Jun 20 2010
Pastor’s notes
Greetings!
This morning our focus is on “standing firm in the Lord” and particularly on how we are to do that. Our text sets out three simple rules – Be care-full of our relationships with each other, with the Lord and with ourselves. First, we must watch our relationships with each other – in the dispute between Euodia and Syntyche Paul pleads with them to make peace, and calls the community to help them. Disagreements, disunity, unnecessary remarks and unforgiveness can weaken the church and destroy our faith. The striving for good relationships is a vital secret to standing firm in the Lord. Second, we must watch our relationship with the Lord – Paul gives us three tips for doing this: We must enjoy the Lord (rejoice in Him); we must expect the Lord (be gentle with each other for the Lord is near) and we must entreat the Lord (do not be anxious but pray). And then third, we must watch the things that fill our mind – we must think true, noble, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy thoughts. Someone once said, “A man is not what he thinks he is, but what he thinks – he is!”
As I prepared this sermon, it seemed to me that this focus on “standing firm in the Lord” could be pivotal in directing the future course of our ministry in the Wheatbelt. We need to set the foundation on which we stand as early as possible in our life and so we need to work really hard at creating a good, viable and fulfilling ministry to the children and young people. We need to set within ourselves a foundation of prayer and personal devotion to God. We need to develop good approaches to reading and understanding Scripture and we need to build good relationships with each other and the community. My mind has already been filled with thoughts which I will share with the elders so that we can begin to develop the ideas. I also plan to devote a lot of time to “thinking on these things” while we are on leave in South Africa.
You might already have heard the news that Brett Guthrie, the Chaplain at the High School, is not well at the moment. He was flown to Perth last week and at the time of writing, the diagnosis was still not clear. Please pray for him, his wife Lyn, and their son, Jonathan. Pray also for the school community which he serves.
Another important item of news is that Rev Paul Cannon from the Anglican Church has been called to the Parish of Bridgetown/Boyup Brook with effect from the beginning of August. He and his wife have played a significant role in the community and they will be missed. A farewell service will be held at All Saints at 10am on July 18th. Please pray for them as they prepare to enter into a new phase of ministry and pray also for the Anglican Parish as they face a time of uncertainty as they await the appointment of a new minister.
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