Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Welcome to worship as we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. We extend a particularly warm welcome to the Ingrams family as Vicky and Lance bring their two young children Flynn and Alexa for baptism. Welcome to you, along with family and friends as you join with us in worship this morning. The Feast of Christ the King is a great day to celebrate baptism and for each of us to recall that we too are baptised. It is interesting to note that when we are baptised, we are not done so just as an Anglican, Roman Catholic, Uniting or Baptist, but that we are baptised into the Church of God. We are drawn into God’s family as sisters and brothers of Christ and are clearly are part of God’s kingdom. As our Prayer Book states: “We are joined with Christ, and made members of his body, the Church universal.” This is so because we believe that Christ died and rose again. Baptism is a reminder and immersion into both death and resurrection. Baptism is an invitation to participate fully in the life of the church. For that to happen, we need to pray and ask God: “How might I best participate in the life of the church and God’s mission in the world?” Christ the King is a great Sunday to celebrate Baptism. It reminds us clearly that we belong to Christ, that we are called to serve with he who came to be the servant of all. May we journey well with Christ this week. Fr Ian
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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Welcome to worship as we celebrate the 25th Sunday after Pentecost and looking ever closer to the end of the Church Year. In reflecting on today’s Gospel, I came across some thoughts by Tom Smail, a leading Scottish Theologian, preacher and writer. Universally , whenever and wherever Christ comes, the more powerful his presence, the more tumultuous is the resistance to it. The true Messiah will be challenged by false prophets, there will be outbreaks of murderous strife on an international scale, even the forces of nature will, in earthquake and famine, be stirred into a rebellion that frustrates the life-giving will of their Creator. The Church, where in word and sacrament Christ is most explicitly present, will feel the full brunt of persecuting opposition and internal division, and will be driven to pray for that quality of endurance that will bring it to its goal of salvation in the fully unveiled majesty of its crucified and risen Lord. One could put up a mirror and say that some of this is happening and has happened at many points in history. What is important, is to keep the faith and our lives grounded in prayer and fellowship with the God of infinite love. Fr Ian |
AuthorRev Cannon Ian Howarth is the Rector of the Anglican Parish of St Paul's Kyneton and St John's Malmsbury and is the team leader of the Central Highlands Cluster. Categories
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