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17 May 2015 ! Ascension Day
Contacts
From the Curate
The Church of the Resurrection
Parish of Swanbourne–Mt Claremont
105 Shenton Rd, Swanbourne WA 6010
PO Box 6270, Swanbourne WA 6010
www.resurrectionswanbourne.com.au
Today we reflect on Christ’s ascension, a movement that lifts him to
glory, and pre-empts the arrival of the promised Holy Spirit. This is a time
when we reflect on our commissioning as disciples, and a time of
preparation, as we anticipate the coming of the spirit in flame and
awesome wonder at Pentecost. As we prepare to farewell the use of holy
water in the penitential part of our liturgy, we begin to open ourselves in
welcome to the baptism of the Spirit.
Parish Office & Pelican Centre
Anne Beal
Monday, Thursday, Friday 10am–3pm
Enquiries and bookings . . . 9385 2236
office@resurrectionswanbourne.com.au
Locum
The Reverend Toby Sherring
Curate
The Reverend Ros Fairless
. . . . . . . . . . 9385 2236/9434 4914
ros@resurrectionswanbourne.com.au
Honorary Deacon
The Reverend Eileen Warby 9381 7798
Churchwardens
Anne Beal . . . . . . . . . . 9243 4400
Jim Gallagher . . . . . . . . . 9384 7396
Parish Councillors
Shaun Day . . . . . . . . . 0407 772 163
Felicity Shallcross . . . . . 0434 399 103
Barbara Browne . . . . . . . 9286 1669
Synod Representatives
Anne Beal . . . . . . . . . . 9243 4400
Peter Williams . . . . . . . . 9384 3416
In today’s readings, we find ourselves at the opening of the second
book of Luke’s account of Jesus’ life and ministry, written for ‘Theophilus’,
the lover of God. Acts is sometimes promoted as a history of the early
church, but it is not; in this book, the author continues to give us a
complex, layered theological narrative. It is there for the savouring, like a
master-stock or a symphony. Linger over it; ponder every layer, every
flavour and nuance; then pull back to get a sense of the grand sweep of it.
In this way, ponder the mystery of Ascension; and ‘do’ theology. If you
thought that theology was just for Lukes and Pauls, for clergy and
scholars, think again. Theology is not - or should not be - confined to a
page, a classroom or a particular order. Theology is in your ear, when you
hear the gospel read aloud; in your breath when you pray, sing, declare
the presence of the Lord’s peace among the assembly; on your skin when
the priest douses you with Holy Water, or you take the bread in your
hand; in your nostrils as the smoke of prayer ascends, and as the aroma
of wine rises from the cup.
How surprised the disciples must have been when Jesus disappeared,
swept up in the cloud of God’s presence and eternal, benevolent activity.
I wonder what they heard, smelled, felt… Every minute of our gathering
together today to worship and give thanks is a gift of grace; let’s not
waste a minute of this time, but rather get involved on every level: body,
mind and spirit.
Ros
Spirited Giving
Please continue to generously support
your parish and its ministries! Open
plate giving is still in fashion, but if you
prefer to give by bank transfer, set up a
regular donation with these details:
BSB 706-001, Account No. 30004478
If you prefer offering envelopes, they are
available from the office.
Cycles of Prayer and Worship
The Divine Office: NEW TIME
On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, Morning Prayer is said at the church
at 9am; Evening Prayer at 4pm. All are welcome to make prayer requests
known, or to join us for reflective prayer on our psalms and scriptures.
Holy Communion
Eucharists are held on Sunday mornings at 9am, except for the fourth
Sunday of the month, when there is a special celebratory Eucharist at
5pm instead.
Parish Notices
Today’s Music
Locum Priest
Fr Toby Sherring presides at our Eucharist today.
Parish Administrator
Our thanks to Jacqueline Allen for all she has done to keep the
Office running smoothly during the past few months. The
position will be advertised soon, but for now Anne Beal will
assume the role.
