Sunday 17th April, 2011 Passion Sunday – Palm Sunday
Sentence
At the name of Jesus every knee shall bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11
Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, in Your tender love towards us You sent Your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon Him our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross that all should follow the example of His great humility; mercifully grant that we may both follow the example of His patience and also be made partakers of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Old Testament Lesson Isaiah 50: 4 – 9
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens-- wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. The Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. It is the Lord GOD who helps me; who will declare me guilty?
Psalm 31: 9 – 18
Have mercy upon me O Lord, for I am in trouble: my eyes waste away for grief, my throat also and my inward parts
For my life wears out in sorrow, and my years with sighing: my strength fails me in my affliction and my bones are consumed
I am become the scorn of my enemies: and my neighbours wag their heads in derision
I am a thing of horror to my friends: and those that see me in the street shrink from me
I am forgotten like one dead and out of mind: I have become a broken vessel.
For I hear the whispering of many: and fear is on every side
While they plot together against me: and scheme to take away my life
But in You, Lord, have I put my trust: I have said, ‘You are my God.’
All my days are in Your hand: O deliver me from the power of my enemies, and from my persecutors
Make Your face to shine upon Your servant: and save me for Your mercy’s sake.
Epistle Philippians 2: 5 – 11
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross.
Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
GOSPEL Matthew 27: 11 – 54
Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You say so." But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?" But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas. So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?" For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over.
While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him." Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. The governor again said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas." Pilate said to them, "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?" All of them said, "Let him be crucified!" Then he asked, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified!" So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves." Then the people as a whole answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!" So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; then they sat down there and kept watch over him.
Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews." Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, 'I am God's Son.'" The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.
From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, "This man is calling for Elijah." At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, "Truly this man was God's Son!"
© New Revised Standard Version of the Bible
Copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the
Churches of Christ in the USA, and used by permission. All rights reserved
NOTES ON THE READINGS
Old Testament
In today’s Advertiser (12/6/10) there was an article that indicated that women do not like meek men, but rather prefer the more pushy variety. It seems to contradict a lot of what women have been saying about violent males. Today’s passage from Isaiah would indicate that Jesus would have little attraction for modern females, and that may be somewhat revealing!
In this (one of a series of) Servant Song(s) the prophet poses the necessary approach he would understand necessary for the People or Person of God to work towards the resolution of the ‘human dilemma.’ This Faith once delivered is not about securing heaven for you as much as it is about restoring humanity to life here, in peace and community, that we never manage to reach. The Faith is far more ‘earthed’ than many people begin to realize – which is partly the reason why the ‘Church’ fails to win the support of far more people. We’d rather be involved in internal bitching!
The real problem? Whilst the ‘normal’ human approach to the conflicts would tend to be to use power, control and force when necessary, the prophet posits a rather different approach. Sadly, not many believers take much notice of Isaiah (or Jesus come to that) and so miss the point as well as the remedy!
The reality was that Isaiah was almost totally ‘spot on,’ as the life, death and resurrection of Jesus indicates. As opposed to that, the ‘normal human response’ only ever leads to exacerbation of the problem! Thank God for the Gospel!
Psalm
Before you write this off as the sorry-for-self outpourings of a tragic, do stop and realize that when someone who has lived truly and is caught in the machinations of someone evil, there was seen to be little in the way of hope. Only someone who has been there themselves would be aware of the despair and even terror. Now this was the boat in which Jesus found Himself, and this Psalm being there on Passion Sunday is an attempt to help us enter, even minutely, into how it would feel to be pushed into such a sharp-edged corner.
Epistle
I have said it before and repeat it now: if this was the only part of the New Testament we had in our hands, it would be sufficient to understand the potency of the Gospel. AS mentioned previously, please see this passage, said to be the words of a very early Christian hymn, draw the contrast between Adam (Gen 3) and Jesus. It posits a radically different approach to life and service, and that is the process of reconciliation, not division.
Do not be misled by the reference to Jesus being ‘highly exalted’ and so reversing the result of His humility. Notice that in Eucharistic prayers, the ‘honour and glory and power’ are to be understood as parallel, not opposite, of humility and service. If that does not ‘gel’ with you, please get in touch.
GOSPEL
On Passion Sunday there is rarely a sermon preached, but the Passion Narrative is read in toto.
However, may I say that I have great difficulty with sermons or other references to the crucifixion of Jesus that concentrate on the pain and suffering of Jesus, in particular when that is allied with that as the presumed expression of God’s wrath on human sin. Such a ‘theology’ of the Passion entirely misses the point of the Atonement as Biblically expressed from Isaiah onwards. There will be those who disagree; may I simply offer an hypothetical. If I were in the odd position of needing to forgive my daughter for some sin however fearful by taking out my rage on my son and requiring his death, then I would be acting in a fearfully unjust and megalomaniac manner.
The reality is that Jesus overcame evil by absorbing it, not by killing off the perpetrators. Very few Christians have -- even yet! –come to terms with that reality. In order to retain their ‘theology,’ they pursue their vengeance – in diametric opposition to the Biblical Gospel. The wonder of forgiveness – and its enormous risky yet therapeutic purpose would seem to need a far more close and constructive examination.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Newsletter
Sunday 17th April, 2011 - Passion / Palm Sunday
Our Celebrant today is Warren Huffa
And preacher at both services is Stephen Daughtry
WELCOME to Holy Innocents—we hope you enjoy this time of prayer as we reflect on Scripture together and celebrate the Eucharist. We invite you to join us for breakfast after the 8am service, or morning tea after the 10am service. At 10 am everything in the service will be screened on the walls. Sunday School is held at the 10 am service during School Term times.
Collect for Palm-Passion Sunday
God of all, You gave Your only-begotten Son to take the form of a servant, and to be obedient even to death on a cross: give us the same mind that was in Christ Jesus that, sharing in His humility, we may come to be with Him in His glory, Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
TODAY’S READINGS
Isaiah 50: 4—9a & Philippians 2:5—11 read by Paul H
Gospel Matthew 27: 11—54
(Intercessors, please be aware that you are able to change the power point presentation to fit your intercessions but you need to liaise with Fr Ron on the Tuesday beforehand. For example you may want a particular image screened during the intercessions and/or to change the ending prayer)
PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Ben L
We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Phyllis Morecroft, Peter Little, the Swaby family, Chris Contro, Yvonne Myers, Jenny Jeffrey, Sid Sweet , Dorothy Furnival, Rev’d Sue Burgess and others known to us
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Olivia Vialls, Elliot Hale, Max Almond, David Corbett, Tommy Ferguson, Arndrae Luks, Jessica Randall-Thomas
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY –
YEAR’S MIND—Ivy Morris (2002) Alice Ridout (1994) Evelyn Murray (2004)
Special Thoughts for Angus and Clare Bruce on the passing of Angus’ father Robert.
PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Easter
Readings Acts 10: 34 –43 and Colossians 3: 1—4
Gospel Matthew 28: 1—10
Fr Ron’s Notes available at http://www.anglican-belair.blogspot.com/
Note from Parish Council
People are asked to ensure that both main door entrances to the Church are closed after use to ensure the safety of the children – who tend to run about quite a bit.
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 Coromandal Valley
THURSDAY 9.30am Eucharist
HALL BOOKINGS: 27th April 1—5pm St. John’s College
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 Barb Capon 8278 3584 and Lucinda Hale 8278 8814.
Report from St. John’s Chaplains
Clare and Warren write a blurb for the St John's newsletter which comes out each fortnight of term. We do alternate fortnights—this one from Warren http://www.stjohns.sa.edu.au/news/love-and- fear
FORTHCOMING EVENTS—
Passover Meal on Thursday has been cancelled….
Mothers’ Union has its next meeting set for Thursday 21st April at 2.00pm at the Church. Please
brings subscriptions of $32.00 to that meeting please. Margaret Pressley Group Leader
ABM Appeal is now on with envelopes in the foyer. Palm Sunday (April 17) will see the distribution of Palm Crosses and Easter Day will see the return of those ABM envelopes.
EASTER SERVICES
Maundy Thursday 9.30am and 7.30pm Eucharist
Good Friday 9.30am Children's Service
10.45 Traditional GF Service
Easter 6.00am Coming of the Light & Eucharist
8.00am Traditional Eucharist
10.00am Easter Eucharist & Renewal of Baptismal Vows
**********************************************************************************************************
RON-BLOG from today’s readings - The Passion Narrative
I have great difficulty with sermons on the Atonement that concentrate on the pain and suffering of Jesus, in particular when that is allied with the presumed expression of God’s wrath on human sin. Such a ‘theology’ of the Passion entirely misses the point.
There certainly will be those who disagree so may I simply comment that if, in order to forgive my daughter some sin of hers however fearful by taking out my rage on my son, then I would be acting in a hideous megalomaniac manner. The reality is that Jesus overcame evil by absorbing it, not by killing off the perpetrators. Very many Christians have -- even yet! – to begin to understand that.
In the Advertiser of 12/6/10- when I was drafting this material - there was an article that indicated that women do not like meek men, but rather prefer the more pushy variety. It seems to contradict a lot of what women have been saying about violent males, and today’s reading from Isaiah would indicate that Jesus would have little attraction for modern females, and that may be somewhat revealing!
In this (one of a series of) Isaiah’s Servant Song(s) the prophet poses the necessary approach for the People or Person of God to work towards the resolution of the ‘human dilemma.’ Whilst the ‘normal’ human approach would tend to exercise power, control and force when necessary, the prophet posits a rather different approach.
The reality was that Isaiah was almost totally ‘spot on,’ as the life, death and resurrection of Jesus indicates. As opposed to prophet’s view and Jesus’ reality, the normal violent human response only ever leads to exacerbation of the problem!
Thank God for the Gospel! In other words, resolution of conflict does not come by force of arms (as if you needed any proof of that view!) but by reconciliation. Now this path may well be most difficult for the reconciler, and – as in Jesus’ case – may lead to his/her death, but there will be no exacerbation of evil on the part of the reconciler! Jesus defeats evil not by force of arms or even personality – but by absorbing that evil and refusing to retaliate. Does that make Jesus a ‘pushy’ person?
***********************************************************************************************
Planned Giving - First Quarter Statement from Min
From the last quarter of 2009, we started issuing Quarterly Statements advised the sum of your contribution in that quarter, for those using the Planned Giving envelopes. We did not issue the statements for those who are depositing money directly into our church bank account because they should be able to keep track themselves. However, this year the situation is a bit different. For the Planned Giving Scheme, we have been using numbers to identify the parishioners, but this year we had to change that process. Therefore, we will issue the Quarterly statements from now on to all parishioners who are participating in the Planned Giving Scheme. The First Quarter Statements can now be found in the envelopes laid out on the table in the church foyer. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me. Thank you. Min, The Recorder maraki@internode.on.net
8270-8894(This may change from this July.)
LOOKING FOR A NEW WARDEN
When Peter Little retired after years of valued service as People’s Warden, Vestry did not immediately elect a replacement, but it should do so soon. So we are looking for offers. A warden is someone who watches over, cares for something or someone. A Church Warden has a legal status in the Diocesan framework, but essentially he or she is a visible, accessible and helpful connection to the workings of the parish. And in the more formal words of the Canon “co-operates with the parish priest in the work of God and his church within the parish”.
Magdalene Centre invites you to a screening of Water for Elephants to be held at the Capri Cinema, Goodwood, on Sunday 22nd May from 2.00pm for complimentary drinks and sandwiches (Film at 3 pm) Entry is $20.00 per person
ROSTERS
POWERPOINT ROSTER –
Today Craig Deane or Trevor Tregenza
Next Sunday Ron Keynes or Joy Campbell
READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER
Next Sunday Reader Vanessa D Intercessor
Sunday after Reader Marg P Intercessor Warren
SANCTUARY ROSTER
Next week Flowers Anna Kelly Brass Barb Capon
Cleaning Susan Lee
Items for the Newsletter need to be sent to Fr. Ron at 8298 7160 or ronpkeynes@internode.on.net by Tuesday morning please as this is a short week for printers …….
