4 th September, 2016 The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost and Father s Day

Transcription

1 A member of the Central Highlands Cluster Ministry St George s, Trentham 9.00am St Mary s, Woodend 11.00am 4 th September, 2016 The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost and Father s Day We acknowledge the Woi wurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung people, the traditional custodians of this land where we gather. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and pray for reconciliation.

2 GATHERING IN GOD S NAME Gathering Hymn 491 Father welcomes all his children The Lord be with you. And also with you Sentence for the day Whoever does not carry the cross and follow Jesus cannot be his disciple. Luke The Prayer of preparation (page 119 of the prayer book) Almighty God The Shema (page 120 of the prayer book) Hear, O Israel. The Confession and absolution (page 120 of the prayer book) Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith, confident in God s forgiveness. Merciful God The Gloria (page 121 of the prayer book) Glory to God in the highest Let us pray God of the ages, you call the Church to keep watch in the world and to discern the signs of the times: grant us the wisdom that your Spirit bestows, so that with courage we may proclaim your prophetic word, and complete the work you have set before us; through your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

3 MINISTRY OF THE WORD A reading from the book of Jeremiah chapter 18 versus 1 to11 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: Come, go down to the potter s house, and there I will let you hear my words. So I went down to the potter s house, and there he was working at his wheel. The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him. Then the word of the LORD came to me: Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the LORD. Just like the clay in the potter s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. At one moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, but if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will change my mind about the disaster that I intended to bring on it. And at another moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, but if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will change my mind about the good that I had intended to do to it. Now, therefore, say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Thus says the LORD: Look, I am a potter shaping evil against you and devising a plan against you. Turn now, all of you from your evil way, and amend your ways and your doings. For the word of the Lord thanks be to God Psalm , O Lord, you have searched me out and known me: you know when I sit or when I stand, you comprehend my thoughts long before. You discern my path and the places where I rest: you are acquainted with all my ways.

4 For there is not a word on my tongue: but you, Lord, know it altogether. You have encompassed me behind and before: and have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me: so high that I cannot endure it. For you have created my inward parts: you knit me together in my mother s womb. I will praise you, for you are to be feared: fearful are your acts, and wonderful your works. You knew my soul, and my bones were not hidden from you: when I was formed in secret, and woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my limbs when they were yet imperfect: and in your book were all my members written; Day by day they were fashioned: and not one was late in growing. How deep are your thoughts to me, O God: and how great is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they are more in number than the sand: were I to come to the end, I would still be with you. A reading from Paul s letter to Philemon verses 1-25 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord

5 Jesus. I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother. For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. One thing more prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be restored to you. Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. For the word of the Lord thanks be to God

6 Gospel Hymn 465 Father in heaven Alleluia Alleluia Your word, O God, shines as a light on my path. Alleluia The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Luke, chapter 14 beginning at the 25 th verse + Glory to you Lord Jesus Christ Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, This fellow began to build and was not able to finish. Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; they throw it away. Let anyone with ears to hear listen! For the Gospel of the Lord praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ The Sermon The affirmation of faith (page 123 of the prayer book)

7 The Prayers of the People The Greeting of Peace We are the body of Christ His Spirit is with us. The peace of the Lord be always with you. And also with you. Offertory Hymn 511 Let us break bread together *a collection to assist the mission of God in this parish will be taken up during this hymn we thank you for responding to God s generosity with your gift. THE GREAT THANKSGIVING please turn to page 128 Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.

8 The Sending out of God s people Eternal God, giver of life, in the breaking of the bread we know the risen Lord. May we who celebrate this holy feast walk in his risen light and bring new life to all creation. Most loving God... you send us into the world you love. Give us grace to go thankfully and with courage in the power of your Spirit. The Notices Final Hymn 628 In faith and hope and love The Blessing and Dismissal Almighty God, who redeemed us through the resurrection of Christ, who raised us to newness of life through the waters of baptism, and bought us out of slavery into everlasting freedom, give you joy and peace in faith and bring you to your eternal inheritance; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Alleluia! In the name of Christ. Alleluia! ***some thoughts from Rev. Mel Happy Father s Day to all dads, grandads, uncles, god fathers and carers! I hope that you are surrounded by the love of those close to you on this special day set aside to celebrate you. I know many great men who work tirelessly for their families, and for

