The Newsletter of All Saints Cathedral Parish Bathurst and St Barnabas Parish South Bathurst Sunday 24 February 2019 Seventh Sunday After Epiphany Loving Like God T oday's gospel reading is a continuation of the teaching that began in last Sunday's gospel. We continue to hear Jesus' Sermon on the Plain. Recall that in Luke's Gospel, this teaching is addressed to Jesus' disciples. This is in contrast to the parallel found in Matthew's Gospel, the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus' words are addressed to both the disciples and to the crowds. These words from Jesus' teaching are familiar to us. They constitute the crux and the challenge of what it means to be a disciple: Love your enemies, turn the other cheek, give to those who ask, do unto others, lend without expecting repayment, judge not lest you be judged. There are several similarities between Luke's and Matthew's report of Jesus' great teaching. Both begin with the Beatitudes. Matthew includes nearly all the content that Luke does; the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew's Gospel is longer than Luke's Sermon on the Plain. There are, however, differences in language and nuance. For example, Matthew presents this portion of the teaching as a contrast between Jesus' teaching and the teachings of the law and the prophets. This is in keeping with Matthew's concern to address his predominantly Jewish audience. It is likely that Luke omits this contrast because it was unnecessary for the Gentile believers for whom Luke is writing. Another point of contrast between Matthew and Luke's presentation is the terminology. In Luke, Jesus contrasts the behaviour of his followers with the behaviour of sinners. In Matthew, Jesus contrasts the behaviour desired with the behaviour of tax collectors and Gentiles. Matthew concludes the teaching about love of enemies with the admonition to be perfect as God is perfect; Luke concludes by emphasizing God's mercy. In both Gospels, Jesus' words challenge those who would follow him to be more like God. God loves us beyond our expectations, beyond anything we can possibly imagine. In response to God's love, we are to love as God loves, beyond expectations and with a depth beyond imagining. Loyola Press We worship on the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri people and we honour and pay our respects to elders past and present. Psalm 37 (1-11, 40-41) Do not vie with the wicked: or envy those that do wrong; For they will soon wither like the grass: and fade away like t he green leaf. Trust in the Lord and do good: and you shall dwell in the land and feed in safe pastures. Let the Lord be your delight: and he will grant you your heart s desire. Commit your way to the Lord: trust him, and he will act. He will make your righteousness shine as clear as the light: and your innocence as the noonday. Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him: do not be vexed when a man prospers, when he puts his evil purposes to work. Let go of anger and abandon wrath: let not envy move you to do evil. For the wicked shall be cut down: but those who wait for the Lord shall possess the land. In a little while the ungodly shall be no more: you will look for him in his place, but he will not be found. But the meek shall possess the land: and enjoy the abundance of peace. Deliverance for the righteous shall come from the Lord: he is their strength in time of trouble. The Lord will help them and deliver them: he will save them from the ungodly and deliver them, because they come to him for refuge.
Prayers THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION Pray for the Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central de America, The Rt Revd Julio Murray Thompson - Primate of IARCA & Bishop of Panama. THE AUSTRALIAN CHURCH The Diocese of The Murray with Bishop John Ford (retiring in May), clergy and people. IN OUR DIOCESE The Parish of Wellington the Rev d Ted Evenden as Transitional Priest. (Pray for a new priest and pastor to that community). Pray for Macquarie Anglican Grammar School, the Head, Mr Craig Mansour, Chaplain Mr Tom Owen, students, parents and staff. LOCAL NEEDS Pray for those facing persecution for their faith, especially our sisters and brothers in Christ. Parish Calendar 1 MAR World Day of Prayer 3 MAR Healing Service 4.30pm 3 MAR St Barnabas & St Peters Harvest Service 4 MAR Fellowship 5 MAR Pancake Tuesday 10 MAR SRE Annual Celebration 10 MAR St Stephens, Fitzgeralds Valley Harvest Festival 11/14 MAR Diocesan Women s Retreat 24 MAR Cathedral Parish AGM Parish News FELLOWSHIP On Monday 4 March Fellowship will be held at Pamela Aked s home, 23 Emerald Drive, Kelso, from 10.30 am. It will include the usual format-please bring your lunch. M: 0422 446 494. PRAYER GROUP You are invited to join our Prayer Group every Wednesday from 4.45 pm in the Abbott Room. This group gathers to pray for people, parish, Diocese and events. It is open to all join us! WORLD DAY OF PRAYER World Day of Prayer March 2019. SLOVENIA Come-Everything Is Ready. Date: Friday 1 March, Time: 2pm Place: Catholic Cathedral Parish Centre, Keppel St. Bathurst. PANCAKE TUESDAY All Saints Cathedral Parish invites you to join us for Pancake Tuesday on 5 March. Morning Tea will be held in the Walshaw Hall, Church Street Bathurst from 10.30am. Bring a plate and bring a friend. PANORAMA CHORUS Panorama Chorus will host an Autumn Luncheon & Retro Toy Display on Saturday 2 March in Holy Trinity Hall, Gilmour Street, Kelso. Cost $25pp/$15 per child under 12 yrs. Bookings essential on 0419 690 936 or www.bathurstpanorama.com by 23/2/19. HEALING SERVICE A Healing Service will be held on Sunday 3 March at 4.30pm in the Cathedral. All welcome. LENTEN STUDIES Lenten Studies will commence after Ash Wednesday and details to follow soon. ST STEPHEN S HARVEST FESTIVAL St Stephen s Church Fitzgeralds Valley will hold their Harvest Festival on Sunday 10 March from 2pm. Following church service, afternoon tea will be provided at Butterlea and an auction of produce with fundraising to church repairs. All welcome. SRE Please save the date for the afternoon of Sunday 10 March at 3.00pm in Bathurst Baptist Church. It is the annual Celebration of Special Religious Education in Bathurst. ANNUAL DIOCESAN WOMEN S RETREAT The Annual Diocesan Women s Retreat will be held at The Vale Lodge, Perthville, from Monday 11th March 5pm till Thursday, 14th March 10am. The cost is $365 and the application forms are available the Notice Board in the Bell Tower Lobby OR from Lorraine Clarkson (6332 6032). You may be interested in coming on OPEN DAY TUESDAY for a ONE DAY RETREAT. Please see Poster for details or contact Lorraine. THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK FROM MOTHERS UNION Fair Trade Matters We are all infected one way or another with the disease shopping! Of course there are the essentials, but they are buried in the supermarket among stuff to entice. Clothes, gifts, entertainment, how to choose and how to resist? Remembering fair trade matters is a great start. Individually we can shop for gifts and other items at a fair trade outlet. Congregations can organize a fair trade stall selling tea. Our thoughtful preparation of when and where we buy a carpet can make a tremendous difference to a weaver. She may even be able to send her daughter to school. Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but those who are kind to the needy honour him. Proverbs 14:31 Mothers Union in South Africa is committed to building a more inclusive society. Despite progress in development inequality is one of the highest in the world. Consequently many people are unable to purchase even the most basic of goods and tensions arise. Fair trade matters where there is inequality of living standards and income. We thank God for the care MU gives to those who are victims of inequality.
Today s Readings In Context 1 Corinthians 15:35-50 After Paul's discussion of the resurrection, that we heard last week, Paul does a long discussion of the manner of the resurrection, and the differences between earthly and spiritual bodies. Now he turns to the differences between Adam, the first man, and Christ whom he calls the last man, and how we are like each. Luke 6:27-38 Jesus teaches his followers a morality more demanding than the one prevailing in his day. Daily meditation Love your enemies and do good to them. I have never yet met an enemy whom I did not try to turn into a friend (Nelson Mandela). This mentality transforms our world. We choose not to participate in the demonising of others. We decide to welcome strangers as possible friends. We grow in a certain other-centredness that gives oneself to another s benefit. We possess a love of neighbour which extends beyond love of kin and love of those who love us. Our love extends to love of the poor and outcast, the dispossessed and forsaken. To use the language of Greg Boyle SJ, we seek to expand the circle of compassion until such time as we stop throwing people away. ST PETER S ROCKLEY & ST BARNABAS SOUTH BATHURST COMBINED SERVICE AT 10AM SUNDAY 3 MARCH AT ST PETER S CHURCH ROCKLEY BYO Picnic lunch and enjoy a relaxed and social gathering following the 10am Service. There will be family games and activities. Donations of produce for sale will be gratefully accepted. ALL WELCOME All Saints Cathedral Parish AGM The next All Saints Cathedral Parish AGM will be held on Sunday 24 March at 11.30am in The Chapter House. There is a call for reports please email them as soon as possible to All Saints Cathedral WEEKLY SERVICES MONDAY 8.30AM TUESDAY 1.00PM WEDNESDAY 8.30AM THURSDAY 8.30AM FRIDAY 10.00AM Followed by Morning Tea SATURDAY 6.00PM SUNDAY 8.30AM 10.00AM Healing Service 1st Sunday 5.00pm Evensong 3rd Sunday 4.30pm Turondale 3rd Sunday 3.00pm Fitzgeralds Valley 4th Sunday 2.00pm St Barnabas Parish SERVICES Sundays 10am St Joseph s Convent Chapel Perthville Tenison Woods Ave. 3rd Thursday 10:30am- Senior s Service & Morning Tea St Paul s YETHOLME - (Porter s Lane) 1st Sunday-11:45 am St Peter s ROCKLEY 1st Sunday 9.30am CLERGY PARISH OFICE WARDENS Very Rev James Hodson Dean Rev Rosie Wynter Assistant Priest Honorary Clergy Rev Carla Archer Rev Bob Date Rev Margaret Voerman Rev Clare Percival Rev John Clarkson Rev Anastasia Webster- Hawes Very Rev James Hodson Rector Rev Rosie Wynter Assistant Priest Rev John Butterworth (Rockley) Wednesdays 10:30am Koinonia Bible Study St Barnabas Parish Hall All Saints Parish Office 3 Church Street Bathurst 63314711 PO Box 258 Bathurst 2795 E: cathedral@bathurstanglican.org.au W: allsaintscathedralbathurst.com.au Account Name: All Saints Cathedral BSB:082441 Acct No: 392431546 If you wish to give by Direct Giving these are the deposit account details. St Barnabas Parish Office 3 Church Street Bathurst 6331 4711 PO Box 258 BATHURST NSW 2795 E: saintbarnabas1878@gmail.com Graham Leatherland Peter Steel Sue West Lew Hitchick Bev Walsh Maureen Arnold
A READING FROM THE BOOK OF GENESIS (45.3-11, 15) Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph. Is my father still alive? But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, Come closer to me. And they came closer. He said, I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither ploughing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. I will provide for you there since there are five more years of famine to come so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him. FOR THE WORD OF THE LORD Thanks be to God A READING FROM THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS (15.35-50) But someone will ask, How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come? Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. Not all flesh is alike, but there is one flesh for human beings, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one thing, and that of the earthly is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; indeed, star differs from star in glory. So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, The first man, Adam, became a living being ; the last Adam became a life -giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven. What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. FOR THE WORD OF THE LORD Thanks be to God FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE (6.27-38) Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back. FOR THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ NEXT WEEK S READINGS 03/3/19 Sirach 27.4-7 Psalm 99 1 Corinthians 15.51-58 Luke 6.39-49