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Advent,
2011 - From the Rector
Advent
& Christmas Services For 2011
Upcoming
Edie’s Queries
Laughter Lines
The View From Someplace Else
New
Zealand
A Saint
Of Advent And
All Saints’ Q &
A Column
Very Special
Delivery
Dust If You Must
Advent, 2011 - From the
Rector
Greetings,
Mid-November and the end of the liturgical year
are upon us, and along with decisions to be made for Advent and Christmas
programmes at church, there has come a number of queries on the home front from
family members about how the Lyons will celebrate Christmas this year. Among
those questions: What do you want for Christmas?
Honestly, there really is nothing I particularly
want or need for Christmas. I will be delighted to have family together for the
Christmas Eve Candlelight Mass, and for celebration and companionship over the
holy days. I couldn’t ask for anything more on the home front!
But if someone were to ask me what I wanted for
Christmas in terms of church life, I think I could come up with a wish list too
lengthy to include in this space in the Church Chat! Some of the items would
be:
- A movement of Holy
Spirit in the lives of each and every one of our members, bringing us to
an astonished and abiding awareness of how God is near and working in us
to bring us home to our special place at His family table. I would love to
see tears of joy and feel hearts full of wonder as we celebrate Jesus’
coming into this world at Christmas to find us and save us for Our Father.
Send forth Your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth!
- An openness to risk,
adapt, and expend effort and resources in reaching out to the people
closest to us, both in terms of affection and in terms of ‘place’, so that
our families and our neighbours might come to All Saints’ and find here
the love of God which has touched and changed our lives forever. Your
love, O God, forever will we sing!
- An outpouring of
gifts for ministry from all of our members evidenced by quick and
passionate volunteering to assist with things like Sunday School, Nursery,
worship, outreach, hospitality, and administration. “Now to each one is
given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”(I Cor 12:7)It
would be such a blessing to have more help in each of these areas – Lord,
hear my prayer!
- A Sunday morning
gathering which begins to grow, bucking recent trends here and throughout
the wider church, and bringing excitement and enthusiasm to our weekly
worship in new measures of fullness. Come, Holy Spirit, come! Bless our
efforts in connection with proposed changes to our pattern of worship for
the New Year. Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the
earth!
- A tangible
carry-over of the love expressed during our weekly, Sunday morning sharing
of the ‘Peace’ so that each and every person attending church receives
that Sunday morning affirmation of love, community, and concern Monday
through Saturday as well. We are the Body of Christ every day, and each
one of us should know and feel that we are a part of it!
- Healing for broken
hearts, broken families, broken relationships, broken lives, broken
dreams, and broken bodies so that abundant life in Jesus may flow freely
through us in this place, according to His promise: “Heal the sick, raise
the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received,
freely give.”(Matthew 10:8)
- Peace – the gift of
Jesus (John 14:27) – to instil in us a passionate commitment to the
justice, equity, fairness, and compassion that mark the Kingdom of Heaven
as we serve it here and now. Our Father in Heaven, Your Kingdom come!
The list could go on and
on – but don’t be constrained by the limitations of my version. Jesus teaches
that we have a God who will not withhold from us, His children, any of those
good gifts we need. “If you then, who are sinful, know how to give good gifts
to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to
those who ask Him!” (Mat 7:11).
Moreover, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from
the Father of lights in heaven…” (James 1:17). God the Father not only has, and
sends us, the good gifts we need - He longs for us to receive and accept them!
So…I invite you to make up
your own wish list for our parish family, and turn it into a prayer for God’s
blessing and equipping of our congregation. Pray it during this Advent &
Christmas season, for these are the days when we remember the greatest gift
ever given: Jesus Christ – given to us
by the greatest ‘gift-giver’ of all time: Our Father - “so that all who believe in Him might have
eternal life.” May Holy Spirit renew our church in faith, hope, and love.
May God grant you and
yours, every good and perfect gift this Christmastide and always!
Yours in Christ
Robin
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Advent
& Christmas Services For 2011
Sun. Dec. 11 –
Advent III 8.00 a.m. Holy Communion
11.00 a.m. Parish Family
Eucharist, Sunday
School,
Nursery
Christmas Gifts to House of Friendship
Sun. Dec. 18 - Advent IV 8.00 a.m. Holy
Communion
11.00 a.m. Parish
Family Eucharist, Sunday
School,
Nursery
Christmas Gifts to
Sat. Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve
5.00 p.m. Walk-on Pageant and
Eucharist Service.
