Newsletter

Sunday 2nd September, 2012 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY OF PENTECOST WELCOME to Holy Innocents—we hope you enjoy this time of prayer as we reflect on Scripture together and celebrate the Eucharist. Breakfast is available in the Hall after the 8 am service and morning tea after the 10 am. All are welcome. Sunday School is back in action Collect for the Day Cleanse our consciences, O Lord, and enlighten our hearts through the daily presence of Your Son Jesus Christ, that when He comes in glory to be our judge we may be found undefiled and acceptable in His sight; Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Today’s Readings Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost read by Iris D Readings Song of Songs 2: 8—13 & James 1: 17—27 GOSPEL Mark 7: 1—8 & 14—23 PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Hal S-C We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Peter Little, Jenny Jeffrey, Dorothy Furnival, the Swaby family , Dianne Cordes. Jim (fighting cancer;) Tommy Ferguson, Judith Manning, Bob Arnold, baby Mitchell, Helen, Yuri and family. Kathy Pennos, Danny Hodgson, Hilary Seith, Ann Daughtry, Dennis and Walter, Chris Barber, Natasha Campbell. HAPPY BIRTHDAY - HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY - Arndrae and Bobbie Luks, Jim and Evelyn Scrivens YEAR’S MIND— Chris Fraser (1995) Dr. Bob Russell (1995) Ruth Stalley (1999), Meg Cameron (1996) PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost Readings: Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-8, 22-23 and James 2:1-10 GOSPEL Mark 7: 24—37 REGULAR GROUPS AND BOOKINGS PRAYER CIRCLE meets noon on the 2nd Tuesday each month at 36 Penno Parade North BIBLE STUDY 10am Wednesdays at Pressley’s THURSDAY 9.30am Eucharist 5.45pm Evening Prayer with Wendy SINGING GROUP Meets after the 10am service each Sunday. All singers welcome MOTHERS’ UNION - meets third Thursdays each month at 2.00pm WALKING CHURCH First Saturday of each month at 4.00pm at Belair National Park gates near railway Station Bridge. NOTE CAREFULLY Young People’s group meets at Daughtry’s home this evening at 5.00pm. What a pity that many of us are not young enough!!! Archbishop Driver will be here next Sunday with a Confirmation on the day. With Mary Vandepeer at the helm, there will be a rather nice Morning Tea after the 10 am Service ….. Meanwhile Mary is calling for helpers with the foyer morning tea table after 10am services please. Also do not forget that Cheryl Wiseman takes her vows as a member of the Order of St. Barnabas and Cecelia at Melrose next Sunday. For a series of reasons, the Friday coffee morning is no more until November ….. Operation Christmas Child - Samaritans Purse Time once again to start thinking about filling a BOX for the above. I will have a few boxes in the foyer on Sunday, and will bring a Sample box for you to see. These will be need to be brought in by the middle of October. Thanking you, Marlene Dixon. The Schools Ministry Group will be held between September 9-17th 2012. On 16th, Sara Walding, the Christian Pastoral Support Worker at Belair Primary School, will be preaching." Also as part of this there will be an after service plate collection on 9th and 16th September for Christian Pastoral Support Workers (School Chaplains) and for the funding of transition bags. HELPLINE Part of being a Christian community is the support offered to each other in times of need. We offer short-term delivery of food where needed, local transport, phone calls, and other types of assistance. Call Stephanie Lloyd 8278 4260 and Lucinda Hale 8278 8814 Most of us noticed the arrival of 50 rather nice chairs—from St. Luke’s Whitmore Square, at a remarkable price of $10 each. Anyone wishing to make a contribution towards the cost is encouraged so to do. POWERPOINT ROSTER – Next Sunday Min Araki or Ron Keynes Sunday after Cynthia Macintosh or Don Caddy READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER Next Sunday Reader John F Intercessor Max A Sunday after Reader Paul H Intercessor Don B SANCTUARY ROSTER Next week Flowers Jan Tregenza Brass Margaret Caruthers Cleaning Group 5 Mark your diary please ...... (a) St John's Exams 29/10-14/11 Does anyone using Windows XP have a use for an HP Laser printer (10/10) and/or a Flatbed Scanner? A call to Fr. Ron on 82987160 will solve the problem ….. for free! RONBLOG on today’s Readings Do you recall any of the rather odd prohibitions from your time as a young Christian? This is going back quite some way, but I recall one of my contemporaries being so very holy and not wearing a bra (news I received from my sister, not by personal examination!) and refused to use lipstick although she was certainly one of the very people who needed both decorations!!!!!. On the male side of the fence, smoking was a no-no and so was dancing. You will not be surprised that I ignored both prohibitions! All manner of other restrictions were applied and obeyed generally, with no questions asked. That was the horrific part – to which I did not prescribe. OK, it all sounds so funny and obsolete now, and it did have some value back then when people respected other people, which is not very much the case nowadays. But it did make the prospect for ‘newcomers’ to see the Faith as a total restriction on enjoyment of anything! Rules, bloody rules. And that is precisely what Jesus blew out of the water, although it has taken a long time for people to catch up. Here was a completely different way of relating to God, and – more particularly, - to each other. The real issue, as far as our Lord was concerned, was that people of His day and age asserted that they were being true to God by applying the most minute of rules and thus proving their holiness, when ……. ‘your hearts are far from Me.’ Those people were far more concerned about exerting, and proving their holiness, their power and their superiority. However in so acting that way, all they proved was the exact opposite. Self-righteous prigs is how we now see them. And so am I if I follow that pattern. It is repulsive, even to fellow Christians. How much more is it to those ‘on the outside?’

