Christian Solitude
versus
Christian Community?
Recently I’ve been reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s: Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community. It’s full of gems about our identity as God’s people in Christ – and how that shapes us as followers of Jesus.
In Chapter Three – The Day Alone, Bonhoeffer explores the tension between Christian solitude and Christian community:
Let him who cannot be alone beware of community. Let him who is not in community beware of being alone. (p.78)
Sometimes we enter community to avoid God. Being with other people can be a form of distraction at best … or idolatry at worst. When God is putting his finger on something we need to face up to and deal with personally, there’s no point running to a bunch of people to silence out God’s still small voice… or expecting them to deal with it for us. We cannot escape from ourselves. We cannot hide from God. We cannot avoid dying with Christ that we might live with Him.
Sometimes we withdraw from community to avoid God. We are not Christians in isolation. God calls us together as the body of Christ. God shapes us through the struggles and joys we share. Jesus’ character (the fruit of the Spirit) can only grow in us when we get close enough to rub one another up the wrong way. As we speak the truth in love to one another, God speaks to us – in both law and gospel, admonition and encouragement, warnings and promises.
We have two wonderful gifts from God in both Christian solitude and Christian community. Which one of these is easier for you? Chances are your next steps of Christian growth may need to focus a little more on the other.
Joy in Jesus!
Pr Rolly Stahl
Prayer Requests - : For privacy the prayer list is not included in this Blog but if you would like to view the current requests refer to the e-mail that alerted you to this site. If you have a prayer request or wish to be covered by prayer please email churchenquiries@paravista.org.au with your request.
This week. We continue our series PARABLES WITH PUNCH - STORIES THAT STIR
How excited do you get when you receive an invitation, especially an invitation to a wedding? “This week’s parable is of the wedding banquet, with the differing responses of the people invited.
Bible Reading: Matthew 22:1-14
Podcasts available at www.paravista.org.au
We are well underway planning and preparing for our 2011 Celebration Service. We had fun making costumes and props last week. Please book Sunday 4th December 10:30am Service in your diaries and get ready to be blown away by Kingdom Kids Ministry. We will be continuing electives in drama and costume and prop making this Sunday and hope you can all join us.
Term 4 sessions have begun and we would love to invite anyone with young children or grandchildren to come along and join in the fun. Play group is a great way to build connections with other families and also provides a safe and fun environment for children to learn and play. Play group also gives us adults the chance to share life with other adults in a non-threatening and inviting way. Play group runs each Wednesday morning from 9:30am - 10:30am in the church hall. Finally, if you are interested in joining the Play Group Team for 2012 we would love to hear from you. For more information speak to Sharyn 8264 7324 or Laura 8263 5087.
Laura Carson
Children and Family Team Leader
IGNITE YOUTH IS BACK!
For a printed copy of the timetable please see the youth notice board at the back of the church. More information about Ignite youth can be found at http://www.paravista.org.au Also please put the 4th-6th of January 2012 in your diary as Ignite camp!!! More information will be out really soon! Keep posted.
Sophie Gerrie
Youth and Young Adults Team Leader
Women's Fellowship
Honey biscuits are required by Sunday 20th November for packaging by Women's Fellowship. They can be left in the church kitchen marked accordingly. The packaged biscuits are delivered to Lutheran Community Care and given to residents in various institutions for Christmas Cheer. Many bags are packed by Lutheran Women throughout SA every year. Bags contain 125grams of honey biscuits with a Christmas tract or card from the LLL attached. Can you help? Some biscuits can be decorated but not with nuts or 100s & 1,000s.
End of year Christmas breakup luncheon
will be held on Tuesday 6th December 2011 at 12noon in the church hall. For $8.00 donation (or if you are feeling generous $10.00) come and enjoy hot BBQ chicken and salads followed by plum pudding, custard and ice-cream.
Pastor Noel Kluge will give an address/bible study and the Good Shepherd School Choir trained by Therese Abraham will give items. A beautiful doll, donated by Edna McDonald, will be raffled - proceeds to mission projects. RSVP Venie phone 8262 5285 by 27th November.
Coffee and Dessert Night
Bethany and I are looking forward to hosting our final Coffee and Dessert night for 2011 on Tuesday 15th November from 7pm-8:30pm in the school OSHC room. These nights are designed to give school and church families the chance to be inspired and to inspire through sharing stories, resources and ideas for sharing faith with our school community. Keep the night free and come along to hear more of the vision for this ministry in 2012.
Laura Carson
Guest speaker Matthew Huckel will speak about his music therapy work for people with severe brain injury. He will be presenting the role of music therapy in neuro-rehabilitation using real video excerpts of music therapy sessions. This will not only demonstrate the work itself but will also explore the parallels between the intimate musical ways of connection between a music therapist and a patient and how God tries to connect with us through His grace both individually and as a church.
Contact Jim 0438 899 629 for further information
Women @ PV
Ladies, our final event for 2011 will be held on Friday night 18th November and is titled ‘You are Creative’.
