24th June 2018 AD

MINISTRY MORSEL

The second of a four part article by Karen Beilharz focussed on body image from a biblical perspective. Unlike what the world tells me, what the Bible says is greatly comforting. The Bible tells me I ’m a part of God’s creation: in his absolute sovereignty, he made me in his image, and he made me a person, not an object to be decorated with the latest designer wear (Gen 1:26-27; cf. Ps 8). In addition, he made me exactly the way he wanted me—with straight black hair (not blonde curly hair), brown eyes (not blue), olive skin (not fair), an hourglass figure (not waif-like) and a height of 165 cm (not six-foot supermodel)—no more, no less (cf. Ps 139:13-16). Not only that, he made me different from everyone else: unlike LEGO figures, human beings don’t all have the same face, the same height and the same build. And I rather like the fact that I’m not a carbon copy of you and you’re not a carbon copy of me. Also, even though my body is comprised of sinful, corrupted flesh, subject to the ravages of time, death and decay (Eph 2:1-3; Rom 8:5-8, 21), my body is still significant—not because it is mine, but because it is no longer mine; it is Christ ’s, because he redeemed it (Eph 2:4-10; Rom 8:1-4, 9-11, 19-23). It’s tempting to be like the Corinthians and view my body as being irrelevant—as if only my spirit matters—but as Paul reminds us: ‘Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God… You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.’ (1 Cor 6:19-20) He goes on to tell the Corinthians (and us) that we can look forward to a bodily future—a glorious resurrection body, imperishable, immortal like Christ’s (1 Cor 15:35-53)—a body that transcends the petty concerns of love handles, cellulite, wrinkles and acne.

‘The Danger of Communion’ OT: Judges 16:13-22 (p255)

NT: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 (p1150) Gospel: Matthew 9:14-17 (p974)

PARISH SERVICES

Weekly Sunday: Sunday @ 8 Holy Communion Sunday@10 Family Gathering including Kids’ Church 1.30pm Armchair Church - Woolgoolga Retirement Village

WEEKLY HAPPENINGS Sunday: 3.45pm - Bible Study @ Marj Simmons’ Home 4pm - Youth@4 - Rectory - Years 4-8 6pm - Youth@6 - Rectory - Years 9-12 Tuesday: 9.30am - Bridge - Parish Hall 4pm - Choir Rehearsal - Church Wednesday: 9am - Prayer Gathering - Vestry 9.30am - Young Mum’s Bible Study - Chapel Afternoon - Women’s Bible Study - 2 groups alternate weekly Thursday: 6pm - Free English Conversation Classes - Parish Hall Friday: 6pm - Friday Night Fellowship - Rectory Saturday: 8am - Saturday@8 for Prayer - Woolgoolga Headland by Water Tower

Rector: Rev David Hanger 0408 423 442 Young Families Ministry: Rev Simon Reeve 0450 255 055 Deacon: Rev Pam Stone 0418 228 885 Ministers: The Congregation Parish Office: PO Box 49 Woolgoolga NSW 2456 66541370 (all hours) Op Shop: 21 Scarborough Street, Woolgoolga Email: office@northernbeachesanglicans.org.au Website: www.northernbeachesanglicans.org.au

SENTENCE: Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? Mark 4:41

COLLECT: O God our defender, storms rage about us and cause us to be afraid: rescue your people from despair, deliver your sons and daughters from fear, and preserve us all from unbelief; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Blessed Lord, you have caused all the Scriptures to be written for our learning: help us to so hear, read, learn and embrace them that, encouraged and supported by your Word, we may hold fast to the joyful hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

TODAY’S SERMON READING 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 (p1150)

HANGER HOLIDAYS. David and Leone will be away from June 25 – July 9 inclusive. Simon will be in charge of the parish during that time. All pastoral calls please use the parish number 66541370.

May God bless you all on your

very special day.

PLEASE PRAY FOR:

Jessie Ikin, Laurel Knott, Colin Ovenden, Kallie Braine and Audrey Buckless

Northern Beaches Anglicans in the Diocese of Grafton is committed to protecting your privacy.

The people on this list have requested prayers at this time.

to everyone joining us in fellowship and worship in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Please join us for morning tea in our Parish Centre from 9.20am.

MEN’S BREAKFAST is on Saturday July 7 at 7.30am in the Parish Centre. All welcome. Gold coin donation. Money back guarantee on quality cooked breakfast, good conversations, fellowship and discussion shaped to grow our faith.

