NETWORK NEWS
ST PETER’S ANGLICAN CHURCH
MERCURY BAY MISSION DISTRICT
JUNE 2017
OUR MISSION STATEMENT:
“TO KNOW AND MAKE KNOWN THE LOVE OF GOD”
JUNE WORSHIP SERVICES AT ST PETER’S
Sunday4th JuneHOLY COMMUNION
Presider:Gillian Reid Liturgist: Nicky Hewlett
Gospel and Reflection:Jenny Rainbow
Sunday11th JuneHOLY COMMUNION
Presider:Gillian ReidLiturgist:Jenny Rainbow
Gospel and Reflection:Gillian Reid
Sunday 18th JuneMORNING WORSHIP
Presider:Liturgist:Robin Rainbow
Gospel and Reflection:Edith Thompson
Sunday 25th JuneCombined Service with St Andrew’s - (Volunteers’ Day)
Presiders: Gillian Reid and John Twemlow
Weekly Service Roster
If you swap a duty with someone else – reading, chalice bearer, prayers etc, as well as changing it on the roster by the door please would you let the Liturgist for that Sunday know as they may not check the alterations during the week. This will make it much easier for them when putting the service together. Many thanks.
As always if you have travel plans please let Maxwell know before the rosters are finalized. Once the roster is finalized you must organize your own swaps if you can’t do a duty you are rostered for.
Gillian’s Monthly Musings:
The month of May certainly let us all know Autumn was now signing off, with the first of the really cold weather arriving, along with a couple of tropical cyclones passing us by. As we rug ourselves up with warmer clothes, fires, and heaters, it is easy to forget the many people who will struggle to keep even moderately warm over the next few months. However, the ‘Knit for a Purpose’ group have been busy over the Summer and Autumn, with another 90 litre bin of toddlers winter clothes absolutely full, and ready to be taken to the Anglican Trust for Women and Children in Auckland, for distribution to such families in need in the southern part of our Diocese. I am constantly amazed at the generosity of time given by the members of this group, to knit the garments they produce. If you feel like joining us, just let me know. We have plenty of wool, patterns and needles, but are always looking for more knitters.
We are making some progress towards dealing with our property issues.The Vicarage is now rented out, but we are finding that the building boom our town is undergoing is causing challenges to find a suitable builder and steel manufacturer, at a suitable price, to carry out the specialist repairs to our church. Keep your prayers going for our Church Board as it works through the issues it is facing trying to get us back into a home of our own.
We are heading towards our major festival of Pentecost, this year falling on Queen’s Birthday weekend. While it marks the end of the Easter period, it marks the beginning of our Christian church – our birthday in effect – and is definitely worth celebrating. Naturally we will have a party that Sunday, and during that we will also remember our Christian brothers and sisters who aren’t able to celebrate their faith with the freedom we take for granted. As you celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit that day, it would be good to just hold in your prayers all those who either don’t know the blessings of Christ, or for one reason or another, are prevented from worshipping our Triune God.
May the blessings of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be on you all as we journey from Easter to Pentecost and beyond.
EASTERAs I stand at the foot of the cross,
Gazing up at You.
Who am I,
What am I,
That You should even
Dare to die for me?
As I stand at the foot of the cross,
Gazing up at You.
Crown of thorns jammed upon Your head.
A crown that probably inflicted
Almost as much pain on the maker
As the wearer.
A reflection of the lengths to
Which some men will go
To inflict pain on another.
Who am I,
What am I,
That You should even
Dare to die for me?
As I stand at the foot of the cross,
Gazing up at You.
Thinking that You
Who had so much love to give:-
Who wept for the city
That welcomed You with Shouts of joy and palm-branches.
Only to have those same people turn and in hatred shout:-
"His blood be upon our heads”
And" (chillingly) " upon our children's".
That same One who had led their forefathers through the wilderness
And who had never quite been able to do enough
To satisfy them.
Again rejected by those who couldn't begin to understand
The depths of Your love.
The pain of that rejection
Still echoes through the ages.
So:-
Who am I,
What am I,
That You should even
Dare to die for me?
As I stand at the foot of the cross,
Gazing up at You.
Clotted blood no longer flowing
From the lacerations inflicted
By Roman whips.
Leather thongs with bits of metal in them,
Designed to crush and tear the flesh
With each and every blow.
Who am I,
What am I,
That You should even
Dare to die for me?
As I stand at the foot of the cross,
Gazing up at You.
Stretched out on a rough-hewn cross-bar
With a hole in the centre:-
The lump of wood that Simon of Cyrene
Was compelled to carry for You
As You stumbled up Golgotha's slopes
To fulfil Your destiny:-
Your plan of long ago.
Who am I,
What am I,
That You should even
Dare to die for me?
As I stand at the foot of the cross,
Gazing up at You.
Nailed to the cross-bar
Not through the hands, but through the wrists.
Nails shattering the Carpal bones,
Crushing the Median Nerve,
To inflict more pain with every movement.
Who am I,
What am I,
That You should even
Dare to die for me?
As I stand at the foot of the cross,
Gazing up at You.
Feet nailed together to an inadequate shelf
So that Your weight had to be borne
Either by the nails through Your tarsal bones
Or the ones through Your wrists.
