A gentle reminder for those of you on the roster; if you need to make a change, please arrange to swap with someone then notify both Marion and myself by email or phone so the pew sheet can be changed by Friday. Also, if you volunteer for Kidzone on Sunday, Angela needs the Police vetting forms back now so they can all be processed together. Please can Angela get them soon? This is an important aspect to the church's keeping children safe policy.
Thanks again to all of you. As always I can be contacted either by email andrew@stbarnabas.org.nz or phone at the office 351 7064. My cell phone is 021 201 4798 and home 351 7392.
Peace in Christ,
Andrew McDonald
Lifestreams @ Medbury: News and Roster
A FEW WORDS"As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him."
- Paul to the Colossians (2:6)
Last Sunday (find the talk here) I proposed that being Christian involves us intentionally learning from Jesus how to live life as he lives it; that means living life within the abundant Kingdom of God. We do this because we trust that Jesus knows more about reality than we ourselves do, and helps us to do it. Trusting Jesus means to enter into a new way of life, one characterised by grace and growth in Christ-likeness, as we tune in to a world in which God is active through all things. I also suggested that there are certain ways of understanding the world around us that prevent us from intelligently becoming students of Jesus; for example "individual consumerism" or the "scientific world-view" when coupled unnecessarily with atheism.(The diagram to the left illustrates how I think Paul describes spiritual growth or Christ-like character development in his opening words to the Colossian church. Refer to Colossians 1: 5-10. We could imagine the "choice to act" as our decision to act on that knowledge that Jesus offers us.)
- How do you respond to the idea that Jesus gives us an intelligent world view (a way of understanding reality) that enables us to live as God intends?
- What do you know or recognise about Jesus that would encourage you to learn from him?
- Are there any reasons that would make it hard for you to trust Jesus in this way?
Next week I'd like to further explore Paul's letter to the Colossians by asking, "What approaches to faith (faith practices) may help or hinder us as we seek to grow in maturity as those who trust Jesus?"
Worship the Lifestreams' Way
A big thanks to those of you who spent time together after worship exploring the art of assisting at Communion, and also to those of you who volunteered to help in future. This Sunday we'll consider reading Scripture. Again, I don't intend anything too lengthy, say 10 minutes to recap the basics, ask any questions and introduce those who would like to start reading.
25th July - Reading Scripture in Worship
8th August - Preparing and Leading Prayers
15th August - Being a Welcomer or Sides person
22nd August - Hospitality/Morning Tea
Future date - Preparing and presenting a Personal Testimony in Worship (Open to everyone)
The main purpose of these training sessions is so that everyone feels comfortable doing what they do on Sunday.
MEN'S NOOMA FILMS AT LE CAFE
It seems as though we have enough interest to pursue a Lifestreams men's get together based around Rob Bell's NOOMA Films and beer, food etc at Le Cafe; probably starting mid-August. We simply need to decide on an evening that will be suitable. I'll do a phone around sometime on the weekend and work out a day to start.
MEANWHILE, THIS SUNDAY:
Readings
First reading: Corrine Haines
Colossians 2:6-19
6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; 12 when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, 14 erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it. 16 Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. 17 These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.
Gospel Reading: Leonie Stapleton
Matthew 20:20-28
20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. 21 And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." 22 But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." 23 He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." 24 When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 26 It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."
Welcoming:
Prayers: Amanda Cairns
Ministry of Healing: Kathleen Laycock, Carole Acheson
Sidespeople: Penny Corbett
Assistants: Monica Coulson, Virginia Ashby
Kidzone
Bubbles: Christine Fokkens, Semi Cho
Splash/Xstream: Sheena Maxwell, Anna Webster, Anthony Fokkens
GRID: Angela Brown
Morning Tea: Dave and Andrea Ramsell