Come along to the church hall at 7:30pm for a night of Christmas craft, shopping (don’t forget to bring small change) and supper. Gold coin entry. ALL WELCOME women@paravista.org.au
Continuing our acknowledgment for the work of many of the teams who contribute to the life and smooth running of our congregation:
We wish to acknowledge the Shepherding and Care Hospital and Shut-in Visiting Team.
Geoff Hartley, Venie Bogdanowicz, Angie Rehn, Jim Molloy and Kaye Pfeiffer are visiting those hospitalized and those who through illness are unable to come to church. As a church, it is through the dedication and love of the visiting team, we are able to reach into the community in Nursing Homes, retirement villages, hospitals, palliative care and private homes to represent Jesus to those who are sick and recovering, and those who are aged and frail and those who are ‘trapped’ at home through illness or injury.
We as a congregation say thank you to Geoff, Venie, Angie, Jim and Kaye for their faithful commitment and their concern and love for you in this service to the Lord.
In honoring the visiting team I also wish to acknowledge Thelma and Bernie Eckert who have been on the shared Good Shepherd Para Vista/St. John’s Tea Tree Gully visiting team for the Modbury Hospital
Calling all Bikers!
Our next group motorbike ride will be Saturday 19th November. We will be meeting in the church car park at 9.20am for a 9.30am departure. The ride will be up into the Adelaide hills down through Claredon, Meadows, Strathalbyn and back home. There will be a morning tea break and lunch stop. We expect to get back mid afternoon and you are welcome to head off home any time during the ride if you need to get back earlier. Everyone is welcome and don’t hesitate to invite friends. The ride will be cancelled if raining or if temperature is above 33 degrees. For more information, call Noel on 0427 049 296.
Mission news
Sausage Sizzle and Steak Sandwich Day
Cebu Missionary Foundation fundraising Team will be selling sausages after the 1st service on Sunday 27th November....at last year’s prices! $2/sausage. After the 2nd service we will be selling sausages, and Steak Sandwiches for your lunch, so that you can then attend the Half Yearly Meeting. Steak sandwiches will be selling for $3.50....also last year’s prices! Thank you for your support.
Christmas cards will be available for purchase in the Hall from Sunday 6th November til mid December. Packs of 10 are available for $3 and packs of 25 available for $6. All proceeds go to Cebu Missionary Foundation in the Philippines.
Last time for this year! Sue’s cards available on the 27th November. –Proceeds supporting CebuThank you from Cebu
The following was received from Lucy in Cebu when she was told of the wonderful donation of $1853 from our retiring offering.
“WOW thanks so much for the good news with the funds it will be VERY helpful for our Christmas time we have had two births and a death just in one week ... on top of back to back teams since I got back from Australia and renovation of our mission house AND building project at Lapu Lapu all around busy busy busy . God bless you richly”.
There are vacancies on the Board for 2012. Each member of the Board is allocated a portfolio or area of responsibility. This does not mean that they actually do the work. They keep in touch with the Teams responsible for that particular area and report to the Board at their monthly meeting. Responsibilities for 2012 will not be allocated until the new Board is elected.
If you are interested in serving on the Board or would like more information contact Keren Sutton or John Dolling.
The half yearly meetings of the church, school and village will be held on Sunday 27th November at 12:30pm. There will be a BBQ after the 10.30am service so those attending the service can grab a bite to eat before the meeting.
Main items for the church meeting will be Board Chair Keren's report, and the budget for 2012. Copies of the budget will be available in the member’s section of our web site and in hard copy in from the member’s information area in the foyer from Sunday 20th November.
From the office
Positions vacant at Good Shepherd.
Two paid vacancies are available for immediate start
Cleaner 2 hours per week AND Caretaker 2 hours per week
Position Descriptions for the above positions are available on request from church office churchenquiries@paravista.org.au or by phoning 8263 5087. You can also view a copy online at www.paravista.org.au : Members Section Positions Vacant.
Facilities
Village residents, using walkers and wheelchairs, now have safe access to the hall and church, through the development of a new walkway. For this to function effectively, we need the cooperation of those using the disabled car park. If vehicles move forward till tyres touch the curb there is enough room to move behind the parked cars. To assist in this the large rock has been removed from the garden and the soil level lowered.
Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated.
The high quality 2012 LLL calendars are now available. These are in the members information section in the foyer as well as on the shelf under the pigeon holes.
Also available from the same location is a very informative booklet about the great work of the LLL .
have Christmas trees available for purchase again this year. These high quality trees at $30 each will be delivered to a church location near Para Vista on the morning of Saturday 10th December 2011. Please contact the church office by 30th November is you wish to order one. Thanks.On the notice board
Position Vacant at Lutheran Community Care - CASUAL CRÈCHE WORKERS LCC Level 3
Information available from the LCC Website
BordererS CD launch Saturday 19th November at the Norwood Hotel
