Weekly Letter from St Luke's - 18 February 2022

Dear Parish Friends

We come this Sunday to the 7th Sunday after Epiphany, and more words from Jesus' sermon on the plain, so we can expect more 'on the level' speaking. The expected behaviour in Jesus' time (and probably in ours as well) was that of reciprocity. If you do something good to me, I will repay you by doing something good to you; if you do something bad to be, I will retaliate in like mind. But when we hear 'love your enemies' or the more specific 'bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you' (Luke 6:27-28), we see Jesus showing that the Kingdom way is different. We are called to love, and by that Jesus means act in ways calculated to benefit the other person;to make that person’s welfare our concern. We are not condoning the behaviour, but then neither are we propagating it. By doing so reflect the love that God shows to us.

The week's notice paper is available at the link below, together with the service sheet for the 9am service (which is also Zoomed). As Lent is fast approaching, the Notice Paper advertises our Lent study for this year, 'Conversations with our awesome God', and also the Shrove Tuesday pancake dinner (1st March, bookings at https://st-lukes-pancake-dinner.eventbrite.com.au).

Also advertised is the first play of the year by St Luke's Theatre Society. Shakespeare's 'Much ado about nothing', but with an Australian flavour. I am very much looking forward to finding out what that means! Bookings at http://stlukestheatre.asn.au/.

The Parish Annual Meeting will be held this Sunday at 10.30am in the church. It is also possible to join the meeting via Zoom (use the usual Sunday service link - see instructions attached). Those on Zoom will be able to ask questions which will be relayed to those in church via the Zoom operator. The Annual Report book is available online here. Please look at this before the meeting as we will take the reports as read.

Yours in Christ

Rev'd Timothy