Friday, February 27, 2015

Service details for Sunday March 1st and Church notices.

Sunday, March 1 2015   Lent 2                                                 
11:15 am Holy Communion
Worship Leader: Jonathan Acker
Service Leader: Kristi Lonheim   Preacher: Nabil Shehadi
Daniel 10:1-14    Col 4:2-6 & 12-13   Matt 18:18-20
Welcome to our Holy Communion Service. Youth Group have their own service downstairs. Young Church  start in church and are sent out after the first hymn.

Theme Holy Habits (3) - Prayer: Moving Heaven and Earth

As we examine our discipleship during Lent and how we are developing Holy Habits in response to grace, a basic one is PRAYER. It is all about relationship - between us and God, between the visible and invisible: "your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven". In Jesus, we are given the authority to release the power of heaven on earth! This Lent, let us commit to praying heaven's blessings on each other - please sign up for the ASIC Prayer Chain at the end of the service, or contact David.

Saturday March 28, End of Lent Meditational Hike on the "Hill of the Cross" in Deir el Qamar 

Join us for our Isaiah 58:10 Family Service Day with Heart for Lebanon on Saturday, 7 March, and let your light rise in the darkness and your night become like the noonday. H4L commits to providing monthly food and basic needs packs to desperately hungry and oppressed families from Syria in the name of Jesus and his Kingdom.  We will fill these packs at the H4L warehouse in Beirut from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and then quickly enjoy some pizza together.  For those needing a ride or directions, we will meet at the church building at 8:15 AM Servant hearts of all ages are welcome, including young children please sign up with Phil Taddei, phillyla@gmail.com71-417029.    Space is limited. 




Sunday 19th April 12:30pm ASIC AGM , in church,. Please confirm your name is on the Electoral Roll, application forms to join the Electoral Roll available from Church Administrator. Nomination forms for PCC and Church Wardens also available from Administrator.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

ASH WEDNESDAY Service, this evening, 8pm

Some interesting Lent resources:

THE HOLY HABITS
and how they help us keep First Things First
A proper understanding of GRACE tells us:
We can do nothing to earn the love of God -
We do everything in response to the love of God.

The Spiritual Disciplines (“Holy Habits”) help us keep First Things First (the Great Commandments and the Great Commission) by loving God (with mind, heart, soul strength/body), ourselves and others as a joy-filled response empowered by the Holy Spirit of Grace. Good reading to help with this: “Celebration of Discipline” by Richard Foster (ask Nabil if you need a copy)
The Core Disciplines

Silence: Christians need to create the space to hear God’s voice and obey his word. Through contemplative silence we meet with God in familiarity and intimacy because we come willing to be still, be quiet and just listen.

Prayer: And talking of listening… Prayer is listening to God; seeking to grasp what his will is in any given circumstance. But we also bring our needs, desires and inmost feelings to him. It’s an interactive conversation with God, a process of lifelong learning as we seek to approach our Heavenly Father with openness, honesty, and trust.

Fasting: Fasting is not dieting! It is denying ourselves an otherwise normal function for the sake of intense spiritual activity. Biblical fasting is always focused on spiritual purposes. When we fast from something it reveals what controls us. It reminds us of our reliance on God and restores balance in our lives regarding priorities and nonessentials.
Study: We study, not just to amass more information, but to experience it, learn from it and be changed by it. The discipline of study is not just about reading books, but also learning from things around us such as nature, relationships, events, and cultural values. It’s a process of looking, understanding and reflecting.
Simplicity: Simplicity is an inward reality that results in an outward life style. Living in simplicity frees us from anxiety by viewing possessions as gifts from God. It reorients our lives, perspectives, and attitudes away from accumulation and towards generosity and sacrifice.
Solitude: This discipline of solitude (which is intimately linked with silence) is absolutely vital. Sometimes it means taking advantage of those little, precious, solitary moments of our days; at other times it means deliberately withdrawing from our daily patterns in order to enter into the silence of God. But nothing is more vital for allowing us time to think and pray and engage with God. (Did we say it was vital?)
Submission: This is a biggie. This is the discipline which frees us of the terrible need to always get our own way. Thinking about the discipline of submission means thinking about how we view and respect other people. It begins, of course, with our submission to God, but through it we learn to change our relationships with family, neighbours, our church, those in need… It changes our view of leadership and power, because we are all servants.


( from http://www.renovarelife.org/the-christian-disciplines/) – How about choosing one of these to develop this Lent? Ask Nabil if you would like help in doing this.