Our Celebrant today is Warren Huffa
And preacher at both services is Stephen Daughtry
WELCOME to Holy Innocents—we hope you enjoy this time of prayer as we reflect on Scripture together and celebrate the Eucharist. We invite you to join us for breakfast after the 8am service, or morning tea after the 10am service. At 10 am everything in the service will be screened on the walls. Sunday School is held at the 10 am service during School Term times.
Collect for Palm-Passion Sunday
God of all, You gave Your only-begotten Son to take the form of a servant, and to be obedient even to death on a cross: give us the same mind that was in Christ Jesus that, sharing in His humility, we may come to be with Him in His glory, Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
TODAY’S READINGS
Isaiah 50: 4—9a & Philippians 2:5—11 read by Paul H
Gospel Matthew 27: 11—54
(Intercessors, please be aware that you are able to change the power point presentation to fit your intercessions but you need to liaise with Fr Ron on the Tuesday beforehand. For example you may want a particular image screened during the intercessions and/or to change the ending prayer)
PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Ben L
We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Phyllis Morecroft, Peter Little, the Swaby family, Chris Contro, Yvonne Myers, Jenny Jeffrey, Sid Sweet , Dorothy Furnival, Rev’d Sue Burgess and others known to us
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Olivia Vialls, Elliot Hale, Max Almond, David Corbett, Tommy Ferguson, Arndrae Luks, Jessica Randall-Thomas
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY –
YEAR’S MIND—Ivy Morris (2002) Alice Ridout (1994) Evelyn Murray (2004)
Special Thoughts for Angus and Clare Bruce on the passing of Angus’ father Robert.
PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Easter
Readings Acts 10: 34 –43 and Colossians 3: 1—4
Gospel Matthew 28: 1—10
Fr Ron’s Notes available at http://www.anglican-belair.blogspot.com/
Note from Parish Council
People are asked to ensure that both main door entrances to the Church are closed after use to ensure the safety of the children – who tend to run about quite a bit.
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 Coromandal Valley
THURSDAY 9.30am Eucharist
HALL BOOKINGS: 27th April 1—5pm St. John’s College
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 Barb Capon 8278 3584 and Lucinda Hale 8278 8814.
Report from St. John’s Chaplains
Clare and Warren write a blurb for the St John's newsletter which comes out each fortnight of term. We do alternate fortnights—this one from Warren http://www.stjohns.sa.edu.au/news/love-and- fear
FORTHCOMING EVENTS—
Passover Meal on Thursday has been cancelled….
Mothers’ Union has its next meeting set for Thursday 21st April at 2.00pm at the Church. Please
brings subscriptions of $32.00 to that meeting please. Margaret Pressley Group Leader
ABM Appeal is now on with envelopes in the foyer. Palm Sunday (April 17) will see the distribution of Palm Crosses and Easter Day will see the return of those ABM envelopes.
EASTER SERVICES
Maundy Thursday 9.30am and 7.30pm Eucharist
Good Friday 9.30am Children's Service
10.45 Traditional GF Service
Easter 6.00am Coming of the Light & Eucharist
8.00am Traditional Eucharist
10.00am Easter Eucharist & Renewal of Baptismal Vows
**********************************************************************************************************
RON-BLOG from today’s readings - The Passion Narrative
I have great difficulty with sermons on the Atonement that concentrate on the pain and suffering of Jesus, in particular when that is allied with the presumed expression of God’s wrath on human sin. Such a ‘theology’ of the Passion entirely misses the point.
There certainly will be those who disagree so may I simply comment that if, in order to forgive my daughter some sin of hers however fearful by taking out my rage on my son, then I would be acting in a hideous megalomaniac manner. The reality is that Jesus overcame evil by absorbing it, not by killing off the perpetrators. Very many Christians have -- even yet! – to begin to understand that.
In the Advertiser of 12/6/10- when I was drafting this material - there was an article that indicated that women do not like meek men, but rather prefer the more pushy variety. It seems to contradict a lot of what women have been saying about violent males, and today’s reading from Isaiah would indicate that Jesus would have little attraction for modern females, and that may be somewhat revealing!
In this (one of a series of) Isaiah’s Servant Song(s) the prophet poses the necessary approach for the People or Person of God to work towards the resolution of the ‘human dilemma.’ Whilst the ‘normal’ human approach would tend to exercise power, control and force when necessary, the prophet posits a rather different approach.
The reality was that Isaiah was almost totally ‘spot on,’ as the life, death and resurrection of Jesus indicates. As opposed to prophet’s view and Jesus’ reality, the normal violent human response only ever leads to exacerbation of the problem!
Thank God for the Gospel! In other words, resolution of conflict does not come by force of arms (as if you needed any proof of that view!) but by reconciliation. Now this path may well be most difficult for the reconciler, and – as in Jesus’ case – may lead to his/her death, but there will be no exacerbation of evil on the part of the reconciler! Jesus defeats evil not by force of arms or even personality – but by absorbing that evil and refusing to retaliate. Does that make Jesus a ‘pushy’ person?
***********************************************************************************************
Planned Giving - First Quarter Statement from Min
From the last quarter of 2009, we started issuing Quarterly Statements advised the sum of your contribution in that quarter, for those using the Planned Giving envelopes. We did not issue the statements for those who are depositing money directly into our church bank account because they should be able to keep track themselves. However, this year the situation is a bit different. For the Planned Giving Scheme, we have been using numbers to identify the parishioners, but this year we had to change that process. Therefore, we will issue the Quarterly statements from now on to all parishioners who are participating in the Planned Giving Scheme. The First Quarter Statements can now be found in the envelopes laid out on the table in the church foyer. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me. Thank you. Min, The Recorder maraki@internode.on.net
8270-8894(This may change from this July.)
LOOKING FOR A NEW WARDEN
When Peter Little retired after years of valued service as People’s Warden, Vestry did not immediately elect a replacement, but it should do so soon. So we are looking for offers. A warden is someone who watches over, cares for something or someone. A Church Warden has a legal status in the Diocesan framework, but essentially he or she is a visible, accessible and helpful connection to the workings of the parish. And in the more formal words of the Canon “co-operates with the parish priest in the work of God and his church within the parish”.
Magdalene Centre invites you to a screening of Water for Elephants to be held at the Capri Cinema, Goodwood, on Sunday 22nd May from 2.00pm for complimentary drinks and sandwiches (Film at 3 pm) Entry is $20.00 per person
ROSTERS
POWERPOINT ROSTER –
Today Craig Deane or Trevor Tregenza
Next Sunday Ron Keynes or Joy Campbell
READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER
Next Sunday Reader Vanessa D Intercessor
Sunday after Reader Marg P Intercessor Warren
SANCTUARY ROSTER
Next week Flowers Anna Kelly Brass Barb Capon
Cleaning Susan Lee
Items for the Newsletter need to be sent to Fr. Ron at 8298 7160 or ronpkeynes@internode.on.net by Tuesday morning please as this is a short week for printers …….
Friday, April 8, 2011
RonBlog
Sunday 10th April, 2011 Fifth Sunday in Lent
Sentence
I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord. Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.
John 11: 25 – 26
Collect
Life-giving God, Your Son came into the world to free us all from sin and death: breathe upon us with the power of Your Spirit, that we may be raised to new life in Christ, and serve You in holiness and righteousness al lour days; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. Amen
Old Testament Lesson Ezekiel 37: 1 – 14
The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know." Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD."
So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live."
I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. Then he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act," says the LORD.
Psalm 130
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.
If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits: and in his word I put my hope.
My soul waits for the Lord: more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD: for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.
He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.
Epistle Romans 8: 6 – 11
To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law--indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
GOSPEL John 11: 1 – 45
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God's glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it."
Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them."
After saying this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him."
The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right." Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world." When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him.
Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"
The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
© New Revised Standard Version of the Bible
Copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the
Churches of Christ in the USA, and used by permission. All rights reserved
NOTES ON THE READINGS
Old Testament
This should surely be one of the best-known passages from the Old Testament, the Valley of Dry Bones. The old Negro song ‘Dem bones, dem bones’ should ring bells for many others. However the source and reason behind the vision may well be far less familiar to people.
Israel was in exile in Babylon, and like depressed people anywhere, had lost sense of value, purpose and direction. This vision of Ezekiel’s was designed to encourage exiles, offering hope of new and fresh life and purpose. The vision has impact for a lot of reasons, not least of which is the clear perception that the prophet had of what we call the Holy Spirit.
Add to that the consistent message of all Prophets of the Exile was the God was right there with them, with a renewed vision for their future and role for the world. I will leave you to ponder the impact and power of this message, but do not miss the point that this same message needs to be heard in our own day and age. Small numbers of committed people is no designation of defeat: how often has history shown that reduction in numbers usually presages a new move towards growth. It is the Gideon story all over again.
Psalm
And here is another factor in the move forward and ahead. Just as the exiles needed the refreshment of forgiveness for a rugged past, so the same need tends to apply still. Never lose sight of the value for forgiveness: it means, amongst other things, that a person can stop hiding from past sins and mistakes, examine the decisions and choices, and learn from the muck-up.
Epistle
I have often drawn people’s attention to the fact that there is a series of illustrations of the differences between ordinary human responses to crises and choices, and the deliberately Christian one. This is not a matter of piety and smugness; it is a clear difference of modus operandi. Adam and Christlike is a parallel I often use; here it is ‘spirit’ and ‘flesh.’ When I operate selfishly and self-obsessively, then I am being ‘flesh,’ or ‘Adamic.’ The outcome is, as a rule, somewhat destructive. QED.
GOSPEL
Here is another of John’s great sign stories. The raising of Lazarus. As usual the author managed to weave a whole series of significant issues into the tale, one of which tends to be overlooked because people have already made up their minds (falsely quite often) about Thomas. Please note that here you have a bloke who is prepared to go with Christ right up to death and beyond, so that is hardly the action of a doubter, now is it!
Here in this cameo (rather large one certainly!) is the precursor of Jesus’ own death for the sake of those supporting Him. Any careful reading of the Gospels will show how our Lord was at very considerable pains, firstly to get the Twelve moving on the business of understanding more fully what He was on about; and then as the crisis began to draw close, to prepare the disciples for the denouement of the Cross. Here was clear illustration that He was Lord of life and death.
If you wonder why Jesus hesitated to travel that little extra distance either before Lazarus’ death or soon after, the answer is not hard to find. For a culture that assumed that a person’s spirit did not leave the body for two or three days, it was ‘necessary’ for Jesus to wait out that time to prove a point: here was no resuscitation of someone comatose. Disintegration had begun, and still Jesus was in charge. “Unbind him and let him go!” was a call that would have resonated in the ears of those followers after the Resurrection: and they were the ones needing unbinding.
NOTES FOR A SERMON
If you are game to travel this route, it may well be an experience in launching out into the deep with a God Who seems to promise much, but for many people still seems to stay in the shadows of life. Part of our modern problem lies in a couple of directions: the first is the contention that so many of our issues of very existence into the future have not been encountered (to our knowledge) in history. The second problem lies, I suspect, in our lack of knowledge of history and in particular Biblical history.
It has to be said that, forever throughout human history, there have been the doomsday boys. There is nothing new in that, although – apart from some present-day sectarians – the turn of the century a decade ago brought some wild ones out of the woodwork, and recent SA news seems to indicate that there are still groups that like to prey on the fears of people.