10.30
p.m. Candlelight Eucharist
Sun. Dec. 25 – Christmas Day
9.00 a.m. “Quiet” Eucharist
Sun. Jan. 1 – Naming of Jesus 8.00 a.m. Holy
Communion
(note time change) 9.00
a.m. Parish Family Eucharist
Upcoming
Our plans for the mission trip
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Edie’s Queries by
Edythe Christy
Why Do We Just Settle For
Happiness?
Birthday wishes that I sent recently said, “wishing
you nothing but happiness” until I changed them to say, ‘everything and’
happiness”. Happiness doesn’t happen that often, but we still think it’s the
top goal in life.
Hugh Mackay, psychologist and social researcher,
writes in Reader’s Digest, (November, 2011),”There’s been so much emphasis on
happiness, positive thinking and invincible self-esteem, we are in danger of
forgetting that an important part of being a complete person is learning to
handle the tough stuff as well. Obviously, positive emotions are more enjoyable
but it’s perfectly normal to be engulfed by waves of grief and stymied by
feeling of despair. All those emotions have something to teach us about
ourselves, and without them we’d never know what happiness is. The Greek
philosopher, Aristotle, taught that the ideal was the life of ‘eudaimonia’ –a
word usually translated as “happiness”. His idea of happiness comes much closer
our word ‘wholeness’. For Aristotle, ‘eudaimonia’ was about living in
accordance with reason; fulfilling our sense of purpose; doing our civic duty;
living virtuously; being fully engaged with the world; and, especially,
experiencing the richness of human love and friendship.
Mackay goes on to say, “When I hear parents say, “I
only want my children to be happy,” I’m always tempted to ask: “Is that all you
want for them? Do you really want them to be as emotionally deprived as that?
Don’t you want them to learn how to cope with disappointment, failure and
unfairness?” There’s a real danger that we might only make things worse if we
put too much emphasis on positive thinking and not enough on the process of
living courageously, kindly and even nobly in the face of all this change(in
our contemporary world)”.
Isn’t happiness the height of pursuits, to live for
our own pleasure, to protect and preserve our own life, and to gain as much of
the world as we possibly can? Don’t we just have to ask for things or imagine
in our dreams?
Yes, there is MORE! “Infinitely more than we can ask
or imagine”! Is that phrase familiar? Every week our congregation says it
together. What is the MORE of this scripture from Ephesians 3:20-21? Paul
explains earlier that he prays for the Holy Spirit to strengthen his readers so
that Christ will dwell in their hearts through faith. That is the FIRST
requirement. Then for confidence in Christ’s presence, that they may have power
to “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ –
surpassing knowledge”. (verses 18 &19). How extravagant and limitless!
But, wait a minute – this Doxology begins, “Glory to
God”. The glory is not to us, then! As in the Psalm “Not to us, O Lord, not to
us, but to your name be the glory because of your LOVE and FAITHFULNESS” (Psalm
115:1). God ‘s love and faithfulness causes Christ to dwell in our hearts, to
make us believers and as true believers, DISCIPLES.
The Greek word translated, “ disciple”, means ‘a
learner, a gatherer of information’. This means following the teacher closely,
watching him, listening to him and becoming like him. The teacher’s goal is to
pass on his teachings and conduct to future generations. This relationship is
close and personal requiring commitment to follow a “person”. Such a life has a
cost to be counted. Our attachment to possessions, family and friends, or
social obligations may have to be relinquished when we hear Christ calling,
FOLLOW ME!
This sacrificial life is unheard of in the goals of
the world around us as I mentioned at the beginning. Do we really have to live
this way in reality or can we just repeat the words that “we renounce the
world, the flesh and the devil” or that,” We believe in Jesus Christ … Our
Lord”, and hope that God will understand when we fail. The Greek word, ‘kurios’
is translated “Lord”. It means to have authority as master. Jesus Christ can
claim this authority as “he humbled himself and became obedient to death…on a
cross” for His disciples.
