Church News 5 September 2021
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Church News 5 September 2021 The Uniting Church in Australia
OUR VISION AND MISSION
Following Jesus and walking together, the Village Church aspires to live
God’s unconditional love. We live Christian faith with integrity and meaning
and, with a servant heart, we offer a place of welcome, care, inclusion and
healing.
MISSION:
We will live out our vision by:
• Following Jesus who lived with integrity, honesty and justice.
• Building community both within and beyond the church.
• Nurturing a questioning and living spirituality.
• Fostering an inclusive and welcoming spirit.
• Offering abundant care and compassion.
MINISTRY TEAM:
Minister of the Word / Team Leader: Rev Cameron McAdam
E: cameronmcadam@hotmail.com
P: 9787 1683 M: 0425 774 780
Playgroup Coordinator: Barbara Mort
E: ucame.playgroup@hotmail.com.au
P: 9787 1683
Youth Engagement Coordinator: Tim Gordon
E: tim.gordon@fusion.org.au
P: 0401 875 505
Pastoral Support: Shona Potts
E: ucame.pastoralcare@gmail.com
P: 0424 787 204
Communication & Administration: Sally Mullins
E: ucame@hotmail.com.au
P: 9787 1683
You can find us at:
fb.com/villagechurchmteliza @villagechurchmteliza
www.mtelizaunitingchurch.org.au
ORDER OF SERVICE
Sunday 5 September 2021
WELCOME
SONG TIS 718 Glory
OPENING PRAYER
SONG Still
INTRODUCTION
READING Philippians 4: 1, 4-13
REFLECTION In hope
Quiet reflection with music
SONG Come to the table
COMMUNION
LORD’S PRAYER
SONG It is well with my soul
BLESSING
SONG May the Lord bless you today
WHAT’S COMING UP?
Sunday
September 5 10:00am Sunday Service led by Rev Cam McAdam via
Live stream on Facebook only due to Lockdown
11:00am Zoom Morning tea (refer details in Cam’s email)
Monday
September 6
Tuesday
September 7
Wednesday
September 8 10:00am Men’s Coffee catch up via Zoom
Thursday
September 9 7:30pm Bible study led by Cam via Zoom
Friday
September 10 10:00am Ladies Coffee catch up via Zoom
5:00pm Baptism & Confirmation group via Zoom
7:00pm Village Youth via Zoom
Saturday
September 11
Sunday
September 12 10:00am Sunday Service led by Rev Cam McAdam
Self care has never
been more important
as it is during
lockdown...
Self care tip #2
If you are lacking motivation,
start small, baby steps,
but start today, and
repeat tomorrow.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA THIS WEEK...
Happy first day of Spring.
Let this season of new life delight
your senses.
What a gift from God!
This Sunday during our livestream
service we will share in communion
together in the comfort of our home.
We want to extend an invitation to all
our community, including any in our
extended community who follow us
on social media, to join with us
around the virtual communion table,
as we receive this wonderful gift
Jesus has given us.
We are living in challenging times.
Political wrangling, anger, individuals,
businesses and community
organisations suffering and many
struggling with mental health. We
crave a path forward, some hope.
How can we find peace?
