St Paul's
Beaconsfield

Anglican Church near Fremantle, Western Australia

Sunday Thoughts

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 Year B 0809

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

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Grace, mercy, and peace from God

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Having heard the ‘Lamentation” that cries out for the loss of fullness, we hear (in the second reading) the call to
rekindle the gift of God that is within you
It is the call that was made manifest at Easter... a movement from dying into rising... And it is a call that echoes in each and every moment.

Our experiences in community help us to hear (and to speak) this call as we ‘rekindle’ one another, and together as a Church we seek to make this same call sound into the wider world......

The gift of God that is within you is not always acknowledged; we have been conditioned to seek the Divine in other places..... however, as we look to find the Divine within ourselves, so too we open our eyes to the Divine in each other, and indeed in all of Creation.

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Blessing
We give our blessing to Simon & Simone who will be married at St Paul’s next Sunday...

Those who live in Love – God lives in them.

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And the Great Spirit who loves us
and has given us our true names,
whispers them in darkness
when we are alone
when we are weary
when we are despairing,
And we are re-membered
in the heart of God.
Kathy Galloway

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Prayer for Pilgrims
Start here, or anywhere you are, seeing
That to call this journey pilgrimage
Means an echoing in your heart
That changes it.
Meaning that you are -
suddenly in the innermost, unnamed self
that has always called itself you -
Who you were always meant to be.
From Sacred Britain

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To be a Pilgrim
Hobgoblin nor foul fiend
can daunt his spirit;
He knows he at the end
shall life inherit.
Then fancies fly away;
he’ll fear not what men say;
he’ll labour night and day
to be a pilgrim.
John Bunyan 1628-88

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May God shield you on every step,
May Christ keep you in every path,
May Spirit bathe you in every pass.
~ Celtic journey blessing ~

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‘There is an inner beauty in all of us hungering to be
matched in outer experiences’. Words of a pilgrim

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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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