KNOW WHAT? There is no human being who can do this
‘renouncing’ or ‘believing’. So we say “Glory to God, WHOSE POWER WORKING IN
US, CAN DO” it. It is not from our parents or grandparents or other family
members, not from our good activities, nor from the group of Christ’s followers
(the church) we might be with. It is from God only, by His Holy Spirit. Even
whatever we might ask from God or, as we think about our lives, whatever we
might imagine for ourselves as living as Christ’s disciples, is much less than
God is able and willing to do in us. What He can accomplish in our personal
lives, our families and our church is infinitely and immeasurably MORE than we
can possibly think of. As we learn from Christ and study God’s living word, we
find His Life filling our beings. This increases more and more Jesus said in
John 14:21, “He who HAS My commandments and KEEPS them is the one who LOVES Me
and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will LOVE him and will
DISCLOSE myself to him”.
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Laughter Lines Submitted by William
Barnes
A
little boy was waiting for his mother to come out of the grocery store.
As he waited, he was approached by a
man who asked, "Son, can you
tell me where the Post Office is?"
The little boy replied, "Sure!
Just go straight down this
street a coupla blocks and turn to your
right."
The man thanked the boy kindly and
said, "I'm the new pastor in town.
I'd like for you to come to church on
Sunday. I'll show you how to get to
Heaven."
The little boy replied with a chuckle.
"Awww, come on... You don't even
know the way to the Post Office."
GOD Promised......!!!
While creating wives, God
promised men that
good
and obedient wives would be found in all
corners of the world.
And then
He made the earth round.
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The View From Someplace Else An Edie Extra
An
Edie Extra
“Scripture tells that Abraham “without weakening in
his faith,…faced the fact that his body was as good as dead…He did not
waver…regarding the promise…, being fully persuaded that God had power to do
what he had promised” (Romans 4:19-21)..He was not discouraged, because he was
not looking at himself but at Almighty God. He stood straight, not bending
beneath the staggering load of God’s blessing. Instead of growing weak, his
faith grew stronger, exhibiting more power, even as more difficulties became
apparent. Abraham glorifies God for His complete sufficiency and was “fully
persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised”.
The literal translation of this passage from the Greek
expresses the thought in this way: God is not merely able but abundantly able,
bountifully and generously able, with an infinite surplus of resources, and
eternally able “to do what he had promised”.
He is the God limitless resources—the only limit comes
from us. Our requests, our thoughts and our prayers are too small, and our
expectations are too low. God is trying to raise our vision to a higher level
and to call us to have greater expectations. Shall we continue living in a way
that mocks His will and denies His Word? There is no limit to what we may ask
and expect of our glorious “El Shaddai” –our almighty God. And there is no way
for us to measure His blessing, for He is “able to do immeasurably more than
all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us”
(Ephesians 3:20)
Quote from Albert B. Simpson, Canadian minister,
Author, and founder of the Christian and
Missionary
In no other place does the apostle Paul use these
seemingly redundant words: “immeasurably more than all” (Ephesians 3:20). Each
word is packed with God’s infinite love and power “to do” for His praying
believers. Yet there is the following limitation: “according to his power that
is at work within us”. He will only do as much ‘for’ us as we will allow Him to
do ‘in’ us. The same power that saved us, washed us with His blood, filled us
with the power of His Holy Spirit, and protected us through numerous
temptations will work ‘for us’ to meet every emergency, every crisis, every
circumstance, and every adversary.
--From “The
A Grain Of Salt A
Reprint from the Anglican Diocese of
“What’s It All About
Anyway?” by The Ven. Richard J.
Salt, Director for
“While I was at Clergy Conference this year, Allan
Livingstone asked me to leave a copy of The Discussion Guide for the Prodigal
God for him at the desk of the hotel he was staying at. I arrived at the hotel
desk, copy in hand and handed it to the clerk asking if it could be delivered.
The clerk looked at the book and said, “The Prodigal God – that almost makes me
want to read it.” He then started to flip through the pages. “Oh,” he said,
“there’s not much written in here.” I told him that was because it was a
workbook and people were supposed to write in it. “What’s it all about anyway?”
he asked. I took a few minutes to explain to him that it was about a parable
found in the Bible concerning a man who had two sons. He was fascinated. As I
left, I thought to myself, “It‘s only a few dollars and I have a book in the
car. Why don’t I give him a copy of the Prodigal God Book?” I went back in with
the book and when he saw me he said, “You want me to this book with the other
one?” I explained that it was for him. He had only one more question: “Will I
be able to understand it without any background?” I assured him it was written
in understandable terms and he thanked me profusely. I told him that if he
didn’t want it he could give it to someone else. “Oh no,” he said ‘I really
want to read this.” And that was it – I left.