This week...with Cam Without exception, the highlight of my week is our Sunday worship and gathering. Despite us being in so many places, the sense of community, of togetherness is palpable. Weirdly, I can hear us singing together, praying together, the Holy Spirit drawing us to be one. This time for me, lifts me, gives me strength to live (or sometimes endure) the week ahead. Special for me this week, has been preparing the reflection for Sunday. It’s been so meaningful. As I opened Paul’s letter to the Philippians and read through chapter 4, as I’ll say on Sunday, I could feel myself rise. This is a beautiful and uplifting text. Combined with communion, our music, and prayers, I long for Sunday and the special occasion I pray it again might be. Pastoral – How are you doing? As we seek to care for our church in this lockdown time, it is so difficult to know, when we don’t see people, who might benefit from a call. In honesty, I’ve never been a minister who has systematically visited the congregation and with a church our size it would be very difficult – even with a team. Rather, I have tried in my ministry to be present for those who have a need or pastoral moment. It is important that we remember that the pastoral ministry of the church belongs to the whole church, not just the minister or ministry team or church council. Occasionally I hear a disappointment that someone hasn’t heard from the church (usually means minister), or I hear that someone has been in hospital or had a need long after it has happened. So please, let me know, call Shona or I, give us the low down on something happening, and always call or message if we can be of help, or you just want a chat. Tell me how you’re doing, what you’re thinking, and how you’re holding up. Communion There are some thoughts on communion in Church News, but just a note here to remind you that we are having communion on Sunday, and so please prepare some elements and yourself for this time. Morning Tea If you’d like to join me for Morning Tea on Sunday, here’s the link. Note the time this week will be 11:15am. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84153233051?pwd=ZzVCdFlRV2lKNGVrd2NtQVhZUTYzZz09 Meeting ID: 841 5323 3051 Passcode: 289747 Just for a laugh Lastly, there’s some great videos doing the rounds, some in Church News, but here’s 23 seconds of something for dog lovers. It made me LOL!! (1) Facebook It is a challenging time and none of us have experienced anything like this before. Hang in there. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.” (Philippians 4: 4-5)
Bible Study
In hope
Welcome each other and share.
Opening discussion…
➢ How do we rejoice in the face of adversity?
Reading Philippians 4: 1, 4-13
➢ Take a moment to reflect on the passage as a group, what jumps out
of the text?
Some thoughts…
Across Paul’s story he has given up so much, lost so much, his life has been
totally turned on its head, transformed by his encounter with Jesus on the
Damascus Road. From exemplary Pharisee and persecutor to Christian
leader.
• Think about the theological issues this man takes on, the whole
controversy about gentiles being included in the church.
• Think about the turmoil of the religious world in which Paul lives.
• Think about the guilt that he carries from his former life (no wonder
he doesn’t want to look back).
• Think about the immense pressure and tension this man would
have lived with.
He has lost and gained, as he tells us in chapter 1, “Living is Christ, and
dying is gain…”. He longs to know Jesus, his resurrection, his sufferings, his
life, his death and his resurrection – everything he does is to know and live
into the way of Jesus – everything – and in the face of all that is going on
around him, stress, longing for the Philippians, imprisonment and likely
death, it is here, in Jesus, that he finds a depth of peace that surpasses all
understanding.
Questions…
1. What does theologian Karl Barth mean when he refers to joy as
‘continual defiant nevertheless?’
2. What is peace that surpasses all understanding?
Prayer Spend time in prayer, holding your thoughts, and if in a group, your
conversation and time together, before God.
Ladies Zoom coffee catch up
Only a small group at Ladies catch up on Zoom last Friday, but still lots to talk
about and laughter a plenty.
There will be
another Ladies
Zoom coffee catch
up next Friday 10th
September. Please
let Marilyn Mason
know if you would
like to join.
Men’s Zoom Coffee catch up
The Men’s coffee group enjoyed its
time together on Wednesday,
covering a range of topics and
relishing plenty of fun and humour
along the way.
All men are welcome and while our
lockdown continues our zoom
meetings will be weekly each
Wednesday from 10 am.
The zoom details are always the
same - as follows:
https://zoom.us/j/7144550573?pwd=SzJDbVdCQTY5N25RTzZUeTBNWDdTdz09
Meeting ID: 714 455 0573 Passcode: 443692
Some humour shared by Chris Dalton...
In the weekly Church newsletter, Cam has opened a
Pandora’s Box for finding humour in Covid!
Many of you will know how I like English spoken
properly. Well, unfortunately that is now going to be
rather difficult under the new Covid rules, as shared on
this YouTube clip. Have a listen at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ctZPNppUt4
Good luck with following these new rules! Chris
Keeping fit in Lockdown
Carol Carney
This week, Carol shared what she has been
getting up to during this lockdown.
“I got this (trampoline) for my recent 61st
birthday. Great way of keeping fit in a
confined space. It can take up to 150 kg!!
