29 June 2008

Welcome to St Alban’s Anglican Church 

Today's Scripture (HC) : Ezekiel 3:22-end Acts 12:1-11 S. Matthew 16:13-19

Today's Liturgy: 8.35 a.m. BCP Matins; 9.00a.m. Scripture Study Prep; 9.30a.m. Holy Communion ; EP 6.00 p.m. 

Tues - Fri 12.30 p.m. Midday Prayer. Summer Schedule from next Sunday.

S. Peter

O Almighty God, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst give to thy Apostle Saint Peter many excellent gifts, and commandedst him earnestly to feed thy flock; Make, we beseech thee, all Bishops and Pastors diligently to preach thy holy Word, and the people obediently to follow the same, that they may receive the crown of everlasting glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

FAITH IN FOCUS: CHURCH

On the outskirts of a small French village during World War II, some soldiers took the body of their friend to the local cemetery. When the priest saw them he stopped them and said, "You can’t bury your friend here if he is not a Catholic." Discouraged but not defeated, the boys buried their fellow soldier just outside the cemetery fence. When they came to pay their respects the next morning, they could not find the grave. They questioned the priest about it, and he said, "The first part of the night I stayed awake disturbed by what I had told you. The second part of the night I spent moving the fence."

It’s true that the Church has made mistakes throughout history and continues to do so. Thank God they are not irreversible. It’s also true that we have given bad examples. Thank God the Church is not simply human. For the Church is founded not on a set of rules or ideals but on a person: Jesus Christ. And Jesus’ wish is that we should know the sort of God that we have and enjoy the promises that our God makes to us.

The role of the Church is not to possess power or to exercise control. The function of the Church is to evangelise, to proclaim the best piece of news ever to hit the cosmos: that we are loved by our maker and saved by his Son.

The Church, when Christ is allowed to speak, transforms lives and draws people into a communion of love and compassion that respects no one’s origin or status, going beyond its own members to embrace all God’s creation.

The Church is born anew every day. It needs you and me to cooperate with God’s grace so that all people might know the glory of God and share in the happiness of being called by him to a life that knows no bounds.

And not even the gates of hell can hold out against it.

 

WORD OF GOD

You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. (Matthew 16:18)

WORD FOR TODAY

Peter and Paul passed on the authentic living tradition of Christ. Where do you look today for this message? Do you think you have any role in handing it on it from your generation to the next one?

IT IS NO USE walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching. (St. Francis of Assisi)

THE GLORY OF THE CHURCH is not that it is labelled with some denominational name. The glory of the Church is not that it has a certain preacher in its pulpit or certain affluent people in its membership. The glory of the Church is not that it is good or even that it is good enough. The glory of the Church is that it is Christ’s church! He is the foundation upon which the Church is built. (Ed Wood)

THIS WEEK’S BIBLE READINGS

Mon: 1 Sam 5, Luke 20:41- 21:4, 2 Cor 6: 1 - 7:1

Tues: 1 Sam 6:1-16, Luke 21:5-19, 2 Cor 7: 2-end

Wed: 1 Sam 7, Luke 21:20-28, 2 Cor 8:1-15

Thurs: 1 Sam 8, Luke 21:29-end, 2 Cor 8:16 - 9:5

Fri : 1 Sam 9:1-14, Luke 22:1-13, 2 Cor 9:6-end

Sat : 1 Sam 9:15 - 10:1, Luke 22: 14-23, 2 Cor 10

NEXT SUNDAY : Zechariah 9:9-12, Romans 7:15-25a, S. Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30