Newsletter

Sunday 26th August, 2012 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY OF PENTECOST WELCOME to Holy Innocents—we hope you enjoy this time of prayer as we reflect on Scripture together and celebrate the Eucharist. Breakfast is available in the Hall after the 8 am service and morning tea after the 10 am. All are welcome. Sunday School is back in action Collect Ever-living God, by Whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified: hear the prayers we offer for all Your faithful people, that in the ministry to which You have called them each may serve You in holiness and truth; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen Today’s Readings Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost read by Eric D Readings: 1 Kings 8: 22-30 & 41-43 and Ephesians 6:10-20 GOSPEL John 6: 56 –69 Those who follow my blogs may prefer to receive them by email.. If that is so, please email me to receive said notes. Or check it out on the Facebook page that Wendy has opened. PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Warren We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Peter Little, Jenny Jeffrey, Dorothy Furnival, the Swaby family , Dianne Cordes. Jim (fighting cancer;) Tommy Ferguson, Judith Manning, Bob Arnold, baby Mitchell, Helen, Yuri and family. Kathy Pennos, Danny Hodgson, Hilary Seith, Ann Daughtry, Rachel Milosevic, Dennis and Walter, Chris Barber, Natasha Campobell. HAPPY BIRTHDAY - Margaret Carruthers, Eric Downes, Sarah Browne, Alicia McKinnon HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY - Chris & Eddie Barber YEAR’S MIND— Edith Grace ( 2010) Donald Cameron (2003) Elizabeth Lapedus (1991) Freidrich Seith (1989) PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost Readings Song of Songs 2: 8—13 & James 1: 17—27 GOSPEL Mark 7: 1—8 & 14—23 REGULAR GROUPS AND BOOKINGS PRAYER CIRCLE meets noon on the 2nd Tuesday each month at 36 Penno Parade North BIBLE STUDY 10am Wednesdays at Pressley’s THURSDAY 9.30am Eucharist 5.45pm Evening Prayer with Wendy SINGING GROUP Meets after the 10am service each Sunday. All singers welcome MOTHERS’ UNION - meets third Thursdays each month at 2.00pm WALKING CHURCH First Saturday of each month at 4.00pm at Belair National Park gates near railway station bridge That means this Saturday 1st September.. Archbishop Driver will be here on 9th September, with the possibility of a Confirmation on the day. Warren asks if anyone wishes to reaffirm their baptism or Confirmation on that day to get in touch with him. A meeting at 11.30am after Church is set for people wishing to be part of the Renewal vows. Also please note that Cheryl Wiseman takes her vows as a member of the Order of St. Barnabas and Cecelia at Melrose on that day. For a series of reasons, the Friday coffee morning will take a break from this Friday and will re-open on 16th November. Please take careful note. The Schools Ministry Group will be held between September 9-17th 2012. On 16th, Sara Walding, the Christian Pastoral Support Worker at Belair Primary School, will be preaching." Also as part of this there will be an after service plate collection on 9th and 16th September for Christian Pastoral Support Workers (School Chaplains) and for the funding of transition bags. HELPLINE Part of being a Christian community is the support offered to each other in times of need. We offer short-term delivery of food where needed, local transport, phone calls, and other types of assistance. Call Stephanie Lloyd 8278 4260 and Lucinda Hale 8278 8814 Most of us noticed the arrival of 50 rather nice chairs—from St. Luke’s Whitmore Square, at a remarkable price of $10 each. (Hopefully we will have a chance to buy more of them.) Anyone wishing to make a contribution towards the cost is encouraged so to do. POWERPOINT ROSTER – Next Sunday Barb Capon or Trevor Tregenza Sunday after Min Araki or Ron Keynes READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER Next Sunday Reader Iris D Intercessor Hal S-C Sunday after Reader John F Intercessor Max A SANCTUARY ROSTER Next week Flowers Iris Downes Brass Rosemary Conlon Cleaning Susan Lee Mark your diary please ...... (a) St John's Exams 29/10-14/11 Does anyone using Windows XP have a use for an HP Laser printer (10/10) and/or a Flatbed Scanner? A call to Fr. Ron on 82987160 will solve the problem ….. for free! RONBLOG on today’s Readings I wonder if it is too far a jump for you to see that today’s rather odd mixture of readings presents something of a broad picture of the faith, and yet for some may seem to picture the very oddity that one needs to avoid. If I am speaking in riddles, then please allow this explanation: In the OT Reading we have the story of Solomon and his temple, or more particularly his perception of God at the time. (Give or take a few years afterwards and Solomon’s view of God goes really quite feral. The Epistle offers, for some an odd military expression of faith, and then The Gospel seems to go quite overboard in its rather gory imagery (which was distorted and misrepresented by old Roman foes) and can easily leave modern believers wondering quite what Jesus was on about. Rather than concentrate on the readings for today, my thoughts are to take a rather wider view of things and to remind us all of the need to explore and understand both the Faith and Scripture, moving away from might be a more ”politically correct” approach! That approach tends to accept anyone’s view of things, whether harebrained or sensible, which is why I have never found that PC approach to have any basis whatever in reality! So where are you in the understanding the Faith stakes? Are you, unlike the people in ‘My Brother’s Sect,’ prepared to question and test and query? If so, good on you – and stay that way. It may well mean that you have all sorts of doubts and questions. It would bother me if you did not!!! So this is a plea – perhaps even more than a plea – that all should be far more questioning and even critical in their approach to the Faith. The more I am aware of its aims and goals, and even more aware of its power and impact, the better. If it does not stand up to the test of veracity, then the sooner we leave it the better. The real issue is this search for truth about life and living and relationships.