Never too old for childish fun.“
Absolutely never too old Carol,
love your energy!!
A few good looking birds...
Recently, Ivor Burt took a morning bike ride to Braeside Park. Ivor shared,
“It was extremely chilly but saw a few good looking birds......”
The pictures below show:
• Chestnut Teal - female & male - having a little nap before morning tea.
• Chestnut Teal - female & male - awake and ready for a swim and a feed
• Black Swan - not sure whether male or female - need to see a pair together
to differentiate
• Grey Teal - getting amongst the duckweed - very similar to female
Chestnut Teal, so might even be those.
• Hoary-headed Grebe - male in his striped-head breeding plumage (it must
be Spring!) - very shy and swimming away fast.
Fathers day
blessing
To all the fathers,
grandfathers, mentors
and father figures, we
pray a blessing and give
thanks for all you do and
for the lives you’ve
nurtured.
We also pray a blessing
for those who find this a
sad day. May you feel
nurtured by our Heavenly
Father.Just for a laugh…
Some quotes taken from a book called
“Disorder in the Court.”
These are things people actually said in court.
Q What is your date of birth?
A July Fifteenth.
Q What year?
A Every year.
Q What gear were you in at the moment of impact?
A Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
Q This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
A Yes.
Q And in what ways does it affect your memory?
A I forget.
Q You forget. Can you give us an example of something you have forgotten.
Q What is the first thing your husband said to you when he woke this
morning?
A He said: “Where am I, Cathy?”
Q Why did that upset you?
A My name is Susan.
Q Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people?
A All of my autopsies have been performed on dead people.
Q All your responses must be oral—is that understood? Right, what
school did you go to?
A Oral.
Q Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
A No.
Q Did you check for blood pressure?
A No.
Q Did you check for breathing?
A No.
Q So, then is it possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
A No.
Q How can you be sure, doctor?
A Because his brain was sitting in a jar on my desk.
Q Nevertheless?
A Well, yes, it is possible he could have been alive and practising law some-
where.Preparing for Communion at home this Sunday…
This Sunday we will again include Holy Communion as part of our livestream
service. The Uniting Church National Assembly continues to allow for the
provision of communion in an online service. At the heart of Christian faith,
and as the Uniting Church’s Basis of Union states, we “…acknowledge that
the continuing presence of Christ with his people is signified and sealed by
Christ in…Holy Communion…” By sharing in communion, “…the people of
God…are strengthened for their participation in the mission of Christ in the
world...”.
As we prepare for communion as a community, may we remember, as the
invitation at the beginning of communion often says, “This is the table of our
Lord Jesus Christ. Because it is his table, all are invited to join this meal. It
doesn’t matter who you are, where you are, where you come from or what
others may think of you. You are welcome at Jesus’ table. This is an invitation
to participate, to taste, to see, to experience, to be changed. As with any
invitation you are free to make your own response. Whether you choose to
receive the bread and wine today or choose not to, please know that you
are equally respected and loved by this community.”
Holy Communion will mean different things for different people, and even
during our lives will bring different meaning for us depending on our personal
circumstances or that of the community, or the circumstances that we’re
receiving. This meal changes and transforms people’s lives. We could quickly
grab things that represent bread and wine, but I invite you to use this unusual
experience as an opportunity to think through what communion means for
you and/or the people in your household. Think through how you prepare
elements, where you sit and how you set them out, and what other symbols
might be present for you to make this meaningful.
Some thoughts…
• Bread: What bread will you use? Bake something together as a
family. Purchase something special. Grab something from the freezer? What does
the bread represent? Should be a loaf or will crackers do and what is the
difference as a symbol?
• Wine: Do you have grape juice or wine? Would water or something else work in
the same way? What does it symbolise?
• Cup/Plate: Traditionally, a chalice and paten, what will you place your bread on
and wine in and why?
• Cloth: Do you have a cloth (white in the church as a sign of divinity) to sit the
bread and wine on? Will you use something else that is special to you, your
culture or family? Where will you set out the communion?
