In our desire to cut down the talking at Announcement Time on a Sunday, we can tend to miss out on informing the Assembly about the scope of activities that we are involved in as a church. We thought it might be worthwhile to remind us all of the many things that we do, apart from our main Sunday service. Let me list some of those activities, in no particular order.

Sunday Service involving a Prayer meeting, Musicians, Preachers, Children’s Church teachers, Creche, Welcomers, Data projector, Sound Desk, Kitchen Duty Team, Communion Preparation, Communion distributors, Lockup, Offering Counters, 10:40 teen teaching. Each of our Children’s workers is Police checked.

Elders, five brothers who meet usually the first Monday of each month. They pray, discuss Assembly matters, look to the future, and generally oversee our church health. Elders often visit our people in their homes or hospitals as needed.

Tuesday Prayers, 9am to 10am at which there are usually seven or eight, but sometimes more. We ask, what has the Lord been saying to you? We pray for our ministries, individuals in need, for other churches. We pray for the nation.

Talking Tuesday for ladies. Teaching with time for questions and discussion. Learn lots and ask lots. Then Morning Tea and fellowship.

Finance Team. We have a small dedicated and efficient finance team which keeps our finances up-to-date and in presentable form. Auditing is done by professional auditors external to our assembly.

Kids Club. Friday nights from 5:15-7pm. Around 12-15 kids attend, and our team consists of about 12 who teach, cook, lead activities and interact with parents

AMOS is a group which meets monthly on a Saturday afternoon especially designed to facilitate fellowship for our older members.

Kids Hope. A program whereby 7 of our people spend one-on-one time with an assigned student at Burnside Primary School mentoring them as they navigate life’s challenges. The kids get to realise that their mentor is there for them each week exclusively to listen and to encourage them with unconditional love.

Magill Retirement Village. On the first Wednesday of each month, Pastor Alf and Jeff Byerley lead a worship service at the Village. A lady from St Matt’s church plays piano for us. There are usually about 6 or 7 folks, sometimes more, from the village attend.

Norwood Pageant. Much of the drive for the Pageant stems from this assembly. There is a committee of 7, 4 of whom are from BFC. We plan the Pageant, distribute work responsibilities, liaise with other churches, work with Norwood Council, coordinate businesses who supply goods and services such as trucks, sound systems, flyers, websites.

Missions.   We are a very giving church. We support missions in lots of ways. Financially, by sending personnel, and spiritually with prayer. We support orphanages in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. We gave last year for the purchase of a 4-wheel drive in Africa. We give money and office space to Rahab. We send significant finances to support Chaplaincy. Last financial year we gave approximately 30% of our income to missions.

Burnside Interchurch Council meets 4 times per year to plan and execute combined activities such as Prayers, Chaplaincy support, and the annual fundraiser Quiz etc. Two from our church act on that body and are significant participators.

Teachers’ Appreciation Morning.

Each year, people from BFC provide a very lavish morning tea to teachers at Marryatville Primary School to say “thank you” for the teachers’ commitment to students. We get to give a short speech commending them and encouraging them to go on with their dedication.

Chaplaincy.  We have a major commitment to Chaplaincy. Andrew is an Area Manager. Sheila was, up until recently, a Chaplain at Burnside Primary School. We contribute significant finances to Chaplaincy each year.

Combined Churches monthly prayers Each month, we are the drivers of the Combined Churches Prayer Breakfasts which meet mostly in our building, but also moves around to other church venues. Here we pray for our churches, our area, our nation, and our ministers. This expression of unity flows over into many of our other combined activities.

Facilities Team The physical buildings are cared for by a team of practically minded, hands-on, people who have a good eye for the state of the buildings. They meet fairly regularly and commission work needing to be done. Sometimes by Working Bees, sometimes by specialized tradesmen.

Home Groups. Held in the evenings, fortnightly, and in various homes. Relaxed teaching, discussion, and questions. They usually include a shared supper.

Tamil Meetings. Our church facilities are loaned to a group of red hot Tamil Christians who meet here a couple of times a month for worship, prayer, and outreach.

All of us ought to thank the Lord for the wonderful way in which this body works together in unity and in harmony. Pray for our church that God’s blessings continue and increase as we seek Him.

Ted Lang spent a lot of time on the Eyre Peninsula and it became a favourite spot of his. When he returned from there, the Eyre Peninsula Local Government Association had a sesquicentenary celebration of Tumby Bay and opened up a song competition. Entrants were asked to compose a song about the West Coast of South Australia and Ted decided to enter this competition.

