Just some thoughts from the Psalmist:
"Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." Psalm 147:7-11
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Wanted - photocopier
Our photocopier is on its last legs. You might be able to help us out if you have expertise or connections in this area. We were looking to find something that could print as well as copy and possibly even to scan to email.
Why our Archbishop is not attending Lambeth.
Every ten years, Anglican bishops get together from around the world in London. This year our bishops have chosen not to attend. Why? Read the full text of the Archbishop's reasons here.
Working Bee
We have a Community Working Bee coming up this Saturday morning. It would be great if you could come along and help out. Click on the graphic for more info.
We really need someone to bring along a mulching machine of some kind for all the plant material we need to dispose of.
Monday, February 25, 2008
What shall we do with "The Christ Files"?
At noon on Good Friday, channel seven is going to be screening "The Christ Files".
The documentary reveals the earliest evidence for Jesus, including the writings of Josephus, Tacitus, and Paul. I thought we could do something with it - have some kind of event where we screen it.
We don't have to show it exactly at that time since it is coming out on DVD a few weeks beforehand. What do you think?
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Safe Ministry for Children
Looking after our children at church is a top priority for us. Everyone involved in ministry with children must have completed the Anglican Safe Ministry training. If you are yet to do this then there are some people from our church doing it on March 8th. Check out the Youthworks website for more information on this course.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Wanted - a mouse
We need a mouse for the computer that does our words to screen. Let me know or bring one along to church - USB or PS2.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
SPLASH takes a break
Our new kids club, SPLASH, is taking a break this week while the men go up to Katoomba for Men's Convention.
It will be back on next week at 6.30pm (Friday 29th February).
No better than your god
We become like the object we worship. For most people in our materialistic culture, people are just another resource to be used and people's own reality is tied up with the things they see. Not so for Christians. We worship a great God who is filled with compassion, justice, mercy and love. As we experience who he is - his love and his mercy - we become more like him. If all you have are idol then you become like them. As the Psalmist says:
2 Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?” 3 Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. 4 But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. 5 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; 6 they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; 7 they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats. 8 Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. (Psalm 115:2-8)
2 Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?” 3 Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. 4 But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. 5 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; 6 they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; 7 they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats. 8 Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. (Psalm 115:2-8)
Monday, February 18, 2008
Weekly Church Prayer meeting
Our weekly church prayer meeting is up and running again. We meet from 5-5.45pm in the upper meeting room. We pray for our world, our community and our church.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Scripture Alone...but why?
Tomorrow at church (9:30am) Josh Taylor will be speaking about the Bible, its centrality in our lives and in the Reformation. He has been doing some thinking about it all and I post some of his thoughts about what appears to be a vicious circle in our thinking about the bible:
"One difficulty people have with Christian is that they say you can’t use the Bible as evidence to support the assertion that the Bible is the word of God. “How do we know the Bible is the Word of God? Because the Bible tells us so!”. It seems like a cyclical argument that doesn’t make sense.
The problem comes when we try to find another authority above God, who gets to judge whether the Bible really is God’s Word or not. If God has written it, what higher authority can there be than himself to verify that it comes from him? No-one else gets to put their seal of approval on it. Either God tells us that it really is from him, or we go and worship whatever authority has the final say, because they must be the true god. The buck has to stop somewhere.
That leaves the window open for deceitful people to make their own claims to have the authority of God. So how do we decide if the Bible’s claim to truth is the right one?
We start by not forcing the fact on people. You don’t have to believe that the Bible is the Word of God before you read it. In fact, quite the opposite – it’s as you read it that you become convinced that it is from God.
It’s like this: God says that Jesus is Lord. Where does He say that? In the Bible. If you read the Bible and become convinced that Jesus is Lord, then you’re at the same time affirming that God really did write the Bible.
It’s like 1 Thess 2:13:
‘And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe’.
Once you get into the text, you soon see there are a lot of good reasons to believe the Bible’s claims. Historically, the New Testament has been verified by Christian and secular scholars alike. That means it’s not a fairy-tale, but real people recording real events. If that is true, then the things Jesus did, like rising from the dead, gives us unprecedented reason to believe his claims to be from God.
As we hear those facts, and become convinced that Jesus is Lord – then at the same time we are affirmed that those words are actually from God, spoken through men.
Rather than standing outside the Bible, trying to reason why it could or couldn’t possibly be God’s Word – simply read it, and the response you have to its content will decide whether you think it’s from God or not.
There is a lot more evidence for the Bible’s claim to be from God, this just gives us a framework for thinking about it.
What do you think about this approach? Please feel free to comment, there is no doubt further conversation that could be had on this topic."
"One difficulty people have with Christian is that they say you can’t use the Bible as evidence to support the assertion that the Bible is the word of God. “How do we know the Bible is the Word of God? Because the Bible tells us so!”. It seems like a cyclical argument that doesn’t make sense.
The problem comes when we try to find another authority above God, who gets to judge whether the Bible really is God’s Word or not. If God has written it, what higher authority can there be than himself to verify that it comes from him? No-one else gets to put their seal of approval on it. Either God tells us that it really is from him, or we go and worship whatever authority has the final say, because they must be the true god. The buck has to stop somewhere.
That leaves the window open for deceitful people to make their own claims to have the authority of God. So how do we decide if the Bible’s claim to truth is the right one?
We start by not forcing the fact on people. You don’t have to believe that the Bible is the Word of God before you read it. In fact, quite the opposite – it’s as you read it that you become convinced that it is from God.
It’s like this: God says that Jesus is Lord. Where does He say that? In the Bible. If you read the Bible and become convinced that Jesus is Lord, then you’re at the same time affirming that God really did write the Bible.
It’s like 1 Thess 2:13:
‘And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe’.
Once you get into the text, you soon see there are a lot of good reasons to believe the Bible’s claims. Historically, the New Testament has been verified by Christian and secular scholars alike. That means it’s not a fairy-tale, but real people recording real events. If that is true, then the things Jesus did, like rising from the dead, gives us unprecedented reason to believe his claims to be from God.
As we hear those facts, and become convinced that Jesus is Lord – then at the same time we are affirmed that those words are actually from God, spoken through men.
Rather than standing outside the Bible, trying to reason why it could or couldn’t possibly be God’s Word – simply read it, and the response you have to its content will decide whether you think it’s from God or not.
There is a lot more evidence for the Bible’s claim to be from God, this just gives us a framework for thinking about it.
What do you think about this approach? Please feel free to comment, there is no doubt further conversation that could be had on this topic."
Friday, February 15, 2008
Church Bible Reading on web
You can now follow our church bible reading program using the updated link on the right side-bar. Each day the first few lines of the bible passage are displayed and if you click on it you can see the rest. The whole bible reading program for previous days can be found at http://summerhillbiblereading.wordpress.com.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Leadership starts with repentance
I'm sure that nobody intended to hurt people with the 'stolen generation'. On a day like today when we say 'sorry' as a nation for hurt, loss and pain in the lives of our indigenous people caused as a result of government intervention, it is important to remember that we all need to be called upon to repent from our sin. We need to be able to eat our own pride and truly admit our failings. It's often the hardest word to say but the best word to say...'sorry'.
Ans sharing tonight
Our link missionary Ans van der Zwaag will be sharing about her work in Hillbrow tonight at 8pm in the upper meeting room. It will be great to meet her again and have her share about her work.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Lunch after church
This Sunday, 10 February, we will be having lunch together after church. Sue Hutton is making it all happen to she might like some help. Cost is a gold coin.
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