• Symbols: What other symbols could you add to this space to make it special for
you. Your bible, a candle, a cross, Church News to remind you of the community
that gathers with and around you, might all be some examples.Music that holds meaning and
memories...
Contribution by Margaret Ferguson
“ Be Still my Soul” is a song very close to my heart.
Many years ago I was introduced to this song, which is
sung to the tune Finlandia. I was very moved by the
words and the melody and found it was most uplifting
at a time in my life when I was really struggling. I arranged for it to be played
and sung at my mother’s funeral in 1984 and later at my father’s funeral in
1985. Sadly, the minister conducting that service didn’t have the music so he
just read the words.
I have sung it many times since then and it was played at my late husband’s
funeral last year. Due to Covid -19, a recorded version was used and I think I
found the best version of it on line. You can find the recording here:
https://youtu.be/_SK6xYvNaMY
I have told my family I want it played at my funeral too.
‘Be still my soul, the Lord is on your side,
bear patiently the cross of grief or pain’
I found much comfort singing it again during last Sunday’s service as we all
experience Lockdown and all that it entails. Margaret
Contribution by Chris Opie
Music that has special meaning to me…
I could mention Elgar’s Nimrod as played by friend on organ (but not to
ignore Lux Aterna by Voces8), or sharing Vaughan Williams’ The Lark
Ascending with friends past, or singing anything of John Rutter, but what I
reflect on most is my Dad singing this lullaby to me as a young child (I think he
knew it before the Beatles did). I even silently hum it occasionally now when I
cannot sleep!
‘Golden slumbers fill your eyes
Smiles awake you when you rise.
Sleep little darling, do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby.’Dear Friends,
Last week, I wrote about the unfolding crisis in Afghanistan – and I’ve been
incredibly humbled by the response. Together, we’ve already raised
$120,000 to support families uprooted by the conflict with the Taliban.
With lockdowns across Australia, it’s been heart-warming to see so many
people responding so generously, despite the tough times here.
While evacuations out of Kabul have now ended with the withdrawal of US
troops overnight, the humanitarian crisis is far from over. My team and I have
been in constant contact with our local partner on the ground in
Afghanistan. Like many of us who’ve been watching events unfold, they’re
feeling a great sense of disbelief at how quickly the situation has
deteriorated. People are terrified of the Taliban and the recent bombings are
adding another layer of complexity in a challenging context where people
are already struggling through drought and an escalating COVID-19 crisis.
Over the next three months, they aim to meet the vital needs of 660
displaced Afghan families – providing much needed cash assistance through
safe, verified transfers to fulfil their essential needs. But they need our support
to do it.
I can’t stop thinking about our partner staff as they watch their country being
torn apart. With the urgent need on the ground, I believe we must act, and
act fast, to support them. Please give what they can today to help provide
urgently needed food, shelter and vital health supplies.
Please give today at www.actforpeace.org.au/afghanistan
In faith,
Janet Cousens CEO – Act for PeaceIf you have any questions about safe church, please contact our Safe Church Coordinator, Kaye de Wijn on 0409 385 154 or kaye@dewijn.net
Church Lockdown 6.0 Roster:
September 2021
**September 5**
Worship Leader: Cam McAdam
Bible Reader: Margaret Brown
Music: Margaret Brown
Singers: Chris Opie & Cam Opie
Power point: David Brown (prepared prior)
Technical support: Tim Gordon
September 12
Worship Leader: Cam McAdam
Bible Reader: Cam Opie
Music: Chris Opie
Singers: Margaret Brown & Cam Opie
Power point: David Brown (prepared prior)
Technical support: Tim Gordon
September 19
Worship Leader: Cam McAdam
Bible Reader: Chris Opie
Music: Margaret Brown
Singers: Chris Opie & Cam Opie
Power point: David Brown (prepared prior)
Technical support: Tim Gordon
September 26
Worship Leader: Cam McAdam
Bible Reader: Chris Opie
Music: Chris Opie
Singers: Margaret Brown & Cam Opie
Power point: David Brown (prepared prior)
Technical support: Tim GordonThink on These things Philippians 4: 8-9
You can also read
