Sunday, November 26, 2006

Rhythm.



Hi All,
Today, Pastor John explores the rhythms of life as we would like it to be and how it quite often is! Recapping todays reading from Revelation 1:4-8, we are reminded of the natural rhythms such as tides, season, sunrise and sunsets and, of course our own heartbeats.
Sadly, our pressured life leads to such a fast pace that everything seems to go too fast. Have you been captured and turned into a 'slave to the rhythm'?
Listen to Pastor John lead us through the Gospel that promises relief from that crazy rhythm!

Click to download: Rhythm.

Illawarra Lutheran Parish
26th November 2006
Last Sunday of the Church Year
Day of Fulfilment

Prayer of the Day
Merciful Saviour, you have taught us that those who believe in you will not be condemned, but have already passed from death to life. Give us faith in your forgiveness, so that we fearlessly wait for the time when you set us completely free. For you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Prayer Points
  • Pray for those affected by the drought, particularly those on the land and those who's livelihood is connected with the land.
  • Pray for those who have served in some way in our parish in the past year: readers, musicians, cleaners, pray-ers, Sunday School teachers, lay readers, elders, stewards, church councilors.
  • Pray for those suffering illness or hospitalization: Fritz T., Wolfgang G., Christine F., Linda F., Hardy B., Max C., Harold M. and Horst M.
  • Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to help us live in the rhythm God sets for our lives and not in the rhythm the world demands.
  • Pray for generous hearts in the lead up to Christmas.
  • Give thanks for all those who courageously spread Gods word in difficult circumstances.
  • Ak God how he can lead each one of us to live out our faith more effectively.
  • Give thanks that Samuel Strelan has entered God's family through the waters of baptism.
  • Give thanks that God keeps his promises and pray for faith to trust in those promises.
Todays Readings
Daniel 7:9-10
Revelation 1:4-8
John 18:33-37

Todays liturgical colour is
GREEN

Minor Festivals and Colours this week:
Saint Andrew
30th November
Red
St. Andrew was a native of Bethsaida in Galilee, a fisherman by trade, and a former disciple of John the Baptist. He was the one who introduced his brother Peter to Jesus, saying, "We have found the Messiah." Overshadowed henceforth by his brother, Andrew nevertheless appears again in the Gospels as introducing souls to Christ. After Pentecost, Andrew took up the apostolate on a much wider scale, and is said to have been martyred at Patras in southern Greece on a cross which was in the form of an "X". This type of cross has long been known as "St. Andrew's cross."
When Andrew was led to the place of martyrdom, on beholding the cross from a distance he cried out: "O good Cross, so long desired and now set up for my longing soul I confident and rejoicing come to you; exultingly receive me, a disciple of Him who hung on you." Forthwith he was nailed to the cross. For two days he hung there alive, unceasingly proclaiming the doctrine of Christ until he passed on to Him whose likeness in death he had so vehemently desired.

Things to Do.
Tandra Cakes
In parts of England Saint Andrew is considered the patron of lacemakers — perhaps coming from the resemblance of intersecting threads in certain types of lace to the cross of Saint Andrew. Seventeenth-century bakers made cakes or buns known as Tandry or Tandrew "Wigs," composed of plain dough in wedge shape, ornamented with currants and caraway seeds. INGREDIENTS
· 1lb (400g) flour
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 oz (12.5g) fresh yeast
· 1 teaspoon (caster) sugar
· 1/2 pint (250g) water
· 1 egg
· 4 oz (100g) lard (substitute with shortening or butter)
· 4 oz (100g) currants
· 4 oz (100g) sugar
· 1 oz (25g) chopped lemon peel (crystallized)

DIRECTIONS
Mix the flour and salt, then sift into a mixing bowl. Slightly warm the water in a different bowl and add to it a mixture of yeast and sugar. Blend and put aside until the frothing stops. Mix in a beaten egg and slowly add the mixture to the flour and salt. Next slowly melt the lard and, when cool, add the mixture, stirring until smooth. Knead, cover and leave to rise.

After doubling in size, knead in the currants, 4 oz sugar and peel, then transfer it to a 2 lb (1kg) loaf tin. Leave until the dough has risen to the top, then bake in a moderate oven (350ºF) until golden-brown, approximately 1 hour.

Thought for the Week
"One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man."-Elbert Hubbard.

Photo credit: 'Business Timing' by Tania, USA.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Taking Faith Home.

Hi All,
Pastor John has included in the Church bulletin this week the first of an ongoing series of 'at home' faith pratices. Called 'Taking Faith Home', this series is produced for families to build faith in the home and family environment and is produced by Pastor Greg Priebbenow of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Box Hill, Victoria.


For those of you who wish to join in with us, simply follow the links below to access all the resources:

Waiting....


Hello Everyone,

Pastor John is back 'on deck' and presents the message based on Mark 13: 32-37.
Have you ever wondered what kind of world we're leaving to our children and grandchildren?
Listen as pastor John expands on the Gospel's words of Christ to 'keep watch' because we never know when the Master of our reality will return.