Newsletter

Sunday 19th August, 2012 TWELFTH SUNDAY OF PENTECOST WELCOME to Holy Innocents—we hope you enjoy this time of prayer as we reflect on Scripture together and celebrate the Eucharist. Breakfast is available in the Hall after the 8 am service and morning tea after the 10 am. All are welcome. Sunday School is back in action Collect Ever-living God, Your Son, Jesus Christ, gave Himself as living bread for the life of the world: give us such a knowledge of His presence that we may be strengthened and sustained by His risen life to serve you continually; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You in unity with the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Today’s Readings Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost read by Vanessa D Readings: 1 Kings 2:; 10-12 3:3 –14, and Ephesians 5: 11—21 GOSPEL John 6: 51—58 Those who follow my blogs may prefer to receive them by email.. If that is so, please email me to receive said notes. Or check it out on the Facebook page that Wendy has opened. PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Ben L We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Peter Little, Jenny Jeffrey, Dorothy Furnival, the Swaby family , Dianne Cordes. Jim (fighting cancer;) Michelle and Jack,. Tommy Ferguson, Judith Manning, Bob Arnold, baby Mitchell, Helen, Yuri and family. Kathy Pennos, Danny Hodgson, Hilary Seith, Ann Daughtry, Rachel Milosevic, Dennis and Walter. HAPPY BIRTHDAY - Wayne Parham HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY - Barb & Nick Capon, Wayne and Sue Parham YEAR’S MIND— Ted Newland (1993) Win Lamden (1992) Edith Biggs (2010) Rosemary Mayne (2005) PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost Readings: 1 Kings 8: 22-30 & 41-43 and Ephesians 6:10-20 GOSPEL John 6: 56 –69 REGULAR GROUPS AND BOOKINGS PRAYER CIRCLE meets noon on the 2nd Tuesday each month at 36 Penno Parade North BIBLE STUDY 10am Wednesdays at Pressley’s THURSDAY 9.30am Eucharist 5.45pm Evening Prayer with Wendy and Sue SINGING GROUP Meets after the 10am service each Sunday. All singers welcome MOTHERS’ UNION - meets third Thursdays each month at 2.00pm Walking Church First Saturday of each month at 4.00pm at Belair National Park gates near railway station bridge. Archbishop Driver will be here on 9th September, with the possibility of a Confirmation on the day. Warren asks if anyone wishes to reaffirm their baptism or Confirmation on that day to get in touch with him. Also please note that Cheryl Wiseman takes her vows as a member of the Order of St. Barnabas and Cecelia at Melrose on that day. Mitcham Council is keen for parishioners to have this information please. ‘ To improve traffic safety on Sheoak Road Mitcham Council has erected NO STANDING signs for a 30 metre section on the approaches to the bend opposite Holy Innocents. This will effect some parking but will help prevent the likelihood of a traffic accident.’ Michael Whiting Over the weekend Ross Hill-Brown is taking part in the World Vision Forty Hour Famine (finishing at midday after the 10.00 am service this morning). His aim is to raise $300. Over the next few weeks Ross can be sponsored for having taken part. Forty Dollars ($40) can help feed a family of five for a month. Donations can be made before by September 2012 through http://www.worldvision.com.au/40HF/ProfilePage.aspx?preferredurl=RossHillBrown . Donations can also be made by BPAY Biller Code: 199745 Ref: 600830400. Donations over $2 are tax deductible For a series of reasons, the Friday coffee morning will take a break from the last Friday in August (24th) and will re-open on 16th November. Please take careful note. The Schools Ministry Group will be held between September 9-17th 2012. On 16th, Sara Walding, the Christian Pastoral Support Worker at Belair Primary School, will be preaching." Also as part of this there will be an after service plate collection on 9th and 16th September for Christian Pastoral Support Workers (School Chaplains) and for the funding of transition bags. The Annual ABM Lamington Drive will take place towards the end of August. Orders for Lamingtons (at $10.00 per dozen) may be placed by writing your name and the number required on the yellow form on the notice board in the hall near the servery. Please make payment by placing your money in the box near the form. Also tick 'paid'. Lamingtons may be collected from the kitchen on Friday 31 August (p.m.) until Sunday 2 September. Joan Durdin Wendy Morecroft is the Administrator for the new Holy Innocents' Anglican Church Belair Facebook page. If you are on Facebook, please visit the page and press "Like" so that you will receive any updates. If you have news items that you would like to be uploaded to the page please email Wendy at awsc@internode.on.net or call 0400576364. HELPLINE Part of being a Christian community is the support offered to each other in times of need. We offer short-term delivery of food where needed, local transport, phone calls, and other types of assistance. Call Stephanie Lloyd 8278 4260 and Lucinda Hale 8278 8814 POWERPOINT ROSTER – Next Sunday Joy Campbell or Craig Deane Sunday after Barb Capon or Trevor Tregenza READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER Next Sunday Reader Eric D Intercessor Warren Sunday after Reader Iris D Intercessor Hal S-C SANCTUARY ROSTER Next week Flowers Audrey & Graham Bains Brass Yvonne Caddy Cleaning Group 4 Mark your diary please ...... (a) St John's Exams 29/10-14/11 The Bush Church Aid Society of Australia Annual Spring Lunch 14 September 2012 at 12:00pm at Holy Trinity, North Tce, Adelaide. Admission $15 each. Limited seating, bookings essential before 5 September 2012 to Helen or Vivien sa@bushchurchaid.com.au 8351 5950 RONBLOG on today’s Gospel I suspect that very many moderns would have difficulty with today’s Gospel... sounds like something ugly. It may help to go back a little to unwrap the power of this eating business. Please go back to Moses and Sinai and the Book of Exodus if you would. There Israel was losing hope for their journey through lack of sustenance. Manna and quail was the answer then, giving people strength to move on. Mind you, in that situation there was only sufficient food offered for each day. Jesus feeding was over-abundant. Of course, the food from Moses or Jesus, was simply a sort of parable for what one needs to keep going, progress and develop, and obviously pointed to something rather more significant than mere satisfaction of one’s gut!. What does a person need when living in a world in which conflict and dysfunction seem so often to be rife? The answer is to ponder the entire Gospel response to life and its bends and twists, to see that living with truth, equity, love and justice makes the most sense, and produces the best outcomes. There is no sense of superiority in this! It is pointing to where the best is possible for all involved. While it does mean subsuming one’s personal demands for the betterment of all, it does offer a clear and solid break from the usual checkmate situation. May I underline the complete lack of egotism in all this! When one sees Eucharist as illustrating all of our Lord’s response to conflict, all of His teaching and living, all that is clear and present in His Cross and resurrection, then a far clearer picture emerges, and makes far more composite sense. This all includes such risky things as refusing retaliation – as Jesus did in His arrest trial and execution. It also takes up all that the Psalm this week and the Epistle underlines, reminding us that the Gospel has more to do with redemption of life and living now than it does about getting to heaven.