These seems to be a supposition among many people that up to the present, our long-term history has been one of gradual progress and projection upwards - apart from a few glitches along the way, of course. Most people today are too young to remember or ever know about the enormous tumult of the First World War. That single event shattered quite utterly the Victorian and even Edwardian view that progress in social, national and international development was the miracle of the age. It came as inconceivable that so monstrous a conflict could reduce civilisation to such a vicious point.
History has never been a matter of invincible progress. Even in eras of solid development there have been downsides; and in so many of the downsides there have been opposite phases. If you are not aware of that, then the proof of the pudding is in reading history, from before Egypt and the pyramids up to the present time. Even the history of the Christian Church throughout the centuries offers great insights into human folly. And wisdom!
So where does that leave us? As Christians I offer a couple of encouragements, not from my skill but from our combined Biblical history. That Old Testament history shows up in today’s OT reading. That vision of Ezekiel’s was not there simply to generate the Negro Spiritual, Dem Bones. It was a reminder not dissimilar to this very one, for the People of God to look back and see God’s hand at work, not in the prior five minutes, but over the generations since Abraham. Those stories are not there to warm the cockles – but to be something of a kick in the pants those who had felt all sorry for themselves as they lived in imposed exile in Babylon.
‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Poor little darlings! They could not, perhaps would not see past their rather expansive noses. But Ezekiel did, as did each of the other prophets of the Exile. Each of those remarkable men indicated quite clearly that Israel had been sidelined, because it had lost its way as the People of God, and had somewhat forgotten God Himself. They were in the ‘cooler’ for a time to ponder where to from here, and whilst some listened to their prophets, others did not. In fact there was quite a proportion of the exiles who did not wish to move back home when the opportunity came for them.
History proved the prophets correct, and a rejuvenated Israel returned to the enormous task of rebuilding – nation, capital and temple. But they did it, and their future burgeoned for some time, not without glitches. But without that burgeoning there could have been no Jesus. I kid you not.
In spite of the apparent evidence to the contrary, God was not dead. He was very much alive, and looking to enliven those people who were prepared to get on side with Him. There was only no future if people refused to take it up. Mind you, sitting on one’s backside and expecting everything to happen without their involvement or effort was not, repeat not an option.
So where does all this get us?
Simply at the foot of a fairly steep learning curve. Christians of most denominations and colours have been spoilt – or at least those of us not involved in hideous and harsh situations, like recently in Botswna, or some other African nations; or China further back, of USSR for a seventy year period not unlike ancient Israel. Or Germany. We have become somewhat effete, and some backbone needs to be restored to us, and that does not happen when people are pandered to. So, in the time left to us, it would not be a bad idea at all (a) to look again at this Faith once delivered and understand and embrace it, warts and all; and (b) get on with the job of being what we are called to be.
As they say in Football (the real sort, not that other lot!) no gain without pain. So if you wonder why God puts you through the mill now and again it is to strengthen you up. And that is why He does not answer all your little aches and pains. He and we live in the real world, without apology. And that is what the Gospel is all about.
Sentence
I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord. Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.
John 11: 25 – 26
Collect
Life-giving God, Your Son came into the world to free us all from sin and death: breathe upon us with the power of Your Spirit, that we may be raised to new life in Christ, and serve You in holiness and righteousness al lour days; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. Amen
Old Testament Lesson Ezekiel 37: 1 – 14
The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know." Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD."
So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live."
I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. Then he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act," says the LORD.
Psalm 130
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.
If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits: and in his word I put my hope.
My soul waits for the Lord: more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD: for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.
He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.
Epistle Romans 8: 6 – 11
To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law--indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
GOSPEL John 11: 1 – 45
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God's glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it."
Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them."
After saying this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him."
The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right." Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world." When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him.
Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"
The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
© New Revised Standard Version of the Bible
Copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the
Churches of Christ in the USA, and used by permission. All rights reserved
NOTES ON THE READINGS
Old Testament
This should surely be one of the best-known passages from the Old Testament, the Valley of Dry Bones. The old Negro song ‘Dem bones, dem bones’ should ring bells for many others. However the source and reason behind the vision may well be far less familiar to people.
Israel was in exile in Babylon, and like depressed people anywhere, had lost sense of value, purpose and direction. This vision of Ezekiel’s was designed to encourage exiles, offering hope of new and fresh life and purpose. The vision has impact for a lot of reasons, not least of which is the clear perception that the prophet had of what we call the Holy Spirit.
Add to that the consistent message of all Prophets of the Exile was the God was right there with them, with a renewed vision for their future and role for the world. I will leave you to ponder the impact and power of this message, but do not miss the point that this same message needs to be heard in our own day and age. Small numbers of committed people is no designation of defeat: how often has history shown that reduction in numbers usually presages a new move towards growth. It is the Gideon story all over again.
Psalm
And here is another factor in the move forward and ahead. Just as the exiles needed the refreshment of forgiveness for a rugged past, so the same need tends to apply still. Never lose sight of the value for forgiveness: it means, amongst other things, that a person can stop hiding from past sins and mistakes, examine the decisions and choices, and learn from the muck-up.
Epistle
I have often drawn people’s attention to the fact that there is a series of illustrations of the differences between ordinary human responses to crises and choices, and the deliberately Christian one. This is not a matter of piety and smugness; it is a clear difference of modus operandi. Adam and Christlike is a parallel I often use; here it is ‘spirit’ and ‘flesh.’ When I operate selfishly and self-obsessively, then I am being ‘flesh,’ or ‘Adamic.’ The outcome is, as a rule, somewhat destructive. QED.
GOSPEL
Here is another of John’s great sign stories. The raising of Lazarus. As usual the author managed to weave a whole series of significant issues into the tale, one of which tends to be overlooked because people have already made up their minds (falsely quite often) about Thomas. Please note that here you have a bloke who is prepared to go with Christ right up to death and beyond, so that is hardly the action of a doubter, now is it!
Here in this cameo (rather large one certainly!) is the precursor of Jesus’ own death for the sake of those supporting Him. Any careful reading of the Gospels will show how our Lord was at very considerable pains, firstly to get the Twelve moving on the business of understanding more fully what He was on about; and then as the crisis began to draw close, to prepare the disciples for the denouement of the Cross. Here was clear illustration that He was Lord of life and death.
If you wonder why Jesus hesitated to travel that little extra distance either before Lazarus’ death or soon after, the answer is not hard to find. For a culture that assumed that a person’s spirit did not leave the body for two or three days, it was ‘necessary’ for Jesus to wait out that time to prove a point: here was no resuscitation of someone comatose. Disintegration had begun, and still Jesus was in charge. “Unbind him and let him go!” was a call that would have resonated in the ears of those followers after the Resurrection: and they were the ones needing unbinding.
NOTES FOR A SERMON
If you are game to travel this route, it may well be an experience in launching out into the deep with a God Who seems to promise much, but for many people still seems to stay in the shadows of life. Part of our modern problem lies in a couple of directions: the first is the contention that so many of our issues of very existence into the future have not been encountered (to our knowledge) in history. The second problem lies, I suspect, in our lack of knowledge of history and in particular Biblical history.
It has to be said that, forever throughout human history, there have been the doomsday boys. There is nothing new in that, although – apart from some present-day sectarians – the turn of the century a decade ago brought some wild ones out of the woodwork, and recent SA news seems to indicate that there are still groups that like to prey on the fears of people.
These seems to be a supposition among many people that up to the present, our long-term history has been one of gradual progress and projection upwards - apart from a few glitches along the way, of course. Most people today are too young to remember or ever know about the enormous tumult of the First World War. That single event shattered quite utterly the Victorian and even Edwardian view that progress in social, national and international development was the miracle of the age. It came as inconceivable that so monstrous a conflict could reduce civilisation to such a vicious point.
History has never been a matter of invincible progress. Even in eras of solid development there have been downsides; and in so many of the downsides there have been opposite phases. If you are not aware of that, then the proof of the pudding is in reading history, from before Egypt and the pyramids up to the present time. Even the history of the Christian Church throughout the centuries offers great insights into human folly. And wisdom!
So where does that leave us? As Christians I offer a couple of encouragements, not from my skill but from our combined Biblical history. That Old Testament history shows up in today’s OT reading. That vision of Ezekiel’s was not there simply to generate the Negro Spiritual, Dem Bones. It was a reminder not dissimilar to this very one, for the People of God to look back and see God’s hand at work, not in the prior five minutes, but over the generations since Abraham. Those stories are not there to warm the cockles – but to be something of a kick in the pants those who had felt all sorry for themselves as they lived in imposed exile in Babylon.
‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Poor little darlings! They could not, perhaps would not see past their rather expansive noses. But Ezekiel did, as did each of the other prophets of the Exile. Each of those remarkable men indicated quite clearly that Israel had been sidelined, because it had lost its way as the People of God, and had somewhat forgotten God Himself. They were in the ‘cooler’ for a time to ponder where to from here, and whilst some listened to their prophets, others did not. In fact there was quite a proportion of the exiles who did not wish to move back home when the opportunity came for them.
History proved the prophets correct, and a rejuvenated Israel returned to the enormous task of rebuilding – nation, capital and temple. But they did it, and their future burgeoned for some time, not without glitches. But without that burgeoning there could have been no Jesus. I kid you not.
In spite of the apparent evidence to the contrary, God was not dead. He was very much alive, and looking to enliven those people who were prepared to get on side with Him. There was only no future if people refused to take it up. Mind you, sitting on one’s backside and expecting everything to happen without their involvement or effort was not, repeat not an option.
So where does all this get us?
Simply at the foot of a fairly steep learning curve. Christians of most denominations and colours have been spoilt – or at least those of us not involved in hideous and harsh situations, like recently in Botswna, or some other African nations; or China further back, of USSR for a seventy year period not unlike ancient Israel. Or Germany. We have become somewhat effete, and some backbone needs to be restored to us, and that does not happen when people are pandered to. So, in the time left to us, it would not be a bad idea at all (a) to look again at this Faith once delivered and understand and embrace it, warts and all; and (b) get on with the job of being what we are called to be.
As they say in Football (the real sort, not that other lot!) no gain without pain. So if you wonder why God puts you through the mill now and again it is to strengthen you up. And that is why He does not answer all your little aches and pains. He and we live in the real world, without apology. And that is what the Gospel is all about.
Newsletter
Sunday 10th April, 2011 - Lent V
Our Celebrant today is Warren Huffa
And our preacher is Stephen Daughtry
WELCOME to Holy Innocents—we hope you enjoy this time of prayer as we reflect on Scripture together and celebrate the Eucharist. We invite you to join us for breakfast after the 8am service, or morning tea after the 10am service. At 10 am everything in the service will be screened on the walls. Sunday School is held at the 10 am service during School Term times.
Note from Parish Council
People are asked to ensure that both main door entrances to the Church are closed after use to ensure the safety of the children – who tend to run about quite a bit.
Collect for Lent V
Life-giving God, Your Son came into the world to free us all from sin and death: breathe upon us with the power of Your Spirit, that we may be raised to new life in Christ, and serve You in holiness and righteousness al lour days; through the same 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 Ezekiel 37: 1—14 & Romans 8: 6—11 read by Paul H
Gospel John 11: 1—45
PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Max A (Intercessors, please be aware that you are able to change the power point presentation to fit your intercessions but you need to liaise with Fr Ron on the Tuesday beforehand. For example you may want a particular image screened during the intercessions and to change the ending prayer.)
We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Phyllis Morecroft, Peter Little, the Swaby family, Chris Contro, Yvonne Myers, Jenny Jeffrey, Sid Sweet , Dorothy Furnival, Rev’d Sue Burgess and others known to us
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Melanie Shepherd and Clare Bruce
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY – Yvonne and Don Caddy
YEAR’S MIND—
PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Passion Palm Sunday
Readings Isaiah 50: 4—9a & Philippians 2:5—11
Gospel Matthew 27: 11—54
Fr Ron’s Notes available at http://www.anglican-belair.blogspot.com/
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 Coromandal Valley
THURSDAY 9.30am Eucharist
Parish Council minutes are available to all parishioners. If you would like them sent to your email address please see Don and if you would like a hard copy please see Cynthia. Alternatively, they are displayed in the foyer after each meeting. Meetings are held on the 1st Thursday of each month.
