Elijah was the greatest of the prophets, calling down fire from heaven, and standing up against Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Elijah had all the reasons in the world to be someone who could stand alone against the threats issued by Jezebel, but he heard Jezebel’s threats to kill him and ran away. What on earth could have made such a great man of God turn and run? This may look like fear, but it’s actually deep loneliness and total depletion. Elijah had a very real death threat to deal with, which is enough to get the adrenaline pumping, but for days he had been single handedly battling the demonic forces of the Baals on the Lord’s behalf and, although the Lord had the victory through Elijah in spectacular fashion, Elijah believed himself to be the last man standing for the Lord. When Jezebel issued her threat, Elijah had reached the end of his physical resources. He likely hadn’t eaten properly for days and had run on just the power of God for all that time. With nobody to go to for support and exhausted from the fight, Elijah’s mind and body would have plunged into the pit of cortisol and adrenaline overload which we now know is part of exhaustion, and which left him under a tree, hungry, tired and ready to give up. He had no fear of Jezebel, he was just beyond being able to deal with her nonsense or anything else. Let’s look at God’s response. Rather than rebuking him for wanting to give up, God ministered to him. First, he fed Elijah, making sure he slept and ate and drank until he was refreshed. Then God waited for Elijah at the mountain of Horeb where he brought Elijah into his presence and spoke directly with him. God didn’t give Elijah sympathy; he gave him a new assignment and assured him that he was not alone. Have you ever found yourself in Elijah’s place? Exhausted, overwhelmed and wanting to give up? Rest assured that God understands your feelings. Take some space. Eat, drink water, rest and pray. Seek the Lord and his goodness and he will meet you in the cave of refuge. God won’t yell at you for wanting to give up. He will minister to you and help you to see things through his eyes. Then he’ll invite you to take up life again.
Janice
This Week:
SUNDAY: | Holy Communion, 8.45am |
Family Service, 10.30am | |
MONDAY: | Deanery meeting in the Narthex, 12.30pm |
Prayer for the Parish, St Mark’s, 4.00pm | |
Contact: Janice | |
TUESDAY: | Funeral for Guy Fanning |
at Safety Beach Sailing Club, 1.00pm | |
Zoom Prayer and Share is in recess | |
WEDNESDAY: | Holy Communion Service – 10.00am |
Bible Study Group St Mark’s, 11.00am | |
Contact: Janice | |
Healing Service Planning Meeting, St Mark’s, 12.15pm | |
Cuppa, Craft & Chat Group, St Mark’s,12.30pm | |
Contact: Robyn (0409 425 044) | |
THURSDAY: | Janice commences leave from 26th June to 4th July |
Men’s Coffee & Chat, Blackthorn Café, 10.00am | |
Contact Steve (0437 984 679), Keith T (0413 319 327) | |
Women’s Study Group, St Mark’s, 9.30am | |
Contact: Carol (0411 405 597) | |
NEXT SUNDAY: | Holy Communion, 8.45am |
Family Holy Communion, 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:
Looking for a place to server…
We have opportunities at our Op Shop for volunteers. Training is provided and you will be assisted to obtain your Police Check and Level 1 Training Certificate if you don’t already have them. The Op Shop is at the heart of our ministry to the Dromana community, and we hope to grow this ministry, but we do need helpers to do that. Shifts can be as little as 4 hours once per month. Talk to Vicki Brown if you’d like to know more.
Team leader wanted…
A Team Leader is wanted to coordinate working bees for cleaning the inside of our lovely church every few months. Perhaps you are not up for the cleaning but are happy to lead a team who can, or maybe cleaning is your secret power. Either way, if this is you, please talk to Janice or one of the Wardens – Kevin, Mike or Jan Glass. Thanks.
Janice: Time off…
Rev’d Janice is on leave from 26th June to 4th July inclusive. For any urgent pastoral matters please speak to Kevin Cranwell on 0438234457 and he will arrange for clergy to assist you. All services will continue as normal with the assistance of our Lay Leaders and Rev’d Keith South.
Prayers for Grace…
Please pray for Grace Fanning whose husband, Guy, passed away on 14th June. His funeral will be held on Tuesday 24th June at 1pm at the Safety Beach Sailing Club. Food & drinks to follow. In lieu of flowers, a donation to Peninsula Home Hospice would be appreciated.
This Week’s Prayer Focus
In our country and the world:
- For all suffering loss and grief resulting from the NSW floods.
- For families suffering as a result of violence and home invasions.
- For all affected by the worsening antisemitic attacks around Australia and the world.
- For those facing homelessness, hardship, anguish and despair amid rising costs.
- For all in Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine and Myanmar.
- For all women in Afghanistan now banned from hearing each other’s voices.
- 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:
- A prayer for the election of a new Archbishop for our diocese:
Eternal God, shepherd and guide, in your mercy give your Church in this diocese a shepherd after your own heart who will walk in your ways, and with loving care watch over your people. Give us a leader of vision and a teacher of your truth. So may your Church be built up and your name glorified; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. - 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 Archdeacon Rev’d Sam Bleby, in the Frankston Archdeanery.
- 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 in Watamu, Kenya.
- 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.
- 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 Alpha program, the leaders and all who will attend.
- For the 9am at home prayer time for the Parish, Dromana & Mornington Peninsula.
- For our Op Shop staff and all who visit each week.
- For all members of the Parish Council.
- For Hope25. That the Good News of Jesus will be known in the community of Dromana.
- For Grace and Fanning family, Lynda & Ian, family of Bill Uhe, Robyn, Ellen, Phillip, Nikki, Jason, Bernadette & family, Noel and family, Rhiannon, Richard, Pat, Lorna & Peter, Keith S, Harry, Jen, Mike, Chloe, Ted, Monica, Jessica, Audrey, Backy, Fred, Robert, Jan, David