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Sunday 12th August, 2012 ELEVENTH SUNDAY OF PENTECOST WELCOME to Holy Innocents—we hope you enjoy this time of prayer as we reflect on Scripture together and celebrate the Eucharist. Breakfast is available in the Hall after the 8 am service and morning tea after the 10 am. All are welcome. Sunday School is back in action Collect Everliving God, Your Son, Jesus Christ, gave Himself as living bread for the life of the world: give us such a knowledge of His presence that we may be strengthened and sustained by His risen life to serve you continually; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You in unity with the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Today’s Readings Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost read by David C Readings: 1 Kings 2:; 10-12 3:3 –14, and Ephesians 5: 11—21 GOSPEL John 6: 51—58 Those who follow my blogs may prefer to receive them by email.. If that is so, please email me to go on to a group to receive said notes. No charge of course. PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Sue D-T We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Peter Little, Jenny Jeffrey, Dorothy Furnival, the Swaby family , Lynda Knight, Dianne Cordes. Jim (fighting cancer;) Michelle and Jack,. Tommy Ferguson, Judith Manning, Bob Arnold, Helen, Yuri and family. Kathy Pennos, Danny Hodgson, Hilary Seith, Ann Daughtry and Rachel Milosevic. HAPPY BIRTHDAY - Wendy Morecroft, Ben Luks, Amalia Hale, Jane Sweet HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY - YEAR’S MIND— Gwladys Currer, (2008), Joyce Hannaford (1998) Linda Barber (1990) PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY REGULAR GROUPS AND BOOKINGS PRAYER CIRCLE meets noon on the 2nd Tuesday each month at 36 Penno Parade North BIBLE STUDY 10am Wednesdays at Pressley’s THURSDAY 9.30am Eucharist 5.45pm Evening Prayer with Wendy and Sue SINGING GROUP Meets after the 10am service each Sunday. All singers welcome MOTHERS’ UNION - meets third Thursdays each month at 2.00pm Walking Church First Saturday of each month at 4.00pm at Belair National Park gates near railway station bridge. Archbishop Driver will be here on 9th September, with the possibility of a Confirmation on the day. Warren asks if anyone wishes to reaffirm their baptism or Confirmation on that day to get in touch. Also Cheryl Wiseman takes her vows as a member of the Order of St. Barnabas and Cecelia at Melrose on that day. Please note that Esther and Neil will be playing during Communion at the 10 am service. So please be quiet as you listen …... Mitcham Council is keen for parishioners to have this information please. ‘To improve traffic safety on Sheoak Road Mitcham Council has erected NO STANDING signs for a 30 metre section on the approaches to the bend opposite Holy Innocents. This will affect some parking but will help prevent the likelihood of a traffic accident.’ Michael Whiting The Annual ABM ,Lamington Drive will take place towards the end of August. Orders for Lamingtons (at $10.00 per dozen) may be placed by writing your name and the number required on the yellow form on the notice board in the hall near the servery. Please make payment by placing your money in the box near the form. Also tick 'paid'. Lamingtons may be collected from the kitchen on Friday 31 August (p.m.) until Sunday 2 September. Joan Durdin Wendy Morecroft is the Administrator for the new Holy Innocents' Anglican Church Belair Face book page. If you are on Face book, please visit the page and press "Like" so that you will receive any updates. If you have news items that you would like to be uploaded to the page please email Wendy at awsc@internode.on.net or call 0400576364. Each Friday morning, coffee and tea will be served in the Parish Hall from 8.30am to 11.30am so please come along and bring a friend or neighbour for a relaxing chat among friends. Only $2.00 for your tea or coffee and biscuit. Many thanks to Craig Deane who had been busy painting all manner of doors and things in the Hall and Germein Room. A little fly on the wall let me know about this! HELPLINE Part of being a Christian community is the support offered to each other in times of need. We offer short-term delivery of food where needed, local transport, phone calls, and other types of assistance. Call Stephanie Lloyd 8278 4260 and Lucinda Hale 8278 8814 POWERPOINT ROSTER – Next Sunday Jill Hilbig or Barb Capon Sunday after Joy Campbell or Craig Deane READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER Next Sunday Reader Vanessa D Intercessor Ben L Sunday after Reader Eric D Intercessor Warren SANCTUARY ROSTER Next week Flowers Noelene Carter Brass Sid & Caroline Sweet Cleaning Susan Lee Mark your diary please ...... (a) St John's Exams 29/10-14/11 The Bush Church Aid Society of Australia Annual Spring Lunch 14 September 2012 at 12:00pm at Holy Trinity, North Tce, Adelaide. Admission $15 each. Limited seating, bookings essential before 5 September 2012 to Helen or Vivien sa@bushchurchaid.com.au 8351 5950 RONBLOG on today’s Gospel Feeding of 5,000 One needs to be more than a little aware of the contrast between Judaism (as popularly perceived in Jesus;’ day,) and all of that of which Jesus spoke .... and lived out. Whilst the Law has its enormous value and purpose, it is also true to say that people in positions of power can turn rules and regulations into means of control – something which (I dare to suspect) was very far from the minds of the original offerers of said Torah. And it was that distortion of the intended reality that turned a living faith into a dead ‘religion,’ from which there appeared to be little or no escape. Compare the Torah to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, noticing in particular the remarkable progress from dead legislation to living guidance. ‘You have heard it said’ is in contrast to ’but what I say to you’ and has repercussions of all sorts. Compare the codes on forgiveness, on murder, on adultery, and so on. The focus moves from the actions to the thoughts that provoke any such action. I have just been reading the newspaper reports on the recent (8/12) massacre in Colorado, and the local Advertiser magazine carries an article on if and how one can determine the insanity or otherwise of the assassins. The material makes very interesting reading, not least of which is a series of guesstimates as to how people can reach the depths of such destruction. While there is no definite resolution, there is very clear statements as to the length of time that such perpetrators manage to focus on their sense of injustice and so heighten their capacity to avoid any sense of responsibility for their actions. For such bitterness to lie so deeply hidden for such long periods of time underlines, if nothing else, the power in such gestation of hatreds. Then also, I once had a Bishop, a story of whom I have related previously. Arriving at our Rectory after a long trip into the Outback, the Bishop was having a cuppa with us and our local ‘oldest teenager’ who had spent the previous night evading the police. As he related his tale to the Bishop, Bill made the technical error of admitting to being very drunk. ‘I was not responsible, Bishop,’ the complainant said, ‘I was drunk.’ Said Bishop quietly and very firmly responded to Bill with ’Bill, you are human; you are responsible.’ Whilst I doubt many Courts would uphold such a view today, that presents the reason why life and relationships are disintegrating at a rate of knots even as we read and think. Late News Information has just come to hand about the next Diocesan Youth Thrive event to be held at Concordia College, 45 Cheltenham St, Highgate from 7.30 to 9.30pm on Friday 17th August. All young people are welcome, and there is a charge of $5 for supper.

