Happenings at St Luke's in January

The New Year opens with the Season of the Epiphany, which celebrates Christ's manifestation to the Gentiles. The Gospel reading for the day highlights the importance of people other than Jews worshipping the child of Bethlehem. In this case it is the appearance of astrologers from the East (traditionally known as the Three Wise Men who come to worship the Christ child. There appearance helps us to ask questions of ourselves for the year ahead. For example: What sort of year can you expect for 2012? What was it like last year? I wonder what sort of challenges we shall face? What warnings will we encounter? And will there be anything to give us encouragement?

Today we are given the opportunity to ponder on the coming year with the story of the Wise men. Let us be challenged with their worship; note the warnings but also the encouragement they received. We are given a model and a focus for their journey: worship of the Christ! 'The attitude of the Magi in the presence of the Baby was the attitude proper in the presence of God. When the Magi come to Bethlehem the babe Jesus by this time is a small child. They prostrate themselves in worship before Jesus.

Worship is attended by Matthew in his gospel in many places. For example:

• a leper came and knelt before Jesus;
• a leader of the synagogue came and knelt before him;
• as a result of Jesus walking on the water the disciples worshipped him;
• the Canaanite woman came and knelt before him;
• the mother of James and John came and knelt before Jesus;
• after the resurrection the women came and worshipped him;
• and finally the disciples worshipped him on the mountain before his ascension.

What aspects of worship will be strengthened by you this year? Here is the challenge presented to us by the Wise men.

There was much warning provided with the encounter they had with King Herod. King Herod was troubled by the presence of the Wise men and all Jerusalem as well. What would the birth of another king mean for this tyrant? Yes, he was called 'Great' because of his phenomenal work of building. But he was a cruel tyrant and clearly wrapped up in himself and his own future Here is the warning lest we ourselves get bound up within ourselves.

And what do we make of the faith and persistence of the Wise men? Let us be encouraged by their desire to reach their goal. They left home, the most familiar of places and ventured out to an unknown destination like Abraham and Sarah of old.

Like any journey, this journey for the principal thing in life involved enduring some rough spots along the way.

They eventually arrive to the discovery of life's main thing - that is the Christ. They rejoiced with a great joy. In actual fact they were delirious with joy. There is emotion when our heart is set on the Saviour. We don't just sing the songs and hymns in the same old way. We have a different regard for hearing and reading the scriptures and for saying our prayers. The giving of themselves and of their gifts was expensive but that all paled in comparison with the main thing in life.

By the time they had come away from worshipping the Christ they knew that they had to return a different way. They had been changed by the challenges and warnings they had received and of course we will be too if we 'keep the main thing the main thing'. We too are to be encouraged by the faith of these wise men. What a journey! Let our year ahead be full of anticipation. Let us be encouraged to continue our journey of faith. Let us centre our worship on none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. And let us take heed to any warnings that may surface so that we too will turn away from self and worship the Lord in all that we do. Happy New Year!

Please note that many of our activities are in recess until later in the month. Throughout January we will maintain the two Sunday services of worship at 8am and 10am. The Thursday morning service of Holy Communion at 10.30am will resume on Thursday 5th January.

Please also see details of the Provincial Conference for Mission "Hope for the Future' being held at Canberra Girls Grammar School 26-29 January. (see Bishop Stuart's YouTube posting below)

For your diary

1. Thursday morning service of Holy Communion at 10:30am resumes on 5th January 2012
2. Provincial Conference at Canberra Girls Grammar School, 26-29 January 2012

Check out the Bishop Stuart's "Stu Tube"

This musing from Bishop Stuart is a promo for our Provincial Mission Convention in January. Please take a short time to view the video and consider attending. The most recent brochure (available from St Lukes) includes the programme with session times. He is especially keen for lay teams to attend, and there's billeting and budget accommodation available. Places are limited so early registration is important!

Worship at St Luke's, Deakin
Newdegate Street, Deakin ACT 2600

St Luke's Anglican Church is part of a Combined Ministry District which includes

St Paul's Manuka and St David's Red Hill.

These three communities offer a range of traditional Anglican worship to South Central Canberra.

You are most welcome to worship with us!

Worship with our partner churches

Worship at St David's, Red Hill
Cnr La Perouse Street and Fortitude Street, Red Hill

Worship at St Paul's, Manuka
Cnr Captain Cook Crescent and Canberra Avenue, Manuka (Griffith)

St Luke's is part of a Combined Ministry District
with St Paul's Manuka and St David's Red Hill

Anglican Diocese of Canberra & Goulburn