Ordination, First Mass and Parish Celebrations
All parishioners are invited to attend the Ordination to the
Priesthood of our Assistant Curate Ros Fairless, on Monday May
25 at 6.30 pm, at St George’s Cathedral. It would be wonderful to
have a good representation from the Church of the Resurrection
to support Revd Ros and Revd Lisa Perkins as they embark on
their priestly journeys in the Diocese of Perth. Following Ros's
Ordination, Archbishop Roger Herft is to licence Ros as an
Assistant Priest in our parish for the foreseeable future. Ros’s first
mass as priest will be on Trinity Sunday, 31st May, and a parish
celebration will follow, complete with cake and bubbles.
Love in Action
Let us be “rich in good deeds, generous and willing to share!” (1
Tim 6.18b). There is something for everyone to do: from flowers
to phone calls. See Ros or one of our Wardens for details.
From Common Worship
Crown Him with Many Crowns ……………….…. 166
Look ye Saints …………………………………….…… 171
Hail the Day that Sees Him Rise …….….….…… 167
Upcoming Events
For Our Prayers
Parish of Warnbro, Graeme Varvell and people;
Audit Committee, Ian Leverington, Chair, and
members of the Committee; all involved with the
Good News Cafes; Archbishop Roger and assistant
Bishops Tom and Jeremy.
Parish of Brunswick, Diocese of Bunbury; Parish
of Wickham, Diocese of North West Australia;
Parish of Kiminda, Philip Ruto and Alex Songok,
Diocese of Eldoret, Kenya; Navajoland Area
Mission (VII, The Episcopal Church), Bishop David
Bailey.
David (Andrew) Stewart, Derek, Dick Gies, Jill
Slee, Jim Bowen, Val Fairless, Peter Wright,
Michael Heagney, Jacqueline Allen, Ethel Kaye,
Beryl Staunton, Vanessa, Nicholas.
Holy Communion
Rope labyrinths: History and use
Thursday 21st May, 1.45pm, Pelican Centre
The Swanbourne branch of Mothers’ Union have invited Siobhan
Dalziell, from St Margarets in Nedlands, to speak about the
history of rope labyrinths. Siobhan will also create a rope
labyrinth in the Pelican Centre. This is a unique opportunity to
learn about, and experience, a beautiful and ancient prayer
practice. Afternoon tea to follow. For catering purposes please
advise Joan Brenton Coward (9384 1496) or Dianne
Andrewartha (9384 5691) if you plan to attend.
Dayspring Celtic Retreat
Monday - Friday 18-22 May, Koora Desert Retreat (residential)
Rev’d Ray Simpson from Lindisfarne teaches on Soul Friendship
and Celtic Spirituality. See flyer on the narthex pin-up board.
Everyone is welcome to share in the hospitality
and welcome of Christ by taking communion or
receiving a blessing. Please come forward to
receive from Father Toby and then move to
receive from one of the chalices. Both chalices can
be used either as usual or for intinction if
necessary.
If you cannot come to the priest, please let one of
the sides-people know and the sacrament will be
brought to you. Prayer with the laying on of hands
is offered after our Eucharist; do let us know if you
would like us to pray for you.
Celebration of Sport
Sunday 17 May, 3pm. St Mary’s Cathedral, Victoria Square, Perth.
Join Justin Langer, Nic Naitanui, Shawn Redhage. Multi faith
event, hosted by Christians Together in Sport. Free entry.
Our parish offers supermarket vouchers rather
than cash to those in need of food. To contribute
towards their purchase, please speak to Ros.
National Day of Thanksgiving
Sat 30 May
A day to thank God for our blessings, and to love our community
through acts of kindness and thanksgiving. Please fill out a
Thank You note for a volunteer, carer, councillor, shopkeeper,
crosswalk guard, police officer, barista - use your imagination!
We will deliver as many as possible.
Pew News
Please phone 9385 2236 or send any items for next week’s
PewNews to the office (office@resurrectionswanbourne.com.au)
by Wednesday evening. Food Vouchers
Next Week’s Mass
Day of Pentecost, 24th May, 5pm.
