"Come and see," said Philip Welcome to St Philip's O'Connor! Sunday 13 September 2009 Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost & 'Back to Church Sunday' 8.00am & 10 am Eucharist Readings: Isaiah 50.4-9a; James 2.18-26; Mark 8.27-38 10am Music: Together in Song: 432, 71 (response 2), 473, 526, 242 During The Prayers of the People: "A Touching Place" The Iona Community During Communion: "Wondrous Love" American Folk Hymn arr. Richard Walters Presiding & Preaching: Rev'd Ray Williamson Flowers: Kerry-Anne Cousins 8am: Sidespeople: Volunteer Reader: Rhonda Evans 10am: Lay Minister: Brian McKinlay Organist/Pianist: Colin Forbes Singers: Pat Forbes & Denise Manley Sidespeople: Leighton Mann & Hardy Palethorpe Bible Readers: 1st Brian McKinlay, 2nd Ann Munro Chalice Servers: Ruth McGorman-Mann & Hardy P Morning Tea: Odom Family Items for the Pewsheet and names for the Prayer list (add or remove), please forward to Leighton by Thursday! leighton.ruth@grapevine.com.au or 6161 7133 -------------- Dear Friends, A very warm welcome to St Philip's this morning for our Eucharist on this Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost ? which is also Back to Church Sunday. It is a pleasure to offer that welcome to you as we gather here for this special day with a real sense of being part of the community of faith. As we come to worship today we hear a gospel passage that is often seen as a turning point in Mark's gospel. It signals a moment of recognition: Peter confesses Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ. It reminds us that for each one of us, our own recognition of Jesus as the Christ is a profound turning point. But in the gospel passage, it all goes terribly wrong; and we are reminded also that we cannot escape the fact that confession of Jesus as Christ is not enough! Peter got the recognition right, but got it wrong in understanding the meaning of it. He rejects any suggestion that Jesus would ever be vulnerable and suffer, that Jesus would ever be anything but successful in the usual sense of the word. The portrait of Jesus we have in the gospels is one that subverts popular norms of greatness and power. But it does not just tell us something about Jesus as an historical person. It also has something to do with our understanding of God and our understanding of what it means to be a disciple. We are followers of one who lived seeking to liberate people from anything that oppressed them. His focus was about change in individuals and communities. In doing so he offered us a new understanding of God. This is the Christ we follow, and the God we worship and in whose presence we live. Today is the day Erica and I leave on our journey overseas ? to the Middle East, especially the Land of the Holy One, and to the UK. There will be ten of us in the Middle East (including Linda and Chris) and there are plans for us to offer an opportunity to tell something of our experience when we return (although finding a date is not easy!). I will be away for four Sundays, and then back till the end of November. May all be well here at St Philip's. Every blessing to you for today, and for these next few weeks, Ray. ---------------- Our New Rector It is with great pleasure that the St. Philip's members of the Clergy Appointment Board are finally able to advise that Bishop Stuart has appointed Rebecca Newland as Rector Designate of St Philip's. Rebecca will resign from her current position as Rector at St. Albans in Lyons sometime before 1 December, which, to the best of our knowledge, will be her induction date here. Her induction will also be Bishop Stuart's first official visit to St Philip's. Many parishioners will of course remember Rebecca with affection and respect from her previous time with us, most recently when she acted as our Rector while Rob Lamerton was on leave for 9 months from May 2006 to January 2007. Until Rebecca starts with us, Ray Williamson has generously agreed to continue as our locum, for which we remain extremely grateful, and indeed honoured. Denise Manley, Ian Cousins and Chris Cheah. --------- Weekly Offering/income needed to operate our Parish $2090 per week, excludes rental income. Offerings received 6 September: $514 + EFT $508 = $1022. Shortfall $1068 Pandora's income 4 & 5 September $195.25 ------------ WHAT'S ON @ ST PHILIP'S Piano Recital by our Organ Scholar: Alexander O'Sullivan Today 11.45am (duration approx. 45 mins) This is an opportunity for the congregation to hear the results of their support of Alexander's piano studies. Over the last 12 months Alexander has deputised on a number of occasions during Colin's absence, most notably over the Christmas period. We are grateful for his significant contribution, as he is for St Philip's assistance towards his development. This recital is both a 'dry run' for his impending AMusA & a practical way of saying 'thank you' to St Philip's. The recital is FREE, although donations towards the scholarship fund will be gratefully received. The programme includes works by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin & Bartok. St. Philip's Family Picnic Sunday 27 September, from 12noon Cotter Avenue, Cotter River Reserve BYO everything. Huge playground available for the kids. CAMRA Recital by Stephen Anthony Brown 'Five Knights and a Gondola': Tuesday 27 October, 7.30pm Garage Sale: Saturday 31 October, 8am ? 