Pew Sheet 24 February 2013 L2
Pew Sheet 24 February 2013 L2
Pew Sheet 24 February 2013 L2
THE TRISAGION
Genesis 15.1-12,17-18
A reading from the book of the book of Genesis After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. But Abram said, Sovereign Lord , what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir. Then the word of the Lord came to him: This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir. He took him outside and said, Look up at the sky and count the stars if indeed you can count them. Then he said to him, So shall your offspring be. Abram believed the Lord , and he credited it to him as righteousness. He also said to him, I am the Lord , who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it. But Abram said, Sovereign Lord , how can I know that I shall gain possession of it? So the Lord said to him, Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon. Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking brazier with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church. Thanks be to God. RESPONSORIAL PSALM Response: The Lord is my strength of my life, of whom then shall I be afraid? The Lord is my light and my salvation; Psalm 27
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. To behold the fair beauty of the Lord and to seek his will in his temple. For in the day of trouble he shall hide me in his shelter; in the secret place of his dwelling shall he hide me and set me high upon a rock............................................................R And now shall he lift up my head above my enemies round about me; Therefore will I offer in his dwelling an oblation with great gladness; I will sing and make music to the Lord. Hear my voice, O Lord, when I call; have mercy upon me and answer me................................................R My heart tells of your word, 'Seek my face.' Your face, Lord, will I seek. Hide not your face from me, nor cast your servant away in displeasure. You have been my helper; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. Though my father and my mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.....................................................................R Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me on a level path, beecause of those who lie in wait for me. Deliver me not into the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me, and those who breathe out violence. I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and he shall comfort your heart; wait patiently for the Lord...................................................................R
firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church. GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Praise to you O Christ, King of eternal glory. Praise to you O Christ, King of eternal glory. The Son of Man must be | lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have e- | ternal life. Praise to you O Christ, King of eternal glory. Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL
A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke People: Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 4.1-15
At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on themdo you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did. Then he told this parable: A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil? He replied, Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down. For the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. THE PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL O gracious God hear us as we pray for your church and your world. V/ Lord of Lent
the ends of the earth, we pray to you, Lord. Lord, have mercy. For all who are journeying through Lent, may they have insight, discernment, and know repentance and forgiveness, we pray to you, Lord. Lord, have mercy. For peace in the world, that a spirit of respect and reconciliation may grow among nations and peoples, we pray to you, Lord. Lord, have mercy. For the poor, the persecuted, the sick, and all who suffer; for refugees, prisoners, and all in danger; that they may be relieved and protected, we pray to you, Lord. Lord, have mercy. For all whom we have injured or offended, we pray to you, Lord. Lord, have mercy. For grace to amend our lives and to further your reign O God, we pray to you, Lord. Lord, have mercy. Accept our prayers through him who turns our sorrows into joys and shows us the way of righteousness and peace, and taught us to pray: Our Father ...... Prayer of Approach pg 125 21 Request for prayer from: Seth Gunther, Adrian Walsh, Ethan Forcier, Gwenda Stomann, Diana Kelly, Lasse Prosser, Tom Davidson, Lyn Ryan, Heather Turnbull, Peter Cannon, Ian Staring, Chris Schafer, Pearl Footer, Alex Impols, Michelle Gibbs, Ron Johnson, David Flower, Chris Tuckett, Glen Turnbull, Carol Boase, Tom Scrivens. (Anyone wishing to add a person to the Parish prayer list please make sure the person is happy to be named and then contact Fr Kim.) Recently departed and Years Mind: Today we remember before God June Pawell recently departed, and those whose anniversary of death occurs this week: 24th Phyliss Downing, Florence Britton; 25th Robert Keith, Mabel Wittingslow, Raymond Boulton; 26th John Brown, Rex Collett; 28th John Smith, Cecil Edge,
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faithfully are not headed for destruction, like godless people, but for glory. On the other hand the Gospel reading this week shows the persecution Jesus faced as he faithfully followed Gods call. A striking feature of this reading is Jesus refusal to be daunted by the threats against his life, and his determination to continue his mission in spite of the suffering he will face, like the prophets before him. There are two truths that we need to balance in our personal journey and as communities of faith. The first is that relationship with God, is often seen as a protection of sorts from the woes of the world. When we follow Christ, we learn ways to live well we learn to love others and ourselves, which inevitably creates deeper and more stable relationships; we learn to devote ourselves to God and Gods purposes, which offers meaning and fulfillment; we learn to refuse to play the games of greed, revenge and abuse of power, which controls our appetites and keeps us from self-destruction; we learn spiritual disciplines which increase our self-care and health. But, there is also a second truth people who follow Christ are not better than others. Gods blessing is not a reward for goodness. Suffering and difficulty are not Gods judgment or curse for our sinfulness or failings. The Gospel offers us doorways to life, while ensuring that we know that God has no favourites, and that our call is to invite all others to find life in Christ with us. How do we celebrate the gifts of following Christ, while avoiding the self-righteousness that so often characterizes people of faith? And how can we trust in Gods protection while remaining faithful and hopeful when we are persecuted or when we suffer? Perhaps you can explore that this week.
Notices:
Sunday Sessions - Church 4 Kids THIS evening 5.00pm - 6.30 @ Christ Church - fun time with BBQ to follow Lenten Study: Three studies with a shared supper to follow. Study comprises bible study, film, film analysis and discussion. Each study is a stand alone study. Christ Church 7.30pm Tuesday 5th March.
Direct Debit Offerings: Parish Account details: CBA Account Name Kilmore Anglican Parish. BSB 063-698. Account Number 1018 4649.
Parish Diary
1st Wed of the month: Building and Maintenance Committee Meeting 7.30pm Christ Church (unless otherwise notified) 3rd Tues of the month: St Matthews Friendship Group. Gavan Hall 2pm for fellowship & afternoon tea; please contact Edie Simp-
Rector: Fr Kim Benton 9 Union Street Kilmore 3764 Ph/Fax: 5782 1155 M 0407 569 343
[email protected]
Priest with PTO: Fr John Young 9 St. Matthews Village 34-40 Powlett Street Broadford 3658 Ph: 5784 2224
3. Jesus shows us in His person Gods own love revealed so clear; Love is present; God is with us Not to punish; not severe. He displays Gods loving nature, And that love casts out our fear. 4. Like the birds released from cages, Soaring to great heights unknown; Like the growth and life exploding When a tiny seed is sown; Courage blossoms; Hope grows deeper When Gods love is felt and known.