God works for those who wait for him…

Isaiah reminds us that God works for those who wait for him and meets those who gladly do right, and Jesus reminds us not to stop working just because the day seems long and the Master seems to have been delayed. We have this sacred and beautiful gift to give – the one and only true gift of Christmas – Jesus Christ. Perhaps we may say that we’re not ready, but nobody is completely ready for what life may bring us, the pandemic has taught us that. Perhaps we may say we are tired, but there is still a harvest to bring in and the Lord has no other workers to bring it. Perhaps we may say we like our little church and the comfort of familiar faces, but we are not called to comfort, we are called to courage and love of our neighbours who do not have life in Jesus yet. Is this easy? No. Jesus never said it would be, but it is necessary. The world is full of lifestyle advice and the current buzzword is mindfulness – being mindful of our own needs and of the needs of others – which is a good idea and something which we need to do. Is it enough, though? Is it enough to be a nice person, a good person, a mindful person? I don’t believe so. I believe that faith in Jesus completes us as people. It makes us whole as nothing else can because it connects us with our Creator, the Potter for whom we are the clay. When we are working with and under the hand of the Potter we are becoming what we were created to be and this is the only place that fulfilment can be truly had. The Potter takes our impurities and makes them into beauty spots, he turns our failures around and makes us into recreated beings, free of the mistakes of the past and supported through the process of dealing with them. No other force in the universe can do this for us because only the One from whom the universe and everything in it has come has that power in full. True peace comes, not when we have everything under control, but when we know that God has everything in his hands and we are safe in the midst of the storm. This is the place where truth can fully set us free. How are we seeking to invite into our midst those whose lives are not yet complete for they do not yet know the Potter’s safe and loving hands? Wouldn’t it be good to see the buzzword change from ‘mindfulness’ to ‘Christlikeness’ this Christmas.

Janice

This Week

Regular Worship Times

Parish Contact Details

Notices:

Carpark Supervision

Men, can you help? Commencing Sunday, 17th December 2023, we plan to have a roster of men from both services to oversee the carpark whenever there are church events. There will be a ‘sign-up” sheet in the foyer. For more information see Kevin (0438 234 857).

Church Working Bee…

Tuesday 5th of December, from 9.30 onwards. Donations of tip tags would be appreciated. Graeme & Cheryl.

Help Needed…

Would those interested in helping with the 23rd December Family Christmas sausage sizzle & Carol service write their names on the sign-up sheet in the Narthex.

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 leave your gift or make your donation by Wednesday 6th December so that the finished hampers can be wrapped and donated in the final weeks of term. Thank you.

Special Services 2023

This Week’s Prayer Focus

In our country and the world:

• For all grieving after accidents and disasters.
• 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 Holy Trinity Hastings and their Vicar, Rev’d Tim Anderson.
• 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 Keith & Jan Thomas and Mike & Vicki Brown as they are received into the Anglican Communion.
• 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: Christine, Backy, John R, Margie, Fred, Tahlia, Robert, Jan, David, Irene, Guy, Ruth.