DAYS OFF: David - Monday Simon - Thursday Pam - Tuesday

NEXT WEEKS SERMON READING 1 Corinthians 14:1-25 (p1152)

REFORMATION TWEETS: Each week there is opportunity to reflect on a series of 42 Tweets expressing in modern language the great truths of the Reformation. May they be a blessing to you. 30. ‘The Christian church that celebrates the successful, the

wealthy and the proud, has not understood the gospel.’

Next week’s readings: NT: 1 Corinthians 14:1-12 (p1152)

NT: 1 Corinthians 14:13-25 (p1153) Gospel: Matthew 9:18-26 (p974)

DIARY

7 Jul Men’s Breakfast 10 Jul Parish Council 14 Jul Market Stall 29 Jul Combined CMS Service @9 6 Aug CCSM Dinner

Thursday June 28

Wednesday June 27

MINISTRY MORSEL is one small tool of communication in the life of our parish. For the next season MM will have a twofold focus of encouraging us to think Christianly about important matters informed by God’s word. Also there will be a focus on what God is doing in the lives of others. Some articles will appear in segments over more than one week. If you miss a newsletter there are spare copies at the back of the church.

SRE IN SCHOOLS

Tuesday 11am-2.40pm Wednesday 11.30am-1pm

Have you noticed our June Poster? Malcolm Williams, Director of Outreach Media, ‘In the months leading up to my decision to become a Christian I read the Bible intensely. I remember being impressed that an ancient book could be so relevant in a modern world. Yet, two things stood out most of all for me. 1. The sense I had that God was present as I read. It seemed as though how I responded mattered to God. The Bible exposed me. It read me accurately. It knew the wrong things I had

done - the selfish thinking and pretending to be somebody that I wasn’t. Did I want there to be a God? Or was God revealing himself to me? 2. The thing that stood out was how impressive Jesus was in the four gospel accounts of his life. At the end of Jesus’s famous, Sermon On The Mount, Matthew, the author of the gospel reports that, ‘…crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority.’ I can appreciate this sentiment. Jesus really does teach with wisdom and authority. Elsewhere in the gospels people are in awe at his power over the physical world - demonstrated repeatedly with various, extraordinary miracles. Given the integrity of Jesus’s words, it didn’t seem reasonable that those events were clever deceptions. So, despite the age of the Bible, it read my need and provided a solution – Jesus. It was Jesus who spoke of the possibility of knowing God and it was Jesus who died on the cross to make the hope of a fresh start with God possible. The book of Hebrews describes what I, and many others have experienced. It says: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account”. So, if you’ve never read the Bible, then my encouragement to you is… find a copy and begin by reading the shortest biography of Jesus – Mark’s gospel. Prayer: Dear God, thank you for speaking to us through the Bible in ways that soften our hearts and move us to you.

DIOCESAN NEWS. On Sunday morning it was announced in the Cathedral that the Diocese has a new Bishop. Rev Canon Dr Murray Harvey is currently the Rector of Clayfield in the Diocese of Brisbane. He is 54 years old, married to Leanne. They have two children, Chelsea who is at University in Brisbane and Lauchie in Year 11. Dr Harvey holds a Doctorate in Psychology and practiced as a psychologist for a number of years. He was ordained in 1991. The consecration of our new Bishop will take place in the Cathedral on September 29.

DIOCESAN SYNOD REPORT will be presented to the Parish family after the next Parish Council meeting. The Synod session only lasted one day and not a lot of concrete decisions were made.

WINTER WARMTH. Last Sunday we experienced the impact of low temperatures in church. Heaters were placed against walls on both sides of the pews. They had an impact on the temperature in the areas in which they were operating. We need to be careful about the number of heaters we run at the same time in terms of triggering a power failure. At present we will be operating 3 heaters. If you particularly feel the cold sit as close as you can to where the heaters are located. There are small, warm blankets at the back of the church for your use. Please dress to keep warm.

Date for your dairy CCSM dinner,

6th August 6pm

CCSM PRIMARY TEACHER UPDATE TRAINING– Wednesday 25 July, Commencing with morning

tea @9am @ Wesleyan Methodist Church 76B Bray St, COFFS HARBOUR

CALLING ALL SEWERS: Are you able to sew cloth bags to sell in the Op Shop as plastic bags disappear. Material available from Leone or the Op Shop.