You cannot tell me that Canadians are not spiritually
hungry for something more. They may not be in church, but I believe their
hearts are much more open than we realize. Holy Spirit is calling us to have
our eyes open to every opportunity that is presented to us. I remember the
story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch on the road to
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Diocese of
Editing and footnotes by Twila Niemi
"31st
October, 2011. ChristChurch Cathedral, the icon of that quake and the most
recognised church in
This
controlled demolition work, expected to cost $4 million, will also allow some
of the cathedral's treasures to be removed and stored until decisions are taken
about a future cathedral. "The decision," said Bishop Matthews,
"follows a challenging and complex assessment process including review and
input by a range of involved and interested people to identify options and
risks, along with consideration of expert analysis and technical reports.
"At all times we have proceeded with a deep commitment to being faithful
to the gospel we proclaim."
The
120-year-old cathedral withstood violent earthquakes in 1881, 1888, 1901, 1922,
and on September 4 last year. But it couldn't ride out the 6.3-magnitude
earthquake in February which killed 182 people and reduced the cathedral's
spire to rubble, and it suffered further major damage in the June 13 jolt. The
west wall of the cathedral partially collapsed then and the rose window above
the west doors was destroyed.
During
a joint media conference in Christchurch with Gerry Brownlee, the Earthquake
Recovery Minister, and Roger Sutton, the CEO of CERA(1), Bishop
Matthews said the extent of the damage makes the building unpredictable and
unsafe, particularly in the event of another quake. Making it safe again was a
key concern for the Church Property Trust (CPT), which is the steward of the
cathedral on behalf of the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch.
Before
the controlled demolition work is carried out, Bishop Matthews will
deconsecrate the cathedral. Taking that decision hadn't been easy. "No
one," she said, "loves the cathedral as much as we do. "However,
this is the next step towards a decision about the future of the cathedral,
which will combine the old and the new." In another sense, the
deconsecration means that the Bishop of ChristChurch will no longer have a home
base: the word ‘cathedra’ derives from the Greek word 'kathedra', meaning seat
and the teaching seat of the bishop is a centrepiece of every cathedral. Bishop
Matthews says it is "critically important" to the bishop, dean and
the Anglican community of
ChristChurch
Cathedral was consecrated on November 1, 1881. It was designed by English
architect George Gilbert Scott, but Benjamin Mountfort, perhaps the foremost
Gothic Revival architect in
taonga(3) adorning the cathedral's walls, and local flora and fauna
in stained glass and in carvings.
Structural
engineering and heritage experts gave the CPT and Cathedral Chapter a number of
'make the building safe' options, ranging from complete demolition and cleared
site, through to a controlled demolition, maximum salvage and storage and an
ultimate full reconstruction. As noted earlier, the controlled demolition and
'make safe' option chosen will cost about $4 million. The professionals have
also advised the CPT that any of the "future scenarios (for a new or
rebuilt cathedral) have a funding shortfall of at least $30 million."
And from Bishop Victoria Matthew’s letter to the
people of the Diocese of
"Let
me again remind all Christians that we are the church, the Body of Christ, and
the Gospel we carry on our lips and in our hearts is the only Gospel many folks
will ever encounter. Let us never forget that we have Good News to share. May
our lives and words proclaim Christ's love and redemption where ever we go."
The service of deconsecration took place on Wednesday,
9th November, 2011, at 10:00 a.m.
Please continue to remember the people of
(1) The
(2) Matai and totara are types of wood.
(3) A taonga in Maori culture is a treasured thing,
whether tangible or intangible.
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A Saint Of Advent And
How
many of us actually pay attention to the calendar of saints? We’re aware of
saints whose feasts are celebrated on a Sunday when we’re in church but what
about all those whose commemorations or memorials fall on other days of the
week?
On
December 3 we commemorate Francis Xavier, Missionary to the
Beginning
in 1540, his missionary work took him to many parts of Asia including
Francis Xavier died of a
fever on December 3, 1552, on the
In
February 2012 a group of modern day ‘saints’ * from All Saints’ will be
travelling to the Dominican Republic to participate in the Lighthouse School
Building Project in Los Alcarrizos. Please continue to pray the Mission Prayer
daily for the safety of our ‘saints’ and the success of their mission.**
"Heavenly
Father, your Son stretched His arms wide on the cross so that all people might
be drawn to Your heart, and know the blessings of the
*1 Cor.1:2
...those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints...
