Weekly Bulletin: Staying connected as a church - 25 February 2024

Kia ora St John’s whānau,
 
This Sunday we delve into the first specific spiritual practice in our series over Lent: Engaging with Scripture.
 
There are lots and lots of Spiritual Practices Christians find useful for ‘keeping company’ with God, and we will be sampling some together in order to help each of us find something that sustains and grows our faith.

A spiritual practice is any intentional activity, relationship or experience that creates space for us to keep company with God and transforms us in the process. Like any practice, we learn how to do it better as we practice it more and achieve more meaningful results through repetition. We adjust and learn over time. Drawing near to God is a lifelong practice. Spiritual practices help in our journey.
 
For this Sunday’s service we will all gather in the Church at 10am and our young people will go out part-way to their peer groups.  And we will all share Morning Tea together afterward.

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If you can’t gather in the city, and you want to join the worship service via Zoom, here are the details to access the live-stream:
 
Zoom Meeting ID: 370 260 759
Passcode: worship
 
The link to join the Zoom worship service is below.

If using your phone: dial 04 886 0026 (Meeting ID: 370 260 759#, Passcode: 1560107#)

This is the link to the printable Service Sheets:

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT…

SPIRITUAL PRACTICES SERIES – FOLLOW ME

Over the six weeks of Lent we will explore Spiritual Practices. This continues our emphasis of putting our faith into practice, and will focus on our desire for more of God through intentional practices, relationships, and experiences that gave us space in our lives to ‘keep company’ with God.
 
We will examine specific practices of Engaging with Scripture, Prayer, Self-examination, and Sabbath. But also consider many other spiritual practices that have helped Christians around the world.
 
Perhaps you have found a spiritual practice particularly helpful in putting your faith into practice, and you would be able to share this with our church whanau?  Please let me (the Minister, Allister Lane) know if you would be willing to share something of your own experience for the sake of encouraging others.

Last Sunday we distributed copies of a Rule of Life chart for personal use in identifying and committing to spiritual practices that you currently do and want to try. We will have printed copies available for you again this Sunday. A digital version is available Here:

Here are some suggested resources for trying some Spiritual Practices:
YouVersion Daily Bible reading and devotion app 'Make Space for What Matters: 5 Spiritual Habits for Lent'. Check it out Here, or however you download your apps.

Daily Bible reading plan ‘Every Day With Christ’ to read the whole Bible in a year available Here. (this is a BIG commitment, requiring much stamina. If you are starting the practice of daily Bible reading, there are better resources available – like the one above)  

Last Sunday, in the introduction to our exploration of Spiritual Practices, I suggested that fairy tales share some features with the Gospel.  The Gospel – the good news pronounced by Jesus – is the announcement of the existence and availability of another dimension of existence, another world.

“The kingdom of God has come near, he said. And I shared the quote of G.K Chesterton: “Fairy tales are more than true – not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten.”

We live in a world that is fallen – but it is not the whole story.  There is another reality – more real than anything.  And this reality is closer than you think. It is available to you – now.  You can live in it – now.

If you would like to hear more from G.K. Chesterton about the inconsistencies of materialism, everyday miracles, idealism and child-like openness to the possibility of a greater reality, then you might like to read Chapter 4 ‘The Ethics of Elfland’ from his book ‘Orthodoxy’ https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/130/pg130-images.html
My thanks to David Hoggard for suggesting this extra reading for us. David can encourage you to check out the books in the St John’s Library that are available to borrow.

THE GATHERING SATURDAY 9th MARCH

This Presbytery Gathering day is about getting together with others who in the wider church who serve God and ‘keep the congregation going’. Lots of us are involved in the mechanics of church life and might be interested in the ideas of others serving in similar ways. This is a totally worthwhile day – sharing helpful practical ideas and resources, as well as seeking inspiration. Speakers include Geoff New, Craig Donaldson, Mo Morgan, and Andrew Nicol.  We have a group of elders going from St John’s for the day, and we will be carpooling – so let the Minister Allister Lane know if you want to join in the road trip!

For more details and registration go to: www.presbyterycentral.org.nz/presbytery-gathering-march-9-2024/

FELLOWSHIP GROUP

Lent is defined as ‘the period from Ash Wednesday to Easter of which the 40 week days are devoted to fasting and penitence in commemoration of Christs fasting in the wilderness.’
There will be the chance to share thoughts and memories of observing Lent at this next meeting on Tuesday 27th February @ 11am in the Hall.

SPECIAL CHOIR EASTER

You are invited to sing as part of a Special Choir in the 10am services on Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
The rehearsals are the preceding three Sundays (3rd, 10th and 17th March) from 11.15am - 12.15pm in the Chapel.
Please contact our Music Director Eleanor Carter for more information, the music repertoire, and to confirm your involvement.

MEMBERSHIP

“God gathers us to worship and grow our faith so we can live and share Christ’s hope for our world”
Do you worship at St John’s and feel a sense of belonging? We invite you to deepen your experience and take a step of faith to commit to the journey together. We strongly believe God calls you, and each of us, to be part of the community of faith. We are more than a ‘club’ – we are the Body of Christ, committed to participation, growth, journeying, contribution and sharing.  To find out more about what we love about Membership, please talk to the Minister, an elder or the St John’s Office.

May God’s Spirit continue to help us make space to ‘keep company’ with God.
Allister