For Sunday the 30th December - 11.00am

This Sunday (30/12) we will gather for worship at 11.00am with Christmas carols still ringing in our ears. While we might to like to linger at the manger and enjoy the serenity of being in the presence of the baby Jesus, the gospel lesson will have us journey to Egypt with the holy family as they flee from the blood thirsty hands of Herod.

This reading interrupts our peaceful images and reminds us of the blood and guts reality that surrounded the birth of our Saviour. This is not some sanitised, G-rated account of the Saviour’s birth. This is our God facing real life complexities and threats, right from the beginning of His daring journey to the cross as the man Jesus.

We will be hearing what this means for our daily struggles with the ups and downs of life.
Divine Service will begin at 11.00am.

Please remember that you are most welcome to join the folk at St Paul's in Shepparton on New Year's Day. Divine Service will begin on the 1st January at 11.00am.

The Lord be with you,
Pastor Matt

Christmas services

Over the next few days we will once again meditate on the love of God in the sending of His Son as a baby in the manger to live and die, that we might have forgiveness and life. We will ponder the wonderful mystery of the Incarnation, and rejoice over God's great gift to the world. Please join us as we celebrate Jesus' coming in flesh to save us.

Our services at Trinty will be as follows:
Sunday 23rd December: Children's Christmas Service; 7.00pm
Tuesday 25th Decmeber: The Incarnation of our Lord - Service with Holy Communion; 8.30am

A happy and blessed Christmas to you all,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday 16th December - 11.00am

As we draw closer to the celebration of the Nativity of our Lord, we will be taking the opportunity this Sunday (16/12) to meditate on His coming in the flesh. Our service will follow the traditional order of the Service of Lessons and Carols which provides a wonderful preparation for Christmas Day as we are taken from God's first promise of a Saviour in Genesis 3, through to the Messianic prophecies, and then onto God's saving provision in the birth of His Son, Jesus.

Service will begin at 11.00am.

Please note, the children will be continuing their preparations for the service on the evening of the 23rd. And don't forget our congregational Christmas party at Chris & Marg's this Friday evening - all welcome - BYO food and drink. Give me a call for more details.

God's peace be with you,

Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 9th December - 8.30am

Christmas cards and decorations often proclaim that this is a time of peace and joy. Yet so many people's experience of Christmas is far from this loftly ideal. When we feel that we are responsible for the peace we long for, we inevitably experience disappointment and despair. Even with our good intentions, so many Christmas Day celebrations end up with loved ones having a row or leaving with a sense of disappointment.

As we continue with our Advent journey this week, we will hear from the prophet Isaiah (11:1-10) about the true peace we eagerly await in these latter days. This is not just about getting along with one another. This is a peace that is RADICALLY different from anything we could ever dream of! I mean who could conceive of the peace Isaiah describes: The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.

Clearly this peace we celebrate and long for at Christmas is something we can't achieve ourselves. But strengthened with the peace that comes from sins forgiven in Christ's name, we can give others a glimpse of this heavenly peace even now.

Divine Service will begin at 8.30am.

For your info here are the upcoming Christmas service times:

16th December: Service of Lessons and Carols; 11am
23rd December: Children’s Christmas Service; 7pm
25th December: Service with Holy Communion; 8.30am

God's peace,
Pastor Matt