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To quote our dear brother, Brian Van Twest, 'God is Good! ALL the time'. That's what came to my mind this week as I sat down and read the Psalm we'll be looking at on Sunday - Psalm 96.
This is a Psalm filled with numerous way that God is Good and imploring the readers to share in this great song of joy in worship to our great and glorious God and declare it together! God is SO good and SO great that even all creation trembles before him with gladness, overflowing with joy in all their creation-y goodness. Rejoice! Sing for JOY all the earth - for our God is worthy of all our praise! Why? Because:
And that's what we'll be exploring more this Sunday. Please, come join us - bring a friend! and we will proclaim his salvation and sing for joy together. Rev. Amy
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Lent began with two wonderful Ash Wednesday Services yesterday. Have you begun your Lenten readings in the "Joy" devotional?
Im really enjoying the prompting questions at the end of the readings. They encourage us to contemplate the joy we have in God's creation and as part of his creation. This Sunday we will consider how God's word can bring us great joy. In Nehemiah chapter 8 we read that God's people heard God's word for the first time in many years which caused them first of all to weep and feel sorry for their waywardness, but then, they were told to repent and rejoice for the joy of the Lord is their Strength. It wasnt that their sins didn't matter, rather that God's grace mattered more! In our world today, strength is often measured by how much we can carry, how hard we can hustle, or how well we can hide our struggles, but Nehemiah 8:10 offers a radical alternative: "Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." This isn't a call to "fake it until you make it" or a dismissal of real pain. It is a profound spiritual strategy for resilience. The joy of the Lord is Your Strength because:
Contemplating these things cant help but fill us with the joy of the Lord. If your not feeling it, seek him out through reading his word and receiving his love and grace for you today. Blessings on your week, Reverend Tanya Cummings What does it mean to believe in God?
It’s interesting to review surveys that show a much higher percentage of local people who say they believe in God, and profess to have an Anglican affiliation, but they aren't worshipping with us on Sunday or Wednesday. We would do well to ask both ourselves and those people "why?' in order to seek positive ways to bridge the gap. If all those people did join us, our buildings wouldn’t be big enough to hold them! There’s a lot of misunderstanding out there about what it actually means to believe in God, and how that faith ought to be lived out in Australia today. Despite the cultural and chronological differences, Psalm 24 still speaks into this today. You can read it HERE https://www.bible.com/bible/113/PSA.24.1 We will be unpacking this psalm on Sunday. In the lead up, I encourage you to reflect on the below questions credited to teacher Paul Tripp and used with permission: Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion 1. If survey data shows that so many people claim to believe in God, why aren’t the majority of those people showing up on Sunday mornings at churches? What are they doing with their time instead? What does that show they truly believe? What do you do on Sunday mornings? What does that show you believe? 2. In what areas of your life is it easier to believe that God owns everything? What evidence have you given recently - thoughts, words, or actions - that proves you truly believe Psalm 24:1-2? In what areas of your life is it more difficult for you to believe that God owns every part of you? Why? 3. In what areas of your life have you failed to ask the question, “What is God’s purpose for this?” How can you be more practically intentional about putting that question on the forefront of your mind as you walk through your days, weeks, months, and years? What might it look like to be a steward of God’s world this week? Be specific. Conversation Prompts to Use with Children For Younger Children: Do you believe in God? How can I know you believe in God? If someone said that they believed in God, but never acted like it, would you think that what they’re saying is actually true? How can we know that someone really believes what they say if they say they believe in God? How do our actions help us understand our hearts? How can our words be made stronger by our actions? How can we ask God to help us right now as we think about where our words and our actions don’t match up? For Older Children: If I told you I believed in God, but my actions, words, and attitudes reflected the opposite of that, what would you think about me? Why is it such a big deal for our words and actions to match up? What does it mean to steward something? Why is stewardship not the same thing as ownership? If you made something at school and someone else came along and wrecked it, why would you be upset? If God made you and owns you, who ultimately calls the shots in your life: you or him? What do you think God’s purpose is for your life? How can we both be more intentional about seeking God’s purpose for our lives? Blessings on your week. Rev Tanya In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus tells the parable of a persistent woman, begging an unjust judge for justice, to encourage his disciples to be persistent in prayer so they don't lose heart.
