14th July 2013

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
14 July 2013

THIS MORNING'S MUSIC OF PRAISE:
384, 517, 197, 262, 396, 163.

FIRST BIBLE READING:

Deuteronomy 30: 9-14
'A call to obey God whose word is very near'

Then the Lord your God will make you most
prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of
your land.
The Lord will again delight in you and make you
prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors, if you
obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and
decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Now what I am commanding you today is not too
difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven,
so that you have to ask, 'Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so that we may obey it?'
Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask,
'Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so that
we may obey it?' No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so that you may obey it.

SECOND BIBLE READING:

Colossians 1: 1-14
'Paul's thanksgiving and prayer' (GNB)


From Paul, who by God's will is an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy - to God's people in Colossae, who are our faithful brothers and sisters in union with Christ: May God our Father give you grace and peace.
We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all God's people.
When the true message, the good news, first came to you, you heard about the hope it offers. So your faith and love are based on what you hope for, which is kept safe for you in heaven.
The gospel keeps bringing blessings and is spreading
throughout the world, just as it has among you ever since the day you first heard about the grace of God and came to
know it as it really is.
You learnt of God's grace from Epaphras, our dear
fellow servant, who is Christ's faithful worker on our behalf. He has told us of the love that the Spirit has given you.
For this reason we have always prayed for you, ever
since we heard about you. We ask God to fill you with the
knowledge of his will, with all the wisdom and understanding that his Spirit gives.
Then you will be able to live as the Lord wants and will always do what pleases him. Your lives will produce all kinds of good deeds, and you will grow in your knowledge of God.
May you be made strong with all the strength which comes from his glorious power, so that you may be able to endure everything with patience. And with joy give thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to have your share of what God has reserved for his people in the kingdom of light.
He rescued us from the power of darkness and
brought us safe into the kingdom of his dear Son, by whom we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven.


GOSPEL READING:

Luke 10: 25-37
'The parable of the Good Samaritan' (GNB)


A teacher of the Law came up and tried to trap Jesus.
'Teacher', he asked, 'what must I do to receive eternal life?' So Jesus answered him, 'What do the Scriptures say?
How do you interpret them?'
The man answered, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself'. 'You are
right', Jesus replied; 'do this and you will live'.
But the teacher of the Law wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, 'Who is my neighbor?'
Jesus answered, 'There was once a man who was
going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers
attacked him, stripped him, and beat him up, leaving him half dead. 'It so happened that a priest was going down that
road; but when he saw the man, he walked on by on the
other side. In the same way a Levite also came along, went
over and looked at the man, and then walked on by on the other side.
But a Samaritan who was travelling that way came
upon the man, and when he saw him, his heart was filled
with pity. He went over to him, poured oil and wine on his
wounds and bandaged them; then he put the man on his own animal and took him to an inn, where he took care of
him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave
them to the innkeeper. "Take care of him", he told the
innkeeper, "and when I come back this way, I will pay you
whatever else you spend on him"'.
And Jesus concluded, 'In your opinion, which one of
these three acted like a neighbor toward the man attacked
by the robbers?' The teacher of the Law answered,
'The one who was kind to him'. Jesus replied, 'You go, then, and do the same'.


NOTES ON THE READINGS:


DEUTERONOMY 30: 9-14:
Moses, in his prophetic role, is here prophesying to the Israelites the consequences of rejecting God's law. Punishment will surely follow, even to the extreme of suffering in exile, wrenched from the land God would give them. However, true repentance would trigger their return under the delighted care and gracious power of the Lord. Therefore future obedience to his word would be essential. That word would not remain remote and inaccessible in heaven, or far away beyond the sea, but would be, as it always is, given in simple and clear terms which they could understand.


COLOSSIANS 1:1-14:
Paul begins his letter with a prayer of enthusiastic thanksgiving. The Colossian Christians' robust and certain hope of heaven, generated by their hearing of the gospel message, was intimately connected with a firm faith in Jesus Christ and a vibrant love for each other. Thus the grace of God had brought about rich growth by the Spirit. He prays further for expanded growth in their knowledge for the new life of God-pleasing activity, which is founded on this spiritual wisdom and understanding. The power to endure, then, is joyfully experienced, and thanksgiving ensues from their radical rescue from the darkness of evil into the light shared by the saints. Redemption and forgiveness have accomplished this.

LUKE 10:25-37:
Knowing the insincerity of the religious lawyer's question, Jesus threw the responsibility to answer back on him. What was the answer in the law? This lawyer, disregarding the 613 commandments Jewish scholars identified in the Law of Moses, went to the very centre of the law with his summary. It is true that anyone loving God with one's whole being will love one's fellow human being just as perfectly. In this way one could attain eternal life. The lawyer, not recognising his own inability because of his sin, able only to think in legalisms, was told, 'Do this and you will live'. Feeling defeated, the lawyer threw up the question, 'Who is my neighbour?' The famous story of the Samaritan who showed what love really is and does exposes all those who think they are self-sufficient in their relation to God, and yet 'pass by on the other side'. Love is the fulfilling of the law, but it can only grow from God's love to us in Jesus Christ.

Bible readings for Sunday 21th July:

Genesis 18: 1-10a,

Colossians 1: 15-28,

Luke 10: 38-42.

Announcements:
1. This week in the Lord's Service - 14th - 21st July:


This evening at 'Our Redeemer'- from 5.00 pm -Slide presentation, hosted by Pastor Lester on his and Deidre's 2012 overseas travels. All welcome!!
Please bring along a savoury or sweet to share.
Soup and bread, tea and coffee are provided.


Tuesday - 12.30 pm - Kaffeestunde.


This Wednesday - 11.00 am - at 'Our Redeemer' and 7.30 pm at home of Linda and Paul Menzel, 400 Lake Road, Connewarre -
Group Bible study sessions continue.
Wednesday - Confirmation class resumes.


Saturday - 11.00 am - 12 noon - Choir practice.


Next Sunday - 9.30 am - Public Divine service - (Non- Communion).

2. Concordia College Geelong Reunion:
Old scholars of Concordia College, Adelaide, are gathering for a local reunion on Saturday 3rd August 2013 at 6:30 pm at St. John's Lutheran Church Hall,
165 Yarra Street, Geelong. $35 per person includes complimentary drink on arrival and a three course meal. BYO drinks. You are also welcome to attend
the Sunday morning service at 9:00 am.
RSVP to Concordia Old Collegians Association, 45 Cheltenham Street, Highgate SA 5063 phone 08 8272 0444 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
by Wednesday July 24th. Guest Speaker will be the Concordia principal and congregation members who are not old scholars are also welcome to attend.


Coming up for your diary:
Sunday 28th July (A/W) - Half -Yearly meeting.
Tuesday 30th July - 7.30 pm - Deacons.
Friday 2nd August - 9.30 am - Worship Team.
Tuesday 13th August - 7.00 pm - Church Council.