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 Barb Capon 8278 3584 or Lucinda Hale 8278 8814.
LATEST INFO ON THE TREAURE MARKET - Yvonne Caddy indicates that the nett result from the Market is $5809.41. Congrats again to all involved ….
Report from St. John’s Chaplains
Clare and Warren write a blurb for the St John's newsletter which comes out each fortnight of term. We do alternate fortnights—this one from Clare: http://www.stjohns.sa.edu.au/news/the-hope-of-easter
Sunday School - our thanks go to Anna Kelly for all her help in making the bouquets for mothers last Sunday. (Anna is a grandmother (again?) so our spies tell us.) Thanks too, for all offers of old shirts for the children today in their activity.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS—
Passover Meal on 21st April, is to be held in a private home starting at 6.00pm Then all will move to the Church for the 7.30pm service. Mary asks that those planning to attend to add their names to the list in the foyer.
Mothers’ Union has its next meeting set for Thursday 21st April at 2.00pm at the Church. Please brings subscriptions of $32.00 to that meeting please. Margaret Pressley Group Leader
ABM Appeal is now on with envelopes in the foyer. Palm Sunday (April 17) will see the distribution of Palm Crosses and Easter Day will see the return of those ABM envelopes.
EASTER SERVICES
Maundy Thursday 9.30am and 7.30pm Eucharist
Good Friday 9.30am Children's Service
10.45 Traditional GF Service
Easter 6.00am Coming of the Light & Eucharist
8.00am Traditional Eucharist
10.00am Easter Eucharist & Renewal of Baptismal Vows
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RON-BLOG from today’s readings - The Raising of Lazarus
Here is another of John’s great sign (not miracle, remember?) stories. The raising of Lazarus. As usual the author managed to weave a whole series of significant issues into the tale, one of which tends to be overlooked because people have already made up their minds (falsely quite often) about Thomas. Please note that here you have a bloke who is prepared to go with Christ right up to death and beyond, and that is hardly the action of a doubter, now is it!
Here in this cameo (rather large one certainly!) is the precursor of Jesus’ own death and resurrection for the sake of those supporting Him. Any careful reading of the Gospels will show how our Lord was at very considerable pains, firstly to get the Twelve moving on the business of understanding more fully what He was on about; and then as the crisis began to draw close, to prepare the disciples for the denouement of the Cross. Here was clear illustration that He was Lord of life and death.
If you wonder why Jesus hesitated to travel that little extra distance either before Lazarus’ death or soon after, the answer is not hard to find. Hebrew culture understood that a person’s spirit did not leave the body for two or three days, hence it was ‘necessary’ for Jesus to wait out that time to prove a point: here was no resuscitation of someone comatose. Disintegration had begun, and still Jesus was in charge. “Unbind him and let him go!” was a call that would have resonated in the ears of those followers after the Resurrection: and they were the ones needing unbinding.
More than a preparation for the coming crisis in front of Jesus, here also is a fascinating underlining by Jesus that with God life and living will continue to have its hope in spite of the most drastic opposition from where-ever. But that is the whole Biblical story anyhow, do you see? From Abraham to the Exodus, from Exile right up to the present, we are reminded not to despair, for God is ever the One Who rescues His people even after their worst stupidity and when all hope seems gone. .
And now can you espy the impact of the vision of Ezekiel, that valley of dry bones. Israel, still in Exile and dispirited, was certain that either God had forgotten them—or that He was dead already, had lost hope and direction. Even life! So the prophet pointed them to the faith realities of life, and with a pre-Pentecost coming of the Spirit, bad them get off their bottoms and get on with it.
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Planned Giving - First Quarter Statement from Min
From the last quarter of 2009, we started issuing Quarterly Statements that tell you the sum of your contribution made in each quarter, for those parishioners who are using the Planned Giving envelopes. We did not issue the statements for those who are depositing money directly into our church bank account because they should be able to track down the transaction record with their own banking facilities. However, this year the situation is a bit different. For the Planned Giving Scheme, we have been using numbers to identify the parishioners, and in the past years we tried to retain the same numbers in order to reduce possible errors.
This year, however, we had to change some of their numbers to reduce the number of envelopes and thus lower the cost. It seems that we have to do more of this next year, as well. This change seems to have caused some confusion. Therefore, we will issue the Quarterly statements from now on to all parishioners who are participating in the Planned Giving Scheme. The First Quarter Statements can now be found in the envelopes laid out on the table in the church foyer. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me.
Thank you. Min, The Recorder maraki@internode.on.net
8270-8894(This may change from this July.)
ROSTERS
POWERPOINT ROSTER –
Today Barb Capon or Joy Campbell
Next Sunday Craig Deane or Trevor Tregenza
READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER
Next Sunday Reader Paul H Intercessor Ben L
Sunday after Reader Hal S-C Intercessor
SANCTUARY ROSTER
Next week Flowers nil Brass Yvonne Caddy
Cleaning Group 2
Items for the Newsletter need to be sent to Fr. Ron at 8298 7160 or ronpkeynes@internode.on.net by Tuesday late afternoon please
Our Celebrant today is Warren Huffa
And our preacher is Stephen Daughtry
WELCOME to Holy Innocents—we hope you enjoy this time of prayer as we reflect on Scripture together and celebrate the Eucharist. We invite you to join us for breakfast after the 8am service, or morning tea after the 10am service. At 10 am everything in the service will be screened on the walls. Sunday School is held at the 10 am service during School Term times.
Note from Parish Council
People are asked to ensure that both main door entrances to the Church are closed after use to ensure the safety of the children – who tend to run about quite a bit.
Collect for Lent V
Life-giving God, Your Son came into the world to free us all from sin and death: breathe upon us with the power of Your Spirit, that we may be raised to new life in Christ, and serve You in holiness and righteousness al lour days; through the same 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 Ezekiel 37: 1—14 & Romans 8: 6—11 read by Paul H
Gospel John 11: 1—45
PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Max A (Intercessors, please be aware that you are able to change the power point presentation to fit your intercessions but you need to liaise with Fr Ron on the Tuesday beforehand. For example you may want a particular image screened during the intercessions and to change the ending prayer.)
We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Phyllis Morecroft, Peter Little, the Swaby family, Chris Contro, Yvonne Myers, Jenny Jeffrey, Sid Sweet , Dorothy Furnival, Rev’d Sue Burgess and others known to us
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Melanie Shepherd and Clare Bruce
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY – Yvonne and Don Caddy
YEAR’S MIND—
PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Passion Palm Sunday
Readings Isaiah 50: 4—9a & Philippians 2:5—11
Gospel Matthew 27: 11—54
Fr Ron’s Notes available at http://www.anglican-belair.blogspot.com/
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 Coromandal Valley
THURSDAY 9.30am Eucharist
Parish Council minutes are available to all parishioners. If you would like them sent to your email address please see Don and if you would like a hard copy please see Cynthia. Alternatively, they are displayed in the foyer after each meeting. Meetings are held on the 1st Thursday of each month.
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 Barb Capon 8278 3584 or Lucinda Hale 8278 8814.
LATEST INFO ON THE TREAURE MARKET - Yvonne Caddy indicates that the nett result from the Market is $5809.41. Congrats again to all involved ….
Report from St. John’s Chaplains
Clare and Warren write a blurb for the St John's newsletter which comes out each fortnight of term. We do alternate fortnights—this one from Clare: http://www.stjohns.sa.edu.au/news/the-hope-of-easter
Sunday School - our thanks go to Anna Kelly for all her help in making the bouquets for mothers last Sunday. (Anna is a grandmother (again?) so our spies tell us.) Thanks too, for all offers of old shirts for the children today in their activity.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS—
Passover Meal on 21st April, is to be held in a private home starting at 6.00pm Then all will move to the Church for the 7.30pm service. Mary asks that those planning to attend to add their names to the list in the foyer.
Mothers’ Union has its next meeting set for Thursday 21st April at 2.00pm at the Church. Please brings subscriptions of $32.00 to that meeting please. Margaret Pressley Group Leader
ABM Appeal is now on with envelopes in the foyer. Palm Sunday (April 17) will see the distribution of Palm Crosses and Easter Day will see the return of those ABM envelopes.
EASTER SERVICES
Maundy Thursday 9.30am and 7.30pm Eucharist
Good Friday 9.30am Children's Service
10.45 Traditional GF Service
Easter 6.00am Coming of the Light & Eucharist
8.00am Traditional Eucharist
10.00am Easter Eucharist & Renewal of Baptismal Vows
**********************************************************************************************************
RON-BLOG from today’s readings - The Raising of Lazarus
Here is another of John’s great sign (not miracle, remember?) stories. The raising of Lazarus. As usual the author managed to weave a whole series of significant issues into the tale, one of which tends to be overlooked because people have already made up their minds (falsely quite often) about Thomas. Please note that here you have a bloke who is prepared to go with Christ right up to death and beyond, and that is hardly the action of a doubter, now is it!
Here in this cameo (rather large one certainly!) is the precursor of Jesus’ own death and resurrection for the sake of those supporting Him. Any careful reading of the Gospels will show how our Lord was at very considerable pains, firstly to get the Twelve moving on the business of understanding more fully what He was on about; and then as the crisis began to draw close, to prepare the disciples for the denouement of the Cross. Here was clear illustration that He was Lord of life and death.
If you wonder why Jesus hesitated to travel that little extra distance either before Lazarus’ death or soon after, the answer is not hard to find. Hebrew culture understood that a person’s spirit did not leave the body for two or three days, hence it was ‘necessary’ for Jesus to wait out that time to prove a point: here was no resuscitation of someone comatose. Disintegration had begun, and still Jesus was in charge. “Unbind him and let him go!” was a call that would have resonated in the ears of those followers after the Resurrection: and they were the ones needing unbinding.
More than a preparation for the coming crisis in front of Jesus, here also is a fascinating underlining by Jesus that with God life and living will continue to have its hope in spite of the most drastic opposition from where-ever. But that is the whole Biblical story anyhow, do you see? From Abraham to the Exodus, from Exile right up to the present, we are reminded not to despair, for God is ever the One Who rescues His people even after their worst stupidity and when all hope seems gone. .
And now can you espy the impact of the vision of Ezekiel, that valley of dry bones. Israel, still in Exile and dispirited, was certain that either God had forgotten them—or that He was dead already, had lost hope and direction. Even life! So the prophet pointed them to the faith realities of life, and with a pre-Pentecost coming of the Spirit, bad them get off their bottoms and get on with it.
***********************************************************************************************
Planned Giving - First Quarter Statement from Min
From the last quarter of 2009, we started issuing Quarterly Statements that tell you the sum of your contribution made in each quarter, for those parishioners who are using the Planned Giving envelopes. We did not issue the statements for those who are depositing money directly into our church bank account because they should be able to track down the transaction record with their own banking facilities. However, this year the situation is a bit different. For the Planned Giving Scheme, we have been using numbers to identify the parishioners, and in the past years we tried to retain the same numbers in order to reduce possible errors.
This year, however, we had to change some of their numbers to reduce the number of envelopes and thus lower the cost. It seems that we have to do more of this next year, as well. This change seems to have caused some confusion. Therefore, we will issue the Quarterly statements from now on to all parishioners who are participating in the Planned Giving Scheme. The First Quarter Statements can now be found in the envelopes laid out on the table in the church foyer. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me.
Thank you. Min, The Recorder maraki@internode.on.net
8270-8894(This may change from this July.)
