As we watch the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. As we see what seems to be a disaster every day around the world – floods, storms, fires, earthquakes. We can find ourselves wondering if the end of time is drawing near. In his letter to the Thessalonians Paul is encouraging them to recognise the tension we live in between the promise of the life to come and the present reality of life in a sometimes very difficult world. He wants them to understand that they must follow through with living their faith day by day, loving their neighbours, caring for their Christian brothers and sisters across Asia Minor where they live, showing by their lives that Jesus is real and worthy of the worship, indeed the exclusive worship, of all. Paul also wants them to know that life is not predictable, and this relatively stable part of the world may not be that forever, that they must always recognise that persecution sits close by, and that Jesus may return any minute. Nobody knows the day or the hour of Jesus’ return, and he’s not going to let us know in advance. This was made very clear in the gospels. Paul is aware that there are two ways people can find themselves in difficulty with this balance of ‘now and not yet’. The first is that we are so focused on living every day as good Christians that we begin to decide that the Lord is far away and we expect to have a long and happy life so we can relax and dial down the enthusiasm for letting others know that Jesus is our Lord. We can become comfortable in our ‘little Christian club’, thus having all the truth of God but not the power of it through becoming lukewarm (see Revelation 3:14-22 and the warning to the church at Laodicea). The second error is to be so focused on the return of Jesus and/or the idea that life is temporary that we don’t follow through with our life in Christ, becoming caught up instead in the thought that we will get to escape life somehow by Jesus’ return and rapture, or becoming caught up in a fear of death being imminent in some way, which will paralyse us and keep us from doing anything. We must hold in tension the call to live our Christian life fully every day and the knowledge that we are citizens of heaven. Being ‘in Christ’ means we do not need to fear every potential danger as we live day by day for the Lord. Not only is Jesus with us always, but he is our safety now and for ever.
Janice
This Week
| SUNDAY: | Combined Service with Holy Communion, 10.00am |
| followed by our Annual Meeting | |
| 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) | |
| 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: | Holy Communion, 8.45am |
| Family Service, 10.30am |
Regular 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.
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 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 All Saints Rosebud with St Katherine’s McCrae and their Vicar, Rev’d Lynda Crossley.
- 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, Fred, Tahlia, Robert, Jan, David, Irene, Guy, Ruth.
