Merredin Uniting Church

Over the past two weeks we have been looking at what Advent means. We have seen that it is a time of preparation – a metaphorical “waiting place”; and we have seen that it prepares us for change, because when Jesus enters in to our lives everything becomes different. Today we look at the kind of change which happens, and what we must expect when it does. Jesus has a radical effect on our lives, He changes our world and He gives us a new future. This change is however, not without its struggle.

For most this struggle is about leaving an old world behind; a world of familiarity and comfort. Sometimes it is the struggle of dealing with our sin; the struggle to confess and actually reach the point of repentance. We find it hard to understand the forgiveness which Christ brings, and we find it even harder to own up to our sin. At times it is the struggle of a crisis which grabs hold of us until we feel almost suffocated; freedom only comes when we grasp out to the saving hand of Christ. And then it is sometimes a struggle to escape a culture and/or a life which is so different to the one which Jesus offers to us.

Our hesitancy to take hold of the unknown is understandable. It requires a launch of faith. A friend of mine always says that faith is spelled r-i-s-k. Faith is a risk endeavour, it requires us to step out of the dark into the light, from the desert into the river, from blindness to sight and for us to leap up from our lameness. Without rising to this challenge we simply remain in the old world and all the promises of God are just “wishes” and “could-have-beens”.

Jesus enters into creation to turn the promise into reality. He came as a baby born in a stable in Bethlehem; He moved through this world, changing, restoring, renovating and healing; and He ended His life with a cruel death at Calvary. In His death He redeems us from the one thing which holds us back – the selfishness of sin. He sets us free in His resurrection and He pours out His Spirit, saying I will never leave you nor forsake you. Everything which Jesus did, He still does. He still restores, He still heals, He still forgives and He still gives us our life back. All He asks is that we come to Him in faith, and He will pour out the grace: “For it is by grace that you are saved, by faith (the “risk” step) – this is not of your own works, it is the gift (freely given) of God, so that no-one can boast (of his own achievements.)”

In this season of preparation for the Advent of our Lord, take the time to reflect on your own struggle (and resistance) and contrast it with His great offer of grace; yield yourself to Him and let Him bring the fullness of life alive in you.

While the year is winding down for most in the world, it has, in fact, already started for those who follow Christ. Our year begins with Advent – the four weeks before Christmas. This is why the season is so important. If we wait for the secular beginning of the year, the promise of new beginnings gets lost in the holidays, new year, new jobs, new budgets and so on. Instead we enter the secular year already prepared to go there with Christ. Advent is a spiritual season; one which we must not neglect. It is easy to get caught up in the cycle of the secular world … schools close, harvest ends, holidays are taken – yes, things do wind down in our secular lives as well but we must nonetheless be winding ourselves up in our spiritual walk with Jesus.

A similar thing happens in the weekly cycle. The world sees Monday as the beginning of the week. For us, it’s Sunday, the celebration of the Resurrection. Our week ends on Saturday, the day of rest and begins on Sunday, the day of worship. We begin with God; not in the workplace. If you begin your week at work rather than at worship then your priorities become misplaced. Your salvation becomes focussed on your effort rather than on the grace of God revealed in Jesus Christ.

So …. our year has started and we are looking forward to all the things which will happen from now on.

Today we have the last opportunity to bring food items for the Christmas Hampers but the opportunity to make donations for the Leprosy Mission via the Christmas Tree Envelopes goes on. Anne Sutherland will give us an update this morning.

On Wednesday we pack Christmas hampers at the SDA Hall for distribution to the less fortunate in Merredin and surrounds. All are welcome to assist.

Next Saturday evening is the Carols by Candlelight Service at the Rec Centre – we are hosting on behalf of the Merredin Churches Fraternal. It is also the Nukarni Christmas Tree event. Carol services will be held in Bruce Rock and Southern Cross next Sunday evening and in Mukinbudin on Christmas Eve.

Next Sunday Colin Chapman from the Gideons will share with us at Merredin Church on the activities of the Gideons and their commitment to get the Word of God into every hotel, school and hospital. There will be a Retiring Offering and offers of other means of support for the Gideons. We will also have a special morning tea to farewell John Rutherford who is leaving Merredin to live with his daughter.

We will have a Christmas Service in Merredin on the 25th (conveniently on a Sunday this year) and a New Year’s Service on the 1st (also Sunday). For the rest of January we combine with the other churches (as indicated in this Newsletter). On January 29th we will launch the Alpha Course at a Combined Parish (and town) service in Bruce Rock. The LentEvent program begins on February 22nd and we will start the E100 Bible Reading Challenge on May 13th.