**2
Cor.9:12 ...for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of
the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God.
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All Saints’ Q &
A Column
Question to:
Shadde de Haan.
In
your participation in "The Prodigal God" study
at all Saints, what have you found most meaningful to you and what new ideas
and inspirations have you learned for your life as a Christian?
Answer:
The idea that mostly comes to mind is that I
constantly try to
provide my own salvation by good works like the elder son displayed. If we are
good we should get our "just" rewards as opposed to "not being
good" and going
to condemnation. It doesn’t work that way, but we keep negotiating with God
to get our own desired results. Guess I am a slow learner.
Question to:
Roberta North
Recently, you have
attended weekend gatherings to learn more of God's Word to us, together with other
Christians, or perhaps some who were not Christians. How were these important
to you and what emphasis would you give to such events for others?
Answer:
As September rolled
around and everyone was going back to university and school, I found myself craving
for something more. I have never been one to join up with women's groups, so it
was a surprise to find myself looking up on the website to see what IVCF
(Intervarsity Christian Fellowship) had to offer for women this Fall. They had
three separate women's conferences. Josphine Rulinda agreed to join me along
with an Indonesian friend from
At the end of September,
we drove up to Pioneer Camp (near
After the worship service
on Sunday morning, Laura shared with us that she had given her heart to Jesus.
As many of you, I was so
excited that I wanted to go back to Pioneer Camp for the weekend of Nov 4th.
"Equipping 2011, 'Singing our Prayers in a Sabbath of Song'" was the
theme of this conference. There was a much smaller, intimate group of 35 women
at this retreat and we met for small group discussions. following each of the 3
speakers. This conference was even better than the previous one, (if that is
possible). One of the speakers spoke on Psalm 27 "Conquering Fear".
We all know that most of us live in fear of some kind, but God has given us a
new name. The challenging question is "What is the new name that God has
given you?"
One of the songs that
really gripped me was this: (google it up )
"I will change your
name, You shall no longer be called:
"Wounded, Outcast,
Lonely or Afraid"
I will change your name,
Your new name will be:
"Confidence,
Joyfulness, Overcoming One, Faithfulness, Friend of God,
One Who Seeks My
Face".
I took two other women
with me this time, one from
When April 2012 rolls
around, I am sure I will be looking for others to join me in the joyful
experience that I had found at
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As I push open the old oak door,
My soul is stilled, my spirits soar;
A hush, a fragrance all around
Tell me I am on holy ground,
Hundreds of years of praise and prayer
Hang like incense in the air;
A golden cross on the altar stands,
Polished by careful, prayerful hands,
While flowers of living radiance shine
In beauty, wrought by love divine;
With sapphire, emerald, ruby, rose,
Purple and amber, each window glows;
Angels, saints, translucent, bright,
Shepherds with lambs of pearly white;
The life of Christ, in grace arrayed,
From manger to cross portrayed;
Then risen in glorious majesty
To reign in heaven eternally;
The font, where babes in long robes dressed,
Are given their names, baptized and blessed;
The stone floor, worn by reverent tread,
The wooden pews where prayers are said;
The pulpit, by a few steps reached,
Where countless sermons have been preached;
I sensed the sacred atmosphere
Of
comfort and forgiveness here,
And for a few moments I humbly kneel,
God’s presence and his peace to feel;
Refreshed, I step outside once more,
And gently close the ancient door.
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Very Special
Delivery Submitted by Gord
Kennedy
May the Lord open up
The windows of heaven
And pour you a blessing
That you will not have room
Enough to receive it all.
May the Lord bless
You exceedingly and abundantly,
Above all you could ever hope for.
May the Lord bless you
That you may walk in a
Financial overflow.
May you fall in love with Him
For the rest of your days
In the Name of Jesus. Amen!
Let's just see Satan stop this one.
All you do is send this on!
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Dust If You Must by Rose Milligan
Dust if you must, but wouldn’t it be better
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Bake a cake or plant a seed,
Ponder the difference between want and need?
Dust if you must, but there’s so much time,
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb,
Music to hear and books to read,
Friends to cherish and life to lead.
Dust if you must, but the world’s out there,
With sun in your eyes, and wind in your hair,
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain.
This day will not come around again.
Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it’s not kind.
And when you go – and go you must –
You yourself, will make more dust.