Intercessions
This Parish: For our growth in this time of transition.
Diocese: Archbishop Roger Herft, Bp Mark Burton.
Parish of Karrinyup.
Province Parishes of Katanning, Wickham.
Australian Church: Primate, Phillip Aspinall,
Diocese of Wangaratta, Bp Farrer.
Anglican Communion: The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.
The Church of Ireland, Bp Harper.
Those in need: Murray Blore and his family.
NOTICES
Today: We welcome Fr Clive to preside and preach.
Please stay for a cuppa after the service.
Thursday: Frank Prendergast House, 1.00am.
Next Sunday Taizé Service: Sunday 27th April 5.00pm.
Progressive dinner: Saturday 24th May, 6.00pm
Readings Next Sunday, 6th Sunday of Easter (W), 27 April 2008
Acts 17:22-31; Psalm 66:7-19; 1 Peter 3:8-22; John 14:15-21.
Anglican Parish of Atwell/Success,
Harvest Lakes Community Centre Aurora Drive, Atwell,
(next to Harmony Primary School).
Services: Eucharist Each Sunday 5pm
(Frank Prendergast House, once each 4 weeks, 11am)
Locum Tenens: Fr. Clive McCallum Ph: 040 911 2079
Email: cdlc44@bigpond.com
Churchwardens: Gill King Ph: 0421 188 793
Neville Matheson Ph: 0419 046 811
Church Office: (answering machine) Ph: 9417 2480
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ANGLICAN PARISH OF ATWELL/SUCCESS THE CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION
Sunday Bulletin Fifth Sunday of Easter – 20 April 2008 |
The call to evangelise
In the Gospel reading today, Jesus states clearly that he is ‘the way and the truth and the life’, he adds that no-one comes to the father except through him. By this he means that if we have seen Jesus then we know what the Father, that is God, is like. It is the gift of God to us that he has given us the glimpse of what he is like. Having said this it is interesting to consider for what audience John was writing his gospel. While some argue that it was written chiefly for believers and their encouragement, others suggest that it was written specifically for unbelievers and as an incentive to encourage those who did not believe to believe. There were many Jews dispersed around the Mediterranean Sea as well as many proselytite, or people learning about how to become good Jews. To these groups John wrote his Gospel, making it clear that Jesus was key in their religious understanding and their future spiritual development.
It is important to remember that these words of Jesus were preached just before his departure from the disciples so it is important to recognise that he considered these words were very important, and more important than other things that he had said.
What this means for us is that we are called to evangelise. This means spreading the message of Jesus and what he means to us personally and to the church as a whole. It means reaching out to the community who have no real understanding of what Christianity is all about. The spreading of this good news is a personal responsibility as well as a corporate one. Through supporting and encouraging others to attend the various outreach events that are put on to bring others into the fellowship of Christians we can actively bring them into the community of faith.
What the Church’s aim is in proclaiming the good news is to create an ability in all members to be ready and able to witness or proclaim Jesus creatively and appropriately in their individual situation, doing this with God’s help.
Fr Clive
Sentence
‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life,’ says the Lord. ‘No one comes to the Father except through me.’ John 14.6
Prayer of the day
Everliving God, whose Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life:
give us grace to love one another, to follow in the way of his commandments,
and to share his risen life; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
First Reading Acts 7: 55-60
But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.
Psalm 31:1-5, 17-18.
1 To you, Lord, have I come for shelter:
let me never be put to shame.
2 O deliver me in your righteousness:
incline your ear to me and be swift to save me.
3 Be for me a rock of refuge, a fortress to defend me:
for you are my high rock and my stronghold.
4 Lead me and guide me for your name’s sake:
bring me out of the net that they have secretly laid for me, for
you are my strength.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit:
you will redeem me, O Lord God of truth.
15 While they plot together against me:
and scheme to take away my life.
16 But in you, Lord, have I put my trust:
I have said ‘You are my God.’
New Testament Reading 1 Peter 2:11-25
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.
For the Lord’s sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh. For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.
“He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
Gospel John 14:1-14
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
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