He wrote ‘a bit of a song’ (as he describes it), five verses long and poetically telling of the explorers and pioneers that discovered the West Coast. He had written four verses, but it didn’t seem complete. He felt the Lord say to him, “Where do I come in in this song?” So Ted knew he had to write a fifth verse, but he was stumped as to how to go about it.

At that time, he read Psalm 28.

Psalm 28 – Of David. 

1      To you, Lord, I call;

   you are my Rock,
   do not turn a deaf ear to me.

For if you remain silent,
   I will be like those who go down to the pit.

2         Hear my cry for mercy
   as I call to you for help,
   as I lift up my hands
   toward your Most Holy Place.

3         Do not drag me away with the   

   wicked, with those who do evil,
   who speak cordially with their neighbors
   but harbor malice in their hearts.

4         Repay them for their deeds
   and for their evil work;
   repay them for what their hands   

   have done and bring back on them   

   what they deserve.

5      Because they have no regard for the 

   deeds of the Lord and what his hands have done,
   he will tear them down
   and never build them up again.

6       Praise be to the Lord,
   for he has heard my cry for mercy.

7      The Lord is my strength and my shield;
   my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
   My heart leaps for joy,
   and with my song I praise him.

8      The Lord is the strength of his people,
   a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

9      Save your people and bless your inheritance;
   be their shepherd and carry them forever.

He came to verse seven (in bold above), and in particular the second part of that verse, With my song I praise Him, and he knew without a doubt that the whole song really ought to praise God. Ted says, “God said to me, ‘I want you to praise Me with that last verse of your song.’ So the last verse of my song, after all the others were in the minor key, the last verse finishes up in the major key.”

Verse 5

Thank God for the explorers; And thank God for pioneers,

For their courage, faith and vision which have triumphed down the years.

Let’s drink their spirit deeply. Could there be a better toast?

“To the ones who long before us saw the future of the Coast.”

“Well that was the last verse of the song and I put it in and blow me down, the song won the competition. And I’m only saying that because that’s the point of the story. That God honoured Himself and I honoured Him and that’s the way it should be.”

Now the song was complete, with God being the one honoured. A testimony to Ted’s faith and God’s faithfulness.

Song description (as stated for the competition entry):

The song is written to trace the history of the West Coast – more correctly Eyre Peninsula – and as a tribute to its discoveries and pioneers. As far as possible it is based on facts and is an endeavour to exhort us today to value the qualities of faith and courage they possessed. The first four verses are set to a folk-song type air and are mainly descriptive. The last verse is the climax expressing thanks to God for our heritage and encouraging us to follow their example.

The Song of the Coast

Ted Lang

In sixteen twenty-seven Nuyts was blown across the Bight;

He looked in vain for fertile plain but nothing could he sight.

“I’m turning back from here,” he said,

“To where the Trade Winds blow.”

And the land slept on in silence underneath the sunset’s glow.

From County Lincoln sailed a man who traced this Western shore,

And many of his homeland’s names surrounding landmarks bore;

The gesture of a gentleman who never once did boast;

Yet today the name of Flinders echoes all around the Coast.

When Eyre came round from Adelaide Town in eighteen forty-one,

He said, “This land is desolate, there’s nothing can be done.

‘Twill hardly carry livestock, or grow barley, wheat or rye”

While the lazy smoke from Native fires crept up the clear blue sky.

Today the Coast is thriving from the Cape to Nullarbor;

With wheat and wool and barley, gypsum, fish and iron ore.

We reap our million bushels where our fathers poured their sweat

As they cleared the stunted mallee for enough to meet the debt.

Thank God for the explorers; And thank God for pioneers,

For their courage, faith and vision which have triumphed down the years.

Let’s drink their spirit deeply. Could there be a better toast?

“To the ones who long before us saw the future of the Coast.”

One recent Sunday, whilst about to preach about the Apostle Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost, I lost my voice, totally! Fortunately for the world-wide Christian Church this didn’t happen to Peter, as 3,000 believers were added to the fledgling church in Jerusalem on that day, 2,000 years ago.

For me, I needed congregational assistance to complete the service. Prayer and testimony were spontaneously given by a number of people, providing a wonderful conclusion to the service. I limped off the platform trying to recover my voice, thankful that “togetherness” and “unity of mind and purpose” won the day, as is so often the case at Burnside Family Church. I had a few points to further make on that Sunday, which now, in this article, I will attempt to share.

