Sunday, February 1, 2026
Almighty and ever living God,
we humbly pray
that, as your only Son was presented in the temple
in accordance with the law,
so we may be dedicated to you with pure and clean hearts;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
Stay In Touch
Father Ted Starr - Priest-in-Charge - 0451 929 180
Mrs Liz Peters - Rector’s Warden - 0400 844 946
Mrs Gail Symons - People’s Warden - 0409 618 511
Mr Tony Hughes - People’s Warden - 0468 764 009
Zoom Church - 328 492 8300 - 548 747
Readings
for The Presentation of Christ in the Temple, also known as Candlemas
Malachi 3:1-4 - Psalm 24
Hebrews 2:14-18 - Luke 2:22-40
Giving
Offering - 704 901 - 0000 0780
Building Fund - 704 901 - 0001 4767
AGM is coming up! Thank you for your prompt reporting. AGM will be held Sunday, February 15 after the second service, 10:30am.
For Your Prayers
We ask of your goodness, Lord, to comfort and sustain all who in this transitory life are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity, and especially Shirley Kimber, Alex, Ann, Daniel, Lois, Barbara, Helena, Ian, Maggie, Dave, Uncle Peter, Chris, Bill Tattam, Jeff Byrne, Karne, Ika, Greg, Aaron, Joanne, Grace and Faith, and Beryl Old. Please contact Fr Ted to be on this list.
Mission and Outreach
Recycling is currently on pause as we look for an alternative storage solution. Please keep an eye out for when we resume this fundraiser.
Meals for Woody Point Special School are starting again. Please label your meal with title, ingredients and date cooked, then freeze it, and bring it to church on Sunday. Meal containers are on the back table. Alternatively, give a monetary donation or supermarket gift card. For more information contact Elizabeth on 0404 080 861.
Thank you to all who have given in your used stamps. Especially if you left a good bit of paper round them. ABM will be pleased – Gill.
Ministry During the Week
Thursday Fellowship returns every first and third Thursday from 9:30am to 11:30am. All welcome for a cuppa and a chat. Bring your craft to work on, or just enjoy the company.
Caring and Sharing returns every fourth Wednesday from 11am.
Talent Table returns every last Sunday after the second service.
Bible Study begins again in February on Tuesdays at 9am and Thursdays at 7pm. All materials supplied. For those who have asked, your $25 booklet will be ready at your first study.
The Week Ahead
Tues, 3 Feb
8:00 am - First Anglican Service at Sydney Cove (1788) (Book of Common Prayer)
9:30 am - Bible Study
Wed, 4 Feb
10:00 am - Anskar, missionary bishop in Sweden (d. 865)
Thurs, 5 Feb
9:30 am - Friendship and Craft Group
7:00 pm - Bible Study
Of the Resurrection of Christ.
Christ did truly rise again from death, and took again his body, with flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of Man's nature; wherewith he ascended into Heaven, and there sitteth, until he return to judge all Men at the last day.
Let’s catch up to where we are. We have affirmed that there is one God, in three Persons, one of whom is the eternal Word, who was made flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, and died. Now we continue: he did truly rise again from death.
This is the great Christian hope: that Jesus of Nazareth was a real, historical person; he was God incarnate; he was killed; he came back from the dead; and he ascended into heaven. All now who place their trust and allegiance in him share in his victory over the grave, and have a place prepared for them by his side when he returns in judgement.
But our Article today, with uncharacteristic specificity, gives us some more details. He didn’t rise again as a ghost, and he didn’t ascend into heaven as a ghost. He took again his body with everything that makes a human human: flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of human nature. With one wonderfully Shakespearian line, our spiritual ancestors outflanked the ancient heresy that claimed that physical matter is inherently evil. God made our bodies, and our Lord rose and ascended in his human body. There is something about our physicality that reveals God’s glory.
Whatever the reality of it all is, I don’t think any of us will really fully understand until after Christ’s return. One thinker observed that the caterpillar doesn’t truly comprehend what being a butterfly will be like until the change actually happens. In the same way, we can’t truly comprehend what our glorified bodies will be like until we get them.
In the meantime, we still have to put up with all the aches, creaks, dots, wrinkles and everything else that these pre-glorified bodies get. But even with all our maladies and complaints, God is still pleased to make our bodies his temple, for the glory of God dwells within each Christian (1 Cor 6:19). What wonder, that the perfect God would make our body his temple! What joy, that we will be given perfect bodies when Christ returns in judgement!