Dear Members and Friends of South Darebin parish,
Last Sunday we had a happy and uplifting choral Eucharist to mark St James Day and the one hundredth anniversary of St James, Thornbury being made a parish. My sermon reminded us that in the Kingdom of God everyone is as important as everyone else – there is none who is more important than anyone else. We are called to serve each other and all people, just as Christ came not to be served, but to serve. This truth was demonstrated in our celebration by many who served us with their God-given gifts.
We were all blessed by the beautiful music provided by the choir, and I thank them, together with our organists Kevin and Elizabeth for sharing their musical gifts with us. Thanks also to Helen and others who provided a yummy morning tea. We thank Brad in collaboration with Norm for the production of the memorial booklet with its history of St James and happy reminiscences from some of the congregation.
St. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 12 that just as the human body has many parts and each part of the body is equally important, so in the church each of us is a member gifted by God differently one from another who are equally in need of each other. In 1 Corinthians 13 he goes on to remind us that as we exercise our gift, we must do so in love, for without love we are but a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
I thank God for each of you and pray that together we may continue to exercise our gifts in love for the benefit of all – both in the church and beyond.
Grace and peace to you all.
Chris