"And no one puts new wine into old wine-skins; or else the new wine will burst the wine skins and be spilled, and the wine-skins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wine-skins and both are preserved. And no one having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, "The Old is better". Luke 5:37-39
The Old Wine was Better
Dear Everyone,
In the ancient world wine skins were made from sheep or goat skins. The seams were tightly sown together except the neck opening which was used to fill the skins. The newly pressed grape juice was poured into the skin and the opening was folded over and sown up to make it airtight. The full wine skin was left to hang in a cool dry place.
As the grape juice started to ferment the wine skin would swell with the pressure and the skin would stretch. It would have been tempting to use old wine skins because it would have been easier and quicker but the old skins had already been stretched and would just burst with the pressure. With proper management they wouldn't burst you could store and drink the wine until the new vintage was ready.
Nearly everybody drank wine rather than water - there was no tea, chocolate, or coffee. People didn't know about bacteria in water, all they knew was that water sometimes made them sick. So most people drank wine because it was safer: the alcohol killed the bacteria. Paul advised Timothy to drink a little wine instead of only water so he wouldn't get sick so often. (1 Timothy 5:23) The new wine would have been very fizzy but the longer you left the wine the better it tasted (as long as you didn't leave it too long!). The new season wine would have been pretty raw; a real contrast to the old wine you'd just used up.
This is why Jesus said that people preferred the old to the new but people had to drink the new because the old was used up.
The Lord knows that many people find it hard to accept change and are more comfortable with the old. He was referring specifically to the new relationship with God which He was introducing people to. The old relationship with God was regulated by the Law of Moses and everyone was familiar with it but it limited the relationship. To grow, the old had to give way to the new.
When Jesus is leading the change we can be confident that it will be for the better. The new wine at first will taste unpleasant and we will long for the old, but with time, it will be better than the old.
Blessings,
Peter
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, you know that our parish needs a new beginning. You know that our Hornby congregation needs a new place to call home, a new place to worship and grow in. We humbly ask to provide what is needed at the right time and help us to reach out to our three communities with Your Good News. In Jesus precious name. Amen.
How to Pray
Come: In prayer to our heavenly Father. Present Him with the three ways forward. Tell Him how you feel about each option.
Listen: Write down any Bible verses or words that come into your mind as you wait on the Lord. Record any pictures or feelings that come to you as you pray.
Share: Email what you believe you have received from the Lord.
What is Happening at St St Columba’s
Today’s Sentence and Prayer
Sentence: “Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!” (Psalm 90:14, NKJV)
Prayer of the Day: Almighty God our Heavenly Father, in the beginning You created us in your own image and likeness. Help us to live in such a way that the light of Your presence in us, may shine through all we do and say. Through Jesus Christ our Saviour and the blessed Holy Spirit. Amen.
Readings: Deuteronomy 34:1-12 and Matthew 22:34-46
Theme: The Old Wine was Better
Parish News
Craft Day
Saturday 31st October. At St Columba’s Hall, 10am to 3.00pm.
What is happening at St Saviour’s
Young Adults group at St Saviour’s - seeking new members
We have a small young adults group (ages 18-35) who would love to get to know new members. If you know anyone who might be interested in joining, please contact Petra 022 509 5781 or Adam on 027 293 0582 if you are interested in being part of a Young Adults Group. Contact Adam if you are interested in joining the Men’s Group.
Bible Study Group
We’d love to welcome a few more ladies into our weekly Bible study group. We meet once a week on Riwai Street for friendship, encouragement, and time in the Word together. It’s relaxed, supportive, and a lovely way to connect with other women. If you’re interested or want to know more, message or call Nicola on 0273267647
Visiting
A couple of us have been visiting the sick and elderly! It is a joy to visit our church family when they can’t always come to the service. If you have a spare hour or so, we recommend paying a visit to someone who might not get so many visitors or can’t get out much at the moment. Contact Petra to find out more.
Next Prayer Meetings
Templeton will be held on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday mornings of the month -
9:15am: at Jean’s place.
Hornby will be held on Wednesdays mornings -
Wednesday 10.30am, prayer gathering at Bolton's place
Anglican Parish of Hornby, Templeton and West Melton & Beyond…
Prayer for Leading Your Church into Growth
God of mission, who alone brings growth to your Church, send your Holy Spirit to give vision to our planning, wisdom to our actions, joy to our worship, and power to our witness. Help our parish churches to grow in numbers, in spiritual commitment to you, and in service to our local community. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
News from around the Diocese
See Anglican e-life: http://anglicanlife.org.nz/publications/e-life/
Helpful info
Groups
It’s easy to connect and get involved with some great social and faith-focused groups that meet regularly across the parish. You can find out about all our regular groups on our Groups page. If you have any questions, just click the contact button to connect with the group’s organiser.
Recycling
Used batteries can be placed in the boxes in each church or taken to Mitre 10
Soft plastics can be dropped off at participating store locations. This is any plastic you can fold up in your hand.
Pastoral Care
Need meals or other in-home pastoral support? Please contact the Parish Pastoral Care Co-ordinator.
In-Home Communion
If parishioners can't attend church but would still like to have communion, this can be brought to you at your home or rest home. Please get in touch with the Home Communion Co-ordinator to organise this.
Need prayer?
We’d love to pray for you. See the ‘Prayer Support’ section on the Help & Support page for more information on how we can help with your prayer needs. There are confidential and anonymous options available.
