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Nelson
Theme and Scripture 2012
Psalm 139: 1-18
O Lord,you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely ,O Lord.
You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens you are there; if I make my bed in the depths you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say,”Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light will become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being ;
you knit me together in my mother`s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and
wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful.
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast the sum of them!
Were I to count them ,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
Luke 1: 46—53
And Mary said:
My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me
blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me---
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in
their inmost thoughts
He has brought down rulers from their
thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
Meetings for 2012
First Meeting for 2012 Saturday 11 February 2012 2-4pm
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Parish Centre, 35 William St, Richmond
We are delighted to be welcoming Marrion Stewart from Auckland to speak.
Theme and Scripture 2011
Luke 4: 18-20
Psalm 23
Meetings 2011
April Meeting
Speaker: Marrion Stewart
March Meeting
Speaker: Maria Vadia
Born in Havana, Cuba, Maria was 10 years old when she and her family fled to Miami, Florida to escape the communist regime in her native country. She attended Catholic schools and was a “Sunday” Catholic with no personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Later married to a wealthy man, she was gripped by materialism; yet in the midst of everything the world could offer, she knew that something was missing.
Maria was baptized in the Holy Spirit in 1987 and consecrated her life to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the preaching of the Gospel. In spite of great adversity, the Lord has been with her like a “mighty warrior” (Jeremiah 20:11).
Maria is active in the “Catholic Charismatic Renewal” of the Archdiocese of Miami and has spoken at many charismatic conferences. She is founder of the “Jesus is Lord” chapter of Magnificat in Miami, and a member of the Advisory Board of Magnificat, International, a ministry for Catholic Women. She has traveled around America, Cuba, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Mexico, Malta, Ghana, Nicaragua, Uganda, Indonesia, Canada and India bringing a message of faith, salvation and healing. She ministers the Word to various prayer groups, including “The King Jesus Prayer Group” which she has faithfully led since 1992, as well as at the Miami Women’s Detention Center and Genesis House, a home for the homeless with AIDS (presently closed). She has authored three books; “There is Power In Your Tongue,” “Pressing On In The Spirit” and “An Arrow In His Hand.”
Maria is the mother of four: Ricky, Victor, Eddy and Rosario.
February Meeting
Our first meeting was Mass with Fr Jack O'Connor from Christchurch followed by cafe-style afternoon tea
Meetings 2010
November we celebrated our 2nd birthday!
October Meeting
Speaker: Judy Baily - Judy was one of the guitarists at the Nelson Retreat
"Her Testimony"
September Meeting
The speaker was Maria Boddington from Wellington
"Call to Come Outside"
August Meeting
On Saturday 7th August we were very blessed to have as our guest speaker Dianne McDonell from Waves of glory International.
Our theme for the year is from John chapter 10 v's 27."My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me."
She spoke into "And I know them”, choosing to emphasise the intimacy between Jesus and ourselves.
The beauty and simplicity of her talk held a captive audience. She peppered it with her personal testimony and a good dose of humour.
An altar call was given and the ladies were invited to receive Jesus, making a new commitment to Him.
Dianne prayed for each one who came forward. The Holy Spirit moved with great power.
Words of knowledge brought conviction, deliverance, healing and restoration.
This ministry was amazing. I noticed an enormous love and bonding as the women comforted each other and ministered to each other.
Three women received obvious healing to which they testified. One woman was instantly healed of anxiety and fear and would never previously have spoken in public. What a mighty God we serve!
Dianne was a breath of fresh air and we loved having her.
March Meeting
Fr Jack O’Connor was our speaker , and his topic – ‘The Good Shepherd’ underlined our 2010 Theme, ‘I know them and they follow Me…’
He started by telling a little story, a Grand-dad took his grand-daughter for a long walk, and eventually said to her, ‘Do you know where we are? Her reply - ‘I don’t mind where we are, ‘cos I’m with you!’
Such trust, just like a sheep feeling really confident with his shepherd.
In Jesus’ s day, said Fr Jack, a shepherd knew each of his sheep, in fact he probably had been out with his father minding the family flock since he was about 3 years old! He’d been taught to protect his sheep through thick and thin, to fight off robbers, and even bigger beasts such as lions because the sheep were precious! If a sheep was killed his shepherd was even supposed to bring back the leftover bits of sheep that the lion had eaten!
And that is what Jesus is like – someone who will fight to protect us, His sheep!
Not like the hireling, who’s just interested in the money he can get from ‘babysitting’ them! And just as there are good and bad shepherds, there are bad & good sheep as well.
Our venue ( the foyer of St Francis Church, Stoke) contains a wonderful wall hanging of the Good Shepherd surrounded by his sheep, and Fr Jack used the mural to advantage, pointing out the demeanour of the sheep, both the good and the bad, just like us, some have no sense of responsibility from being brought up badly, some tended carefully in a loving atmosphere!
And most important, that Jesus, the Good Shepherd can love us into changing our ways where necessary!
February Meeting - To Hear Jesus, To Know Jesus and To Follow Jesus
This was the challenge from Rita and Roger Peterson at the first meeting for the year on Saturday 8th February. They shared practical ideas and gave personal examples of their life experiences. What an encouragement.
The Praise and Worship was accompanied by guitar and flute and we did enter God's rest.
Prayer ministry was offered at the end of the meeting and of course time to catch up with new and old friends over a cup of tea or coffee and afternoon tea.
What an exciting start to the year. A year of hope.
Father Jack with the Nelson Team