Lent 2015

Dear All Saints Families,  

These devotions are written with the intent of giving you a tool to use for family devotions during the season of Lent. The impetus for these devotions came from wanting the kids within a church community to understand the significance of Lent.

Lent can be a difficult time. Advent seems easier, in a way, because of the activities throughout the season and the focus on celebration. Lent is not a season that is celebrated, but observed. It is not a time for doing, as much as it is a time for reflecting. (For these devotions, since the focus is for a meaningful experience for children, I am adding activities.)

Please do what is helpful for your family. The intent is that I will provide more opportunities than are realistic for your family in a given season. Pick and choose what works best for you, your schedule, and your children.

A brief word on the layout…
I will begin by explaining something about Lent and particular days throughout the season. The end of this section tells about the Christ Candle. I will then give some ideas for activities. Finally I will provide suggestions for family devotions. The devotions are in two sections; daily verses and weekly devotions.

May this Lent bring you, as a family, closer to our God.


Sincerely,
Kristi Lonheim




LENT is the forty days before Easter, not counting Sundays. The season of Lent is one for reflection. Sundays, however, are to celebrate – a reprieve from solemn focus of the rest of the week, which is shown through self-discipline, self-denial, and self-sacrifice.

SHROVE TUESDAY is the day before Ash Wednesday. The fasting restrictions originally observed with Lent required no eggs or butter or milk therefore pancakes were made on this day to use up these items. Shrove Tuesday was originally a time of fun and festivities. It was the predecessor of Carnival. Carnival comes from the Latin and literally means ‘goodbye to meat’ which was one of the original fasting restrictions. The whole point of Pancake Day or Carnival is to follow it with the solemness of Lent.

ASH WEDNESDAY is the beginning of Lent. Ashes from the previous year’s Palm Sunday palms are burned. The ashes are used to mark a cross on people’s foreheads to remind us that we are the created – we came from dust and to dust we will return.

PALM SUNDAY is the Sunday before Easter. This is the day we celebrate the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The name comes from the palms that were waved as He passed. This is the beginning of Holy Week.

MAUNDY THURSDAY is the Thursday before Easter. This day is a mixture of celebration and sadness. This is the day of the Last Supper when Jesus and His disciples celebrated Passover. It is also the night Jesus was betrayed and arrested.

GOOD FRIDAY, also known as Black Friday, is the day Jesus was crucified and buried. This is day of quiet reflection and looking inward. We know the how the story ends, but remember that those who experienced it first-hand didn’t.

EASTER SUNDAY, or Resurrection Sunday, is when we celebrate the Risen Christ! Alleluia! He is risen indeed!
 
The Christ Candle
This is a white candle used specifically to mark the time when we read the Bible. It represents Christ, the Light of the world. A Christ Candle is used when we read the Bible during Godly Play.  If you want to use your Christ Candle at home it is a way to set apart the time when you read the Bible. Choose any candleholder to put it in, it doesn’t have to be fancy, that isn’t the point. Place your Christ Candle in a specific place and light it before you read Scripture together saying ‘we light the Christ Candle to remind us that Jesus is with us in a special way when we read the Bible’. You may choose to add the changing of the light to your Christ Candle tradition. Simply place a snuffer over the candle, just briefly enough to extinguish it, then slowly raise the snuffer allowing the smoke to be seen as it rises. As you do this say ‘we change the light to remind us that God is with us in all places at all times’.





Activities…
These are not here just for something to do. I have tried to add things that will have meaning, even to young children. A good question to ask is ‘Does this help you understand God and Jesus better?’

Wheat Seed Parable  - John 12:24
Read the verse together and talk about what Jesus’ lesson is to us.
Wheat seeds sprout in about a week so this shows the outcome relatively quickly. You need a small pot with good soil in it located somewhere everyone can reach it. Have a container of wheat seeds next to it. Every time someone in the family does something nice for someone else they get to put a seed in the pot and push it into the dirt. By Easter you could have quite a crop! (from Why Not Celebrate!)
 
Suffering in the world
Look for things all around us that remind us of suffering. It may be pictures, songs, someone’s prayer request, news, or movies. The age of your children will determine how you approach this. For young children cut out things from magazines or draw pictures and have a designated place to put them. Visit these images and pray for the suffering you see. For older children pick movies or books that deal with suffering. Watch or read them together and discuss what you have encountered. Pray together.
 
