In the epistle Paul talks about who he is as a follower of Christ he has become all things to proclaim the gospel. There is no separation between his

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1 Sermon for Sunday Today two of our children will take communion for the first time. Over the past weeks Ellie Reid and Dominic Findlay have been learning about what it means to partake in holy communion. During the week when I was praying for the children, I felt very uplifted by the heartfelt knowledge that today Ellie and Dominic enter into the life giving feast of Holy Communion. This is the Eucharistic feast that shows forth the dawn of Easter, that morning when all things were made new by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. All of the New Testament writings find their meaning in this event. Each week during the service, we hear about different stages of the journey to the Easter event, to the empty tomb, and in these stories we are taken along the journey as Christ s disciples. The story in today s gospel takes place in the early part of Jesus ministry and talks about a time when Jesus left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon Peter with some of his disciples. Jesus took Peter s sick mother-in-law by the hand and raised her up. The fever left her, the text tells us, and she served them. Certainly more than the preparation of a meal is implied here. Her service engendered serenity, joy, comfort, well-being, and communion for them all. That same night the people came to see this man who spoke with authority and healed those who were sick. When the Sabbath was over they congregated around the door. They flocked to the house in fact,

2 and they brought their sick to Jesus for healing. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, cast out many demons, and also silenced the demons. He silenced all that would drain life away from this community. The house was full of life and life giving community. And in the morning as the text tells us, a great while before day, Jesus rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed. His communion with God is always foundational - it is the very fuel for God s mission. It is after his prayer time that he is enabled to take the next step and go on to the next town to preach there also, for that is why he came. The focal point of this gospel narrative I believe, is the unifying movement between church and home. Jesus goes from the synagogue to the home of Peter. From the synagogue He takes the truth proclaimed in the house of worship out into the life around him. This is the way of Jesus. In the synagogue his word was authoritive and powerful. He takes it into the house, into a place of need, and in so doing brings the power of God into saving contact with the need of people. The unifying movement between church and home brings into birth oneness in mission and daily life. Jesus life giving ways are one and the same in both places.

3 In the epistle Paul talks about who he is as a follower of Christ he has become all things to proclaim the gospel. There is no separation between his proclaiming the gospel and any other part of his life. For the sake of the gospel He is all things to all people. The old testament reading from second Isaiah - and the words of the psalm proclaim God as a cosmic deity rather than a purely national deity. God is the almighty, He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; to whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? Says the holy one. The response to such a God is simply trust. But those who wait for the lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Together the readings present us with a clear picture of the majesty and almightiness of God; His personal touch through Jesus; and our personal response of prayer and trust which nurtures the connectedness, the oneness of our church and home life. In a couple of weeks we will be holding our AGM. A week before the AGM reports will be available and you will read about mission at our parish. I think in a wonderful way we nurture the connectedness between our church life and our home life in this parish, yet this oneness is not a static state of being, it is always growing and evolving with the movement of ministry.

4 There is always room for growth because there is always the next step to take. With this in mind we know that the more we are involved in ministry in the various ways, the more confident and better equipped as a parish, we will be to take the next step. Or as Jesus did in the gospel text, better equipped to move on to the next place of mission. In our parish there are groups who meet for study and for fellowship. There are Sunday school teaching groups who prepare for our children to learn about Christ in their lives. Pram service for the very young and nursing home care for the elderly. There are those who welcome us and those who prepare our morning teas and who provide the hospitality after our services at All Saints. There are those who care for the sanctuary linen and who serve in the sanctuary. There are many different Prayer groups, and this year our parish is hosting World Day of Prayer on March 6 at All Saints. Our MU group and parishioners are working tirelessly to prepare for this gathering. There are also working bees for the upkeep of our grounds. There is our wonderful choir. There are many opportunities to become involved or more involved. Perhaps you would like to nominate for parish council or as a synod representative. Personal Involvement in ministry that connects our church and home life are vital for us all as followers of Christ. Our involvement speaks about the unifying process of living out our Christianity.

5 When we do this we imitate the way of Jesus. We support each other, we build up the body of Christ. We nurture life in him. I encourage all of us to participate in some way. Please prayerfully consider how you can. We pray together: Saving God, Whose Son, Jesus Christ, healed the sick And brought them wholeness of body and mind: Inspire us, his disciples, So that we may constantly proclaim his gospel by our words And by the dedication and integrity of our lives; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and for ever. Amen. The Lord be with you.

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