Weekly Letter from St Luke's - 6 August 2021

Dear Parish Friends

As the lock-down in South-East Queensland continues at least until Sunday afternoon, we will again just have a single service on Sunday morning streamed over Zoom from the Rectory at 9am. However as Saturday is the first Saturday of the month, there will also be a service on Zoom at 6pm on Saturday. Service sheets for both these, together with the week's Notice Paper are available via the buttons below (if you cannot see them you may need to select 'show pictures' in your email program).

Our thoughts and prayers are with the many people in our region who are in quarantine at this time. The deputy premier this morning called them 'lockdown legends'. I am sure that we all know of someone in this situation with schools and universities amongst the contact sites. Even church services can be potential sources of infection, with a memorial service at Kenmore Anglican Church on the list. There are members of our congregation too in quarantine.

This week's psalm, 130, is one of the psalms of ascent, recited by pilgrims on their way "up" to worship at the temple. We can echo their words: "Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice" (vv.1,2). But we are assured that as we wait for the Lord (v.5), we will find that there is hope (v.7).

Inspired by this psalm, Charles Wesley wrote this hymn (TIS 211)

Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy refuge fly,

while the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high;

hide me, O my Saviour, hide, till the storm of life is past;

safe into the haven guide, O receive my soul at last.

Yours in Christ

Rev'd Timothy