Click here to download: Waiting....

Illawarra Lutheran Parish
19th November 2006
24th Sunday after Penticost
(2nd last Sunday of the Church Year)


Prayer of the Day
Help us, Lord Jesus Christ, to wait for you, to wish for you and to watch for you, so that when you come again you will find us ready. For you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Prayer Points
  • Give thanks for 50 years of marriage for Hans and Annelise W. and continued blessings in their life together.
  • Give thanks for God's wonderful love as he welcomes Katrina P. into his family through the waters of baptism this morning.
  • Give thanks for 40 years of God's blessing for Kathie V. and her family in Oak Flats.
  • Pray for a breaking of the drought and for those most affected by the lack of rain.
  • Pray for patient endurance as we wait for the Lord's return.
  • Pray for enthusiasm to live as God's children.
  • Pray for the staff and students of St Paul's Lutheran College, Walla Walla.
  • Pray for those in our community suffering illness or hospitalization: Christine F., Fritz T., Hardy B., Wolfgang G., Max C., Linda F., Horst M. and Harold M.
Todays Readings
Danial 12:1-3
Hebrews 10:11-14
Mark 13:1-8, 32-37

Todays Liturgical colour is
GREEN

Minor Festivals and Colours this Week
None this week

Thought for the Week
"Every increased possession loads us with new weariness."
John Ruskin

Photo credit: 'Station' by Andre Monteiro, Brazil.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Extravagent Generosity!



Hi Everyone,
Today, Lay Reader John Wegener takes us through the message of the 'Widows Mites' from Mark 12.
In this story, Jesus himself spells out what He does for us: He gives us His all, His very life, so that we might be reconciled to God.

This spirit of generosity should now be displayed by us in our daily lives, returning to our neighbors the love that Christ gave to us.

Click here to download: Extravagent Generosity.

Illawarra Lutheran Parish
12th November 2006
23rd Sunday after Penticost
(3rd Last Sunday of the Church Year)


Prayer of the Day
Awaken us, Lord, so that when your Son comes we may be ready to receive Him with joy and serve You with clean hearts. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Todays Readings
1 Kings 17:8-16
Hebrews 9:24-28
Mark 12:38-44

Prayer Points
  • Give thanks for the generosity God shows to us.
  • Pray for opportunities to show generosity to others.
  • Give thanks for God's protection over Wolfgang G. and pray for his continuing recovery.
  • Pray for others in our community suffering illness: Fritz T., Hardy B., Harold M., Linda F., Christine F., Max C. and Horst M.
  • Pray for the Lutheran congregations in Walla Walla and their Pastor Robert Bartholomaeus.
  • Pray for rain in areas most affected by the drought.
Todays liturgical colour is
GREEN

Minor Festivals and Colours this week:
None this week.

Thought for the Week.
"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock."
Thomas Jefferson


Photo credit: 'Rings' by Paolo Ferla, Italy.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

How Far is Not Far?


Hello Everyone!
Join us this week as Pastor John talks about Mark 12:28-34, where the Scribe in the Temple asks Jesus "Which commandment is the most important of all?"
Jesus goes on to quote Moses in Duet 6:4-5: "Israel, remember this! The LORD ---and the LORD alone---is our God. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength."
The Scribe then says ""Well done, Teacher! It is true, as you say, that only the Lord is God and that there is no other god but he and you must love God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your strength; and you must love your neighbor as you love yourself. It is more important to obey these two commandments than to offer on the altar animals and other sacrifices to God."

Christ replies "You are not far from the Kingdom of God."
No-one dares to ask Jesus any more questions!

Is 'Near enough is good enough!' the creed that some people live by? Through the Gospel you can know that Christ has taken all the steps needed to set us free from the burdens of sin!

Click to download: How Far is Not Far?

Illawarra Lutheran Parish
5th November 2006
22nd Sunday after Pentecost


Prayer of the Day
Everliving God, we thank you for giving yourself in love through your Son Jesus. Lead us by your great love to love you with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. We ask this through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Prayer Points.
  • Pray for opportunities to put God's love into action!
  • Give thanks for Gods blessings in the lives of those who have died in the past year: Gretel S., George S., Gunar T., Inge P., Emmy F., George W. and Theresa Z.
  • Give thanks for Wolfgang G's continuing recovery.
  • Pray for those in our community who are suffering from illness: Fritz T., Linda F., Christine F., Max C., Harold M., Horst M. and Hardy B.
  • Pray for Wagga Wagga Lutheran School and its principle James Heyne.
  • Pray for the wisdom to look beyond today and care for our world as the guardians we were made to be.
  • Pray for a peaceful resolution to the situation in Fiji.
Todays Readings
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Hebrews 9:11-14
Mark 12:28-34

Todays liturgical colour is
GREEN

Minor Festivals and colours this week.
None this week

Thought for the Week.
'He hoped and prayed that there wasn't an afterlife. Then he realized there was a contradiction involved here and merely hoped that there wasn't an afterlife'
Douglas Adams

Photo credit: 'Washing Day' by Louise Docker