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Sunday 5th August, 2012 TENTH SUNDAY OF PENTECOST WELCOME to Holy Innocents—we hope you enjoy this time of prayer as we reflect on Scripture together and celebrate the Eucharist. Breakfast is available in the Hall after the 8 am service and morning tea after the 10 am. All are welcome. Sunday School is back in action Collect Almighty God, Whose Son was revealed in majesty before He suffered death upon the cross: give us faith to perceive His glory, that being strengthened by His grace we may be changed into His likeness, from glory to glory; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen Today’s Readings Tenth Sunday after Pentecost—Transfiguration Readings: Daniel 7:9-10 & 13 –14 and 2 Peter 1:16—19 GOSPEL Mark 9: 2—10 Those who follow my blogs may prefer to receive them by email.. If that is so, please email me to go on to a group to receive said notes. No charge of course. PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Vanessa D We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Peter Little, Jenny Jeffrey, Dorothy Furnival, the Swaby family , Lynda Knight, Dianne Cordes. Jim (fighting cancer;) Michelle and Jack,. Hazel Looney, Tommy Ferguson, Judith Manning, Bob Arnold, Genevieve Forster, Remain in support of Helen, Yuri and family in their very sad loss..Kathy Pennos is fighting cancer as is Danny Hodgson. Hilary Seith is also on our list., as is Stephen Daughtry’s Mum. HAPPY BIRTHDAY - Joy Campbell, Annabelle Williams, Graham Pater, Andrew Little. Esther Cheah missed out a mention last Sunday. But now we know! HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY - YEAR’S MIND— Brian Fopp (2011), Doreen Wrightson (1999) PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY REGULAR GROUPS AND BOOKINGS PRAYER CIRCLE meets noon on the 2nd Tuesday each month at 36 Penno Parade North BIBLE STUDY 10am Wednesdays at Pressley’s THURSDAY 9.30am Eucharist 5.45pm Evening Prayer with Wendy and Sue SINGING GROUP Meets after the 10am service each Sunday. All singers welcome MOTHERS’ UNION - meets third Thursdays each month at 2.00pm Walking Church First Saturday of each month at 4.00pm at Belair National Park gates near railway station bridge. Jobs being carried out by parishioners We are attempting to compile a record of "who is doing what" in the parish. Some people have already responded and the results are in the 'Display Book' on the table in the foyer. This has the potential to be a very useful document as it will provide an excellent Parish Profile, telling people who they should contact over particular matters and avoiding duplication. Chances are that you are doing things for Holy Innocent's church. Please put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and let me know what you are doing. E-mail to dandlhall@bigpond.com or your written offering into an empty sleeve in the display book. Thanks for your co-operation David Hall - Warden Archbishop Driver will be here on 9th September, with the possibility of a Confirmation on the day. Warren asks if anyone wishes to reaffirm their baptism on that day to get in touch. Also Cheryl Wiseman takes her vows as a member of the Order of St. Barnabas and Cecelia at Melrose on that day. BCA The Parish has been busy working for BCA. BCA Boxes from Parishioners totalled $439.95. The Soup for Lunch event contributed $124 and the sale of Bilby Tubs contributed $75. (Additional tubs were purchased direct from Vivien Bleby.) This adds up to a grand total of $638.95. Many thanks go to everyone for this wonderful fundraising effort. Each Friday morning, coffee and tea will be served in the Parish Hall from 8.30am to 11.30am so please come along and bring a friend or neighbour for a relaxing chat among friends. Only $2.00 for your tea or coffee and biscuit. HELPLINE Part of being a Christian community is the support offered to each other in times of need. We offer short-term delivery of food where needed, local transport, phone calls, and other types of assistance. Call Stephanie Lloyd 8278 4260 and Lucinda Hale 8278 8814 State Governor acknowledges Don Caddy A very significant milestone was celebrated on 24th July to mark 27 years volunteering at the Cancer Care Centre by Don Caddy. A function was held to mark Don’s milestone. In October 1985 a group of medical professionals together with people with cancer and their carers met and shared a vision to develop a Wellbeing centre for South Australia. Don Caddy was one of this inaugural group. Dr Alistair Robertson and Mrs. Dorothy Linnett were also part of the vision group team that helped develop the Centre and it was great that they also joined Don in celebrating the occasion. POWERPOINT ROSTER – Next Sunday Don Caddy or Cynthia Macintosh Sunday after Jill Hilbig or Barb Capon READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER Next Sunday Reader David C Intercessor Sue D-T Sunday after Reader Vanessa D Intercessor Ben L SANCTUARY ROSTER Next week Flowers Sue D-T Brass Joan Durdin Cleaning Group 3 Mark your diary please ...... (a) St John's Exams 29/10-14/11 The Bush Church Aid Society of Australia Annual Spring Lunch 14 September 2012 at 12:00pm at Holy Trinity, North Tce, Adelaide. Admission $15 each. Limited seating, bookings essential before 5 September 2012 to Helen or Vivien sa@bushchurchaid.com.au 8351 5950 RONBLOG on today’s First Lesson When one reads Daniel’s writings, I suspect that modern readers would wonder what in the name of fortune is going on! Sadly, our modern world seems either to be ignorant of Biblical issues or have decided the Book is irrelevant. Neither position is at all close to the reality. Scripture is not there to be ‘believed’ but the process of its arrival to the present is to be pondered, understood and acted upon where it fits. Daniel (almost certainly a pseudonym) was actually writing long after some of the reported events, but his approach was very much part of the Biblical process. Jewish people arrived at their understanding of God not by dogma or tenet, but by observing life and its experiences. This author was expressing huge concerns that Alexandrian Hellenism, the Greek invasion, (4th Century BC) had the potential to undermine, even destroy Hebrew culture and faith. This was a great fear held by very many contemporaries. However,, Daniel’s fascinating presentation is of the rise and fall of a series of empires and kingdoms, all seemingly invincible, lined up against his conviction that God’s Kingdom would outlast any mere human attempt at domination. This was a powerful conviction, based on past experience, that truth, justice, compassion and equity would see the end of any number of human control factors or kingdoms. It is almost death and resurrection before the focal event. This is a salutary response for Christian people of our own day and age, fearful that the Faith will disappear off the planet. God is not dead, nor is the Faith impotent! And nor does it demand unthinking, blind response of its adherents. We are called to nothing other than faithfulness, not to a creed or dogma, but to the conviction that truth may be suppressed, but it can never be killed. The same applies to love, compassion, and all the ancient verities. So whose side are you on? Really? Late News Information has just come to hand about the next Diocesan Youth Thrive event to be held at Concordia College, 45 Cheltenham St, Highgate from 7.30 to 9.30pm on Friday 17th August. All young people are welcome, and there is a charge of $5 for supper.

