THE DOVE - Mossley Parish - The Church of the Holy Spirit

The Dove
Bible Study
Having finished with the Book of Daniel, we have now started to study “The Parables. The Greatest Stories Ever Told”
On picking the parables my thoughts on the matter were split. On one hand I thought they would provide some light
relief after our study of the last six chapters of Daniel, and yet with the parables being so well known and having
listened to many a preacher speak on them, I wondered if there could be anything new that we could gain from our
study of them. As usual I was wrong. Just take our study of The Good Samaritan (Luke 10 v 25-37) Of all the main
characters in this story, which role would Jesus want us to be? We are all familiar with the people involved but let’s
move the characters around a bit and put a twist on their part of the story. We are told that a man was going down to Jericho from Jerusalem. If
we take Jerusalem to be the Holy City in which Mankind lives with God, Jericho is a city whose bright city lights lure Mankind from his home with
God the Father. It is a downward path he travels. This road is full of dangers and Mankind falls victim to the sins of the world. Bruised and
battered and unable to help himself he lies on the roadside. The Priest and the Levite who walk by, and their failure to help, illustrate the inability
of all the laws and rules to save Fallen Mankind when he stumbles and falls. Jesus is the Good Samaritan whose love draws him to the side of the
Fallen Man. He pours oil and wine on his wounds. The oil represents the Holy Spirit and the wine is the cleansing blood of Christ. The Samaritan
carried the man to the inn and pays the Innkeeper to look after the wounded man. Jesus carried Fallen Man to his church to be cared for. The two
silver coins represent the price he paid so that Fallen Man could be made whole again. On his departure next morning, the same words that the
Samaritan spoke to the Inn Keeper, Jesus speaks to us, his church “Take care of him and when I return again I will pay you whatever else you
spend on him. We, the Inn Keepers of Christ’s Church are charged, in his absence, to look after Fallen Mankind until his promised return and with
his promise of an even greater reward for those who have been faithful in doing his work. Old the parables may be but there are still new lessons
we can learn from them.
At the close of our meeting on the 24th April 2012 we congratulated Bob Lee on his election to the office of People’s Churchwarden. We wished
him well in carrying out the duties of this office in the year ahead and hope that he will find it rewarding.
W. McCormick
TANSEN UPDATE
For sometime now there has been some misunderstanding about Tansen Mission Hospital. What is it’s present situation and what
are it’s plans for the future? I hope that the following article from the January 2012 edition of “Friends of Tansen” magazine will
help to bring us up to date
Dear Friends many of you know that for several years UMN ,wanting to involve local Nepali ownership and governance, has been
seeking a robust, sustainable, and appropriate framework for the two UMN hospitals (Tansen and Okhaldunga). After a year of no
response to our proposals, the Ministry of Health sent a team to Tansen to determine the thoughts of local stakeholders. Although, as
yet, we have not received any official word from the Ministry, we understand that they are going to ask UMN to continue, for five years,
to run the two hospitals and to agree on a modality for the future. The UMN Board has agreed, in principle, with these anticipated
proposals. A new modality for the hospitals will be beneficial for Tansen, as the previous agreement is several years out-of-date.
Tansen Hospital will be developing a long term Strategic Plan - determining how best to serve Nepalis over the next five years. Please
pray for all those involved in this process. We want to hear from God and use our gifts to work hard on these plans. The agreement
with the government will follow on from that. David McConkey. Hospitals’ Executive Committee Chairman
There is no doubting the fact that there are some problems with UMN’s wishes that Tansen Mission Hospital should be given over
to local Nepali ownership. Nevertheless, UMN is upbeat in working toward this objective. Now more than ever our mission
partners need the support of all their friends and we in Mossley must be there for them. Please remember that our mission link
is with the hospital direct. It is not through a third party. The fact that other bodies no longer have ties with Tansen is not our
concern. For 24 years our mission link with Tansen has proved fruitful for both them and us. I am sure and certain that by
maintaining this link, there will be many more rich rewards to be gained as we travel the future together. We must be there for
them when they take it upon themselves to “Serve the people of Nepal in the name of Jesus Christ”
W McCormick
THE GREATNESS OF GOD
I was viewing on an eventide the starry skies abroad, With their myriad worlds beyond my ken to know, And reflecting on the vastness all
creation’s works afford, Filled with wonder at the God who made them so.
I retired that night as usual, but before I fell asleep, Low I bowed my head and heart before Him there, At the awe-inspiring marvel that the
One whose skill doth keep, All those words should stoop to hearken to my prayer.
But a greater wonder held me, for the Spirit’s help was near, And I lingered on the thought quite unafraid - That this God, so great, so
glorious did in infant’s form appear in the world that His almighty power had made;
That His creatures did not know Him as He came within their view, That He trod in lonely, patient, humble ways, As in manhood’s form was
subject, came His Father’s will to do, And, rejected here - retired to give Him praise!
That it pleased His God to bruise Him; in obedient love He died, When His soul was made an offering for sin; Though He’ll see the fruits of
travail and His soul be satisfied, As rejoicingly His sheaves He gathers in.
Here I saw the great unfoldings of God’s wondrous thoughts for man, Thoughts He’d treasured in the counsel of His will; Hidden in Himself
were purposed e’er creation’s work began. Sons like Christ a blissful universe should fill.
All creation yet shall marvel in the day of His display - Not by looking at the starry skies above - At the unexpected grandeur, and the skill of
wisdom’s way, When both heav’n and earth are captured by His love
Miss F R H Mathews Adelaide, 1905-1992
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