St Paul's
Beaconsfield

Anglican Church near Fremantle, Western Australia

Second Sunday after Epiphany 17th January 2010

Our parish is a community that seeks God and the fullness of creation by finding ourselves in relation to others. Our giving to the common, to the other, our sharing of ourselves is our commitment to this endeavour.

Year B

Sunday, 9.15am Holy Communion see also Readings

Regular Services

Lectionary

The full text of the readings for Sunday are available in our Sunday's Readings section.

Other Resources

Textweek The Text This Week - Revised Common Lectionary, Scripture Study and Worship Links

Online Revised Common Lectionary Vanderbilt Divinity Library

Earlier Thoughts      Year B 0506      Year C 0607      Year A 0708

Sunday, 9.15am Holy Communion

LITURGICAL NOTE: From the start of Advent we follow the YEAR C readings in the three-year lectionary cycle. See the inside back cover for more about the liturgical year.

Before entering the sanctuary or the vestry…
Please allow the Choir to complete the ‘postlude’ and any additional songs that are part of our offering in worship – Our holding the sacred space is part of our common union - our being together in communion

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit

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Last week we heard these words….
I have called you by name, you are mine...
you are precious in my sight, and honoured, and I love you.
This week we hear…..
You shall be called My Delight
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD
For the LORD delights in you
Your God shall rejoice over you.
Perhaps this is an opportunity for us to get some sense of our real identity
And if our “hour has not yet come”, then we can, at least, proceed with expectation and with anticipation…
Trusting that
All people may take refuge in the shadow of our wings. And... feast on the abundance of our house, and.... drink from the river of our delights.
For if we realise ourselves, our true identity, then we too might bring light and light where there is darkness.

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Residing in Paradise

Eddie Vagg died last Thursday morning
"Death does not extinguish the light.
It puts out the lamp because the dawn has come."

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We are a feather on the breath of God
Hildegard of Bingen

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All that is eternal in me
welcomes the wonder of this day,
the field of brightness it creates
offering time for each thing
to arise and illuminate.

I place on the altar of dawn:
The quiet loyalty of breath,
The tent of thought where I shelter,
And all beauty drawn to the eye.
A Morning Offering - John O’Donohu

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HOPE - 2010 - PEACE - 2010 - JOY - 2010 - LOVE
Be blessed and be a blessing in the year ahead

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From last week’s sermon: I think all of these classical understandings [of Baptism] hold a thread of a much richer tapestry of truth. However, on their own they can be blinkered and distort the truth. If you imagine looking at a woven tapestry and trying to work out what the picture is by looking at one thread. Imagine a jigsaw puzzle, imagine taking one piece and trying to work out what the picture is. Why do we do this over and over again with our understanding of God? There is a thread there but perhaps we might look beyond, because those threads distort the overall picture.

More from last week’s sermon: The feast of the Baptism of our Lord is well placed in the Church’s calendar alongside Christmas, because it is about Birth, it is about creation, it is about becoming. If we move away from the old paradigm of baptism, we might realise that baptism is not a changing of the state or status of an individual from unsaved to saved. If we look closely we will see beginnings in the font, we will see becomings in the font. Baptism births an intentional process; it opens a becoming; it orientates toward a possibility.
If we follow the flow of the gospels we will go with purpose, we will go with direction, we will walk in faith, with hope, in joy, with love, and those things will take us on a journey. A journey that may open our ears to hear the word, the Divine word that is addressed to each and every one of us:
"You are my Child, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

Read this sermon

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The difference between earth and heaven is that here we are dispersed; there we shall ever be united together.
Thomas Traherne  (c.1660)

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We participate in the birth of tomorrow: not just in the day after today but in the birth of every tomorrow.

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Two small thoughts from “Nine Lives” by William Dalrymple

“It was, I thought, a lovely idea; that just as there were sacred images and sacred places there were also pools of sacred time……. as if a window momentarily clicked open in the heavens, allowing devotees direct access to the divine.”
“We may be mortal, but our work is immortal.”

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I think we need more
of the wordless
In our lives.
We need more stillness,
more of a sense of wonder,
a feeling for the mystery of life.
Ben Okri

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Shine as a light in the world to the Glory of God.....
What greater purpose could there be?

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The Elm Dance

After the choir sings the postlude on Sunday morning, those who wish to join in “The Elm Dance” gather in the circle dance area outside the church before going up to coffee in the hall. The Elm Dance

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The Divine Gift of Life, Light and Love
Our offering - a reflection of the gifts we have received
and an orientation of our giving to the life of this community.

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There is nothing in all the Universe so much like God as silence.
Meister Eckhart

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Sacred Space, Liturgy & our Community @ Worship
As we seek to offer our best in worship these guidelines may be helpful.

1. Silence before worship enables us to be ‘gathered’ into the introit sung by the choir
2. Conversations with others are often our way of avoiding those more divine words that search for us.
3. The sanctuary ‘space’ is ‘held’ by those who lead our worship, please keep to a minimum any movement in this ‘space’ and, at the end of our service, please wait until the choir have finished singing before entering.
4. NOTICES are an important part of our community story… however please use the service sheet to convey notices so that we can minimise the number that have to be given in church.

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We meditate on the glory of the Creator;
Who has created the Universe;
Who is worthy of Worship;
Who is the embodiment of Knowledge and Light;
Who is the remover of all Sin and Ignorance;
May The Divine enlighten our Intellect.

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Peace
Om Shanthi Shanthi Shanthi

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May creatures all abound in wealth and peace;
May all be blessed with peace always;
All creatures weak or strong,
All creatures great and small;
Creatures seen or unseen,
Dwelling afar or near.
born or awaiting birth,
May all be blessed with peace!
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Giving made easy
Direct debit forms are available from the back of the church and the hall for anyone who wants to use this facility. 
St Paul’s bank account details are:
30004913 Beaconsfield - for the East End account
30003006 Beaconsfield - for regular giving
For Internet or other bank transfers you will also need the BSB which is the same for each account – 706-001
Please contact Bob Matthews if you have any questions.

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