In Acts 2, regarding the events which took place on the day of Pentecost, when the promised Holy Spirit was given to believers in Jesus Christ, I noted the following:

1.

All the believers were “together” in “one place”. Can we recognise God’s pattern of action?               He operates through the unity of believers. For us, unity might just mean being there, together, in one mind and one body. Today, we call this a church service, and indeed, all activities we undertake in church.

2.

“Suddenly” things happened. God’s pattern of action can often be “suddenly”. Waiting can be a tiresome, low-energy exercise, but if you know that something promised will happen, then expectancy can raise enthusiasm and energy. The disciples were told by Jesus to wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon them, and “suddenly”, the waiting was over. Believing expectantly might be a good definition for faith.

3.

The coming of the Holy Spirit was a supernatural event (only God could do it). Tongues of fire dancing on the heads of 120 followers of Jesus, a rushing wind, and praise being proclaimed loudly in languages otherwise unknown all happened that day. Still today, the gift of the Holy Spirit is given when anyone believes in their hearts the message of the Gospel.

The Holy Spirit dwells within you and me to move, direct, protect and empower our lives as we live here on earth – an entirely supernatural event. Manifestations of the Holy Spirit in our lives involve both fruit and gifts, but not to be missed is “unity” as this is God’s pattern of behaviour.

4.

I have read the Acts 2 passage many times and have never lost the thrill and excitement of contemplating a living and powerful God who has come to dwell within each of us. Jesus came as a human being and there was a time 2,000 years ago, where we could find the physical footprint of God on earth. The Holy Spirit is the here-and-now for each believer.

5.

“Peter stood”…. but the scripture says he stood up with the eleven other disciples to preach that day.  I never saw that before. They stood together, they proclaimed together, and together, they all died preaching the Gospel, full of the Holy Spirit. God’s working pattern on earth is “unity”.

As we know, Easter is the celebration of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Christmas is the celebration of Jesus coming down into the world from heaven as a man to start that whole story of redemption. We do all sorts of things to celebrate these two events – they are key moments in the Christian calendar.

Pentecost is the celebration of the Holy Spirit coming down to us! And I think this deserves just as much celebratory efforts as the other two. Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Easter, and this is because 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection, the Holy Spirit came to Jesus’ disciples. What is really cool, is that the Old Testament Hebrew people celebrated the Feast of Weeks 50 days after Passover. And the Feast of Weeks was a celebration of the calling of the Hebrew people into a covenant relationship with God at Mount Sinai. And may I say that this is something we should celebrate in our lives – our being called into a relationship with God!

The Jewish people back in Jesus’ time and the early believers would have known about and celebrated this thing called the Feast of Weeks. This particular year when Jesus, the Saviour of the world, died and rose again, during this period of the Feast of Weeks is when something amazing happened to Jesus’ followers. God released His Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:1-4)

Previously to this, they were eager to get out there and tell the world about Jesus, but they had been commanded by Jesus to wait. And the Holy Spirit was what they were waiting for. God knew that their ministry would be ineffectual without His Spirit in them. They were like kites, made to fly, but without any wind yet.

There are many things that the Bible tells us the Holy Spirit enables us to do, including those spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. And it is interesting to raise the question: are these abilities innate human abilities? Barry Chant in his book Praying In The Spirit asks, had humans not sinned, would it always have been possible to (for example) pray in tongues? (Prayer, specifically, is the focus of his book.) Chant speaks of glossolalia which is the phenomenon of speaking in an unknown language, especially in religious worship. And he argues that glossolalia is actually a natural communication skill that has been lost to us because of sin, and that it is restored in Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. Romans 8:10.

So the ability is restored in Christ, and now all it needs is for the Holy Spirit to reactivate it. “Praying in tongues, then, is the restored cry of a human spirit brought back to life by the Spirit of God through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Chant, 2008)

But what difference does it make whether it’s an outside spiritual ability given to us, or a human ability awakened in us by the Holy Spirit I hear you ask? Well, if we all have the capacity to use spiritual gifts as an innate human ability, there is great encouragement for those who have asked God to enable them to pray in tongues (for example) with no apparent result yet. “When we think of glossolalia as a gift we have to drag down from heaven or somehow pull in from some external realm, we can easily be discouraged. But when we think of it as a capacity lying dormant within us, needing only to be awakened by the Holy Spirit, our faith can rise up more readily. Paul makes it plain that when he speaks in tongues it is his spirit that is praying (1 Corinthians 14:14).”