ROSTERS
POWERPOINT ROSTER –
Today Barb Capon or Joy Campbell
Next Sunday Craig Deane or Trevor Tregenza
READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER
Next Sunday Reader Paul H Intercessor Ben L
Sunday after Reader Hal S-C Intercessor
SANCTUARY ROSTER
Next week Flowers nil Brass Yvonne Caddy
Cleaning Group 2
Items for the Newsletter need to be sent to Fr. Ron at 8298 7160 or ronpkeynes@internode.on.net by Tuesday late afternoon please
Saturday, April 2, 2011
RonBlog
Sunday 3rd April, 2010 Fourth Sunday in Lent
Mothering Sunday
Sentence
Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world: those who follow Me will have the light of life.” John 8: 12
Collect
Almighty God, in Christ You make all things new; transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of Your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known Your heavenly glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Old Testament Lesson 1 Samuel 16: 1 – 13
The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you."
Samuel did what the LORD commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come peaceably?" He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is now before the LORD."
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."
Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen any of these."
Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here."
He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one." Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd: therefore can I lack nothing.
He will make me lie down in green pastures: and lead me beside still waters.
He will refresh my soul: and guide me in right pathways for His Name’s sake.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff comfort me.
You spread a table before me in the face of those who trouble me: You have anointed my head with oil and my cup shall be full.
Surely Your goodness and loving-kindness will follow me all the days of my life: and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Epistle Ephesians 5: 8 – 14
Once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light--for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
GOSPEL John 9: 1 – 41
As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes, saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbours and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?" Some were saying, "It is he." Others were saying, "No, but it is someone like him." He kept saying, "I am the man." But they kept asking him, "Then how were your eyes opened?"He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and received my sight."
They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know." They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not observe the Sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And they were divided.
So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened." He said, "He is a prophet." The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself." His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."
So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner." He answered, "I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" Then they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.
We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." The man answered, "Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."
They answered him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?" And they drove him out. Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" He answered, "And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him." Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he." He said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshipped him.
Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind." Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, "Surely we are not blind, are we?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains.
© New Revised Standard Version of the Bible
Copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the
Churches of Christ in the USA, and used by permission. All rights reserved
NOTES ON THE READINGS …….
As I often say to congregations, make sure that you read the fine print in the Readings – so often we miss important bits because we have become used to running past such items .....
Old Testament
This is an interesting cameo, of the Lord ‘having decided’ that Saul had lost his eligibility – even his sanity. It was a double-edged sword perhaps. Israel wanted a king no matter what, and this man started off well, but degenerated, as sadly, leaders can do when they get carried away with their own importance.
The command from God put Samuel in a tight spot, where he could have been charged with treason; and it is interesting to note that the sons of Jesse got to the end of the line before David was selected. This time it was a ‘little person’ who was nominated, and although David showed some rather dark sides to his character, he did basically remain rather more humble than Saul.
Seems to me that the moral in this story, as in many other Biblical ones, is that God works through little people, not Big Egos. Tis a pity that sports people do not take some notice of the very human trait.
Psalm
As I have said for years now, if you cannot draw some inspiration from such a well-known psalm, then it is about time you could!
Epistle
With the theme of light so obviously set in front of us, this is an interesting passage to have as epistle for today. This light/dark contrast is common in NT writings – and, like the Psalm, needs little expansion, eh!
GOSPEL
John’s Gospel, with his seven signs, is always a source of stunning episodes that present comment on far more than appears on the surface. Here is such a complex plot, answering such a common question from people even to this day, or the refusal of people to respond to what is obviously true, and the determination of ‘little people’ (pardon me) to follow the truth wherever it leads – and never to be gainsaid. Light and darkness are the aspects of life so important; truth and falsehood – and how often have you been there, either as victim or perhaps even perpetrator?
The tale opens with the blind man being a sort of specimen for debate: why are people born blind? And the traditional answer came from the Twelve themselves. Sin, obviously, they said, following the well-known but ill-informed theory of the day. And that theory Jesus refuted, Job of course having come to the same conclusion many centuries before. The blind man needed healing, not discussion or contempt.
Notice the compassionate approach of Jesus to this man! It may sound strange to you, but what Jesus did and the noises He made, would have indicated quite clearly to the blind person that healing was in the wind. Saliva was regarded as a healing instrument then – and now for many. When was the last time you licked a small would? And ‘Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam.’ Even down to the last thing, Jesus called for a real response from the man, even if it would be difficult for him to find the way. He had to make some contribution to his own healing. Good thinking, Jesus! And he went, and washed and was healed. And that is where the real controversy began.
Locals were very surprised, to see the blind man now sighted. And who wouldn’t be! But they had to take sides as the religious authorities started to make a federal case out of it. How stupid of them! Why not simply rejoice in the wonderful thing that had happened. But they saw all this as threat to their authority. What balderdash! So the arguments began, forcing people into one camp or the other, many of them fearful of being ejected from Temple and synagogue. And what a blasphemous action that would have been. Even the man’s parents were forced into being disingenuous about it all.
So the incident of healing turned into a huge debate and argument about who was following the truth and who falsehood. And that is ever a common and evident challenge. Not only in religious matters, but in all others as well. Trace the persistence of the healed man and the insistence of the religious leaders, who refused any vestige of the truth because it weakened their position. What sheer and utter stupidity and evil.
The punch-line at the end is so utterly telling. If you were blind you would have no sin; but now that you say ‘We see’ your sin remains. Here is a challenge to us all to retain the search for and obedience to truth wherever we find it, regardless of where it leads.
NOTES FOR A SERMON
I recall a situation donkey’s years ago, when a young relative of mine was causing great stress to her mother, because – as a uni student of the time – she was campaigning against the Vietnam War. Her deeply devout mother was horrified to think that her daughter was perhaps even Communist, and perhaps she was at that stage in her development. The daughter was profoundly convinced at the truth of her stand about Vietnam, and was actually shocked at the extent of ‘rent-a-crowd’ people that were in the demos just for the kicks.
Her Mum asked me to talk to her daughter and convince her of the falsity of her beliefs. I refused to do that, but was quite happy to raise a discussion on the matters, if the daughter was happy to. She was, of course, and brought all her passion on the subject to bear, as we talked about it. It may have helped a little as I had no fight with her about the Vietnam War, but she was convinced that the Faith instilled in her by her (rather dominant) Mum was not big enough to respond to the situation.
And in that regard, I too had to agree with her. Her Mum’s faith was – honestly – at little more than Sunday School level, and in another matter, she refused to move from where she had been taught as a young teenager many decades before that. So daughter was closer to the realities than her Mum. In fact, as we continued the discussion, I simply suggested to daughter that all she needed to do was to respond as honestly as she could to the truth as she understood it. It may be a long trip home, so to speak, but it was the only valid path to travel. Daughter agreed with that!
Truth and honesty. Light and darkness. In our particular day and age it seems to me that the most common experience of people is in encountering all manner of shades of gray, which makes real choices more difficult. Sometimes the only course open is a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils.
A couple of helpful thoughts may open some doors for us: it is often some relief to note that our choices may well need to fit in a process of change and development. As time goes by my grasp of the truth of important issues may well vary somewhat; and my sense of values may need some adjustment as well. Sticking with settled and decided factors may well prove a false way to go. On the other hand, there may well be some development likely in the path and choice of whoever is opposing you. Politics is always the art of choosing the possible – and even waiting for a better option to arise.
But the real role for the Christian, like that of the healed blind person, is to follow wherever the truth lies, regardless of the opposition, and while that may be a costly path for the individual, it may well provide better outcomes in the future. There is no room in this struggle for fear tactics or false tactics. Both need to be uncovered to show what they really are.
Mothering Sunday
Sentence
Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world: those who follow Me will have the light of life.” John 8: 12
Collect
Almighty God, in Christ You make all things new; transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of Your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known Your heavenly glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Old Testament Lesson 1 Samuel 16: 1 – 13
The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you."
Samuel did what the LORD commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come peaceably?" He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is now before the LORD."
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."
Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen any of these."
Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here."
He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one." Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd: therefore can I lack nothing.
He will make me lie down in green pastures: and lead me beside still waters.
He will refresh my soul: and guide me in right pathways for His Name’s sake.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff comfort me.
You spread a table before me in the face of those who trouble me: You have anointed my head with oil and my cup shall be full.
Surely Your goodness and loving-kindness will follow me all the days of my life: and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Epistle Ephesians 5: 8 – 14
Once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light--for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
GOSPEL John 9: 1 – 41
As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes, saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbours and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?" Some were saying, "It is he." Others were saying, "No, but it is someone like him." He kept saying, "I am the man." But they kept asking him, "Then how were your eyes opened?"He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and received my sight."
They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know." They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not observe the Sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And they were divided.
So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened." He said, "He is a prophet." The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself." His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."
So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner." He answered, "I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" Then they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.
We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." The man answered, "Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."
They answered him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?" And they drove him out. Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" He answered, "And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him." Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he." He said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshipped him.
Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind." Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, "Surely we are not blind, are we?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains.
© New Revised Standard Version of the Bible
Copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the
Churches of Christ in the USA, and used by permission. All rights reserved
NOTES ON THE READINGS …….
As I often say to congregations, make sure that you read the fine print in the Readings – so often we miss important bits because we have become used to running past such items .....
Old Testament
This is an interesting cameo, of the Lord ‘having decided’ that Saul had lost his eligibility – even his sanity. It was a double-edged sword perhaps. Israel wanted a king no matter what, and this man started off well, but degenerated, as sadly, leaders can do when they get carried away with their own importance.
The command from God put Samuel in a tight spot, where he could have been charged with treason; and it is interesting to note that the sons of Jesse got to the end of the line before David was selected. This time it was a ‘little person’ who was nominated, and although David showed some rather dark sides to his character, he did basically remain rather more humble than Saul.
Seems to me that the moral in this story, as in many other Biblical ones, is that God works through little people, not Big Egos. Tis a pity that sports people do not take some notice of the very human trait.
Psalm
As I have said for years now, if you cannot draw some inspiration from such a well-known psalm, then it is about time you could!
Epistle
With the theme of light so obviously set in front of us, this is an interesting passage to have as epistle for today. This light/dark contrast is common in NT writings – and, like the Psalm, needs little expansion, eh!
GOSPEL
John’s Gospel, with his seven signs, is always a source of stunning episodes that present comment on far more than appears on the surface. Here is such a complex plot, answering such a common question from people even to this day, or the refusal of people to respond to what is obviously true, and the determination of ‘little people’ (pardon me) to follow the truth wherever it leads – and never to be gainsaid. Light and darkness are the aspects of life so important; truth and falsehood – and how often have you been there, either as victim or perhaps even perpetrator?
The tale opens with the blind man being a sort of specimen for debate: why are people born blind? And the traditional answer came from the Twelve themselves. Sin, obviously, they said, following the well-known but ill-informed theory of the day. And that theory Jesus refuted, Job of course having come to the same conclusion many centuries before. The blind man needed healing, not discussion or contempt.
Notice the compassionate approach of Jesus to this man! It may sound strange to you, but what Jesus did and the noises He made, would have indicated quite clearly to the blind person that healing was in the wind. Saliva was regarded as a healing instrument then – and now for many. When was the last time you licked a small would? And ‘Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam.’ Even down to the last thing, Jesus called for a real response from the man, even if it would be difficult for him to find the way. He had to make some contribution to his own healing. Good thinking, Jesus! And he went, and washed and was healed. And that is where the real controversy began.
Locals were very surprised, to see the blind man now sighted. And who wouldn’t be! But they had to take sides as the religious authorities started to make a federal case out of it. How stupid of them! Why not simply rejoice in the wonderful thing that had happened. But they saw all this as threat to their authority. What balderdash! So the arguments began, forcing people into one camp or the other, many of them fearful of being ejected from Temple and synagogue. And what a blasphemous action that would have been. Even the man’s parents were forced into being disingenuous about it all.