Lots to look forward to as we journey on with the Lord in the wonder of His grace.

Shalom

What a joy there is in being together in worship today. We take it so much for granted but, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer says. “between the death of Christ and the Last Day it is only by a gracious anticipation of the last things that Christians are privileged to live in visible fellowship with other Christians.…Not all Christians receive this blessing. The imprisoned, the sick, the scattered lonely, the proclaimers of the Gospel in heathen lands stand alone. They know that visible fellowship is a blessing.” — Life Together, Chapter 1 “Community”, p. 18

The season of Advent continues … as we await the Last Day. Last Sunday, at the start of the Advent season we asked the question, “What would you do today if it were your last day on earth?” – today our focus is on the difference that Christ’s Incarnation, Presence and Expected Return makes in our life. You don’t need to be a Christ Follower for this reality to make a difference in your life – it will anyway! However, choosing to follow Jesus does turn this difference into a pleasant journey.

Today, in Merredin, we join together to celebrate the baptism of Reze Coetzee, the daughter of Fanie and Suzette. Today she enters into this journey as she is baptised into Christ. Some might say that she is too young to understand this, and that there is no conscious decision on her part. That’s true but, as I always say, with regard to the baptism of infants, when the parents are convinced of their own faith in Jesus Christ then they want their children to share that faith. Infant baptism, has two aspects to it – there is the covenant of Christ, in which God commits to receive and be with the child; and there is the covenant of the parents, in which they undertake to lead their child in the way of righteousness by the example of a Christian life. And, as at every baptism service, we all have the privilege of affirming our own baptism vows as we profess our faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed.

I am still in the throes of planning the detail of our program/life for next year and some of this is included elsewhere in this Newsletter. The three main events are the Alpha Course talks which will be given during the usual Sunday services in each congregation. In Merredin this will finish by May 6th but the other congregations, who only have two services a month, will only complete in September.

The Alpha Course is a practical introduction to the Christian faith, covering such areas as Jesus, the Bible, prayer, the Holy Spirit, resisting evil, witnessing, healing and sharing faith. Many people around the world have been deeply influenced by the course which began as an introduction for new members at an Anglican Church in Central London. It has also been credited as being one of the vehicles which God is using in the present revival spreading through the United Kingdom. Another is the 24/7 Prayer Movement (which is connected to the same Anglican Church in Brompton). We will be setting up a Prayer Room along the guidelines of the 24/7 Prayer Movement during Holy Week next year.

Superimposed over the Alpha Course will be the LentEvent which runs during Lent from February 22nd (Ash Wednesday) until April 8th (Easter Sunday). I received the LentEvent Journey Guide and Resources this week. Having looked at the 2012 material, I see that it is much more focussed on the Sunday services (and group study) than on being a personal journey guide. That’s not going to work while we are focussed on the Alpha Course. I believe that it would be better for me to give guidelines and encouragement in the Newsletter than for each of us to purchase a Journey Guide. We will still use the LentEvent focus on “This One Life” and as an interest stirrer and fundraiser for Missions during the season.

We are however still going to use the E100 Bible Reading Challenge during 2012. In Australia, most Christians own a Bible, but only 39% will read it one or more times during the week. Only 20% of Christians read the Bible on a daily basis. One of the main reasons for not reading the Bible is that people find it hard to understand. The E100 Bible Reading Challenge features 100 carefully selected readings designed to give people a good understanding of the Bible story. The “E” stands for Essential and each of the essential 100 readings range from a few verses to a few chapters. The motivation behind the challenge is to build a regular habit of spending time with God through Bible reading and prayer.

Thank you to all those who completed the NCLS questionnaire and the Pastoral Information form. Copies of the latter are available for those who have not yet completed it. I had to fill in a very different NCLS form as the Pastor of the church. I found it quite inspiring and it affirmed for me that I am in the place where God wants me to be – both geographically and spiritually. I am convinced more than ever of my call to the ministry. The questions dealt with positive things like hope, satisfaction and confidence, which all got a big tick from me. It also dealt with negative things like unhappiness, depression and uncertainty which are not at all a part of my life.

Finally – Sven and Linda have decided, after much prayer, to forgo the opportunity of a firm job in Melbourne, in favor of staying in WA. We are delighted – Linda will join Tegan at King Edward and Sven is waiting a response to a number of job applications. Meanwhile Quinten is changing jobs in a couple of weeks.