RonBlog

Sunday 29th July, 2012 Ninth Sunday after Pentecost Sentence Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life that came down from heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.’ John 6: 51 Collect Gracious God, You have placed in the hearts of all Your children, a longing for Your word and a hunger for Your truth; grant that we, believing in the One Whom You have sent, may know Him to be the true bread from heaven, and the food of eternal life, Jesus Christ our Lord, to Whom with You and the Holy Spirit be glory and honour for ever and ever. Amen Old Testament Lesson 2 Samuel 11: 1 – 15 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him; they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. David sent someone to inquire about the woman. It was reported, "This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite." So David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself after her period.) Then she returned to her house. The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, "I am pregnant." So David sent word to Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the people fared, and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house, and wash your feet." Uriah went out of the king's house, and there followed him a present from the king. But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. When they told David, "Uriah did not go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "You have just come from a journey. Why did you not go down to your house?" Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah remain in booths; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing." Then David said to Uriah, "Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day. On the next day, David invited him to eat and drink in his presence and made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house. In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. In the letter he wrote, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, so that he may be struck down and die." Psalm 14 Fools have said in their hearts ‘There is no God”: they have all become vile and abominable in their doings, there is not one that does good The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of Adam: to see if there were any who would act wisely and seek after God But they have all turned out of the way, they have all alike become corrupt: there is none that does good, no not one Are all evildoers devoid of understanding: who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not pray to the Lord? They shall be struck with terror: for God is with the company of the righteous Though they frustrate the poor in their hopes: surely the Lord is their refuge O that deliverance for Israel might come forth from Zion: when the Lord turns again the fortunes of His people, then shall Jacob rejoice and Israel shall be glad. Epistle Ephesians 3: 14 – 21 I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. GOSPEL John 6: 1 – 21 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?" He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Six months' wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?" Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost." So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world." When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself. When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going. © 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 If you had wondered why last week’s Gospel from Mark omitted reference to the Feeding Sign, then your answer is here today, with John’s account of that event. Mind you, you are asked to notice that following Sundays provide further excerpts from John 6, which should result in quite something of a dilation of your views of Jesus, Eucharist and all sorts of things. Do not forget that you have been warned! Old Testament If you thought I was being rude, last week, with reference to King David, now you should see why I referred to propaganda! Now before you go too crook on David, remember that he was human like the rest of us, and that we are just as capable of sin as anyone, Christian or otherwise. This is not a pretty story, rendered even less pretty by the fact that poor old Uriah – cuckolded by his king, -- retained his sense of duty and integrity by refusing to go home to the little lady. This story is reputed to have evinced Psalm 51, a powerful penitential confession if ever there was one. If God could handle David’s misbehaviour, I suspect that He is able also to handle yours and mine. What a relief. Psalm Before you get too excited and charge every unbeliever with mortal sins, stop and see what is being said here, or by what is becoming evident in our own day and age and society. Read your newspapers and see how the reality is that (a) more and more people are rejecting any concept of God, or to put it another way, they are rejecting any concept of being responsible for acting with integrity and honesty with other people. In other words, the more I turn my back on (all that) God (represents,) the more I will turn my back on other people. If/when I choose to consider myself as the arbiter of right and wrong, truth and falsehood, the less you will show up in my value system. And you do not need your Bible or anything else to establish the reality of that now do you! Perhaps now some of us may be able to translate the Faith into terms that ordinary people can understand and recognize as valid. And that is something we have needed for quite a long time, is it not? Epistle Now I have to say that, in my experience with lots of Christians, such a passage as this tends to have lovely Christians getting that faraway look in their eyes, and becoming all holy and off the planet. The reality of what Paul points to is rather more substantial than that, and certainly more relevant. What Paul is expressing is oh! So very similar to what Jesus is on about in today’s Gospel. It has far more to do with the way a person operates because they have seen and understood what the Gospel is really on about, and that it provides significant bases for people in whatever culture to find reconciliation and purpose as humans in this somewhat crazy world GOSPEL You may be running intro difficulty right here and now, for what Chapter 6 has to say about Jesus, about the Faith, and about the Gospel, may be too much to take in one sitting. Not surprisingly, the Lectionary has us spreading Chapter 6 over several Sundays. First of all, I suggest that you forget about miracle. If we concentrate there, then we miss most of the point, purpose and direction of this incident. You are free to disagree with me, but