1‘Take up your cross, the Saviour said, if you would my disciple be; take up your cross with willing heart and humbly follow after me.’ Every time I read Matthew 16 I have this hymn running through my head. Romans 12:1 calls us ‘living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God’. To be a living sacrifice is to surrender our entire selves to the will of God, ready and willing to go where we are led by the Holy Spirit and to give whatever is required for God’s purposes in that calling, even if it is our life. Our lives are more than just the flesh and blood we live in. We are spiritual beings with a place in the heavenly kingdom of God. This is the reward for sacrifice and the free gift of God through Jesus. To take up my cross is to fully engage in this spiritual reality and to find my reason for living in Jesus. All else will fail in this life, but Jesus’ life is eternal and will never fail. So then we are not to lose heart, but to rely on the life of Jesus in us and to live out the rest of Romans 12 as true children of the living God. Jesus calls us to be agents of his love in the world, to set the captive free, to release those imprisoned in their suffering, to open the eyes of the blind and make the deaf to hear, to bring Jesus’ healing to a broken world and to live with one another according to the love he has poured out for us on the Cross. We are to take up this cross-shaped life and live it for God’s glory, and in our daily lives to work to be known as his by our lives lived in the love he showed us at the cross. “9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10 love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. 11 Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. .. do not repay anyone evil for evil…” Romans 12:9-11,17 Are we surrendered to Jesus enough to love like this? To love like he does?
Janice
This Week
| SUNDAY: | Holy Communion, 8.45am |
| Family Service, 10.30am | |
| MONDAY: | Online Study Group,7.00pm |
| Contact Graeme (0490 664 843) | |
| Zoom Prayer Meeting, 1.30pm | |
| Contact John (0421426156) | |
| WEDNESDAY: | Holy Communion, 10.00am |
| Study Group St Mark’s,11.00am | |
| Contact Keith (0419 551 082) | |
| Festival Prayer Time, St Mark’s, 12.30pm | |
| Cuppa, Craft & Chat Group St Mark’s, 12.30pm | |
| Contact Robyn (0409 425 044) | |
| THURSDAY: | Women’s Bible Study, St Mark’s, 9.30am |
| Contact Fay (0401 404 280) | |
| Men’s Coffee & Chat Blackthorn Café, 10.00am | |
| Contact Steve (0437 984 679) | |
| Janice taking Thursday off this week to assist | |
| with pre festival set up on Friday | |
| FRIDAY: | Pre Festival Setup |
| Festival Day, 10.00am – 3.00pm | |
| Set up from 8.00am | |
| NEXT SUNDAY: | Festival Service, 10.00am |
| _ Feast of St Mark, Evangelist and Martyr | |
| _ The rededication of our windows | |
| By Archbishop Philip Freier, |
Worship Times
| SUNDAY: | 8.45am | Holy Communion |
| 10.30am | Family Worship with Children’s Ministry | |
| (Holy Communion – 1st Sundays) | ||
| 5.00pm | 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:
Help!
If anyone has a gazebo/small marquee with sides, that we could use for the festival please contact Carol (0411 405 597).
New Audio Visual System!!
Our new audiovisual system is operational today. We will have a little tidying to do during the coming week but the system works. Many thanks to those who have contributed to this so far.
Festival Prayer Time
If you are involved in the Festival and would like to join with others in prayer, please come to the Church on Wednesday at 12.30 (following Bible study and before Craft and chat), for a short time of prayer. Let’s give glory to God for His goodness and provision for St Marks, and ask His blessing on the weekend.
All are welcome.
Fate & Luncheon Information
1 Food being provided for the fete cake stall must not include meat or cream. There will be a sign-up sheet in the Narthex together with labels to be attached to food listing the ingredients.
2 Sandwiches and slices for SATURDAY lunches please, Or bread/fillings/spreads to make them up. Please bring donations to church on Saturday morning.
3 Graeme King and Richard Watson have requested assistance to erect Gazebos on the morning of the fete. If you are available to help please contact Graeme on 0490 664 843.
4 For the provision of Lunch after Sunday service on 10th September please bring a plate of finger food of your choice.
Special Services 2023
| 22nd October | Evensong – St Mark’s, Dromana |
| 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 those facing hardship and anguish 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. Anna Radkovic has now left Australia and is on her way to Kenya. Her updated prayer letter is on the board in the Narthex.
- 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 Fête and Patronal Festival in September.
- 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: Robert, Jan, Pat, David, Margie, Irene, Guy, Ruth.
