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What did Jesus mean when he said, “Take my yoke upon you.” ?
In Jesus’ day often two oxen would be yoked together to plough a field. Jesus must have seen his father Joseph, a carpenter, making such yokes. And he probably made them himself. If one of the oxen was stronger than the other, that one would bear the heavier part of the yoke. Jesus says the yoke I put on you is easy to bear, the burden is light. Why? Because he carries the heavier part of the yoke; the burden is his.
However, we must allow that to happen. So often we try to carry the whole load. We want to sort it out ourselves, and the sooner the better. It is as if we allow the situation, whatever it is, to take control of us, and we forget that Jesus is standing by in the wings, just waiting for the invitation to help us carry the load, to be yoked to him. He says, “Let me teach you…...”
How it must trouble him when we get ourselves in a tizz, because we are simply ignoring the invitation to be yoked to him. “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in……” So, just open the door, and, says Jesus, “Take my yoke upon you…..and you will find rest for your souls.” Truly, a heavenly partnership with the King.
So far we do not have any record of virus transmission related to our church service on Sunday.
One strategy we have used is cross ventilation. We will continue to do this as the weather gets cooler, so please keep this in mind as you choose clothing for Sunday mornings.
And wear a mask, please
To this point in time, we have been very successful at Wesley in responding to the coronavirus pandemic that has been with us for more than two years.
The movement of air through a building substantially reduces the risk of cross-infection. By opening doors and windows around the church, we move air in and out of the building and reduce the risk of airborne transmission.
This was quite comfortable in the summer months, but with the approach of winter it has the potential to cause discomfort. While we will do all we can to manage this, it is recommended that you dress warmly for church. If you dress as you would for a service outside the building you can remain comfortable, even on cold days.
The other successful strategy is the wearing of a mask. This is no longer mandatory, but is highly recommended by NSW Health.
Bryan Mullan — Safe Church Team
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Take Time Together Meditation Sessions resumed on 2nd May. They are available Online, Mondays 9:30 to 10am. Link
Volunteers Thanksgiving Service will be held on Sunday 5th June at 9:30am. All Church volunteers are welcome to take part.
Guess Who's Coming to Breakfast
Saturday 2nd July 8am - 9:30
with Women@Wesley and a guest speaker
$10 per person. Invite a friend!
RSVP to Lesley or Helen or use the sign-up sheet.
Confirmation Classes
If you would like to learn more about the Christian faith, Rev. Carmel will be conducting classes over the next few months
- Children's Baptism Classes will be over four Wednesdays, 27th July to 17th August, at 4:30pm.
- Adult Confirmation Classes will be scheduled in consultation with those who are interested.
- A Confirmation Service will be held on
Sunday 11th Septermber at 9:30am.
Wesley supports Afghan Refugees
About 300 Afghan refugees were temporarily housed in apartments at Bella Vista before they were resettled. During November, Wesley collected items to help them settle in to their new home.
Thanks also to the Wesley outreach team and their message to the congregation who gathered a huge collection of items for the refugees that she has been liaising with.
Many suitcases, clothing, foodstuffs and over $1000 worth of vouchers were given to families who had escaped the Taliban take-over in Afghanistan in the past few months.
Bev, who delivered the items to Tamkin, said that she was touched by how the church had responded.
Tamkin said that the families had been overwhelmed by the donations and passed on their gratitude to church members.
The locally-based advocate herself fled Afghanistan with her parents when she was seven years old during the Russian invasion in the 1980s. She appealed for help after 300 Afghan refugees were temporarily housed at the Quest apartments at Bella Vista before they were resettled.
She said the suitcases were important as it meant that when they left Quest they felt like travellers rather than refugees.
Thank you so much to all who donated so generously
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Newscope
is being produced, and are being emailed to members, or recent issues can be downloaded here.
Printed copies will also be available for those who return to church, and mailed to those who are unable to attend.
Donations and Giving:
Wesley relies entirely on the generosity of its members and friends for financial support.
Many members now prefer to use regular online offerings.
Meet a Member short bio of members
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Members are invited to submit a short bio for Newscope in a 'Meet a Member' page. This is to help us know each other better, and make connections.
You can download a Word template to complete and email or give to Annette Smith.
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Newscope weekly newsletter is available for download here
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