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Duties Roster
Groups
Church Notices and News•
Welcome Presenter Speaker Communion Tea
July 5 Hannah Phil Runciman
Len Buttner Ross Sandy
12 Sean Tommy Gordon Liane
19 Carolyn Tarsem Phillip A. Dorothy
26 Phillip A Margaret Paul
Ross Wilcox Ashleigh
August 2 Hannah Sandy John Ferguson Tarsem Phillip A.
9 Jack Ashleigh Gordon Carolyn
16 Catherine Hannah Ross Pauline
Youth Group Alan and Mary Bowers Friday evening for details:TEL: 239 1475
Study Group Alan and Mary Bowers Thursday 7:00pm - 254 Logan Road Buckland TEL: 2391475 or MOB: 021 149
4951
Study Group Ross Wilcox The Book of Revelations
Wednesday 7:30pm 46 Union Road.
Home Group Neil and Liz Reid Monday 7:00pm - 16 Bilkey avenue Pukekohe TEL:
2385177
Leaders & Contact phone numbersRoss & Liane Wilcox TEL: 236 3755
Gordon Clark TEL: 027 405287Website: www.patumahoecommunitychurch.net
Newsletter feedback and contributions to [email protected] page contributions to Matthew Bowers - [email protected]
I was enjoying an evening with a close friend recently, he declares he is not a believer in anything of a spiritual nature. I was quite surprised when he told me that he fully expected that I would get over my beliefs and come to reason eventually. He has known me for perhaps twenty years and knows I have been a Christian for fifteen of those years. We d iscussed the concept o f religious belief for some time and I came to understand that for him any belief is a conviction that a thing is so despite a lack of e v i d e n c e t o s u p p o r t t h a t conv ic t ion. A be l ie f is an untrustworthy concept for him and I suspect many modern sceptics. For these people
thought and action must be governed by known certainties. But what may we be certain of? Science history informs us that our understanding of every ‘real’ aspect of the world around us is f o reve r chang ing as new discoveries are made and old ideas overturned. Believing that you are certain of what is real is ultimately… just another belief. When a modern sceptic says “I believe that is so”, they actually mean “I’m not at all sure, I could be wrong” A christian is by contrast saying I believe this to the core of my being. The language is common to both but the words mean very different things depending on the world view of the user. -continued
Patumahoe Community ChurchBuilding Faith, Raising Hope, Growing strong through the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Coming Home - from Henri Nouwen's Bread for the Journey
In the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), there are two sons: the younger son, who runs away from home to an alien country, and the older son, who stays home to do his duty. The younger son dissipates himself with alcohol and sex; the older son alienates himself by working hard and dutifully fulfilling all his obligations. Both are lost. Their father grieves over both, because with neither of them does he experience the intimacy he desires. Both lust and cold obedience can prevent us from being true children of God. Whether we are like the younger son or the older son, we have to come home to the place where we can rest in the embrace of God's unconditional love. For further reflection ... "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." - Matthew 11: 28-30 (NIV)
Belief and faith are closely r e l a t e d i d e a s a n d m a y sometimes mean the same thing. Faith is similarly derided by sceptics as being a prop leant on in the absence of hard evidence. But even atheists have faith, as was demonstrated to the very famous Richard Dawkins during a debate with Christian academic John Lennox. Dawkins had given his argument as to faith being a demonstration of uncertainty and self deception. D a w k i n s w a s r e n d e r e d
speechless when Lennox asked him if he had faith in his wife. In this case it could be argued that the very lack of evidence of Mrs Dawkins being anything other than a reliable woman would be the basis for her husband to regard her with faith!
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6
Community
1 Peter 3:8
One of the most distinctive changes between the Old Testament and the New Testament was terminology. In the Old Testament, God and Israel’s relationship was theocratic: God was King and Israelites were His subjects as defined by divine covenants. But in the New Testament the relationship became familial: God is Father and Christians are His children (Romans 8:12-17). The phrase “children of God” occurs ten times in the New Testament, not at all in the Old Testament.
Families live “communally”—that is, they hold things in common. The Body of Christ, therefore, is a family community that shares in the grace and gifts of God equally. And the New Testament is filled with images of what that community of believers should look like. It should share in love, unity (community), forgiveness, tenderheartedness, compassion, courtesy, generosity, and more. Family members are to love one another as God the Father loves the family (Ephesians 4:32).
Consider ways that you can become closer to your brothers and sisters in the Christian community—both in your own family and the family of God.
The church is a community of the works and words of Jesus. Donald English
