Parish Office: 83 Nerang Street, Southport, 4215 parish@stpetersgc.com.au P.O. Box 1950, Southport, 4215 Tel: 5532 8978 Fax 5564 0870 Office Hours: 8.30am-2.00pm Monday—Friday

The Sentence for the Day: Blessed are those whose way is

blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. Psalm 119.1

Prayer of the Day: Almighty God, you gave the law to

guide our lives: grant that we may never shrink from your

commandments, but, as we are taught by your Spirit, may

fulfil your law in perfect love; through Christ our Lord and

Master, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God now and for ever. Amen.

Prayer of the Week: Let your merciful ears, O Lord, be

open to the prayers of your humble servants; and that

they may obtain their petitions make them to ask such

things as shall please you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Prayer for our Parish: Teach us, O God: to attempt great

things for you: and from you to expect great things, so

that your Church in this Parish may be strong to win men,

women and children to love, worship and serve you; to

the Glory of your Holy Name, through Jesus Christ our

Lord. Amen.

Psalm 119.1-8: Blessed are those who keep his

commands

1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless: who walk in

the law of the Lord.

2 Blessed are those who keep his commands: and seek him

with their whole heart;

3 Those who do no wrong: but walk in the ways of our God. 4 For you, Lord, have commanded us: to persevere in all

your precepts.

5 If only my ways were unerring: towards the keeping of

your statutes! 6 Then I should not be ashamed: when I

looked on all your commandments.

7 I will praise you with sincerity of heart: as I learn your

righteous judgements.

8 I will keep your statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

Prayers & Readings

www.stpetersgc.com.au

parish@stpetersgc.com.au

Services Times (Holy Eucharist):

Wednesday 10.00am

Thursday 12.00noon

Friday 7:00 am

Sunday 7.00am, 9.30am, 5.45pm

Suzie Sutherland, David Thompson, Caroline Banderas, Winston Ison-Harling, Nadine Chen, Linda Weller, Allan Tulloch, Catherine Lynch, Ian Reynolds, Rachel Evans, Mary Hope Moore, Bill Stewart, June, Royston Clarke, Sue, Donna Frigo, Despina, John Pye, Ron Martin, Lynette Elison, Hilton Blake, Joy Styles, Leslie, Wayne, Daisy Kaillis, Brooke Banderas, Terry Allen, Greta Clarke, Lindsay Whybrow, Francis, Lorna, Kent, Katherine Fildes, Barbara Taylor, Margaret Tillin, Nigel Faull, Kaye Tanner, Flora Porter, Marley Spry and others known to us.

The Anglican Parish of Southport in the Diocese of Brisbane is

committed to protecting your privacy. The people on the list of

the sick have personally requested prayers. Please let the Parish

Office know if any names should be removed from the list.

Prayer List

Sunday 24 April, 9:30 Eucharist

What’s on @ St Peter’s

Please check our website for updates or last minute changes or contact Parish Office

February 2017

12 Küng Bible Study at 4.00pm

15 Mothers’ Union Meet 10.00am

15 Bible Study at 11.00am

19 Küng Bible Study at 4.00pm

21 Parish Council Meeting at 7.00pm

22 Bible Study at 11.00am

26 Annual General Meeting at 11.00am

followed by Sausage Sizzle

26 Küng Bible Study at 4.00pm

28 Pancake Evening at 6.00pm

Deuteronomy 10.12-22

1 Corinthians 3.1-9

Matthew 5.21-37

Sunday 5th February 2017

On being ordinary

Hi Fr Don,

Just wanted to say thank you for all your guidance and advice over the past year. The past few weeks have been very busy ministry wise.

The ability to confidently take a funeral today was in part because of the observations and advice received from you. As has been

dealing with parishioner quibbles.

I also wanted to let you know the attached picture is what I purchased with the money gifted to me by St Peters. Given that ministry as you would know contains lots of reading, I decided a good comfortable chair would be of value.

Please pass on my thanks to the Wardens, Parish Council and congregation

I pray the year ahead for St Peters is fruitful and full of God's blessings.