wait till we have finished with this story, please. On top of that, please see that John describes this incident and others, not as ‘miracle’ but as sign. Just to be very naughty, I usually edit the NIV translation for its constant misuse of the Greek text. That translation shows up as ‘miraculous sign’ where the Greek text has but sign. The first thing to notice is the fine print, so to speak, in John’s Gospel. The first is that after crossing the sea (Red Sea?) and climbing a mountain (Sinai) there is the feeding sign. Go back to the Exodus and recall the escape from Egypt, the encounters of Mount Sinai, and the manna and quail. What was going on there? And that is the salvation of Israel, in escape from slavery, and the sustenance offered them by God, not only in the food available but also in the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments. Once that is absorbed, then try contrasting what happened here in the Gospel: in Horeb there was only just enough for the given day; and here there was stuff left over in droves. So now one can see that John is offering a comparison and contrast between Moses and Jesus. Please stop and realize that, in such a conservative religion as Judaism, such a process would hardly be at all welcome. So the outcome for those present had two prongs, so to speak: on the one hand there were those who saw Jesus as a prophet . Now that was progress of a sort. On the other hand some wanted to push Jesus into being king! And that was a step rather retrograde. They were looking for a messiah-like person who would simply be there to meed their needs, without effort or involvement from them. Small wonder then that Jesus disappeared from that scene. So here we have an interesting cameo of different people’s responses to Jesus’ ministry. And it will ever be the same. Even in this day and age there are those who look to God to solve all their issues, including praying for parking places or other minimally important issues. God is not some sort of miracle worker for anyone, least of all modern-day people, even Christians. But what He does have to offer to those who are looking to matters more important and valuable for everyone, is – in answer to John’s Prologue in his Gospel, - the Word, the Logos, the Reason for Existence and the Purpose in life. And when Jesus talked about the bread He offers is His flesh, then He is pointing to a way of life utterly contrary to that of Adam, do you see! NOTES FOR A SERMON (I do not know if the notes above offer sufficient material to create a sermon. On the off-chance that they do not, I will provide something here.) I recall, on my first Sunday in a new parish, having this Gospel on which to preach, and asking the small congregation to put aside for a while, the very idea of miracle, on the grounds that to do otherwise was to miss almost the entire point of the episode. By saying that, I was asking people to realize that when we think ‘miracle,’ we tend to see such things as way outside our capabilities, and so dismiss any further thought from our minds. And that outcome is tragically common...... What Jesus was (trying to) clarify to people, was His place in the economy of God, in the development of the Faith and in the direction that the Father was getting people to see. Here, in other words, was He Who is far greater than Moses and the prophets (a lesson that the Transfiguration was teaching) and yet very much in the mould and direction of that earlier faith. As the notes above indicate, Jesus, by His very actions more than His words, was pointing people to the source of their faith and life and sustenance, by reiterating something that their heilesgeschichte (their holy history) had underlined for them for millennia. Perhaps one of the things that meant many people failed to appreciate the story was the very familiarity that leads to contempt, as the saying goes. However, Jesus was never one to give up trying to get the message across, and here He was asking people to see that what He had to offer was something that even left Moses’ contribution somewhat in the shade. If one ponders the Sinai story, one is left with the rather short-sighted perception that the manna and quail thing was simply a matter of keeping the people fed and living. However, both the feeding there and the Law from the mountain was pointing to matters rather more significant. This worship of JHWH was not simply a matter of staying alive, but of having what was necessary to sustain life at its rather more full and complete. For instance, in spite of St. Paul’s constant tirade against the Law there is always great need for life to have shape to it, a possibility out of range when there are no boundaries. Ask any teenager, especially those who complain about restraints of any sort, that no restraints result in complete lack of direction for life and complete lack of value(s). My own kids would complain about ‘rules,’ but – in later years, expressed appreciation that they had something solid against which to kick There were two different directions to which people tried to move, in response to this sign from Jesus; the first was to see Jesus as prophet (in a sort of a way), who would do everything necessary for them to have a sedentary and easy life. The second option was to make Jesus King, which meant much the same – life without responsibilities, which after a moment’s thought, should have had them see that this would lead to a very rapid decline in life and life-style. That has never been the goal or telos of the Faith, Hebrew or Christian! Once the story is seen in such a light as this, there is a far greater impact from the story on each reader and hearer. First it becomes obvious that belief in Jesus does not point to some sort of relaxation into a nirvana of doubtful value. It does point to the challenge to follow in a direction that calls for both hard decisions and for continual growth and maturity – both of which are hardly popular directions these days. While it may be anticipating a little, what will follow in successive weeks, as John 6 is further explored, is – surprise, surprise, - that John follows up with Jesus’ own words about Eucharist, bread and wine, and His own self-giving for the life of the world. I recall being quite shocked when the Eucharist aspects of the story became laid open for me. Up till then I could see rather little connection between Jesus and Church, but all this required a rethink of somewhat marathon proportion. But that only meant a similar rethink about Eucharist, for this rethink does not simply mean the necessity of attending Communion more often, but realizing that to which the Eucharist itself points: when Jesu made clear that the bread He offers is His own flesh, it is underling, IN RED, that the entire Faith is about the resolution of the human dilemma by followers of Him ling for others, living a self-giving life as He did, in order to offer a path to reconciliation and peace. This faith is not just for Christians. It is offered to the entire human race, so that this world can be redeemed, as the Agnus Dei reminds us, Sunday by Sunday.