Readings:
Ezekiel 37.1-14 or Romans 8.22-27
Acts 2.1-21
Psalm 104.26-36
John 15.26-27; 16.4b-15
Today’s Readings
A Reading from the Book of Acts
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus
did and taught from the beginning until the day when he
was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions
through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had
chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to
them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them
over the course of forty days and speaking about the
kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered
them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the
promise of the Father. ‘This’, he said, ‘is what you have
heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you
will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from
now.’ So when they had come together, they asked him,
‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom
to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times
or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of
the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
While he was going and they were gazing up towards
heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.
They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up
towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from
you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw
him go into heaven.’
Acts 1.1-11
Throughout Luke’s gospel and Acts, a dominant
theme is that God’s promises are being fulfilled
in the ministry of Jesus and the life of the
church. There is an expectation here that
believers will be baptised with water, that it
matters, and has an effect: we are spiritually
born again as we emerge out of the waters; we
are initiated and become grafted into the Godpeople story. More than this, through a kind of
spiritual second birth, we become native-born
citizens of God’s realm; brothers and sisters by
birth, regardless of the circumstances of our
natural birth. There is also an expectation that
believers will receive, or be baptised with, the
Holy Spirit. There may be some disagreement
among Christians as to exactly when and how
this takes place, particularly in relation to
baptism, but all should agree that one of the
Spirit’s main functions is to empower us to
become Christ’s witnesses - martyrs, in the
Greek - in all our known world. !
Psalm 93
The Lord is king and has put on glorious apparel;
the Lord has put on his glory and girded himself with strength.
The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their pounding waves.
He has made the whole world so sure that it cannot be moved.
Mightier than the thunder of many waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea,
the Lord on high is mightier.
Your throne has been established from of old; you are from everlasting.
Your testimonies are very sure;
holiness adorns your house, O Lord, for ever.
Today’s Readings
A Reading from the Epistle to the Ephesians
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love
towards all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give
thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the
God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a
spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so
that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know
what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches
of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the
immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe,
according to the working of his great power. God put this power
to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated
him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule
and authority and power and dominion, and above every name
that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.
And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the
head over all things for the church, which is his body, the
fullness of him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 1.15-23
In just over two hundred words, Paul
references the power and authority of Jesus in
at least a dozen ways; trying within the
limitations of language to cover all bases in the
known universe. And set within this barrage of
doxological witness are three jewels: precious
insights into what God has called us into;
glimpses into a grand vision that is beyond our
natural capabilities. It is beyond us, yet open to
us; as Paul prays, so we must pray for the gift of
a spirit of wisdom and revelation. Only in this
way can we be enlightened, and begin to
apprehend the nature of God who has called
us, the purposes God has in mind, and the
riches God wants to bless us with, as we come
to know Jesus. !
The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark
And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim
the good news to the whole creation. The one who
believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who
does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will
accompany those who believe: by using my name they
will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they
will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any
deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their
hands on the sick, and they will recover. So then the Lord
Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into
heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they
went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the
message by the signs that accompanied it.
Mark 16.15-20
This commissioning text is part of ‘the longer
ending of Mark’. This text is missing from the
earliest known versions of Mark, and seems to mix
in phrases from the other, later, gospels. It’s not
out of place in the New Testament, by any means,
but it is likely to be a later addition to the gospel of
Mark, one of a number of versions that scribes
copying out the gospel added on. Why? Perhaps
they wanted to encourage the missionaries of the
second century, by affirming that the Lord was
with them in their ministries. Perhaps they were
also uncomfortable with the shorter ending of
Mark, which ends at verse 8, with Jesus’ faithful
friends - Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of
James, and Salome - fleeing from his empty tomb
in amazement, and keeping silent about it, out of
fear. Obviously the story of Jesus resurrection got
out, and the church developed, but how does the
addition of these verses change what might have
been the author’s original intention? !