Greetings, friends, members and supporters of our church at Clevedon, Kawakawa Bay, Orere Point, Conifer Grove, Takanini, and in the southern part of Auckland – and beyond.

The Peace of Christ be with you!

Dear God,

We give thanks today for all those who help others during times of loss or despair.

and for friends and family who have helped and encouraged us when we have been down.

We give thanks for medical staff, and counsellors who support those for whom their sadness has become never-ending.

We give thanks that you are there for us, even as we walk through our dark valleys,

bringing us to a place of peace and bounty.

In Christ's name.

AMEN

Last week Sandy and Lou Lou visited the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid. It houses several paintings by Picasso, including perhaps the most famous anti-war painting called ‘Guernica.’ The painting depicts the 1937 bombings of the Spanish town by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy – at the request of the Spanish Nationalists.

Related to this painting, Picasso painted a series of ‘Weeping Women’. They depict, on one hand, the grief of so many following this act of destruction, but also express a sense of the universal grief of women and all who experience the horror and destruction of war.

When Sandy sent me these pictures I thought about the destruction happening in Israel and Gaza, in Russia and Ukraine, and in many other places – and the grief that is being endured by so many.

In Jesus’s day, in a world in which women were regarded as men’s property, were seen as unreliable witnesses, and whose status was sometimes likened to livestock, it is remarkable that we have such extensive accounts of Christ’s interaction with women. The longest recorded conversation between Jesus and anyone is the story we find in the Gospel of John and the ‘woman at the well.’ In such a patriarchal society, it is extraordinary that the first witnesses to resurrection were women.

In Scripture, we have accounts of Jesus ministering to women weeping in grief.

We hear this account in John 11:

³² When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ ³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 

In this remarkable account, we are told that Jesus, while he was being crucified, saw his mother and took account of her care:

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ ²⁷ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. (John 19)

And at the resurrection in John 20:

¹² and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. ¹³ They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ ¹⁴ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there…

I am preaching at the moment from the Book of Job and his response to terrible loss. Our Gospel stories remind us of how close Jesus is to us at those moments of despair.

Jesus, we pray today for all who are weeping.

For those who have lost loved ones,

and for all who are afraid or despair.

We pray to you, Lord, as the one who knows what it’s like,

and who is the source of resurrection hope.

You are the one who brings a peace that passes all understanding,

and so we pray that your peace may be with us, and all those we pray for today.

In Christ’s name,

AMEN

Book Fair. This is a chance to clear some space and donate your books to help support our ministry to children and families. Monday 1 July to Friday the 5^th of July. Please see the poster attached.

End of Term Men’s Dinner. Please join us for dinner at the Blue Elephant, Clevedon on Wednesday the 3^rd of July, 6.30 pm. RSVP to Martin (martin@clevedonpresy.co.nz)

Foodbank—The call for food parcels continues from families in need.  Thank you for your donations. We need tinned spaghetti & baked beans, tinned tomatoes, tinned tuna, pasta sauces, coffee, drinking chocolate, self-raising flour, 1kg plastic bags sugar (to foil the ants), 1kg rice, dried pasta, jam, and biscuits.

Community Lunch. Please join us for a shared lunch and a chance to catch up on news and events. Thursday, July the 4^th, at noon at the Clevedon Church lounge.

Men’s Group. Come along for fellowship, discussion and prayer. 7.30 pm each Wednesday in the Clevedon Church lounge.

Clevedon School presents: “The Wonderful World of Oz” two shows on Thursday 22 August. In the Community Hall. Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/nz/events/landing/11935

HATCH – our community dinner and church will start again after the school holidays, on Sunday the 28^th of July at 5 pm.  All welcome. Please let Mathilde know if you are coming. mathilde@clevedonpresy.co.nz

Tuesday Morning Home Group. Ardmore 10 am. All are welcome to join with this very friendly and welcoming group for prayer, discussion and Bible readings. Please contact Bev Sutton for details: 027 3107 421

 Tuesday Evening Ladies Bible Study meets during the school term in locations in Ardmore and Conifer Grove. 7.00 pm to 8.30 pm. If you would like to find out more, please give Geraldine Oosterbeek a call on 027-2704-904

 Prayer Circle Requests. For anyone who is seeking prayer for any concern or situation: prayercircle.clevedonpresy@gmail.com or text: Cath at 021 349 417, Elaine 022 071 7201, or Nikki 021 973 799

 AA - every Thursday at 7.30 pm at the Clevedon Church lounge. Friendly and supportive. For anyone with alcohol or drug problems.  https://aa.org.nz/

Sunday morning service at 10 am. Join us in person or watch the live stream on our YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxBzxjBb3xU8ra2NHwvD_9A

(The service can also be viewed at any time afterwards.)

Prayer before the Service. Join us at 9:15 am every Sunday in Martin's office to pray for the church and community.

 St Aidan’s Takanini (23 Walter Stevens Drive, Conifer Grove,)

 Sunday morning service at 10 am

Playgroup - Every Monday and Tuesday morning in the school term.  Contact Brenda at 021 657 178.

Men’s group. Tuesdays at 7 pm in the Church lounge. A time of sharing, fellowship, prayer and study together.

Wednesday Communion service 9.30 am. All welcome

Women's friendship and study group. Evening group, Wednesday, 7 pm.  Day group, Friday 10 am. Contact Lorraine Richmond at 027 476 1169

Know your Bible Women’s study group. Thursday 12.30-2.30 pm. Contact Susanna Ph. 027 450 1926

The service is held in the Community Hall each Sunday at 9.30 am. 

Playgroup each Wednesday from 8 am in the Community Hall

Thank you for your prayers and generous support of our church and its mission.

Martin

Right Now Media. We have recently purchased a church subscription for this extensive library of video resources suitable for small groups, teaching and education. Please use this link to take a look at the library for your personal or group use: https://app.rightnowmedia.org/join/clevedonpresbyterian . We are trialling this subscription to find out how many people might benefit. If you do make use of it could you let Martin know?  (martin@clevedonpresy.co.nz)