Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Welcome to worship as we celebrate the Last Sunday after Epiphany. That means Lent begins this week and Easter just seven weeks away. Scary! Whilst on the subject of Lent let me encourage you to make a positive start to the coming season. We have a Liturgy of Reconciliation on Tuesday at 4.30pm and pancakes at the Rectory at 5pm. ALL are welcome. Furthermore the Liturgies of Ash Wednesday and reminding ourselves of imperfections and the need of God’s love and mercy is equally important and helpful in the journey of repentance towards Easter. There are also Lenten studies happening. A combined Lent Group on Tuesday evenings, alternating between the Catholic Church and St Paul’s. Please see in the bulletin for details. We also will be having a group Thursday afternoons at 3pm in St Paul’s. Both of these begin this week. Take the opportunity to come along. For those who can’t attend a group there are some private study resources available today and a Lenten lending library will operate from next Sunday through until Easter.
​I always find it helpful to maximise opportunities and means in Lent of meeting for prayer, study, reflection and worship.
May you feel able somehow to join in the journey.
Fr Ian

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Welcome to worship as we celebrate the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany. A continuing of this special time of remembering Christ as the light of the world. This is particularly important today also as we welcome Alexis Evelyn Hinds into the life of God’s Church through Baptism.
A warm welcome also to her parents Alisha and Shannon, godparents, grandparents, family and friends. There is some pretty strong stuff in today’s Scriptures, but as always it is highly important to remember that a literal reading is not necessarily the best reading of what is in front of us. The context, both historically and culturally also plays an important role.
​Attempting and working at good and healthy relationships and being mindful of how Christ calls us to live out our lives is the key message. Yes Jesus appears to be highly critical and rightly so in a society where in many cases the law was being interpreted by the elite, often for their own convenience. They saw themselves as the righteous ones. Yes there are times when all of us in our lives fail—”to err is to be human.” However there is forgiveness when we truly seek it and repent, both to God and sometimes other people too. God is love.

May our Lord be with us as we share in the faith of Christ this week.
Fr Ian