Shalom

You may have heard of the death of the little girl run over by a

tractor in Mumballup last Sunday. The sad news is that she

was Georgia Tilbrook, the granddaughter of Roy & Val

Tilbrook who worship at our congregation in Mukinbudin. She and her mum were in

the scoop of the tractor going to feed the pigs. Her mum got out and Georgia jumped

out a little later. Roy, who was driving the tractor didn’t see her and when he moved

forward she fell under the back wheel and died instantly. She was the daughter of

their son Mark and would have turned 4 years old in January. This is a very sad and

traumatic time for the family. Her funeral took place on the farm yesterday and most

of our congregation in Mukinbudin went down for the weekend. We have therefore

cancelled the Mukinbudin service this morning. Please keep them in your prayers. I

am reminded of Angus Buchan’s account of how God helped to restore his own

brokenness after his 4 year old nephew Alastair died in his arms after falling from the

tractor which Angus was driving. It is only in Christ that we can cope in situations like

this and it is prayer which brings us an awareness of His Presence with us.

I have been chatting with a few folk to gauge the response to the proposals for next

year which I outlined last week. By and large there is good acceptance and even a

stirring of excitement. One of the things which concerned me was how we would

physically be able to have discussion groups in the services after the Alpha Talks.

Normally Alpha is run in a meal setting with groups already sitting around tables.

Some folk have also indicated to me that they are uncomfortable in group discussion

settings, even if there is no requirement for them to be involved. So, on reflection,

and after some prayer, I think that we could dispense with the discussion groups

without detracting from the overall intention. We will, in any event, have opportunity

to chat over morning tea; and we do plan to have a responsive ministry time after the

service for those who would like it as well. I will provide a calendar of dates and

topics next week.

I have also been in discussion with the outlying congregations regarding the change

in services (which allow me to spend time with folk in each congregation). Bruce

Rock have requested that we change their services to every second week rather

than two consecutive weeks a month. They have also indicated that they might like

to have a go at doing one of the services themselves each month with help from

myself or one of the elders at the beginning. I will have a similar discussion with the

folk in Mukinbudin this week.

The Lentevent material for 2012 is now available for order at www.lentevent.com.

The theme for this year is “This one Life” and examines how we might live an

authentic Christian life, a life which is faithful to Jesus Christ. Although the study is

group based, it can be used as an individual study (which is the way we plan to use

it). It guides us into a daily pattern of personal prayer, meditation, worship and

study. The cost of the books has been increased to $12. I will provide details for

ordering next week.

If you didn’t get a chance to complete the NCLS survey form last Sunday, I am sure

that there will be opportunity today. Please take the time to do it – it provides

valuable information for church planning, particularly in the rural areas.

While we are filling in forms, I have again included a page for details of our

congregation members, adherents and others who would like to join us on our

journey of faith. The data is only for the use in the pastoral ministry of the church

and your privacy will be respected. Please complete it this morning, tear it out of the

Newsletter and hand it to me..

Next Sunday will be the baptism of Reze (Lisa with an “R”) Coetzee, the daughter of

Fanie & Suzette. We hope that you will join us as we welcome this child into the

family of God.

Shalom

Our focus this morning is on the 5th commandment – Honor your father and your mother. This commandment is unique for several reasons. First, it is one of only two positively stated commands (ie without a “thou shalt not”). The other is the 4th command – the keeping of the Sabbath. Second, it is the only command that comes with a promise – “that you may live a long and happy life”. Third, it is a transitional command between focussing on God (the first four commands); and focussing on other people (the last five commands). The first command (no other gods) was foundational for all the rest of the commandments, and this one (respect for parents) is the basis for all human relationships. It tells us that the home is the primary source of values, ethics and morality – if we don’t show respect and love in our families, we will struggle to show honor and compassion to our friends, neighbours and strangers.

I addressed this issue of connectedness and respect for one another last week when I wrote about the Bible Study at Bruce Rock – the way the curtain around the Court of the Tabernacle is held up by the poles (each of us) and the stays (our prayers for each other). This certainly seems to be an issue which God is revealing to us (me?) at the moment. Three times this past week I have overheard conversations which were critical (even damning!) of other Christian groups/denominations. I wonder where this comes from? In one case it was a preacher who was planning a sermon which was aimed at demonizing a Christian author. The author is in fact quite well known but this preacher couldn’t even remember his name and didn’t really know what he stood for – he had yet to do the research and then he was going to throw verbal stones at him. I chided him gently and asked him if we shouldn’t rather preach positively about Jesus than negatively about men.