So the incident of healing turned into a huge debate and argument about who was following the truth and who falsehood. And that is ever a common and evident challenge. Not only in religious matters, but in all others as well. Trace the persistence of the healed man and the insistence of the religious leaders, who refused any vestige of the truth because it weakened their position. What sheer and utter stupidity and evil.
The punch-line at the end is so utterly telling. If you were blind you would have no sin; but now that you say ‘We see’ your sin remains. Here is a challenge to us all to retain the search for and obedience to truth wherever we find it, regardless of where it leads.
NOTES FOR A SERMON
I recall a situation donkey’s years ago, when a young relative of mine was causing great stress to her mother, because – as a uni student of the time – she was campaigning against the Vietnam War. Her deeply devout mother was horrified to think that her daughter was perhaps even Communist, and perhaps she was at that stage in her development. The daughter was profoundly convinced at the truth of her stand about Vietnam, and was actually shocked at the extent of ‘rent-a-crowd’ people that were in the demos just for the kicks.
Her Mum asked me to talk to her daughter and convince her of the falsity of her beliefs. I refused to do that, but was quite happy to raise a discussion on the matters, if the daughter was happy to. She was, of course, and brought all her passion on the subject to bear, as we talked about it. It may have helped a little as I had no fight with her about the Vietnam War, but she was convinced that the Faith instilled in her by her (rather dominant) Mum was not big enough to respond to the situation.
And in that regard, I too had to agree with her. Her Mum’s faith was – honestly – at little more than Sunday School level, and in another matter, she refused to move from where she had been taught as a young teenager many decades before that. So daughter was closer to the realities than her Mum. In fact, as we continued the discussion, I simply suggested to daughter that all she needed to do was to respond as honestly as she could to the truth as she understood it. It may be a long trip home, so to speak, but it was the only valid path to travel. Daughter agreed with that!
Truth and honesty. Light and darkness. In our particular day and age it seems to me that the most common experience of people is in encountering all manner of shades of gray, which makes real choices more difficult. Sometimes the only course open is a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils.
A couple of helpful thoughts may open some doors for us: it is often some relief to note that our choices may well need to fit in a process of change and development. As time goes by my grasp of the truth of important issues may well vary somewhat; and my sense of values may need some adjustment as well. Sticking with settled and decided factors may well prove a false way to go. On the other hand, there may well be some development likely in the path and choice of whoever is opposing you. Politics is always the art of choosing the possible – and even waiting for a better option to arise.
But the real role for the Christian, like that of the healed blind person, is to follow wherever the truth lies, regardless of the opposition, and while that may be a costly path for the individual, it may well provide better outcomes in the future. There is no room in this struggle for fear tactics or false tactics. Both need to be uncovered to show what they really are.
Newsletter
Sunday 3rd April, 2011 - Lent IV Mothering Sunday
Our Celebrant and preacher today is Warren Huffa
WELCOME to Holy Innocents—we hope you enjoy this time of prayer as we reflect on Scripture together and celebrate the Eucharist. We invite you to join us for breakfast after the 8am service, or morning tea after the 10am service. At 10 am everything in the service will be screened on the walls. Sunday School is held at the 10 am service during School Term times.
Collect for Lent IV
Gracious God, in order that we children of earth might discern good from evil You sent Your Son to be the light of the world: as the light of Christ shines upon us, may we learn what pleases You, and live in truth and goodness; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, Who is alive and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
TODAY’S READINGS 1 Sam 16: 1—13 and Ephesians 5: 8—14 read by Iris D
Gospel John 9: 1—41
PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Mary V
We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Phyllis Morecroft, Peter Little, the Swaby family, Chris Contro, Yvonne Myers, Jenny Jeffrey, Sid Sweet , Dorothy Furnival and others know to us
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Paul Hilbig, Judy Ellis and Don Baker
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY –
YEAR’S MIND—Jeannie Moffatt (2008), Audrey Windram (!999), Ronald Dickson (2010), William Spencer (1996) John Hall (2006)
PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Lent V
Readings Ezekiel 37: 1—14 and Romans 8: 6—11
Gospel John 11: 1—45
Fr Ron’s Notes available at http://www.anglican-belair.blogspot.com/
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 Coromandal Valley
Lenten Studies These will be held on Tuesdays to April 5 at the Rectory from 7.30pm to 9.00pm, and Thursdays at 10.45am, on March 24, 31 and April 7
THURSDAY 9.30am Eucharist
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 Marlene Dixon on 8278 8568 or Iris Downes on 8278 3260
Report from St. John’s Chaplains
Clare and I write a blurb for the St John's newsletter which comes out each fortnight of term. We do alternate fortnights—this one from Clare: http://www.stjohns.sa.edu.au/news/the-hope-of-easter
FORTHCOMING EVENTS—
Passover Meal on 21st April, is to be held in a private home or two, starting at 6.00pm. The home groups will have a more intimate feel and better chance for discussion. Then all will move to the Church for the 7.30pm service. Mary asks that those planning to attend to add their names to the list in the foyer.
Flinders Hospital Service -volunteers are reminded that our next turn at Flinders is on Sunday 10th April. Please ensure that you are there before 10am in order to assist patients to the service. For more information, contact Jean Fordham please.
Monday 4th April at St. Barnabas’ College, at 7.30pm Bishop Tom Frame will speak on ’Losing my religion,’ a report on atheism and response to it. Free. Should be a valuable time for questioning people.
ABM Appeal is now on with envelopes in the foyer. Palm Sunday (April 17) will see the distribution of Palm Crosses (is anyone available again to make these for our Church?) and Easter Day will see the return of those ABM envelopes. For further info or offers of help please contact Joan Durdin (8178 0704)
Treasure Market Thank You from Wendy Morecroft
On behalf of Craig, Jocelyn, Marilyn & myself, thank you to all those who donated goods and/or contributed their time to make our Treasure Market such a success. We raised well over $6,000 and although a few people looked very weary, I think we actually enjoyed ourselves. There were many new faces walking through the door all morning and hopefully they will come again. Well done all.
PARISH CAMP Friday 18th—Sunday 20th November
Normanville Jetty Caravan Park—8 cabins and 8 sites have been pre-booked by Wendy – please contact her on 0417 806 943 or awsc@internode.on.net regarding a booking. Also. Saturday night dinner 6pm in the Normanville Beach Cafe (next to jetty) $20/adult $10/child with fun and games in the Surf Life Saving club afterwards. Sunday service on the beach at 11am (a bit later than usual to allow time for day trippers to arrive). For information, powered site $27.00 unpowered site $21.50 En-suite site $33.00 Deluxe Cabins with en-suite (sleeps up to 5) $88.00 Executive Cabins with en-suite (2 bedroom) $102.00 (includes linen on main bed) Extra persons over the age of 5 $9.00 Bunk House no en-suite $55.00 for 4 people
RON-BLOG from today’s readings The Man born blind
John’s Gospel, with its seven signs, is always a source of stunning episodes that present comment on far more than appears on the surface. Here is such a complex plot, answering such a common question from people even to this day, or the refusal of people to respond to what is obviously true, and the determination of ‘little people’ (pardon me) determined to follow the truth wherever it leads – and never to be gainsaid. Light and darkness are the aspects of life, Truth and falsehood – and how often have you been there, either as victim or perhaps even perpetrator?
The tale opens with the blind man being a sort of specimen for debate: why are people born blind? And the traditional answer comes from the Twelve themselves. Sin, obviously, they said, following the well-known but ill-informed theory of the day. And that theory Jesus refuted, and Job of course had come to the same conclusion many centuries before. The blind man needed healing, not discussion nor contempt.
Notice the compassionate approach of Jesus to this man! It may sound strange to you, but what Jesus did and the noises He made, would have indicated quite clearly to the blind person that healing was in the wind. Saliva was regarded as a healing instrument then – and now for many. When was the last time you licked a small would? And ‘Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam.’ Even down to the last thing, Jesus called for a real response from the man, even if it were difficult to find the way. He had to make some contribution to his own healing. Good thinking, Jesus! And he went, and washed and was healed. And that is where the real controversy began.
Locals were very surprised, to see the blind man now sighted. And who wouldn’t be! But they had to take sides as the religious authorities started to make a federal case out of it a.. How stupid of them! Why not simply rejoice in the wonderful thing that had happened. But they saw all this as threat to their authority. What balderdash! So the arguments began, forcing people into one camp or the other, many of them fearful of being ejected from Temple and synagogue. And what a blasphemous action that would have been. Even the man’s parents were forced into being disingenuous about it all.
So the incident of healing turned into a huge debate and argument about who was following the truth and who falsehood. And that is ever a common and evident challenge. Not only in religious matters, but in all others as well. Trace the persistence of the healed man and the insistence of the religious leaders, who refused any vestige of the truth because it weakened their position. What sheer and utter stupidity and evil.
So watch that punch-line at the end—it is so utterly telling. If you were blind you would have no sin; but now that you say ‘We see’ your sin remains. Here is a challenge to us all to retain the search for and obedience to truth wherever we find it, regardless of where it leads.
***********************************************************************************************
ROSTERS
POWERPOINT ROSTER –
Today Cynthia Macintosh or Min Araki
Next Sunday Barb Capon or Joy Campbell
READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER
Next Sunday Reader John F Intercessor Max A
Sunday after Reader Paul H Intercessor Ben L
SANCTUARY ROSTER
Next week Flowers nil Brass Caroline and Sid Sweet
Cleaning Susan Lee
Items for the Newsletter need to be sent to Fr. Ron at 8298 7160 or ronpkeynes@internode.on.net by Tuesday late afternoon please
Our Celebrant and preacher today is Warren Huffa
WELCOME to Holy Innocents—we hope you enjoy this time of prayer as we reflect on Scripture together and celebrate the Eucharist. We invite you to join us for breakfast after the 8am service, or morning tea after the 10am service. At 10 am everything in the service will be screened on the walls. Sunday School is held at the 10 am service during School Term times.
Collect for Lent IV
Gracious God, in order that we children of earth might discern good from evil You sent Your Son to be the light of the world: as the light of Christ shines upon us, may we learn what pleases You, and live in truth and goodness; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, Who is alive and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
TODAY’S READINGS 1 Sam 16: 1—13 and Ephesians 5: 8—14 read by Iris D
Gospel John 9: 1—41
PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Mary V
We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Phyllis Morecroft, Peter Little, the Swaby family, Chris Contro, Yvonne Myers, Jenny Jeffrey, Sid Sweet , Dorothy Furnival and others know to us
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Paul Hilbig, Judy Ellis and Don Baker
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY –
YEAR’S MIND—Jeannie Moffatt (2008), Audrey Windram (!999), Ronald Dickson (2010), William Spencer (1996) John Hall (2006)
PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Lent V
Readings Ezekiel 37: 1—14 and Romans 8: 6—11
Gospel John 11: 1—45
Fr Ron’s Notes available at http://www.anglican-belair.blogspot.com/
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 Coromandal Valley
Lenten Studies These will be held on Tuesdays to April 5 at the Rectory from 7.30pm to 9.00pm, and Thursdays at 10.45am, on March 24, 31 and April 7
THURSDAY 9.30am Eucharist
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 Marlene Dixon on 8278 8568 or Iris Downes on 8278 3260
Report from St. John’s Chaplains
Clare and I write a blurb for the St John's newsletter which comes out each fortnight of term. We do alternate fortnights—this one from Clare: http://www.stjohns.sa.edu.au/news/the-hope-of-easter
FORTHCOMING EVENTS—
Passover Meal on 21st April, is to be held in a private home or two, starting at 6.00pm. The home groups will have a more intimate feel and better chance for discussion. Then all will move to the Church for the 7.30pm service. Mary asks that those planning to attend to add their names to the list in the foyer.
