50 years ago, the world was looking towards space – waiting for the first moon landing. 

At the time, US President Richard Nixon described it as ‘the greatest week in the history of the world since Creation!’ 

The great preacher Billy Graham quickly corrected him – saying that far greater was the week of the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

The birth of Jesus showed us that God comes near to us. 

The death of Jesus shows us the death of death itself – with its eternal consequences – freeing us for eternal life. 

The resurrection of Jesus guarantees that no matter how far we have strayed, there is a way for us to be friends with God – and live with him forever. 

If you were alive in 1969 you would remember exactly where you were when Neil Armstrong took that first ‘small step for a man and one giant leap for mankind.’ 

Although none of us were there when Jesus lived and died – his resurrection was so significant that we remember and celebrate it every year and will continue to do so until he returns. 

Happy Easter. 

– DR GLENN N DAVIES
Archbishop of Sydney
Easter AD 2018 

For many in our secular world, the ‘celebrations’ for Easter will centre around time away from the world of work. There will also be Easter eggs and chocolates in a variety of types and forms; the Easter bunny will make an appearance and, of course, there will be the aroma of freshly toasted hot cross buns dripping with melted butter! 

All in all, Easter would appear to provide us with a time of rest and relaxation with our families and friends. This is certainly the picture of Easter that is being consistently painted by the world of advertising that surrounds us. 

Last week I asked my Kindergarten scripture class ‘What is Easter all about?’. And unsurprisingly, their responses were the typical answers of chocolate, the Easter Bunny, spending time with family and only one answer related to Jesus.

However Christians know that at Easter we celebrate the most wonderful gift – not just that God sent Jesus, but that in dying, he gave us eternal life.

We can utilise the chocolate egg to speak of new birth that comes through the resurrection of Jesus. We can speak of the emptiness of the egg as symbolic of the empty tomb.

The death and resurrection of Jesus is spectacular, amazing and central to the whole of human history and eternity. We do not live AC (After Christ) but AD (Anno Domini: in the year of the Lord) because he has risen from the dead to live and rule for evermore. This is an event far too important to trivialise with bunnies laying chocolate.

So my challenge to you, and also to my scripture classes is: Easter is far more than chocolate eggs! Easter is about the resurrection and the life! Don’t miss out on this reality!

–  VALERIE O’REGAN

About 30 people gathered in the church last Tuesday for the Annual General Meeting. 

As in other church gatherings, there was a focus on God’s word, prayer was offered for our church and God’s name was praised in song, so that the business of the meeting was clearly set within the context of the service of God. 

The Acting Rector led a Bible reading from 1 Peter 5 and reports were received from the Wardens and the Treasurer. Copies of these and other reports are available at the back of the church.

Two sets of elections were held to fill leadership positions in the congregation. The results were as follows:

Wardens: Geoff Kyngdon agreed to be the Rector’s Warden while Phil Pratt and David Crook were nominated and declared as People’s Wardens.

Parish Councillors: Eight people were nominated, and following a vote Ashleigh Browne, Jenny Orange, Harley Mills, Andy Peters, Peter Taylor, John Wilson, were elected. (The Rector has yet to name his appointments.)

Budget for 2019 – Our Treasurer, Geoff Kyngdon, presented our budget for this year. To meet our expense we have to raise offertories of $4,800 per week. Over 95% of our income comes directly from the offertories of our members. It is very important that we all pull together to meet this financial challenge.  

We do not take this fellowship in giving for granted and we want to thank all those who give so faithfully in support of our congregation.  

–  STEPHEN FIFER

When the Apostle Paul was under house arrest in Rome and nearing the end of his life, he wrote to Timothy to encourage him in his faith and ministry. Timothy was leading the church in Ephesus and Paul wanted to remind him of things that were too important to forget.

In a similar way, when I was retiring as Senior Minister of St Jude’s, Bowral, I gave a farewell series designed to encourage people in their faith and to remind them of essential things.

The God Who Speaks (2 Timothy 3:10-17 / Psalm 19)
The God Who Saves (1 Timothy 1:12-2:7 / John 3:10-18)
Belonging to the People of God (Ephesians 4:1-16 / Matthew 16:13-20)
The Pastor and His People (1 Peter 5:1-11/ John 21:15-19)
Believers in an Unbelieving World (1 Peter 3:8-18 / John 15:18-16:4)
In Christ Alone (1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5 / John 1:1-18)

I thought it would be helpful if the congregations of Oak Flats Anglican Church were reminded of these things.  

In the past six months you have lost both your full-time ministers (clergy). Some members of the congregation are feeling hurt and disappointed. Others are looking forward and wondering who your new leader will be and what will be the future for Oak Flats Anglican Church. 

It’s a difficult time for any congregation and a good time to be reminded of some biblical fundamentals that will help us to live as God’s people at this important stage in the life of our church.

–  STEPHEN FIFER

How long is it since the 10 Commandments were read, or even mentioned, in our worship services? At least eight years ago was suggested and it could be longer taking us back to when the Communion Services were closely aligned with the Liturgy of the Prayer Book (PB). The richness of the PB has been lost to a great degree as we have rushed to express ourselves in more contemporary language, in a quest for relevance in a changing world, and partly in seeking to shorten the actual service/worship times and fill them with other matters. 

Have we reached the stage where we would do well to look again at the PB for some aspects of our liturgy?

1. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of slavery; you shall have no other gods but me.
2. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.
5. Honour your father and your mother.
6. You shall do no murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
10. You shall not covert anything that is your neighbour’s. (AAPB, page 135)

Why did Thomas Cranmer and colleagues think it important to include the 10 Commandments in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) in the first place? Copious words have been written on this aspect, but suffice it to say they wished to insert them as a reminder of the Law given by God to Moses and the terms under which the people were to conduct themselves. The coming of Jesus as Lord and Saviour did not cancel out the Law but pointed to the perfect sacrifice He was to offer on our behalf. In Matthew 22:36-37 Jesus was asked by the Pharisees (the Jewish elite) about the Commandments and he answered: “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ (NASB)

If it was good enough for Jesus to refer to the Commandments then where does that leave us? Many have forgotten that our Justice System to this very day is based on the principles contained in the Commandments. Some in our society would like other religious laws adopted while others think a combination would work. We have the perfect law from our Great God and when Enough is Enough?

–  GEOFF KYNGDON