If we think of spiritual gifts as something imparted upon us, we are tempted to believe that only some will receive them, and perhaps even stop expecting them. Regarding speaking in tongues particularly, given that it is clearly a form of prayer, “it seems hard to accept that it is not possible for every believer to practice it.”

Yes, Paul does say Do all speak in tongues? (1 Corinthians 12:30), but context tells us here that he is referring to the use of tongue-speech for public use in church services, not private, personal prayer language.

Taking the example of speaking in tongues again, when this happened to the disciples, the Bible tells us that all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (glossolalia) as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:4

It was the disciples speaking in tongues, not the Holy Spirit. What He did was enable them. “The Holy Spirit does not speak in tongues. We do. We cannot do it without the Spirit’s help; the Spirit will not do it without our co-operation.”

Like Barry Chant’s book, I have also focused on prayer language for this written piece, because the Bible tells us that by speaking in tongues, we edify ourselves in the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:4). We are restored and renewed inwardly. We are built up in faith (Jude 20). We are spiritually strengthened. It is the direct communication of our spirit with God’s Spirit. We can’t understand what we’re saying, but it is meant to have spiritual benefit, not intellectual benefit.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:4 I wish that all of you could speak in tongues… and I know why he says this. Drawing on my own experience, I am overwhelmingly grateful for this ability that God’s Spirit has awakened within me through the resurrection of Christ. When prayer with my mind is too hard and I don’t know what to say, my spirit deep within me can reach out and pour out utterances to God in a way that my mind cannot fathom. The limits of my cognitive thinking is no barrier to connect with God. This is wonderful! And this is why Paul wishes everyone spoke in tongues.

If you have been waiting on the Lord for this ability, with no apparent result yet, I encourage you to keep reaching out, keep on asking the Holy Spirit to awaken it within you. The Holy Spirit came at the first Pentecost – He has already been ‘released’ to the world. Just like Jesus came once for all, I believe the Spirit has come once, for all, and for all time! We have been given the gift, we just need the Spirit’s help to unwrap it, if you like. I believe we were created to have the Holy Spirit dwell within us, (Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you? 1 Corinthians 6:19) and God wants us to use His power in our lives and to extend His love to the world!

The third day of the Adelaide Test witnessed a heart-warming gesture from Australian vice-captain Steve Smith who was seen tying the shoelaces of West Indies debutant Shamar Joseph. The visitors were struggling against the Aussie attack and were 9 down for 110. Joseph, who was batting on 11, noticed his untied laces and got some assistance from Smith who was fielding at slips.

Interestingly, Smith was dismissed by Joseph off the very first ball of his Test career. It was the 9th over of Australia’s first essay when Joseph was deployed into the attack. The 24-year-old bowled a good length delivery while Smith looked to defend the ball which was angling back towards him. It took a thick outside edge and got deflected towards the slips where Justin Greaves took a great catch diving towards his left.                 

That was the headline and excerpt from the report on news18.com But for the sake of any non-cricket followers out there, let me rephrase…

A debutant player from the West Indies, (Shamar Joseph) bowled out one of the world’s best batsmen, the star player, (Steve Smith) on his first ball. Then in the following innings, when Shamar Joseph was batting, his shoelace came undone. Again, if you’re unfamiliar with the sport, just to be clear, wearing cricket pads (leg guards) makes it rather difficult to bend down to do anything, let alone complete an intricate task such as tying shoelaces. As you can probably imagine, you’d have rather an awkward, fumbling, nuisance of a time doing it.

In a remarkable act of sportsmanship, Steve Smith walked over, bent down, and tied Shamar’s shoelaces.

That’s one of the things I love about cricket. It’s really the only ball sport I have any interest in following. There aren’t many other sports out there where this level of sportsmanship is displayed. It’s tremendous!

I was sharing this with Mark Harrison, who I must give credit to for seeing this display on a deeper level.

What we have here is a picture of the gospel. On one side of the picture we have the debutant – you, me, human-kind (sinners), and on the other, we have the star player – Jesus Christ.

The debutant bowls out the star > The sinner crucifies Christ.

The star bends down and ties the debutant’s shoelaces > Christ stoops down and dies for the sinner.

Philippians 2:6-8
6 Who, being in very nature God,
    (Jesus) did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

Romans 5:8-10

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!