Lenten Love Projects
1st week – the hand of love. Write a letter or draw pictures and send it to someone telling them how much you love them.
2nd week – the voice of love. Call someone to share with them your love, encouragement, or sympathy.
3rd week – the deed of love. Make or do something for someone that you think they will appreciate or that they can’t make or do for themselves.
4th week – the heart of love. Make a list of five people you will pray for (assign one to each finger so it is easier to remember). Be sure to include friends and enemies.
5th week – the mind of love. Think about what God has done in your life. Thank Him. Try writing out your prayer.
6th week – the victory of love. Celebrate the Risen Jesus! See if you can find signs of new life in your neighborhood.
(adapted from Why Not Celebrate!)
 
Easter Eggs
If you choose to do Easter Eggs, research the meanings of symbols and colors. Talk about these as you decorate your eggs. The history of Easter Eggs begins with paganism. Christians gave new meaning to them. Think of the eggs as a promise of something yet to come or picture the empty shell as a reminder of the empty tomb.







Devotions…
 
Daily Verses – Each Gives a Name for Jesus
(There is often more than one name in a given verse – remember to look for them!)

Ash Wednesday, February 18                             1 John 2:1                   Advocate
Thursday, February 19                             Revelation 1:8             Almighty
Friday, February 20                                  Hebrews 12:2             Author
Saturday, February 21                              Ephesians 1:6             Beloved

Sunday, February 22                                1 Timothy 6:15             Blessed
Monday, February 23                                Zechariah 3:8              Branch
Tuesday, February 24                              John 6:35                    Bread of Life
Wednesday, February 25                         Matthew 9:15              Bridegroom
Thursday, February 26                             Revelation 22:16         Bright Morning Star
Friday, February 27                                  John 1:14                    Came from the Father
Saturday, February 28                               Matthew 13:55           Carpenter

Sunday, March 1                                       1 Peter 5:4                   Chief Shepherd
Monday, March 2                                      Isaiah 9:6                     Child
Tuesday, March 3                                     Matthew 1:16              Christ
Wednesday, March 4                                Ephesians 2:20           Cornerstone
Thursday, March 5                                    Romans 11:26             Deliverer
Friday, March 6                                         Haggai 2:7                   Desire of all nations
Saturday, March 7                                    Matthew 9:12 Doctor

Sunday, March 8                                       Matthew 1:23              Emmanuel
Monday, March 9                                      Isaiah 28:16                 Foundation
Tuesday, March 10                                   Matthew 11:19            Friend of sinners
Wednesday, March 11                 John 10:9                    Gate
Thursday, March 12                                  2 Corinthians 9:15    Gift
Friday, March 13                                       Isaiah 60:1                   Glory
Saturday, March 14                                  Romans 9:5                 God
Sunday, March 15                                     Luke 10:33                  Good Samaritan
Monday, March 16                                    John 10:14                  Good Shepherd
Tuesday, March 17                                   Psalm 48:14                 Guide
Wednesday, March 18                 Colossians 1:18          Head of the Church
Thursday, March 19                                  John 1:39                    King of Israel
Friday, March 20                                       Isaiah 33:22                 Lawgiver
Saturday, March 21                                  1 Timothy 2:5               Mediator

Sunday, March 22                                     1 Peter 2:25                 Overseer
Monday, March 23                                    Acts 5:31                    Prince
Tuesday, March 24                                   Malachi 3:3                  Purifier                        
Wednesday, March 25                 Isaiah 25:4                   Refuge
Thursday, March 26                                  Jeremiah 23:6              Righteousness
Friday, March 27                                       Deuteronomy 32:15     Rock
Saturday, March 28                                  Luke 2:11                    Savior

Palm Sunday, March 29                            Isaiah 42:1                   Servant
Monday,March 30                                     Matthew 12:40            Son of Man
Tuesday, March 31                                   Matthew 26:18            Teacher
Wednesday, April 1                                  John 14:6                    Way
Maundy Thursday, April 2                         Luke 22:48                  Betrayed
Good Friday, April 3                     Mark 15:34                  Forsaken
Holy Saturday, April 4                               Matthew 27:59 & 60    Buried
Easter Sunday, April 5                              John 11:25                  Resurrection









 





Weekly Devotions

Each devotion has a 40 tied into it somehow. See if you can figure out the significance of 40. Also know that I haven’t given you the entire passage or that there may be more to the story before or after the verses listed. You may want to read some of these additional verses together or encourage your reading children to do it on their own.


Week 1
It Rained for 40 Days and 40 Nights

Light the Christ Candle
We light the Christ Candle to remind us that Jesus is with us in a special way when we read the Bible.