12noon All Souls / All Saints: Sunday 1 November Royal School of Church Music: Sunday 1 November, 3pm Hymnfest & Organ Recital: St Philip's O'Connor Gospel Service: Sunday 15 November, 10am St Philip's Twilight Community Fair: Saturday 21 November, 3-7pm Christ the King, Sung Eucharist (with incense) Sunday 22 November, 10am Robin Moore's Ordination: Saturday 28 November (St Saviours Cathedral, Goulburn) (time tbc) Advent Dinner in the Courtyard: Saturday 28 November, 6.30pm First Sunday of Advent: Sunday 29 November Fourth Sunday of Advent: Sunday 20 December Service of Lessons and Carols: 7.30pm Christmas Eve: Thursday 24 December Family Christmas Pageant: 7pm Sung Eucharist: 11.30pm Christmas Day: Friday 25 December Eucharist (with incense) 9am ---------- CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF CURSILLO On this weekend in September 1979 the first Cursillo Weekend was held at Bishopthorpe, introducing the Anglican Cursillo Movement into this diocese and the Anglican Church in Australia. To celebrate this event the Cursillo Movement in the diocese is having a Day of Celebration at St Saviour's Cathedral Goulburn on Saturday 3 October. The celebrations will start with a BYO Picnic Lunch in the Cathedral grounds followed by a Grand Ultreya service of worship and commemoration at 2.00 and afternoon tea. There is also a celebration dinner in the evening. everybody is most warmly invited to come along and join in. Talk to Cursillistas in the parish who can give you a helping hand with the program, transport and fellowship for this grand 30th anniversary occasion. +Stuart ---------- Your wonderful Recipes to Sarah Gowty for the St Philip's Cookbook, which will be launched & sold at the Fair Margaret Woodbridge is after Barbie Dolls and other Barbie products. Start making Christmas cakes ? ask for a refund for the cost of ingredients. Christmas cakes are a most sought after item on our Kitchen Creations stall! Start potting plants for the Garden Stall PLEASE PRAY FOR: St George's Anglican Church, Bagdad ** Ecumenical Cycle: Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania Anglican Communion: Southern Highlands, Tanzania:The Rt Rev'd John Mwela The Diocese Cycle: Ministry with Aboriginal People of Australia: Bishop James Leftwich, Aboriginal Clergy and People Combined Ministry District of St Paul's, Manuka, St David's, Red Hill and St Luke's, Deakin: Brian Douglas (Jane), Michael Armstrong (Angela), Bishop Neville Chynoweth (Joan), Peter Pocock, John Gibson (Narelle) St David's Close Self Care Units, Red Hill: Warden David Clark (Toni) Aged Care Chaplaincy: Jill Elliot, Chaplain to Morling Lodge Nursing Home, Jindalee Nursing Home and Carey Gardens Aged Hostel in Red Hill; Gloria Dowling, Chaplain to Mountain View Aged Care Facility John James Memorial Hospital: Clem Watts Pray for: Peace in the world. Those in need: Shirley Barrett, Stewart Barrett, Clive Lowes, David Marsden, Mervyn McInnes, Helen Gorrell, Paul & Elissa, Melissa & Samuel, Catherine, Joyce Braithwaite. The Departed: Athol Horace Barratt 9/9/04 ** ST GEORGE's Anglican Church was one of many buildings in Baghdad damaged during a day of bombings on Wednesday of last week. In one of the worst outbreaks of violence for many months, up to 100 people were killed and hundreds more were injured when government ministries in the Iraqi capital were targeted. Scores of buildings were hit by the force of the explosions. The Chaplain of St George's, Canon Andrew White, said: "One of the bomb blasts blew out every window in the church and in the clinic. No one there was killed, but several people in the clinic were injured by flying glass." He said that doctors from the clinic went out into the streets to help treat the hundreds of people injured by the bombings. "We give thanks to God that no one in the church was killed, and that our doctors were able to help." Canon White, who was in the UK at the time, said he had contacted the Bishop in Cyprus & the Gulf, the Rt Rev'd Michael Lewis, who had sent his love and prayers to all concerned. A statement from the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East said the motives for last Wednesday's bombings "were, in all probability, sectarian. Religious leaders wield enormous influence in Iraqi society; power that can be used for good or ill, to incite aggression, or to promote peace." Canon White is president of the Foundation. Although churches were not targeted in these bombings, Christian places of worship have been attacked. Last month, security at St George's and other churches was strengthened after seven churches in the capital and one in the northern city of Mosul were bombed. THIS WEEK Wednesday: 10am: Holy Communion Friday: 10am-1pm: Pandora's OPEN Saturday: 10am-1pm: Pandora's OPEN NEXT SUNDAY 8am & 10am Eucharist Readings: Proverbs 31.10-31; Psalm 1; James 3.1-12; Mark 9.30-37 Rosters: Cleaning: Shane & Tim Woodburn Flowers: Colleen Rischbieth 8am: Sidespeople: Tim Woodburn Reader: Shane Woodburn 10am: Sidespeople: Grace Barnes & Peter Andersson Bible Readers: 1st ??, 2nd Pat Forbes Chalice Servers: Grace B & James Kim Morning Tea: James K & Roger Sharp