Often when there are terrible things happening in the world around us, or in our own lives, we hear the voice of fear whispering in our ear saying things like, “God isn’t watching right now, you’re alone in your pain, God has taken his hands off and is letting you sink. This is the end, you know.” Or other things along those lines. We listen to this voice and that which is out of our control grows large in our eyes and we begin to feel that we are powerless against it. Lies. Revelation 7 shows us what is happening in the throne room of God. The Lord on his throne is surrounded by myriads of eyes, symbolising his ability to see everything that is happening, and even to know our thoughts. From his throne room the angels come and go on assignment to carry out his will in the earth, and, most importantly, there before the throne of God rises the fragrance of the prayers of the people of God which are before him night and day. Beside the Father the Son intercedes for us, and the church invisible worships and praises the Lord. In 1 John 3 we learn that we are already children of God and that when the end does come, far from it being a disaster, it will be a day of revealing the wonder and beauty of finding that we are like him. In Psalm 34 David sings of how the Lord has heard his prayers and answered him, delivering him from all his enemies. We are not victims of circumstance, nor are we ever truly powerless. On our own as mere human beings we have limits. With the Lord our God there are no limits to what can be done, except the infinite mercy and wisdom of God who will sometimes whisper softly to us, “Child, I am with you always and my power is made perfect in your weakness. Hold on to me and shine your light in faith as we walk together through this dark place. You are safe.” As David put it in Psalm 34:19, ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord rescues them from them all.’ Even if we die, we live. All Saints Day celebrates the lives we live as a continuum into all eternity with Jesus.
Janice
This Week
| SUNDAY: | Holy Communion, 8.45am |
| Family Service, 10.30am | |
| Healing Service, 6.00pm | |
| MONDAY: | Study Group, St Mark’s, 7.00pm – 9:00pm |
| Contact Kevin or Anne (0438 234 857) | |
| TUESDAY: | Zoom Prayer Meeting, 1.30pm |
| Contact John (0421426156) | |
| Online Study Group, 7.00pm | |
| Contact Graeme (0490 664 843) | |
| WEDNESDAY: | Holy Communion, 10.00am |
| Study Group St Mark’s, 11.00am | |
| Contact Keith (0419 551 082) | |
| Cuppa, Craft & Chat Group, St Mark’s, 12.30pm | |
| Contact Robyn (0409 425 044) | |
| Family Life Group, 6.00pm Vicarage | |
| We will meet over dinner and do Youth Alpha. | |
| This group will meet fortnightly. | |
| For information see Janice. | |
| THURSDAY: | Men’s Coffee & Chat Blackthorn Café, 10.00am |
| Contact Steve (0437 984 679) | |
| Women’s Bible Study, St Mark’s, 9.30am | |
| Contact Fay (0401 404 280) | |
| FRIDAY: | JANICE’S DAY OFF |
| NEXT SUNDAY: | Combined Service with Holy Communion, 10.00am |
| followed by our Annual General Meeting |
Worship Times
| SUNDAY: | 8.45am | Holy Communion |
| 10.30am | Family Worship with Children’s Ministry | |
| (Holy Communion – 1st Sundays) | ||
| 6.00pm | Healing Service – 1st Sundays | |
| WEDNESDAY: | 10.00am | Holy Communion |
Parish Contact Details
| Monitored contact points | 0493 280 691 |
| contact@stmarksdromana.org.au | |
| Parish Web Addresses | www.stmarksdromana.org.au |
| Facebook page | https://www.facebook.com/stmarksdromana |
| Pastoral Care Coordinators | Kevin and Anne Cranwell (0438 234 457 Kevin) |
Notices:
New Light Switches…
Recently we had two new light switches installed for the Foyer/ Narthex and Toilets. Both switches are beside the name tag boards on the right hand side of the door as you enter the building. PLEASE DO NOT go to the switchboard to turn the lights on or off. Please remember (being creatures of habit) to turn off the lights at the switches located beside the name tag boards just inside the entry/exit door. Thank you.
Annual Meeting…
Our Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday 12th November immediately following a combined service at 10am. Annual Reports are now available. Please take care to read through the reports and please send any questions of the reports to the Vicar no later than 5pm on Thursday 9th November to enable the report writer time to make sure they have an answer for you on the day. Nominations for 2 wardens, 6 members of Parish Council and 2 Parish Nominators (Incumbency Committee) are now open. Forms for nominating are on the table in the narthex. Nominations must be handed to the Vicar no later than 5pm Friday 10th November (you can place it in her pigeonhole and let her know it’s there). If you feel called to nominate, please don’t wait to be asked. If you’re not sure, speak to Janice or a current member of Parish Council.
Christmas Hampers for local families…
As in previous years we will be sending food hampers to Dromana Primary School for distribution. There are 12 laundry baskets in the narthex to present the food and give the families a useful container. If you’d like to contribute to the hampers, please leave your gift in or beside the baskets. If you’d like to make a monetary gift which will be used for topping up as necessary and perhaps some seasonal festive additions, please place in the offertory or through the Bendigo Bank account clearly marked “Christmas Hampers”. Please make your donation during November so that the finished hampers can be wrapped and donated in the final weeks of term. Thank you.
Operation Christmas Child…
What a wonderful response to our Christmas Box Project. Altogether we received 31 boxes, most of which were delivered to the shipping depot with the balance to be independently delivered. Thank you also to those who made cash donations and beanies, teddies, etc. It is lovely to know that the children who will receive our boxes will know God’s love and blessing. Heather Such and Anne Cranwell
Special Services 2023
| 3rd December | St John’s, Sorrento – Lessons & Carols for Advent |
| 17th December | St Mark’s, Dromana – Lessons & Carols for Christmas |
This Week’s Prayer Focus
In our country and the world:
- For all in Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine.
- For all firefighters in Queensland and NSW, and all those suffering trauma and loss as a result of the fires.
- For those facing homelessness, hardship, anguish and despair amid rising costs.
- For families affected by violence.
- For those affected by natural disasters in around the world.
- For King Charles III, the UK and the Commonwealth.
- For peace and unity in countries around the World.
- For aid agencies such as “Save the Children”, Oxfam, CARE, UNICEF, World Vision.
In our community:
- For teachers and students.
- For doctors, nurses, paramedics, Coast Guard, the CFA & SES.
- For local community outreach groups such as the Dromana Community House and “Food for All”.
In our Diocese and beyond:
- For Archbishop Geoffrey Smith’s ministry as Primate of Australia.
- For Archbishop Philip Freier’s ministry in the Diocese of Melbourne.
- For the ministry of Bishop Paul Barker in the Jumbunna Region and for Archdeacon Helen Phillips in the Frankston Archdeaconry. Give thanks that Archdeacon Helen is now well and beginning to return to work.
- In our Deanery, we pray for the Parish of St George’s Red Hill and their Vicar Rev’d Fiona Goy.
- For the work of the Church Missionary Society and Wei-Han the Victorian Director.
- For Anna Radkovic our CMS Link Missionary. Pray thanks for the progress of Anna’s residency visa.
- For Christian churches around the world to be free to worship and be witnesses of the love of God as shown through the coming of His Son.
In our Parish:
- For our leadership and ministry teams.
- For Rev’d Janice O’Gorman our Vicar.
- For the finances of our Parish.
- For our Parish, its people and those we reach out to every week.
- For the success of the new Family and Children’s Ministry.
- For the 9am at home prayer time for the Parish, Dromana & Mornington Peninsula.
- For: Margie, Edna, Fred, Tahlia, Robert, Jan, David, Irene, Guy, Ruth.