Read Genesis 7:1 – 5

Possible Discussion Starters…
Why did God pick Noah to build the ark?
Talk about how you feel when it has been raining for a while.
Try to imagine 40 days and nights of pouring rain.
What would happen to the earth?
Will God ever do this again? How do you know? (hint Genesis 9:11)

Let us pray,
God, 40 days is a long time. Help us to remember you in a special way each day of Lent.
(open time for your family prayers)
Amen

Change the Light
We change the light to remind us that God is with us in all places at all times.


Week 2
Wandering in the Wilderness for 40 Years

Light the Christ Candle
We light the Christ Candle to remind us that Jesus is with us in a special way when we read the Bible.

The Israelites, after fleeing Pharaoh in Egypt, wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. There are several books in the Bible that tell about these wanderings. This passage is what God says to Joshua just before they cross the river and leave the wilderness.

Read Joshua 1:6 – 9

Possible Discussion Starters…
How many times does God tell Joshua to ‘be strong and courageous’?
What are the instruction God’s gives about the Law (the first 5 books of the Bible)? What is the wilderness?
Why were they in the wilderness?
Would you feel strong or courageous if you were Joshua? Why or why not?

Let us pray,
Hi God! We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but we know that even if we wander you will be there. Please help us to be strong and courageous and remember You.
(open time for your family prayers)
Amen

Change the Light
We change the light to remind us that God is with us in all places at all times.


Week 3
The Word of Our God Stands Forever

Light the Christ Candle
We light the Christ Candle to remind us that Jesus is with us in a special way when we read the Bible.

Read Isaiah 40:3 – 8

Possible Discussion Starters…
Try to envision if verse 4 were to take place. What would the Seattle area look like?
Isaiah says people are grass. What else do you think people are?
(The 3rd graders memorized 40:8 for the day they received their Bibles. Is there a 3rd grader in your home? Do they remember it?)

Let us pray,
Lord, we thank You for Your creation. We thank You that we get to see Your mountains and valleys, Your flowers and grass. Help us to remember that no matter what happens Your word stands forever.
(open time for your family prayers)
Amen

Change the Light
We change the light to remind us that God is with us in all places at all times.


Week 4
Jesus’ 40 Days and Nights

Light the Christ Candle
We light the Christ Candle to remind us that Jesus is with us in a special way when we read the Bible.

Read Matthew 4:1 – 11

Possible Discussion Starters…
Can you find this story anywhere else in the Bible?
How do you feel when you are really hungry?
Jesus hadn’t eaten anything for 40 days when He was tempted. How do you think this affected Him?
Which temptation do you think was hardest for Jesus? Why?
What do you think the angels did when they ‘attended’ Him in verse 11?

Let us pray,
Jesus, I am sorry You had to be so hungry and face such big temptations. Thank You for doing it for me.
(open time for your family prayers)
Amen

Change the Light
We change the light to remind us that God is with us in all places at all times.

Week 5
I waited

Light the Christ Candle
We light the Christ Candle to remind us that Jesus is with us in a special way when we read the Bible.

Read Psalm 40:1 – 5

Possible Discussion Starters…
What is waiting patiently like?
What did God do for the psalmist after he waited?
Name some of the many wonders of God.
What have you been waiting for during Lent?

Let us pray,
Lord, You are amazing! I can’t even name all of Your wonders. While I wait for things I will keep looking for Your wonders.
(open time for your family prayers)
Amen

Change the Light
We change the light to remind us that God is with us in all places at all times.

Week 6
Don’t You Fear God?

Light the Christ Candle
We light the Christ Candle to remind us that Jesus is with us in a special way when we read the Bible.

Read Luke 23:32 - 43

Possible Discussion Starters…
Do you think the criminals feared God? Why or why not?
Do you think Jesus feared God? Why or why not?
What things were said about Jesus in these verses that weren’t very nice?
What things did the people do that weren’t very nice?

Let us pray,
Jesus, thank You for taking our place and dying for our sins. We are glad You didn’t fear God and that we don’t either.
(open time for your family prayers)
Amen

Change the Light
We change the light to remind us that God is with us in all places at all times.

Bibliography
Bogle, Joanna, A Book of Feasts and Seasons. Fowler Wright Books, Ltd. 1986.
Hibbard, Ann, Family Celebrations at Easter. Baker Books, 1994.
Merrill, Dean & Grace, Together at Home. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1985.
Nelson, Gertrud Mueller, To Dance with God. Paulist Press, 1986.
Shenk, Sara Wenger, Why Not Celebrate! Good Books, 1987.
Weems, Ann, Kneeling in Jerusalem. Westminster/John Knox Pres, 1992.
Zimmerman, Martha, Celebrating the Christian Year. Bethany Press International, 1994.