Sunday 14th Aug 2022

Streaming from Rushworth 9.30 am. Join us in person or join with our congregations at Tatura, Murchison or Colbinabbin, or join us from your home.

Sunday’s Service- Read the Weather-Read the Present Day

This week’s service will be streamed from Rushworth.  The readings are challenging. In the gospel reading we are coming to the end of a series of readings from Luke 12. Jesus has been talking to the crowds, getting into disputes with the religious authorities and having some private chats to his disciples. The instruction and parables all revolve around costly discipleship. The disciples are told that it’s time to “get real” as we used to say. The chapter begins and ends with references to ‘hypocrites’ (literally “play actors”).  In the arc of the gospel story Jesus has completed his ministry in Galilee and is on the road to Jerusalem and the climax of the story. This is no time for play acting. We need to be fearless, understand our priorities, set our sights on the kingdom, know where our true treasure is and watch and be ready.

The reading starts with Jesus talking about him being a cause of division and ends with a call for us to interpret the signs – to understand the significance of the times we live in.

^“He also said to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, “It is going to rain”; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, “There will be scorching heat”; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?” Luke 12:54—56

When I first saw the passage for this week, I was a bit put off. When I’m preaching, I ask myself: what is the good news here? So, when I encountered this furious person making obscure prophecies and criticising weather forecasters. It wasn’t immediately clear to me what was good about this.

I soon discovered that I was far from the only person to worry about this. A lot of people writing on the lectionary this week have chosen to go with the Hebrews reading, with its encouraging stories of heroes of the faith.

Those who did look at the gospel often seemed to want to downplay the conflict.  They could see all the division in the world and they wanted to give advice about how to not have conflict, or how to handle it well. I can sympathise with that desire. I am ambivalent about conflict myself. On the one hand, I can be be a bit of a smart alec and a stirrer. On the other hand, I like a calm, quiet life. I don’t want to be bothered with conflict and all the nasty shouting that it can engender.

Join us and let’s see where it leads us.

 The service will start at 9.30am. The live Zoom “room” will be open for you to log-in to from 9.00am.  Log-in, chat to others, be the church!

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Watch the recorded service later

Facebook records the service and it will be available to watch later or share with others in your family and friendship circle.

Rather stay anonymous?

We understand that you may prefer to remain anonymous.  It may have been a while since you went to church, maybe you’ve never been to church and are just curious. We understand that you don’t want to be hassled just because you were curious.

If you want to remain anonymous there are four ways you can do it.

• Choose the “Join without video” option. You will be able to see, hear (and talk if you want to)
• Your name also appears in the bottom left of their picture in Zoom. This name will be the one you entered at sign-up. At any time in the meeting you can right-mouse click on your name and change or delete it.
• You can choose to attend via the Livestream option.
• You can watch the recorded service later on the website