Newsletter

Sunday 29th July, 2012 NINTH SUNDAY OF PENTECOST WELCOME to Holy Innocents—we hope you enjoy this time of prayer as we reflect on Scripture together and celebrate the Eucharist. Breakfast is available in the Hall after the 8 am service and morning tea after the 10 am. All are welcome. Sunday School is back in action Collect Gracious God, You have placed within the hearts of all Your children a longing for Your word and a hunger for Your truth: grant that, believing in the One Whom You have sent, we may know Him to be the true bread of heaven and the food of eternal life, Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with You and the Holy Spirit be glory and honour for ever and ever. Amen. Today’s Readings read by Araki family Readings: 2 Samuel 11: 1—15 & Ephesians 3: 14—21 GOSPEL John 6: 1—31 Following difficulties referred to previously, I wonder if those who follow my blogs may prefer to receive them by email.. If that is so, please email me to go on to a group to receive said notes. No charge of course. PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Vanessa D We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Peter Little, Jenny Jeffrey, Dorothy Furnival, the Swaby family , Lynda Knight, Dianne Cordes. Jim (fighting cancer;) Michelle and Jack,. Hazel Looney, Tommy Ferguson, Judith Manning, Barb Capon, Bob Arnold, Genevieve Forster, and Chris Barber. Remain in support of Helen, Yuri and family in their very sad loss..The Haig family thanks us for prayers for her baby. Caroline Sweet had an op this past week, and Kathy Pennos is fighting cancer. So is Danny Hodgson. Please pray for the family of Jackson Marsh, the lad struck by lightning.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY - Joy Campbell, Annabelle Williams Graham Pater, Andrew Little HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY - YEAR’S MIND— Brian Fopp (2011), Doreen Wrightson (1999) PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Tenth Sunday after Pentecost—Transfiguration Readings: Daniel 7:9-10 & 13 –14 and 2 Peter 1:16—19 GOSPEL Mark 9: 2—19 REGULAR GROUPS AND BOOKINGS PRAYER CIRCLE meets noon on the 2nd Tuesday each month at 36 Penno Parade North BIBLE STUDY 10am Wednesdays at Pressley’s THURSDAY 9.30am Eucharist 5.45pm Evening Prayer with Wendy and Sue SINGING GROUP Meets after the 10am service each Sunday. All singers welcome MOTHERS’ UNION - meets third Thursdays each month at 2.00pm Walking Church First Saturday of each month at 4.00pm at Belair National Park gates near railway station bridge. Jobs being carried out by parishioners We are attempting to compile a record of "who is doing what" in the parish. Some people have already responded and the results are in the 'Display Book' on the table in the foyer. This has the potential to be a very useful document as it will provide an excellent Parish Profile, telling people who they should contact over particular matters and avoiding duplication. Chances are that you are doing things for Holy Innocent's church. Please put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and let me know what you are doing. E-mail to dandlhall@bigpond.com or your written offering into an empty sleeve in the display book. Thanks for your co-operation David Hall - Warden Each Friday morning, coffee and tea will be served in the Parish Hall from 8.30am to 11.30am so please come along and bring a friend or neighbour for a relaxing chat among friends. Only $2.00 for your tea or coffee and biscuit. HELPLINE Part of being a Christian community is the support offered to each other in times of need. We offer short-term delivery of food where needed, local transport, phone calls, and other types of assistance. Call Stephanie Lloyd 8278 4260 and Lucinda Hale 8278 8814 POWERPOINT ROSTER – Next Sunday Ron Keynes or Barb Capon Sunday after Don Caddy or Cynthia Macintosh READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER Next Sunday Reader Clare B Intercessor Ben L Sunday after Reader David C Intercessor Sue D-T SANCTUARY ROSTER Next week Flowers Marilyn Little Brass Bonney Tomlinson Cleaning Susan Lee Mark your diary please ...... (a) St John's Exams 29/10-14/11 The Bush Church Aid Society of Australia Annual Spring Lunch 14 September 2012 at 12:00pm at Holy Trinity, North Tce, Adelaide. Admission $15 each. Limited seating, bookings essential before 5 September 2012 to Helen or Vivien sa@bushchurchaid.com.au 8351 5950 RONBLOG on today’s Gospel You may be running intro difficulty right here and now, for what Chapter 6 has to say about Jesus, about the Faith, and about the Gospel, may be too much to take in one sitting. Not surprisingly, the Lectionary has us spreading Chapter 6 over several Sundays. If we concentrate on miracle, there, then we miss most of the point, purpose and direction of this incident. Please see that John describes this incident and others, not as ‘miracle’ but as sign. I usually edit the NIV translation for its constant misuse of the Greek text. That translation shows up as ‘miraculous sign’ where the Greek text has but sign. Very important. Next thing to notice is the fine print in John’s Gospel. After crossing the sea (Red Sea?) and climbing a mountain (Sinai) there is the feeding sign in Exodus. Recall the escape from Egypt, the encounters of Mount Sinai, and the manna and quail. What was going on there? And that was the salvation of Israel, in escape from slavery, and the sustenance offered them by God, not only in the food available but also in the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments. Once that is absorbed, try contrasting what happened here in the Gospel: in Horeb there was only just enough for the given day; and here there was stuff left over in droves. So now one can see that John is offering a comparison and contrast between Moses and Jesus. Please stop and realize that, in such a conservative religion as Judaism, such a process would hardly be at all welcome. So the outcome for those present had two prongs, so to speak: on the one hand there were those who saw Jesus as a prophet . Now that was progress of a sort. On the other hand some wanted to push Jesus into being king! And that was a step rather retrograde. They were looking for a messiah-like person who would simply be there to meed their needs, without effort or involvement from them. Small wonder then that Jesus disappeared from that scene.