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ANGLICAN PARISH OF ATWELL/SUCCESS THE CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION Sunday Bulletin Twenty-seventh Sunday after Pentecost – 16th November 2008 |
Share your talents
Early in today’s gospel story Jesus raises the stakes. Instead of speaking about a day’s wage or what you eat for the day, he takes on the bigger picture of fifteen or more years of one’s working life. By doing this Jesus is making it clear for us that he is talking about lifelong commitments and what one works for over the whole of one’s life. A ‘talent’ that Jesus refers to is calculated as the wages a fulltime worker would gain over a fifteen year period. Clearly the longer term is being addressed, like when we have to take on a secured loan with a long period of time in which to pay it back.
While the parable is presented in terms of economics, that is not its principle focus. When you do work you have to put in a lot of effort in your job but certainly not to the exclusion of other priorities. Family, friends, recreation, helping others, worship and prayer should all be considered and balanced in the living of a Christian life. In the past the church has quite effectively spoken of our time, our talents and our possessions in an attempt to have people consider the balance and to respond in loving service. ‘Time’ means the time we put into the church through worship and preparation, ‘talents’ are the skills that each of us posses, all different, yet when combined provide a rich diversity of abilities that can make the church really flourish. ‘Possessions’ refers to the monetary aspect of life. Money is needed to keep the church going, to keep it vital and to ensure the continuance of a priestly presence.
All our time, talents and possessions are combined and they produce the effect of a vibrant mission shaped church daring to live God’s promises, as we find explained in the bible. If we believe in the Kingdom of God and of the need to follow Jesus, then we give all we can. This does not restrict us, rather it frees us to live a life that is governed by the peace of God that passes all understanding.
Fr Clive
Sentence
God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other.
1 Thessalonians 5.9, 11
Prayer of the Day
Everliving God, before the earth was formed, and even after it shall cease to be, you are God. Break into our short span of life and show us those things that are eternal, that we may serve your purpose in all we do; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in unity with the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
First Reading: Judges 4:1-10
The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. So the Lord sold them into the hand of King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-ha-goiim. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and had oppressed the Israelites cruelly twenty years. At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment. She sent and summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you, ‘Go, take position at Mount Tabor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of Zebulun. I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.’ ” Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” And she said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh. Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and ten thousand warriors went up behind him; and Deborah went up with him.
Psalm 123
1 To you I lift up my eyes:
you who are enthroned in the heavens.
2 As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master:
or as the eyes of a maid toward the hand of her mistress,
3 So our eyes look to the Lord our God:
until he show us his mercy.
4 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us:
for we have had our fill of derision.
5 Our souls overflow with the mockery of those at ease:
and with the contempt of the proud.
Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1-11
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
Gospel: Matthew 25:14-30
“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Intercessions
This Parish: Fr Clive, Diane and new growth.
Diocese: Archbishop Roger Herft, Bp Mark Burton.
Parish of Forrestfield/Wattle Grove, Keith Elvish & people.
Province: Diocese of Bunbury, Bp David McCall, clergy & people.
Parish of Broome.an Anglicare Council and Parish of Wickham.
Australian Church: Primate, Phillip Aspinall, Diocese of Canberra & Gouldburn,
Bp Allan Ewing, clergy & people.
Anglican Communion: The Church in Lusitania, Portugal.
Those in need: Murray Blore and his family, Riley, Debbie, Andy and Jade Calmeyer, Derek, Yvette & Ty, Sue, John and family.
NOTICES
Today: We welcome Fr Clive to preside and preach.
Please stay for a light meal after the service.
Church Council: Tuesday 2 December, 7.30pm.
Sunday 14th December: Christmas carol service with bible readings. Our gift to the community at the time of celebrating the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
Priest’s day away from Parish Duties is Monday.
Readings Next Sunday, Christ the King (W), 23 November 08
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Psalm 100; Ephesians 1:15-23; Matt 25:31-46
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
