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Pilgrim Uniting Church, Doncaster Vic. |
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The Early Church and Today: Stewardship Preached by Rev Darryn Hickling on Sunday 6 April 2008 - Easter 3 Scripture: Luke 24: 13-35 The reader will read a designated section of the scripture pause then the sermon is interspersed with the reading. Pilgrim Uniting begins a month of stewardship. 24:13-14 Community Conversation The ‘Road to Emmaus’ story has implications for the life and Ministry of Pilgrim Uniting Church. Bet you didn’t think that ‘Stewardship’ could be defined from the text this morning. They talked with each other about everything that had happened. Do we as congregations talk with each other about what's happening in our lives? At times we do. I hear at times ‘oh we don’t know the young people or young families?’ Well there is a Young Families Service once a month to attend, and an 11am service. Combined services are an opportunity for the two morning congregations to mix and have a service with elements of both styles of service. How many people made an effort to say hello to someone they didn’t know? Community building takes time and effort and begins with conversation. 24:15-16 Recognising God in our midst Jesus himself came up and walked alongside of them; but they were kept from recognizing him. Do we recognize the work of Christ in our midst? The EOR (Energy, Opportunity and Resources Survey) has given each one of us the opportunity to put forward ideas, thoughts, concerns and make positive contributions to the life and ministry of Pilgrim. And to be thankful for what we have. What are the sacred moments for us? 24:17-24 The Working of God What we had expected was different to what has taken place! Isn’t God allowed to surprise us from time to time? Ministry is exercised in many and varied ways at and beyond Pilgrim. One group this week, Westcare, celebrated thirty years in operation. It began with an idea! There are opportunities all around us to be able to support the ‘mission’ of the Church. What groups do w support at Pilgrim? (share appeal, Christmas bowl, Lenten appeal, church of South India and through JIM: Justice and International Mission). And organizations such as World Vision and Compassion: Child Sponsorship, Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund, Amnesty International and teaching CRE. There are many ways we can see the working of God. 24:25-27 Teaching Teaching time. Sunday mornings, small groups, bible studies, K@P, T@P, Roseville and Melaleuca, Bodalla, Young Families Service and the family camp at Halls Gap. I learn a lot at camp as the camp is an opportunity to spend time together and are all times of teaching. We can learn from each other. There is a lot of life and faith experience in this room. We can learn from kids as well as adults. The Tuesday night studies have arisen out of a necessity for the congregations to discuss the life and ministry of Pilgrim. A lot of the examples I have given this morning emphasize ‘doing’ and this needs to be balanced out by ‘being’. As well as action the Church must take the time to reflect, pray, meditate and ‘be’. To allow the Spirit of God to reach, teach and connect to us in silence as well as words. 24:28-29 Hospitality They invited Jesus to stay. Lets talk more, get to know each other. Pastorally I hear of peoples situations/difficulties at times first hand or information being passed on by someone else, prayer chain and often find that a pastoral visitor, elder of carer from Pilgrim has had contact with the person concerned. One person was looking down when they ‘bumped into’ someone they had seen at Church. One inquired as to how the other was travelling? They then found a café, sat down and a story of difficulty emerged. The problem wasn’t solved after the encounter but it didn’t seem as debilitating. 24: 30- 35 ‘Breaking of Bread’ They recognized Jesus in the ‘breaking of bread’ an elusion to ‘Holy Communion’ or as the word means, sharing a ‘common union’. They had hope. We come together to celebrate communion together! Our faith, our belief, our ministry, our mission are the elements of our faith journey which draw us to this table. |
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