This critical spirit is not of Christ. To be sure, Jesus spoke strongly against the Pharisees, but He also said that “whoever is not against us is for us”. (Mark 9:40) His opposition to the Pharisees was because they had put themselves up as being superior because of their supposed relationship with God. The one thing which Jesus really got angry about was this attitude of superiority but He loves the servant heart.

My prayer is that we, as a congregation of God’s people, will never think of ourselves as being “better” than anyone else. We are saved by grace (we did not deserve it!) and out of that grace we should look to others with the same attitude of grace. Paul, in telling us to have the same attitude as Christ Jesus, says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Phil 2:3,4)

Be as Christ towards others, loving them with grace unto salvation.

Shalom

David

Its been a full weekend, so far!!! A great Men’s Breakfast with the Full Gospel

Businessmen’s Fellowship, the Emmaus Gathering (for the first time in

Merredin), a wedding at the Emmaus Gathering (also, I think, a first!

Congratulations to Bob Burbridge and Sue Johnson). This morning Kay Eva

will share with us some of her work in Cambodia. Thank you Kay.

Kay’s testimony and sharing this morning comes at an opportune time as we

prepare our planning for next year. One of the areas which we are looking at is

the LentEvent program of the Uniting Church. The program started from a

congregation in South Australia and has now been adopted by Uniting World

(the Missions arm of the Uniting Church). It had been also been adopted

specifically by the WA Missions Group to replace the previous Missions

program held in September.

LentEvent is a planned devotions program held through the 40 days of the

Lent period (the time that leads up to Easter, commemorating Jesus’

preparation for ministry in the desert temptation; and the 40 years of the

Exodus). The devotions are designed to help us reflect upon and identify with

those who live in spiritual and physical poverty. One of the “traditions” of Lent

is to “give up” something and to donate the money saved to mission. (At

school I always gave up pumpkin and spinach, which I disliked intensely).

However the idea is to rather give up something which is special to you. This

may be your Foxtel, or daily coffee, or something else which is a part of our

First World life. One of the suggestions is to follow Wesley’s practice of a

Friday Fast (Thursday evening to Friday evening) and to set aside the cost of

the three meals. This money would then be given to Missions, either through

Uniting World or to one or more of the Mission activities which we support as a

congregation. Watch this space for more news, or you can go to the LentEvent

website at www.lentevent.com

At our Bible Study at Bruce Rock we doing a study on the Tabernacle. Last

week we were looking at the “curtain” which surrounded the Outer Court of the

Tabernacle area. The symbolism and relevance for us today is quite amazing.

The curtain was made of fine woven linen (probably white) held up with

(probably crooked) acacia poles fixed into brass bases and topped with silver

capitals. To keep everything standing up there were stay ropes connected to

the capitals fixed with pegs to the ground. Our study suggested that the poles

represented the believers (crooked, because we are still sinners) but covered

with the righteousness of Christ (the white linen curtain). We are standing on a

solid foundation of the Word and crowned with the helmet of salvation. But

most important was the suggestion that we only remain standing against the

desert winds because we are connected together by the righteousness of

Christ (the curtain) and the supporting prayers of the people (the stays). It

might be a stretch of the imagination but it certainly challenged us to think

more clearly about our role as believers together in the Body of Christ.

This year our congregation is responsible for the Carols by Candlelight service

which is part of the Churches Fraternal program. It will be the closing event of

the Shire’s Christmas Gala Day on Saturday December 17th at the Leisure

Centre. I have found a delightful Christmas Play called “The Dream” which

mixes a modern day story with the birth of Jesus and involves all the

townspeople in the whole message of Christmas. We need a Director/

Producer and 14 people of all ages and genders to play the parts. I am trusting

that our Reparatory Team will put their hands up (if they are not too involved in

the production of “A Christmas Carol”) but we will also need a whole bunch of

others. If you are interested please put your name on the list in the tea room.

The Operation Christmas Child boxes will be taken to Perth this week so

please get yours to the church as soon as possible, or phone me 90411117

and I will collect from you on Monday.

Shalom

David

SPECIAL REMINDERS

For those involved, the next Parish Council Meeting will take place in Merredin

on Saturday November 5th. Please mark the date in your calendar.

The Gideon’s Faith Fund Dinner will take place on Wednesday October 26th

at 6.45pm at the Senior’s Centre. Cost is $25, funds raised are used for

purchase scriptures for placements around the world. All welcome – RSVP

Colin Chapman 90411230.

Ride for Life are hosting a Quiz Night Fundraiser at the Seniors Centre at 7pm

Friday November 4th. Cost is $10. Call Jen Adley on 0458673643 to book.