9 families who are not their own, and I honour them all today. I have written in the past about how wonderful it is to see dads able to be more involved in caring for their children these days, with the help of flexible workplaces and a more open social environment. The difference a generation or two makes is amazing when we consider that many of us were raised primarily by our mothers and only saw our dads when he came home from work at the end of the day. To be a dad to someone is a pretty amazing thing. My relationship with my own father was, at times, very difficult. He was a hard man to live with and did and said many things that I vowed I would never replicate with my own children. About six months before his 60 th birthday he ended his own life. This is not something that I talk about a lot and it has taken me a long time to reconcile myself with it my faith in the love that God gives me unconditionally and unendingly was pivotal in this; and my brothers and sister and I have learned to move through the pain and unanswered questions about our father, and we have come out the other side of it, together and with a great deal of love for each other. On September 8 it is national R U OK Day. The day set aside for mental health awareness, where workmates, families and friends are encouraged to ask each other R U OK? It seems like a simple thing to ask, and you may feel like you ask people how are you all of the time rarely though is it truly intentional and geared towards mental health. You may have seen a friend acting slightly differently, know that a colleague is under some extra stress, or perhaps you just have a gut feeling that someone needs some extra support. To ask R U OK and to let them know that you are a safe person to speak to is one of the most important roles we can play in a person s life. Mental illness is just as significant a health issue as a broken leg or high cholesterol, it needs to be spoken about; just as people who are feeling unwell need to be able to be cared for. There is a lot more awareness about mental health now than ever before but there is still a long way to go. Unfortunately it is often the men in our lives who are so reluctant to talk about how they re feeling. Men will experience depression at a rate of 1 in 8 and sadly it often goes untreated and leads to much more serious situations. If you feel that you or a family member may need someone to talk to please know that there are professional services available:

10 Lifeline Cobaw Community Health Beyond Blue The words of today s psalm, my favourite psalm actually, provide me with the knowledge that no matter what, I am not alone in any trouble or stress that I have: How deep are your thoughts to me, O God: and how great is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they are more in number than the sand: were I to come to the end, I would still be with you. We, as the body of Christ, the church, are with each other through all things, through our heavenly family so don t be afraid to ask each other R U OK? Peace, Mel ************************** Pew Bulletin Baptism at St Mary s next week Next week young Jack Punshon will be baptized at St Mary s. His big sister Zara was baptized here last year so it will be lovely to welcome the family back for this wonderful celebration. Diocesan Convention Grab a brochure and form if you re interested in the Diocesan Convention coming up next month. Information is on the notice board. Trivia Night Help Needed! We are hosting a trivia night on 5 th November and need helpers! Please let Rev Mel know if you would like to join the fun on the committee. St Mary s Street Stall The street stall is on Saturday if you can assist in anyway please let one of the guild members know.

11 Go For Gold! The Diocesan ABM Auxiliary organizes one major fund raising effort in the Diocese each year to raise money for the ABM Australia and this September the Auxiliary have organised the GO FOR GOLD collection. Please bring some gold coins on Sundays in September and drop them into the special collection tin. See Carol in Woodend or Faye in Trentham for further details. Lay Ministry training days - Woodend Please put the following dates in your diary: Servers training day Sunday September 11 th after service A few diary notes October 9 will be our pet blessing service and then in Woodend we ll have a parish picnic invite your friends! October 23 will be the launch of John Vander Reest s art exhibition November 5 will be our Trivia Night fund raising night *more details about these events will follow. Intercessions our prayers are asked for: Penny and Keith, John, Sam, Jim, Andrea, Alison, Ethan, Kirsten, Grace, Claire, Christine, Barbara, Bernice, Joyce, Les, Carole, Wendy, Judy, Dustin and Jonathan. Please let Rev d Mel know if there is someone who is in need of prayer. Birthdays! Happy birthday on Saturday to John Durban! May God s blessings be abundant on your birthday and always. Years Mind and those who have died recently We give thanks for the life of Jaiden. We pray for her friends and family, especially Geoff and Rosie, as they mourn her. On Tuesday we remember Betty McKenzie and on Thursday Dr Ted Liefman Readings and Clergy for next week Rev. Mel and Rev. Charles will be looking after Trentham - Woodend Jeremiah , 22-28, Psalm 14 1 Timothy 1:1-2, Luke

12 St Mary's Woodend (1864) - St George's Trentham (1927)* A member of The Central Highlands Cluster Ministry *These dates refer to the current buildings on the sites. The founding years of the two centres are Trentham 1864 and Woodend 1859 PO Box 699, Woodend, VIC Rector: Rev d. Ian Howarth / Deacon: Rev d Melissa Clark Deacon: Rev d Neil Fitzgerald Hon. Assoc. Priest: Rev d Dr. Charles Sherlock Wardens: Mark ; John WELCOME! It is good to have you here. Please join us for a cuppa and a chat after the service around the table near the font at St George s or in the Norma Richardson Hall at St Mary s. If you have children with you they are very welcome to use the children s corner at St Mary s.