This Sunday we will look at the ways the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness" aligns with biblical principles such as the need for perseverance and faith. The movie is about the main character's (Chris Gardner's) struggle and eventual success. It could be seen as a parable of faith and determination, paralleling the biblical story of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8. The film's themes and story remind us of the biblical teachings on faith and trust in God's provision, encouraging us to trust in God's plan and to remain steadfast in faith, even in the most challenging times. You are invited to watch the movie together with us this coming Saturday night at 6:30pm at the Church. Blessings on your week, Rev Tanya C.S. Lewis wrote this about his stories in a letter to Mrs. Hook in 1958:
"I don’t mean the stories to be an allegory. I mean that they are a supposal: Suppose the Son of God became incarnate in a world of talking beasts—what might happen then?" In recent years, the Marvel universe of superheroes in a world already imagining a 'supposal' of 'what if people had superpowers' created their own 'spin off' series called 'What if'. The series follows the 'what ifs' of characters if they'd made different choices, experienced different things, and different outcomes had happened. It's like Lewis' own version of a supposal. But in Lewis', his 'What if' has the characters of Jesus, his followers, the big bad Satan/Witch, act out what would happen IF the events of the bible happened in a magical, wonder-filled land with talking animals - a story that captures the hearts and minds of children for generations. In Lewis' worlds, he unpacks deep theological truths for young people. He writes, "I thought I saw how fairy tales could let in the light of theology without the children knowing that they were being taught." (Essay: “On Three Ways of Writing for Children”) So, this Sunday we're going to delve into the world of Narnia. We're going to shine a light on some of the 'hidden' themes and characters that are inspired from the Scriptures and show our inner child the good news of Jesus once again. You are welcome to join us to watch the movie on Saturday night in the church. (BYO drinks and snacks). Screening starts at 6:30pm and will finish between 8:30-9pm. Rev. Amy Happy New Year!
In the ups and downs of life and all that comes to you this week and in the year ahead, I hope you know, experience and remember that God has you. Today I've been looking at the parable of the Lost Son in preparation for Sunday and I am reminded of the boundless depths of God's gracious love to us, the open arms he holds out to us, the comforting presence of his Spirit with us, and the mighty act of salvation Jesus completed for us just so we can call him our heavenly Father. No matter what you face, you are not alone. In the highs and the lows, God is with you. Whatever this new year brings you, I pray you experience God's love in a whole new way. That his love becomes real to you, and your faith grows in leaps and bounds. Blessings, Rev. Amy As Christmas approaches and we turn our focus to baby Jesus, its important to reflect on the bigger picture of how this baby fit's into God's mission in the world.
Jesus was with God in the beginning when he made the world, and when people turned against God and went their own way. In response to people's rebellion, God set a plan in motion to reconcile all people to himself. God loves all the people of the earth and wants an eternal relationship with every single one of us. So he sent his son Jesus to be born a human, and reveal to us what God is like and teach us how to best live as God's created beings in relationship with God and in unity with others. God's ultimate goal for all humankind is to gather us all around his throne and worship him together, forever. There's a wonderful image of this depicted in Revelation 7:9-17. As we catch a glimpse of God's end goal for all humanity, we gain a greater perspective on how we are to live as his people here and now. We are to be playing our part in his mission in the world, just like Jesus did. These truths are what we will be focussing on this coming Sunday so we can go into Christmas with a full understanding and appreciation of what Jesus' birth is really all about. This Sunday we look at ‘The Parable of the Talents’. Jesus told this story to his followers to encourage them to be ready for his second coming, and to use all the gifts he has given us for his Kingdom’s growth until he returns.