Flinders Hospital Service -volunteers are reminded that our next turn at Flinders is on Sunday 10th April. Please ensure that you are there before 10am in order to assist patients to the service. For more information, contact Jean Fordham please.
Monday 4th April at St. Barnabas’ College, at 7.30pm Bishop Tom Frame will speak on ’Losing my religion,’ a report on atheism and response to it. Free. Should be a valuable time for questioning people.
ABM Appeal is now on with envelopes in the foyer. Palm Sunday (April 17) will see the distribution of Palm Crosses (is anyone available again to make these for our Church?) and Easter Day will see the return of those ABM envelopes. For further info or offers of help please contact Joan Durdin (8178 0704)
Treasure Market Thank You from Wendy Morecroft
On behalf of Craig, Jocelyn, Marilyn & myself, thank you to all those who donated goods and/or contributed their time to make our Treasure Market such a success. We raised well over $6,000 and although a few people looked very weary, I think we actually enjoyed ourselves. There were many new faces walking through the door all morning and hopefully they will come again. Well done all.
PARISH CAMP Friday 18th—Sunday 20th November
Normanville Jetty Caravan Park—8 cabins and 8 sites have been pre-booked by Wendy – please contact her on 0417 806 943 or awsc@internode.on.net regarding a booking. Also. Saturday night dinner 6pm in the Normanville Beach Cafe (next to jetty) $20/adult $10/child with fun and games in the Surf Life Saving club afterwards. Sunday service on the beach at 11am (a bit later than usual to allow time for day trippers to arrive). For information, powered site $27.00 unpowered site $21.50 En-suite site $33.00 Deluxe Cabins with en-suite (sleeps up to 5) $88.00 Executive Cabins with en-suite (2 bedroom) $102.00 (includes linen on main bed) Extra persons over the age of 5 $9.00 Bunk House no en-suite $55.00 for 4 people
RON-BLOG from today’s readings The Man born blind
John’s Gospel, with its seven signs, is always a source of stunning episodes that present comment on far more than appears on the surface. Here is such a complex plot, answering such a common question from people even to this day, or the refusal of people to respond to what is obviously true, and the determination of ‘little people’ (pardon me) determined to follow the truth wherever it leads – and never to be gainsaid. Light and darkness are the aspects of life, Truth and falsehood – and how often have you been there, either as victim or perhaps even perpetrator?
The tale opens with the blind man being a sort of specimen for debate: why are people born blind? And the traditional answer comes from the Twelve themselves. Sin, obviously, they said, following the well-known but ill-informed theory of the day. And that theory Jesus refuted, and Job of course had come to the same conclusion many centuries before. The blind man needed healing, not discussion nor contempt.
Notice the compassionate approach of Jesus to this man! It may sound strange to you, but what Jesus did and the noises He made, would have indicated quite clearly to the blind person that healing was in the wind. Saliva was regarded as a healing instrument then – and now for many. When was the last time you licked a small would? And ‘Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam.’ Even down to the last thing, Jesus called for a real response from the man, even if it were difficult to find the way. He had to make some contribution to his own healing. Good thinking, Jesus! And he went, and washed and was healed. And that is where the real controversy began.
Locals were very surprised, to see the blind man now sighted. And who wouldn’t be! But they had to take sides as the religious authorities started to make a federal case out of it a.. How stupid of them! Why not simply rejoice in the wonderful thing that had happened. But they saw all this as threat to their authority. What balderdash! So the arguments began, forcing people into one camp or the other, many of them fearful of being ejected from Temple and synagogue. And what a blasphemous action that would have been. Even the man’s parents were forced into being disingenuous about it all.
So the incident of healing turned into a huge debate and argument about who was following the truth and who falsehood. And that is ever a common and evident challenge. Not only in religious matters, but in all others as well. Trace the persistence of the healed man and the insistence of the religious leaders, who refused any vestige of the truth because it weakened their position. What sheer and utter stupidity and evil.
So watch that punch-line at the end—it is so utterly telling. If you were blind you would have no sin; but now that you say ‘We see’ your sin remains. Here is a challenge to us all to retain the search for and obedience to truth wherever we find it, regardless of where it leads.
***********************************************************************************************
ROSTERS
POWERPOINT ROSTER –
Today Cynthia Macintosh or Min Araki
Next Sunday Barb Capon or Joy Campbell
READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER
Next Sunday Reader John F Intercessor Max A
Sunday after Reader Paul H Intercessor Ben L
SANCTUARY ROSTER
Next week Flowers nil Brass Caroline and Sid Sweet
Cleaning Susan Lee
Items for the Newsletter need to be sent to Fr. Ron at 8298 7160 or ronpkeynes@internode.on.net by Tuesday late afternoon please
Friday, March 25, 2011
RonBlog
Sunday 27th March, 2011 Third Sunday in Lent
Sentence
‘The water that I give will become in you a spring of water, welling up to eternal life.’ John 4:14
Collect
O God, the fountain of life, to a humanity parched with thirst You offer the living water that springs from the Rock, our Saviour Jesus Christ; stir up within Your people the gift of Your Spirit, that we may profess our faith with freshness, and announce with joy the wonder of Your love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
Old Testament Lesson Exodus 17: 1 – 7
From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarrelled with Moses, and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?" But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?"
So Moses cried out to the LORD, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me." The LORD said to Moses, "Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink." Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarrelled and tested the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?"
Psalm 95
O come let us sing out to the Lord: let us shout in triumph to the Lord our Rock
Let us come before His face with thanksgiving: and cry out to Him joyfully in psalms
For the Lord is a great God: and a great king above all gods.
In His hands are the depths of the earth: and the peaks of the mountains are His also
The sea is His and He made it: His hands moulded the dry land
Come. Let us worship and fall down: and kneel before the Lord our Maker
For He is the Lord our God: we are His people and the sheep of His hands
Today if only you would hear His voice – ‘Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah: as on that day at Massah in the wilderness
When Your forebears tested Me: put me to the proof, though they had seen My works
Forty years long I loathed that generation and said: ‘It is a people who err in their hearts, for they have not known My ways
Of Whom I swore in My wrath: They shall not enter My rest
Epistle Romans 5: 1 – 11
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
GOSPEL John 4: 5 – 42
Jesus came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."
The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?" Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water."
Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come back." The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!" The woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you."
Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you want?" or, "Why are you speaking with her?" Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?" They left the city and were on their way to him.
Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, "Rabbi, eat something." But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." So the disciples said to one another, "Surely no one has brought him something to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, 'Four months more, then comes the harvest'? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour."
Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I have ever done." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world."
© New Revised Standard Version of the Bible
Copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the
Churches of Christ in the USA, and used by permission. All rights reserved
NOTES ON THE READINGS
Old Testament
There is always more in the Biblical accounts than tends to meet the modern eye. It is always important to ‘read the fine print,’ so to speak. A couple of matters are worth exploring:
1. The need for water is underlined as more important than just the physical requirement for survival, though it is that as well of course
2. The constant complaint of the Israelites that they had left behind not so much the slavery as the rich foods.
3. And most to the point, note the place to which Moses was directed. It was Horeb, Mount Sinai the place where the Decalogue was given, and even the Law is associated with refreshment.
4. Ironically, the OT perception of water is also somewhat ambivalent. Jewish attitudes towards sea-water was different. The Red Sea and even the Mediterranean was often used as a symbol of evil! You never heard of many Jewish sailors, you may notice. Jonah, you say – and what was he doing?
Note also how Psalm 95 underlines the tension and ugliness of this incident – and the memory Israel retained long after of the bitterness of the dispute. Who would ever want to be a Moses?
Psalm
This Psalm was always set for Morning Prayer – a seldom used office these days, sadly enough. One the one hand there is great delight expressed in the worshipful psalm, and on the other, the bitterness recalled as Israel was always the reluctant recipient of salvation. ‘Salvation’ in early Biblical terms was always seen in terms of ‘room to move and grow,’ the opposite of the bitter slavery to which the Jews were under in Egypt. The Hebrews then were also ambivalent towards the Exodus- far safer to be back in Egypt, they reminisced, with food and water – even if the threat of extinction hang over them. What fools we mortals be!
Epistle
This passage shows up the NT equivalent, if you will, of the Exodus redemption. In fact, the Bible contains three examples of redemption: the Exodus, the Exile and the Cross. Each successive event took people further into the significance of what is salvation and where it takes one. And there is no hiding the likely hardships along the way. Discipleship, Old Testament or New, offers no bed of roses, or escape from reality. Notice the fascinating ‘steps and stairs’ of growth through hardship. In fact, there is no other way I know of to grow and mature than by working one’s way through all manner of difficulty. Easy living produces nothing but poor fruit!
GOSPEL
The Woman of Samaria.
I know of no short and easy way of unpacking this fascinating incident in the ministry of Jesus. Not only does it portray Jesus’ refreshing and true response to humans of whatever nature, but also His great capacity of working through all manner of encounters, leaving people a means of understanding both themselves and the faith far more realistically. Here is Gospel of word and action.
This lady of the night had gone to the well in the heat of the day, certain of encountering absolutely no one there. Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun, so to speak. It would have been to her great shock and horror that, not only was she not alone, but there was a Jewish bloke there. She must have had a thick skin to keep moving to the well, as all she could expect would be mouthfuls of abuse or worse from such a man. The greatest surprise was that she did not. Jesus – as usual – ignored the usual Jew-Gentile hatreds.
Have you realised how disarming it would have been to have had Jesus actually put himself under an obligation to you, if you were in her shoes? It must have been breath-taking for her! No abuse; a request for help! Small wonder that this most interesting of conversations began. And Рin quite usual Jewish manner, Jesus employed a subtle double entendre  - not risqu̩ but strong, about water. South Australians are aware of the value and importance of water, and anyone even slightly associated with the Outback is extremely aware. I know from experience: no water means not-so-slow death in high summer. Not a pretty sight.
As the conversation progressed it is noteworthy to consider how things operated. She would raise an issue, Jesus would respond and she would retreat. That, until He asked about her husband. That of course raised the question of her progressive polygamy, so to speak. She was the red light district of Sychar, and yet it was not that that raised Jesus’ interest. She was caught up in the widening vision of things, and that was the trigger for all the growth to come.
The interval following the return of the disciples from the local ‘McDonald’s’ was full of surprises for the Twelve. What in the name of fortune brought about Jesus’ involvement with the scarlet woman? And what did He mean about bread that they knew not of. The real surprise for everyone except Jesus and the woman was that the whole situation in that town was revolutionised. In spite of her low and questionable occupation, -- which almost certainly would have involved many of the local men, let’s face it – all concerned had the opportunity to leave behind a tawdry past and move towards a far more forgiving and saved future. Salvation here shows up as the old ‘room to move’ scenario, but room to move past a forbidding past.
NOTES FOR A SERMON
Water. In this driest State of the driest nation in the world, one does not need much imagination to value water very highly. I recall many years ago, talking to one of the Station owners in the Far North west of this State—now APY lands—where the hygrometer never reached up as far as zero. It was in 2—4 inch rainfall country (when you got any at all) and the evaporation rate was 8 feet—96 inches a year. (2.5 mtrs for the young!)
You, of course are so used to turning on a tap—but even as a kid, when with grandparents, it was a case of having a bath on Saturday night whether you needed it or not, being first in line of about five or six or seven people. After the bath night, the water was used in the house garden, mostly on veges. Water!
So that rune of readings for today should rack up enormous interest, for anyone with any sense who knows that without food you can last six weeks with a bit of luck. Without water, a couple of days, if you are lucky.. Once again there is the true story of the busload of school kids coming down the Oodna Track many years ago. Bus broke down 5 miles from William Creek pub, so one of the teachers walked on to the pub—and never got there. And it was not even high summer. (Pages as per Advertiser a week or so ago.)
