back when I was a very young priest, the old Prayer Book has this passage as the reading as a Funeral. It is powerful stuff, but I am sure that most if it went over the heads of mourners unless they were believers. There are a couple of items that strike me as important as we refer to this passage.
First, please do see that Paul saw the necessity of offering to people of his day some real and tangible evidence that Jesus has risen. None of that evidence (talking to people who spoke to the Risen Christ) is available to us today, but there were mobs of witnesses, eyewitnesses, then. So Paul was saying that there were then lots of people who could verify the facts. (If he was trying to fool people, then he was being remarkably stupid.)
Now second, that raises a problem for moderns. If such evidence was necessary then, why it is that we are no longer able to access such evidence for something so hugely important. I find the answer to that rather stunning. If resurrection sounds all a bit too much in this cynical and scientific age, then Iask you to ponder awhile.
What does the resurrection say to us? It is not just (if I can put it that way) that Jesus rose again from the dead. It is a powerful statement that truth can be suppressed but not killed. The same is true about love, and about all the important factors of life. And the only way I can be sure of that is to be committed to truth, to love, to justice and everything else. Only by treading that path can I be sure that these things are true. The evidence is there all right; but I need to stick my neck out to be sure of it.
GOSPEL
It is always the ladies, is it not, who are there bright and early to deal with the practical issues of life and of death. Nothing seems to put them off. Mind you, I have more than a sneaky suspicion those Jewish peoples, and the ladies in particular, have always been down to earth. I can tell a story of a particularly remarkable lady and her response to her husband dying right there at home. Certainly, they were overtaken by events, but they had their feet on the ground. There was a job to be done, and an unpleasant one at that. But there they were, with all the equipment needed for the task.
On the other hand, none of the disciples were in any way prepared for the events that were to unfold before their very eyes. And it was the ladies that had to convey the message to the Eleven, - which is something which makes us look beyond the old male hang-ups, surely, as the women led the way.
NOTES FOR A SERMON
Perhaps it has been a matter of over-exposure, but I am getting to the stage where the great Christian celebrations do not excite me as they did. Much of the reason for that response in me has very little to do with the reality behind the season – it has more to do with the strange and inflated stuff that passes as sermons or explanations of the Seasons.
I guess that part of my problem also lies with dearly-loved parents who lived their faith without wearing in on their shirt-sleeves, and were really quite down-to-earth people in everything that they did. While we were certainly excited by Christmas as kids, it was always made clear that there was little point in celebrating if the rest of one’s life did not reflect the attitudes that the Season emphasised. Christmas is giving; Easter is forgiving; and if one did not operate along those lines every day of the year, then one was missing the point.
Run all that alongside a world where advertising for Christmas spending begins in late October, and where the hard sell increases in stridency as December 25th draws closer. Parallel to that is the constant news flashes of under-age drinking and car accidents, sudden death or long-drawn-out depression. One of the things that must be of almost total disappointment to the unbelieving world is the tinselled pointlessness of the season. Worse happens when the credit card chickens come home to roost about a month later.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)