In the parable, a man entrusts three of his servants with his wealth (a talent was a measure of gold), before going away for a while. To one servant he gave five talents. To the second, he gave two talents, and to a third, he gave one talent. Each servant received a measure in proportion to their abilities to manage it. The parable goes on to say that the first two servants were good stewards of their master’s money, investing it in such a way that when the master returned, they handed back double what he had originally given them. They were commended and rewarded for their faithfulness. In contrast, the third servant was fearful and negligent. Instead of using the treasure he was given for his master’s benefit, he simply dug a hole in the ground and hid it. His lazy, wicked attitude was reprimanded by his master, and his talent was taken away from him. Likened to the parable, Jesus has given responsibilities to his followers, to carry on his work in the world until he returns. Jesus’ followers are to wisely, faithfully and responsibly use their God-given talents and resources for his benefit and glory. We must not be fearful or complacent about God’s kingdom work. Jesus has made us ambassadors of his mission in the world, entrusting us with: - Spreading the gospel (Matthew 28:16-20). - Forgiving those who have wronged us (Matt 6:14-15). - Loving others (John 13:34-35). - Caring for his church (John 21:17). - Being an example to the world (Matthew 14:13-16). - Feeding the hungry and thirsty (Matt 25:25). - Caring for the poor, the prisoner, and the sick (Matthew 25:36) - Being hospitable to foreigners and outsiders (Matt 25:35). We are called to use our time, money, bodies, and abilities with intentionality and faithfulness. We are accountable to God our creator, sustainer, redeemer, master/Lord. All that we have been entrusted with is to be used for his purposes and Glory, until Christ returns. At that time, we will give an account of how we spent the time and opportunities he has given to us. Do you think he will say “Well done good and faithful servant, come and join in your maters happiness” or “You wicked lazy servant”? As we approach our Annual Parish Meeting this Sunday, it’s important to reflect on how we are managing the great gifts God has entrusted to us at Mount Eliza Anglican Church. We have been entrusted with a huge amount to steward well. Let’s continue to reflect on how we can be even more intentional and faithful in the coming year, to grow God’s Kingdom. As we serve him intentionally and faithfully, may he bring continual increase, until he comes again. God be with you. Rev Tanya Christ the King!
This Sunday in our church calendar we celebrate Jesus being our King! I am looking forward to remembering, sharing & celebrating WHY Jesus is King and how GOOD his Kingship is compared to our earthly rulers. We will be celebrating together with an interactive sermon that includes our children & young people and gets all of us thinking and talking - so come ready to get involved together! Here's a few 'wondering' questions to get you started (these are great conversations to have with kids / all people!). I wonder... · what you would do if you were King / Queen? · what you think is the most important thing about being a King / Queen? · what stories about Jesus make you think of him as King? · what you think it means to have a King like Jesus? what it might look like to keep Jesus as your King this advent / Christmas season? I look forward to hearing some of your thoughts on these on Sunday! May God bless you and keep you close to him this week. Amy What a privilege it is to be God's representatives (Christs' ambassadors) to all those around us. It was lovely to see some of our congregation members connecting with other locals at our Remembrance Day service in Mount Eliza Village on Tuesday. Rotary always do a great job organising the service, and its wonderful to see all the local schools take part; bringing wreaths, playing the Bugle, reading the Ode, reading Flanders Field, and singing the national Anthem. This year the newly retired Captain of the Royal Australian Navy was the main speaker, and I had the privilege of opening and closing the service with reflection and prayer. It is wonderful to be involved and connected with our local community at these events, bringing salt, light and the love of Jesus. Let's continue to pray that God will use each of us to draw more people to himself, and that many locals will choose to join our Church community. We have much to offer to those around us.
This coming Sunday we welcome Gemma from FUSION, which is an organization we support with food and financial donations, and partner with in projects to raise funds for the village they are planning to build for homeless young people. Come along this Sunday to hear more about that, and how we might continue to support and be good news among the community of people at FUSION. Our service will be followed by Morning Tea as normal, then at 11:15am we will be running a church tour for those interested in exploring more and a welcome lunch with opportunity to connect with your pastors at 11:45am in the hall. All Welcome! In Christ, Tanya |
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