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ANGLICAN PARISH OF ATWELL/SUCCESS THE CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION
Sunday Bulletin Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost – 19th October 2008 |
Saint Luke
The feast day of Saint Luke is October 18 and he is traditionally regarded as the patron of Physicians and Surgeons. Luke, the writer of the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, has been identified with St. Paul’s “Luke, the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14). It is believed that Luke was born a Greek and a Gentile. In Colossians 10-14 Paul speaks of those friends who are with him. He mentions Jews but does not include Luke in this group. Luke’s gospel shows special sensitivity to evangelizing Gentiles. It is only in his gospel that we hear the parable of the Good Samaritan, that we hear Jesus praising the faith of Gentiles such as the widow of Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian (Lk.4:25-27), and that we hear the story of the one grateful leper who is a Samaritan (Lk.17:11-19). According to the early Church historian Eusebius Luke was born at Antioch in Syria.
Today it would be easy to assume that someone who was a doctor was rich, but Luke might have been born a slave. It was not uncommon for families to educate slaves in medicine so that they would have a resident family physician. St Paul and other early writers all refer to Luke as a physician.
Forgiveness and God’s mercy to sinners are important in his gospel. Only in Luke do we hear the story of the Prodigal Son welcomed back by the overjoyed father. Only in Luke do we hear the story of the forgiven woman disrupting the feast by washing Jesus’ feet with her tears. Throughout Luke’s gospel, Jesus takes the side of the sinner who wants to return to God’s mercy. Reading Luke’s gospel gives a good idea of his character as one who loved the poor, who wanted the door to God’s kingdom opened to all, who respected women, and who saw hope in God’s mercy for everyone.
Fr Clive
Sentence
The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; ask therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Luke 10.2
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, who inspired your servant Luke the physician to set forth in his Gospel the love and healing power of your Son: graciously continue in your Church
this love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
First Reading: Jeremiah 8:22-9:3
Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of my poor people not been restored?
O that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people! O that I had in the desert a traveler’s lodging place, that I might leave my people and go away from them! For they are all adulterers, a band of traitors. They bend their tongues like bows; they have grown strong in the land for falsehood, and not for truth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, says the Lord.
Psalm 145: 10-18
10 All creation praises you, O Lord:
and your faithful servants bless your name.
11 They speak of the glory of your kingdom:
and tell of your great might,
12 That the whole earth may know your mighty acts:
and the glorious splendour of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom:
and your dominion endures through all generations.
14 The Lord upholds all those who stumble:
and raises up those that are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you in hope:
and you give them their food in due season;
16 You open wide your hand:
and fill all things living with your bounteous gift.
17 The Lord is just in all his ways:
and faithful in all his dealings.
18 The Lord is near to all who call upon him:
to all who call upon him in truth.
Second Reading: 2 Timothy 4:9-17a
Do your best to come to me soon, for Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful in my ministry. I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will pay him back for his deeds. You also must beware of him, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.
Gospel: Luke 10:1-9
After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
Intercessions
This Parish: Fr Clive, Diane and new growth.
Diocese: Archbishop Roger Herft, Bp Tom Wilmot.
Parish of Balga-Mirrabooka clergy & people.
Province: Parishes of Coodanup and Wickham.
Australian Church: Primate, Phillip Aspinall, Diocese of Bathurst,
Bps Hurford and Danaher, clergy & people.
Anglican Communion: The Church of the West Indies.
Those in need: Murray Blore and his family, Riley, Debbie, Andy and Jade Calmeyer, Derek, Yvette.
NOTICES
Today: We welcome Fr Clive to preside and preach.
Please stay for a cuppa after the service.
Sunday 9th November: Confirmation service and visit by Bp Kay Goldsworthy.
Creative crafts meets monthly on a Monday.
Priest’s day away from Parish Duties is Monday.
Readings Next Sunday, Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost (G), 26 October 08
Deut 34:1-12; Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17; 1 Thess 2:1-13; Matt 22:34-46
Anglican Parish of Atwell/Success,
Harvest Lakes Community Centre Aurora Drive, Atwell,
(next to Harmony Primary School).
Parish Web site: http://transfig.wordpress.com/
Services: Eucharist Each Sunday 5pm
(Frank Prendergast House, once each 4 weeks, 11am)
Priest in Charge: 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
Filed under: pew sheet