Reverend Pauline Friday 3rd March 2017 9.30a

The Salvation Army, 157 Wardoo Street Southport

Having just emerged from three consecutive church seasons – Advent, Christmas and Epiphany – we are now in the period leading up to Ash Wednesday and Lent, which the church designates as ‘ordinary time’. For those of us who were weaned on The Book of Common Prayer, the three Sundays immediately before Ash Wednesday had much more exotic names; Septuagesima, Sexagesima and Quinquagesima. Compared with that, ordinary time sounds a bit, well, ordinary!

What do we make of ordinariness? In terms of things, it can be hard to say. What makes one painting really special and yet another insignificant?

For people, it is even more complex. In a society that spends so much time worshipping ‘celebrity’; when we make such a fuss about the number of A* passes at GCSE; when the government is talking in terms of a meritocracy, what about those of us who are just ordinary?

As I parish priest I was occasionally saddened by the fact that, when planning the funeral, the bereaved spouse could not think of anything to say about the partner who had just died. It was not because they did not love the person; it was not because there was nothing to tell. It was because they felt that they had to tell of something important; they felt that living an ordinary life was somehow less significant. Once that barrier was overcome, the stories began to flow.

Jesus loved to be with ordinary men and women; he entrusted his mission to twelve working men. So often in our own generation we see God at work in the every day. Further, I have always found the Indian greeting namaste particularly beautiful. When Indians greet one another by putting their hands together and bowing, they often utter the word namaste, which can be translated ‘I greet the little bit of God in you.’ How can anyone be just ordinary with that in mind?

Of course extraordinary achievements are to be celebrated and applauded and things of great beauty and worth are to be admired. But to a certain extent, it is the ordinary that underpins the extraordinary. It is the plywood plinth that supports the wonderful sculpture; it is the supportive parent who makes cups of tea for the A* pupil.

And so back to ordinary time. The next period will be the 26 weeks long, from the day after the Feast of Pentecost until the first Sunday of Advent. It is a time for reflection and growth (hence the green colour); a time devoted to the mystery of Christ in all its aspects, both the ordinary and the extraordinary.

Author: Geoffrey Lowson, 01 February 2017, The Sign, used with permission.

Message from Rev’d Pauline

What’s on this month

The Parish Annual General Meeting will be held on Sunday

26th February at 11.00am.

The Annual Meeting is the most important meeting in the

church year and it is hoped that everyone will make a

special effort to attend. Please keep in your daily prayers

those who will nominate for positions on the Parish Council

and ask God whether you yourself are called for leadership—

then listen to the answer.

Nomination forms for the position of Parish Councillor, Church

Wardens, Synod Representatives are at the back of the

church.

Closing date for nominations is the 16th February, 2017.

There will be a sausage sizzle following the meeting.

Studies at St Peter’s

“This course is designed for you to

discover this Christian way of life.

Unpacking the basic message and

teaching of the Christian faith. It also

shows you how to pray and how to live

like Jesus. It does this in a way that is

reflective and conversational. No one

will force the pace, but this course will change the perspective of

your life; it might also change its direction.”

Starts Wed 1 Mar (Ash Wed), 7:00 pm in the Parish Centre

Each year we study one particular

Gospel. This year it’s Matthew’s

Gospel (to tie in with our lectionary

readings.) We take our time and like

to use a reputable commentary to

help us on our way. This year we are

using the excellent commentary by

Craig A Evans, part of the “New Cambridge Bible Commentary”

series. Do come and join us in the Parish centre—consider com-

ing to Holy Communion beforehand at 10:00 if you wish

On Sunday afternoons at 4:00 we are

studying Hans Kung’s very weighty tome

”Christianity”. In essence, an historical

overview of Christianity during the first

two millennia. Yes, it is a very ambitious

book, but it is surprisingly engaging,

always interesting and often challenging!

So if you want to try something new this is the time to come and

see for yourself.

St Hilda’s School is delighted to welcome Australian of the Year 2017 finalist, former South Sudanese child soldier now defence Lawyer, refugee advocate and author Deng Thiak Adut to St Hilda’s School on Monday 27th February at 3.45-5pm for a special community presenta-tion. Bookings can be made on the school website (free of charge): or directly at this web address:

https://www.trybooking.com/258588

Come and join us, cost $6.00. Please put your name on the

list at the back of the church if you are joining us.

At St Hilda’s

Palm Crosses can be left at

the back of the church or left

at Parish Office. Crosses will

be converted to ash for

Ash Wednesday 1st March.