This week our Ministry Educator, Deborah Broome preached.This is what she wrote for our pew sheet about the theme."Haggai's prophecies are set in the post-exilic period during the reign of Darius. The work had stalled because of discouragement; Haggai's prophecies encouraged them to resume the work by reminding them that God was with them. Don’t get paralysed by the past, remember that God holds the future. Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians had addressed concerns that Christ would never return. Now people thought that he would appear at any second—but no one knows the timing of Christ's return except Christ himself. The author thanks God for those who are faithful: God chose them to be forerunners of others who will come later, through being set apart through the Holy Spirit and through their faith. Sadducees were known for not believing the Resurrection; so the question seems designed to draw Jesus into their old argument with the Pharisees. Jesus uses the hypothetical question to teach about the Resurrection. Here is not like there. Here we marry; there they do not. To think about during the week:• Does thinking back to ‘good old days’ keep us stuck—or encourage us to look for God’s actions in the future?• When have you seen God’s transforming power at work?"

Was Zacchaeus already giving half his income to the poor, or was he going to give half his income because of what Jesus says to him. Both work. If he was already, then the issue is not that he was corrupt – as we assume, but that those he lived among assumed he was corrupt and a sinner – like we still do and Jesus saw who he really was. How do our assumptions blind us to the saints living around us?On All Saints/All Souls – how do we honour those we grieve?

How often do we join the Pharisee and give in to the temptation that we have earned our salvation thanking God for our goodness? How often do we stand with the tax collector knowing we have nothing to offer, trusting in God’s deep love and thanking God for God’s goodness?

Do we pray without ceasing? what is it we pray for? and why do we pray – so that God will fix it, or something else?

John explores what it means to pray unceasingly for justice, and how that prayer changes us to be people of justice.

What does it mean to increase our faith? Is this a real question? What is it we have faith in God to do? Fix it? Be with us in the midst of life?

Some thoughts on Pet Sunday as we celebrate St. Francis of Assisi.

John explores how this story (Luke 16:19-31) relates to a number of stories about humility and chastity – seeing others as belonging to God and not for use in our quest for self-fulfilment. He invites people to examine their own attitudes individually and as a church

John talks about how these are stories of the importance of celebrating together rather than stories about the need to repent. He then invites people to bring that sense of joy to the Eucharistic table and their lives.

A reflection to help people reflect on the healing of the stooped woman (Luke 13: 10-17); where they are in this story, and how this story speaks to their story.

This the Bishops sermon on our celebration of St. George and of being the Anglican Parish of Gate Pa for 54 years.