So put all that in the back of your mind as we recap those readings. Don’t go too crook at the Israelites in the desert—nor even that woman of Samaria going to the well. Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun. Mad dogs, Englishmen, and ‘red light women’ - the town pro.
She knew the value of water, and her need to go to the well when no one else was around. So it must have been a huge shock to find a Man at the well that noon. Jewish man at that, so she would have been ready to cop a huge rude mouthful—Jews and Samaritans were as close as Jews and Palestinians today.
I ask you to reads through the Gospel for today when you get home. And spend some time imagining the development of the conversation between Jesus and that woman Notice how Jesus began with that essential element for life. His request for a drink put Himself clearly as a fellow-human before anything else, and stunningly, under an obligation to that flossy, — and that would have surprised the insides out of her. Totally unexpected. So the conversation revolved around water.
Stop and see how gentle but how firm He was in allowing her to dictate the direction of the conversation, and how skilled He was in redirecting her however unwillingly into exploring her own personal needs.
It was not water that lady craved; it was love. Affection. Being needed and having a purpose. And our Lord was well aware of that, from the evidence right there in front of Him….
As the tale develops, you are not told the gory details of how that woman responded to Jesus, nor what it was she took from His unpacking of her and her needs. But it revolutionised first that lady, and then as you read, it affected the whole town of Sychar.
It was not so much a matter of Jesus telling her all about herself, but that He quite happily accepted all the good bits and bad about her, and released her from her rather ugly past. Read between the lines and see how stunningly and swiftly the process ran, largely because everyone affected faced reality, resolved the issues and moved on from there. All those blokes who came out to see Jesus would have been paying customers, one can assume, of the lady in red.
It is something that I keep pointing you to, as over the past few sermons, we have looked at the Eucharist and its confession and absolution for instance.
Stephen Fry, in a recent edition of QI on ABC TV, railed against religion—expletive deleted he was very rude. He claimed the only outcome was division. But look at what was happening there in that town of Sychar, Samaritan and all. What had, surely, been a hotbed of antagonisms, turned into a place of openness, trust, peace and acceptance. Judaism and Christianity both are designed to offer such difference. We miss the point entirely when we turn faith into religion. What this Faith is designed to do is to reunite people. Reconnect people, not divide, antagonize, alienate.
There is a future and a hope. So get on with it!!!!!!!!!!!
Sit up and take notice. ……...
Sentence
‘The water that I give will become in you a spring of water, welling up to eternal life.’ John 4:14
Collect
O God, the fountain of life, to a humanity parched with thirst You offer the living water that springs from the Rock, our Saviour Jesus Christ; stir up within Your people the gift of Your Spirit, that we may profess our faith with freshness, and announce with joy the wonder of Your love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
Old Testament Lesson Exodus 17: 1 – 7
From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarrelled with Moses, and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?" But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?"
So Moses cried out to the LORD, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me." The LORD said to Moses, "Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink." Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarrelled and tested the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?"
Psalm 95
O come let us sing out to the Lord: let us shout in triumph to the Lord our Rock
Let us come before His face with thanksgiving: and cry out to Him joyfully in psalms
For the Lord is a great God: and a great king above all gods.
In His hands are the depths of the earth: and the peaks of the mountains are His also
The sea is His and He made it: His hands moulded the dry land
Come. Let us worship and fall down: and kneel before the Lord our Maker
For He is the Lord our God: we are His people and the sheep of His hands
Today if only you would hear His voice – ‘Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah: as on that day at Massah in the wilderness
When Your forebears tested Me: put me to the proof, though they had seen My works
Forty years long I loathed that generation and said: ‘It is a people who err in their hearts, for they have not known My ways
Of Whom I swore in My wrath: They shall not enter My rest
Epistle Romans 5: 1 – 11
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
GOSPEL John 4: 5 – 42
Jesus came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."
The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?" Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water."
Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come back." The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!" The woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you."
Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you want?" or, "Why are you speaking with her?" Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?" They left the city and were on their way to him.
Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, "Rabbi, eat something." But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." So the disciples said to one another, "Surely no one has brought him something to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, 'Four months more, then comes the harvest'? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour."
Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I have ever done." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world."
© New Revised Standard Version of the Bible
Copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the
Churches of Christ in the USA, and used by permission. All rights reserved
NOTES ON THE READINGS
Old Testament
There is always more in the Biblical accounts than tends to meet the modern eye. It is always important to ‘read the fine print,’ so to speak. A couple of matters are worth exploring:
1. The need for water is underlined as more important than just the physical requirement for survival, though it is that as well of course
2. The constant complaint of the Israelites that they had left behind not so much the slavery as the rich foods.
3. And most to the point, note the place to which Moses was directed. It was Horeb, Mount Sinai the place where the Decalogue was given, and even the Law is associated with refreshment.
4. Ironically, the OT perception of water is also somewhat ambivalent. Jewish attitudes towards sea-water was different. The Red Sea and even the Mediterranean was often used as a symbol of evil! You never heard of many Jewish sailors, you may notice. Jonah, you say – and what was he doing?
Note also how Psalm 95 underlines the tension and ugliness of this incident – and the memory Israel retained long after of the bitterness of the dispute. Who would ever want to be a Moses?
Psalm
This Psalm was always set for Morning Prayer – a seldom used office these days, sadly enough. One the one hand there is great delight expressed in the worshipful psalm, and on the other, the bitterness recalled as Israel was always the reluctant recipient of salvation. ‘Salvation’ in early Biblical terms was always seen in terms of ‘room to move and grow,’ the opposite of the bitter slavery to which the Jews were under in Egypt. The Hebrews then were also ambivalent towards the Exodus- far safer to be back in Egypt, they reminisced, with food and water – even if the threat of extinction hang over them. What fools we mortals be!
Epistle
This passage shows up the NT equivalent, if you will, of the Exodus redemption. In fact, the Bible contains three examples of redemption: the Exodus, the Exile and the Cross. Each successive event took people further into the significance of what is salvation and where it takes one. And there is no hiding the likely hardships along the way. Discipleship, Old Testament or New, offers no bed of roses, or escape from reality. Notice the fascinating ‘steps and stairs’ of growth through hardship. In fact, there is no other way I know of to grow and mature than by working one’s way through all manner of difficulty. Easy living produces nothing but poor fruit!
GOSPEL
The Woman of Samaria.
I know of no short and easy way of unpacking this fascinating incident in the ministry of Jesus. Not only does it portray Jesus’ refreshing and true response to humans of whatever nature, but also His great capacity of working through all manner of encounters, leaving people a means of understanding both themselves and the faith far more realistically. Here is Gospel of word and action.
This lady of the night had gone to the well in the heat of the day, certain of encountering absolutely no one there. Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun, so to speak. It would have been to her great shock and horror that, not only was she not alone, but there was a Jewish bloke there. She must have had a thick skin to keep moving to the well, as all she could expect would be mouthfuls of abuse or worse from such a man. The greatest surprise was that she did not. Jesus – as usual – ignored the usual Jew-Gentile hatreds.
Have you realised how disarming it would have been to have had Jesus actually put himself under an obligation to you, if you were in her shoes? It must have been breath-taking for her! No abuse; a request for help! Small wonder that this most interesting of conversations began. And Рin quite usual Jewish manner, Jesus employed a subtle double entendre  - not risqu̩ but strong, about water. South Australians are aware of the value and importance of water, and anyone even slightly associated with the Outback is extremely aware. I know from experience: no water means not-so-slow death in high summer. Not a pretty sight.
As the conversation progressed it is noteworthy to consider how things operated. She would raise an issue, Jesus would respond and she would retreat. That, until He asked about her husband. That of course raised the question of her progressive polygamy, so to speak. She was the red light district of Sychar, and yet it was not that that raised Jesus’ interest. She was caught up in the widening vision of things, and that was the trigger for all the growth to come.
The interval following the return of the disciples from the local ‘McDonald’s’ was full of surprises for the Twelve. What in the name of fortune brought about Jesus’ involvement with the scarlet woman? And what did He mean about bread that they knew not of. The real surprise for everyone except Jesus and the woman was that the whole situation in that town was revolutionised. In spite of her low and questionable occupation, -- which almost certainly would have involved many of the local men, let’s face it – all concerned had the opportunity to leave behind a tawdry past and move towards a far more forgiving and saved future. Salvation here shows up as the old ‘room to move’ scenario, but room to move past a forbidding past.
NOTES FOR A SERMON
Water. In this driest State of the driest nation in the world, one does not need much imagination to value water very highly. I recall many years ago, talking to one of the Station owners in the Far North west of this State—now APY lands—where the hygrometer never reached up as far as zero. It was in 2—4 inch rainfall country (when you got any at all) and the evaporation rate was 8 feet—96 inches a year. (2.5 mtrs for the young!)
You, of course are so used to turning on a tap—but even as a kid, when with grandparents, it was a case of having a bath on Saturday night whether you needed it or not, being first in line of about five or six or seven people. After the bath night, the water was used in the house garden, mostly on veges. Water!
So that rune of readings for today should rack up enormous interest, for anyone with any sense who knows that without food you can last six weeks with a bit of luck. Without water, a couple of days, if you are lucky.. Once again there is the true story of the busload of school kids coming down the Oodna Track many years ago. Bus broke down 5 miles from William Creek pub, so one of the teachers walked on to the pub—and never got there. And it was not even high summer. (Pages as per Advertiser a week or so ago.)
So put all that in the back of your mind as we recap those readings. Don’t go too crook at the Israelites in the desert—nor even that woman of Samaria going to the well. Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun. Mad dogs, Englishmen, and ‘red light women’ - the town pro.
She knew the value of water, and her need to go to the well when no one else was around. So it must have been a huge shock to find a Man at the well that noon. Jewish man at that, so she would have been ready to cop a huge rude mouthful—Jews and Samaritans were as close as Jews and Palestinians today.
I ask you to reads through the Gospel for today when you get home. And spend some time imagining the development of the conversation between Jesus and that woman Notice how Jesus began with that essential element for life. His request for a drink put Himself clearly as a fellow-human before anything else, and stunningly, under an obligation to that flossy, — and that would have surprised the insides out of her. Totally unexpected. So the conversation revolved around water.
Stop and see how gentle but how firm He was in allowing her to dictate the direction of the conversation, and how skilled He was in redirecting her however unwillingly into exploring her own personal needs.
It was not water that lady craved; it was love. Affection. Being needed and having a purpose. And our Lord was well aware of that, from the evidence right there in front of Him….
As the tale develops, you are not told the gory details of how that woman responded to Jesus, nor what it was she took from His unpacking of her and her needs. But it revolutionised first that lady, and then as you read, it affected the whole town of Sychar.
It was not so much a matter of Jesus telling her all about herself, but that He quite happily accepted all the good bits and bad about her, and released her from her rather ugly past. Read between the lines and see how stunningly and swiftly the process ran, largely because everyone affected faced reality, resolved the issues and moved on from there. All those blokes who came out to see Jesus would have been paying customers, one can assume, of the lady in red.
It is something that I keep pointing you to, as over the past few sermons, we have looked at the Eucharist and its confession and absolution for instance.
Stephen Fry, in a recent edition of QI on ABC TV, railed against religion—expletive deleted he was very rude. He claimed the only outcome was division. But look at what was happening there in that town of Sychar, Samaritan and all. What had, surely, been a hotbed of antagonisms, turned into a place of openness, trust, peace and acceptance. Judaism and Christianity both are designed to offer such difference. We miss the point entirely when we turn faith into religion. What this Faith is designed to do is to reunite people. Reconnect people, not divide, antagonize, alienate.
There is a future and a hope. So get on with it!!!!!!!!!!!
Sit up and take notice. ……...
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