18th December Bulletin
The Anglican Parish of Tamborine Mountain
18h December 2022
Join us this Sunday at:
St. George’s, Tamborine Mountain St. Luke’s, Canungra
10am Eucharist 8am Eucharist
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?
Can you believe it? Christmas is almost here! But a better question is ‘Can you believe it?’ when it comes to the Christmas story. Over the four Sundays that lead up to Christmas day we have been studying the set gospel readings. Each one has focussed on a different Bible character. We began with Jesus, then we looked at John the Baptist, last week we looked at Mary and this Sunday we look at Joseph.
Joseph gets a bit overlooked in the Bible, he’s only the step-dad after all!
Yet, Joseph’s life was incredible. This was a humble carpenter, an absolute nobody in the history of the world and then one day that totally changed because an angel appeared to him and told him that Immanuel (‘God with us’) was in a totally literal sense going to be ‘God with him’ in his house for the next 18 years or so!
The miracle of Christmas is that God became fleshed and dwelled as ‘God with us’ but almost as big a miracle was that Joseph had the faith to actually believe it, and the faith to stand there in the shadows with his hand on Mary’s shoulders supporting her and the God-child for the rest of his life.
The question we ask in church at Christmas (and every other day we meet) is ‘Can you believe it?’ – Does the greatest story ever told make sense to you? Is God welcome to dwell in your heart? But the point of telling the stories of four characters connected to that story is for us to be inspired by their faith in the most amazing circumstances, for us to maybe model some of the faith that they showed, for us to be amazed by their stories and what God did and say wow, can you believe it?
Tom
NOTICES…
Parish AGM #1 TODAY St George’s (after the 10am service)
There will need to be 10 people present to form a quorum for the meeting. In the past this first part of the AGM has taken less than 30 minutes. Your attendance will be greatly appreciated. The second part of the AGM will take place on Sunday 19th February
Christmas Eve Pageant Saturday 5.00pm St George’s
Come and join in the Christmas Eve Pageant on the lawn. Bring the children, grandchildren, neighbours, angels, shepherds and a torch or light. Children will find the page for the colouring in competition in the Tamborine Times on the 20th.
Year’s Mind Anniversaries this month
Sylvia Tomlinson, Yvonne Cossins, George Curtis, May Finch, Nancy Lovell, Garry Mailer, Beryl Jenyns, Tom Powell, Sylvia Perkins, Raymond Curtis, Vincent Youngman, Jean Jenyns, Wendy Lyne.
This week’s intercessions: Prepared by Barbara
Lord Jesus Christ in a few days we will celebrate your coming into the world to show us how to live. No room at the inn but you came anyway. Let us open our minds to the voice that resounds through the ups and downs of our lives " let me show you where I live among my people. My name is God-with-you". (Henry Nouwen)
We are waiting with joy for your coming, hear our prayer.
Lord Jesus Christ your Father God sent you to show us a better way if we believe. We thank you for the late Queen's example of faith and pray for King Charles as he takes over the reigns. Give strength and courage to him and his family. May they welcome You into their hearts this Christmas.
We are waiting with joy for your coming, hear our prayer.
Lord Jesus Christ let us be ready to receive You into our homes and hearts and we ask for blessings on all clergy and church musicians in their busy-ness. Especially we pray for Tom and his family as they return home. May they thrive and be happy in whatever place they are called to serve, using their time and talents. Show us how to be better in our service to you in our world and community.
We are waiting with joy for your coming, hear our prayer.
Lord Jesus Christ your parents Mary and Joseph said yes to God's call to love and care for you at great cost. We pray for all mothers and fathers growing families in our communities. Help them to instil good values in loving care, through difficult times. We pray for international communities losing homes, livelihood and loss of faith and meaning.
Give them courage to start again and keep going.
We are waiting with joy for your coming, hear our prayer.
Lord Jesus Christ when on earth you healed the sick and disabled giving them hope and strength to get on with their lives. We thank you for that amazing grace and love and pray for any one we know who needs that kind of care and attention. We pray especially for those in grief or who have asked for our prayers who we name allowed or in the silence of our hearts............................Bless them all.
We are waiting with joy for your coming, hear our prayer.
Lord Jesus Christ you gave us your servants who taught us faith and how to love you. We give grateful thanks for The Rev’d Robin Keeley, for his life and his example and his love which he shared so generously. We pray for Pauline as she moves on in the next season of her life.
Thank you for those people on our journey who led us to you and supported us in faith. The darkness of our Advent waiting is filled with anticipatory joy for we know that the dawn of this day can be life-giving and life-changing.
Our longing and waiting is an aching one but the aching is one cradled in expectant trust and certain hope. The dawn is coming that brings redemption, God’s plan to save. We thank you Lord Jesus Christ. Hear our prayer. Amen.
December Retiring Collection: Christmas Bowl
The Christmas Bowl provides a powerful way for Australian Christians to share hope through practical Christian action, led by committed local partners working in the toughest conditions around the world.
High Tea Sunday 1st January 11.00am St George’s
An opportunity for all to farewell Tom after his last service with us.
Christmas Service Times
21st December - Carols by Torchlight - St Luke’s 6.30pm
24th December - Christmas Eve Pageant on the Lawn - St George’s 5.00pm
24th December - Midnight Eucharist - St George’s - 11.00pm
25th December-Christmas Eucharist-St Luke’s 8.00am & St George’s-10.00am
WEEKLY EVENTS:
Little Lukies Mon 3:00pm @ St Luke’s (in recess)
Meditation Tue 9.30am @ St George’s
Toddler Time Wed 9.30am @ St Georges (in recess)
Bible Study Wed 11.00am@ St Luke’s
Friday Bible Study 1st/3rd Fri 10:00am
PARISH DIRECTORY
Priest-in-Charge Rev Tom Hunton 04 0177 3012
tom.hunton@anglicanchurchsq.org.au
Churchwarden Delma McCrea
07 5545 1856 delma.mccrea@live.com
Churchwarden Peta Tierney
04 1325 8332 peta.tierney@hotmail.com
Parish Office
Phone: 5545 2919 Monday to Friday 9.30-2.30
Email: tamborinemountain@anglicanchurchsq.org.au
Website: https://tamborinemtandcanungraanglican.com
Parish Bank Details: BSB 704-901 Account No. 00000450
This week’ readings:
Romans 1:1-7; Psalm 80:1-7,17-19; Isaiah 7:10-16; Matthew 1:18-25…and next Week: Titus 3:4-8; Luke 2:1-20
We acknowledge and pay our respects to the Wanggeriburra people of the Yugambeh Nation, the traditional owners and ongoing custodians of the land on which we gather, and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people worshipping with us today.