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ANGLICAN PARISH OF ATWELL/SUCCESS THE CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION Sunday Bulletin Fourth Sunday after Pentecost– 28th June 2009 |
Ministry takes effort
After you have put a lot of hard work into a project, and the project, whatever it is, is successful you can look back and say: ‘That was a job well done, it was really worth the effort’. When the going gets tough the tough get going as the saying goes. Often it can seem that there is just too much to do and the task is simply too large, yet if we are well motivated, we will persist and so produce the end result that is required. The New Testament talks about this as bearing fruit and as we say in Morning and Evening Prayer after the readings: ‘May your word live in us, and bear much fruit to your glory’.
When the woman who had been haemorrhaging for twelve years got close enough to Jesus and touched his cloak, he felt some of his power going out, so much so that he was brought up short, and he turned around to be face to face with the woman. What a wonderful outcome it was for her and such a testimony to her faith, which was affirmed by Jesus. She was then sent away in peace and was healed. This great outcome, however, was at a cost. Jesus as a human did not have unlimited physical resources and he, like everyone else, got tired and needed to refresh and recharge. This being said, he was confronted immediately with another critical pastoral situation. He did not say ‘no, I am too tired’, rather, he realised the gravity of the situation and attended. Again he performed a great healing miracle and saved the life of a twelve year old girl. In so doing he made a family whole again. Sometimes we need to respond when the crisis comes putting our own needs behind us and trusting that God will give us the energy and the courage to do what needs to be done.
Fr Clive
Sentence
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3.22-23
Prayer of the day
O Christ for whom we search, our help when help has failed: give us courage to expose our need and ask to be made whole, that, being touched by you, we may be raised to new life in the power of your name. Amen.
Reading: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27
After the death of Saul, when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. David intoned this lamentation over Saul and his son Jonathan. 18(He ordered that The Song of the Bow* be taught to the people of Judah; it is written in the Book of Jashar.) He said: 19Your glory, O Israel, lies slain upon your high places! How the mighty have fallen! 20Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon; or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice, the daughters of the uncircumcised will exult. 21You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor bounteous fields! *For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, anointed with oil no more. 22From the blood of the slain,
from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn back ,nor the sword of Saul return empty. 23Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.
24O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you with crimson, in luxury,
who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. 25How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan lies slain upon your high places. 26I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; greatly beloved were you to me; your love to me was wonderful,
passing the love of women. 27How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
Psalm 130
1 Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord:
Lord, hear my voice;
2 O let your ears consider well:
the voice of my supplication.
3 If you, Lord, should note what we do wrong:
who then, O Lord, could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with you:
so that you shall be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits for him:
and in his word is my hope.
6 My soul looks for the Lord:
more than watchmen for the morning,
more, I say, than watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, trust in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy:
and with him is ample redemption.
8 He will redeem Israel:
from the multitude of their sins.
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:7-15
Now as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you* – so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.*
8 I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. 9For you know the generous act* of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. 10And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something – 11now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. 12For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has – not according to what one does not have. 13I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between 14your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. 15As it is written, ‘The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.’
Gospel: Mark 5:21-43.
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat* to the other side, a great crowd gathered round him; and he was by the lake. 22Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet 23and begged him repeatedly, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.’ 24So he went with him.
And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25Now there was a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years. 26She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28for she said, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.’ 29Immediately her haemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ 31And his disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, “Who touched me?” ’ 32He looked all round to see who had done it. 33But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’
35 While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?’ 36But overhearing* what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’ 37He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39When he had entered, he said to them, ‘Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.’ 40And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha cum’, which means, ‘Little girl, get up!’ 42And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
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