Alternating pain
Wrists or ankles
Ankles or wrists
Wrists or ankles
Ankles or wrists
For six long hours.
Who am I,
What am I,
That You should even
Dare to die for me / As I stand at the foot of the cross,
Gazing up at You.
Arms stretched out, splinting Your chest
So that every breath required
A thrust against the nails through Your ankles
And a pull against the nails in Your wrists.
Each breath an agony to prevent suffocation.
Compounded by the pain
Of the wounds on your back
Being dragged against the sharp edge
Of the cross-bar
Or rubbed against the grain
Of the rough-cut upright.
Who am I,
What am I,
That You should even
Dare to die for me?
As I stand at the foot of the cross,
Gazing up at You.
Surrounded by the darkness.
Not just the physical darkness
That so scared the onlookers,
But the spiritual darkness of Your Soul
As You were made sin for me
And Your Father could no longer maintain
What had been an eternity of intimate fellowship.
A taste of Hell to miss
What you had known
Of Heaven's bliss.
Cut off from all support.
Left to suffer.
The Suffering of the Spirit
Of both the Father and the Son
Not even vaguely comprehensible by me.
Who am I,
What am I,
That You should even
Dare to die for me?
As I stand at the foot of the cross,
Gazing up at You.
Hearing that triumphant cry:-
"It is finished"
Costly victory won!
Your work on Earth is done!
Satan vanquished in what appeared to be
His hour of victory.
Who am I,
What am I,
That You should even
Dare to die for me?
As I stand at the foot of the cross,
Gazing up at You.
Watching the soldier
Thrust his spear into Your side.
The point passing beneath your ribs
On Your left side
Through Your stomach and into Your heart.
Blood and water, the sign of my redemption.
No pain for one already dead.
No need to break Your leg.
Who am I,
What am I,
That You should even
Dare to die for me?
As I stand at the foot of the cross,
Empty now
As is Your tomb!
For even now You live
Having conquered Death
By submitting to an agonising dying.
I gaze in wonder
At Your love
And grasp the truth
That You could see my need
And my potential to live with You
To live for You
Imperfectly for now
But perfectly in Your time
And by Your grace
And now I know
Who am I?
What am I?
I'm one for whom You dared to die!
(Kevin Pringle)
PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS
God our heavenly Father, when the thought of you wakes in our hearts, let its awakening not be like a startled bird that flies about in fear. Instead, let it be like a child waking from sleep with a heavenly smile.
I will be busy
O Lord, you know how busy I must be this day. If I forget you, do not forget me.
Knowing me better
I thank you, Lord, for knowing me better than I know myself, and for letting me know myself better than others know me. Make me, I pray you, better than they suppose, and forgive me for what they do not know.
Meditation for the day
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will remain with him and him with me.” The knocking of God’s spirit, asking to come into your life, is due to no merit of yours, though it is in response to the longing of your heart. Keep a listening ear, an ear bent to catch the sound of the gentle knocking at the door of your heart by the spirit of God. Then open the door of your heart and let God’s spirit come in.
The Church Board Meeting Report will be sent out separately each month with the network news.
LIFE IS BETTER WHEN YOU’RE LAUGHING
A man was telling his neighbor, "I just bought a new hearing aid. It
cost me four thousand dollars, but it's state of the art. It's perfect."
"Really," answered the neighbor. "What kind is it?"
"Twelve thirty."
+++++++++++++
A blonde notices her coworker has a thermos, so she asks him what’s it for.
He responds, “It keeps hot things hot and cold things cold.”
The blonde immediately buys one for herself. The next day, she goes to work and proudly displays it.
Her coworker asks, "What do you have in it?"
She replies, "Soup and ice cream."
++++++++++++++
EVENTS FOR ST PETER’S IN JUNE
Prayer Group / In recess for the time beingKnit for a Purpose / Friday 2nd June at St Patrick’s Church on Campbell St starting at 10am
Anglican Service at the Continuing Care Unit / At 11.00am on Wednesday 21st June – Please come along and join in the singing or help hand out books.
Combined Church Service / SundayJuly 30thWe are provided with a meal at 5.00pm and the service starts at 6.00pm. Home just after dark!
DO TRY THIS… IT IS YUMMY ON A COLD NIGHT…
1 tea bag of spicy chai-style herb tea / 1 tsp stevia-based sweetener¾ cup boiling water / 1 ½ cups soy milk (or milk of your choice
3 tsp caro cereal beverage (Ecco or Inka are alternatives) / 1 tsp vanilla essence
Sprinkle of fresh nutmeg (dried will do)
1.Place teabag and boiling water into a small saucepan allow to steep for at least 3 minutes to get the flavor out.
2. Add Caro and Stevia and stir to dissolve.
3. Add soy milk and vanilla essence then heat. (hot but not scolding)
4. Pour into cups and sprinkle with nutmeg, Sleepy sleep.
Website: wwwanglicanchurchwhitianga.org.nz
Wordpress:
Facebook: Local Shared Ministry Diocese of Auckland NZ
Mercury Bay LSM contact person: Nicola Hewlett
Ph. 8665115 Email: