Prayer Diary at the End of December 2014, the Deanery Sadly Said Goodbye to Kate Massey As Curate- In-Charge of Meriden, St
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Focus on Kenilworth Deanery Prayer Diary At the end of December 2014, the Deanery sadly said goodbye to Kate Massey as Curate- in-Charge of Meriden, St. Laurence who was formally installed as Vicar of Stockingford, June 2015 St. Paul in the Nuneaton Deanery. Happily, Lynda Lilley (nee Edwards), formerly Curate of Allesley, has succeeded Kate. Lynda also has responsibility for Coventry’s Deaf congregation that currently meets at Cheylesmore, Christ Church. ‘From the rising of the sun to its setting, let the name of the Lord be praised.’ (Psalm 113:3) The energetic Keith Mobberley, Vicar of several churches in the North Ferncumbe benefice, has initiated a number of courses in spiritual formation and direction under the banner “Passionate about Spirituality” (http://www.passionatespirituality.org.uk). These We are made for praise. Made in the image of God as we are, praise is our deepest have proved very popular and, although not explicitly a Kenilworth Deanery project, have and truest calling. Our ‘chief end’, the Westminster Catechism reminds us is ‘to nevertheless attracted many of the Deanery laity seeking to go deeper with God. This glorify God and enjoy him forever.’ Whenever we gather for Holy Communion we enterprise is of enormous importance for the spiritual life of the Deanery and Diocese in recognise that ‘It is indeed our duty and our joy at all times and in all places to give view of startling evidence that for most churches ‘Passionate Spirituality’ is a very weak him thanks and praise.’ ‘Essential Quality’ in terms of the Natural Church Development (NCD) schema. It is our duty. This is about the discipline of praise or the sacrificeof praise (Hebrews All the Kenilworth Churches have now undertaken an NCD survey and the Deanery 13:15). If we are not careful, and we absorb the ‘me-centred’ consumerism of the Synod, which is held jointly with the Coventry (South) Deanery, has devoted its recent culture around us, our default position will be to praise God only when we feel like it meetings to expositions of the six “growth forces (energy transformation, fruitfulness, or when things are going well for us. We become consumerist Christians, we remain inter-dependence, multiplication, sustainability and symbiosis), led by such diocesan at a very early stage of Christian maturity. This stage is what Bernard of Clairvaux luminaries as Malcolm Tyler and Martin Saxby. In interactive format, this NCD focus has calls ‘loving God for self’s sake’ or loving God for what we can get out of him. From facilitated reflection on the meaning of qualitative and quantitative growth and how such this stage the Holy Spirit invites and calls us into something deeper and truer, that is growth might be cultivated within the parishes. to say ‘loving God for God’s sake.’ As the writer of the 14th cent. Cloud of Unknowing puts it: ‘Lift up your heart to God with humble love and mean God himself, not what During the year, Mr Tom Walls and Mr Chris Powell (both members of Berkswell, St. John you can get out of him.’ Baptist) were appointed as Lay Chair and Deanery Synod Treasurer, respectively. They join the Area Dean (Mark Bratton), Nicola Perryman (Deanery Secretary, Leek Wootton, It is in this movement of love, of praise and thanksgiving, inspired by the Holy Spirit, All Saints), Elizabeth Penlington (Stoneleigh and Ashow), and the Revd Sharon Goble (Stoneleigh and Ashow), as members of the Deanery Mission and Pastoral Committee. that we enter the ‘courts’ of God himself (Psalm 100:3) and in his grace and mercy are changed ‘from glory into glory’ (2 Cor 3:18). In his Confessions St. Augustine There is a great deal of activity going on in parishes of various kinds, too writes ‘praise is the door through which we meet God’. numerous to mention. Examples include a major church reordering It is through this worship of God, who inhabits our project at Kenilworth, St. John, a successful Bell Restoration Appeal at praises, that we are inspired and energised to be sent Leek Wootton, and a May Day Beer Festival at Berkswell (from which I am out in the power of the Spirit to share in His mission to still recovering as I write– just one of the sacrifices one must make for the make new disciples and to transform communities. sake of the Gospel!). All three activities aim to draw people more deeply And when we do this, we are drawn back to worship. into the life of God, through his Son Jesus Christ, by forging the bonds of ‘Alleluia. Praise the Lord, O my soul: relationship across the boundaries of the Church. while I live I will praise the Lord.’ (Psalm 146:1) Bishop John Mark Bratton—Area Dean Page 1 Page 2 Mon 8 Berkswell Primary School. Headteacher: Tracey Drew. We pray for God's Cycle of Prayer - June 2015 blessing on this school community and we give thanks for all the pupils, With a focus on parishes and schools in Kenilworth Deanery teachers, staff, parents and governors. *Thomas Ken, Bishop of Bath and Wells, Nonjuror, Hymn Writer, 1711 Mon 1 Meriden and Packington. Clergy: Lynda Lilley. Reader: Peter Wright. We pray Tue 9 We pray for the staff who work to support Bishop Christopher and Bishop John for God's blessing on the parish community, the leaders and ministers and and give thanks for them. the relationships between church and the wider community. *Columba, Abbot of Iona, Missionary, 597 *Justin, Martyr at Rome, c.165 *Ephrem of Syria, Deacon, Hymn Writer, Teacher of the Faith, 373 Kenilworth St John. Clergy: Andrew Attwood, Jane Mullaney. Readers: During national carers week many charities gather together to recognise the Tue 2 Anthony Manning, Valerie Whiteman, Philip Seward, Ken Pollard. We thank Wed 10 contribution carers make to local communities, lobby MPs and offer support God for an increase in new faces in most of our communities, and building up and encouragement to carers. We pray for all those who give their time to our leadership. We pray for the reordering process to go smoothly, and for care for others and ask for God's blessing on young people and children who our joint services during the reordering to be a significant success. are carers. We pray for Bishop Christopher as he visits Southam deanery today. We pray Stoneleigh and Ashow. Clergy: Sharon Goble. Reader: Audrey Rowberry. We Wed 3 for Craig Groocock, Area Dean, as he coordinates the day and ask that this Thu 11 thank God for all deepening and exploring faith through the Pilgrim course and visit would bring new encouragement, understanding and blessing. We pray other ways. Please pray for the Holiday Club in the last week in July to engage for the Archdeacons' Visitation at Westwood Church this evening. better with young people and families, exploring faith enthusiastically and en- *The Martyrs of Uganda, 1886 and 1978 ergetically and to strengthen their belonging. We pray for the new members of The Friends of Coventry Cathedral meeting St Nicholas' Primary School. Headteacher: Louise Mohacsi. We pray for God's Thu 4 this evening at Bishop's House. We pray for Bishop John as he visits Coventry Fri 12 blessing on this school community and we give thanks for all the pupils, East deanery today and ask that this visit would bring new encouragement, teachers, staff, parents and governors. We pray especially for the children who understanding and blessing. We pray for the Diocesan Advisory Committee Corpus Christi will begin to do transition work for next year to new classes and new schools. for the Care of Churches (DAC). *Petroc, Abbot of Padstow, 6th century Fri 5 The Ferncumbe Group. Clergy: Keith and Susan Mobberley. Reader: Kemble Sat 13 Burton Green Primary School. Headteacher: Sue Patterson. We pray for God's Everitt, Carol Tilley. We pray for God's blessing upon the parishes of Hatton blessing on this school community and we give thanks for all the pupils, with Haseley, Rowington with Lowsonford, and Honiley. teachers, staff, parents and governors. *Boniface (Wynfrith) of Crediton, Bishop, Apostle of Germany, Martyr, 754 We pray for the Deanery Representatives at the Support Fund Meeting today. We pray for all those in the process of discerning their calling and vocation in All Saints Primary School. Headteacher: Sue Patterson. We pray for God's Sat 6 Sun 14 ministry. We thank God for the team of advisors who work to support and blessing on this school community and we give thanks for all the pupils, asssist this process. We pray for the candidates who will spend today at a teachers, staff, parents and governors. Second Sunday Diocesan Panel as part of the accredited ministry discernment process. *Ini Kopuria, Founder of the Melanesian Brotherhood, 1945 after Trinity *Richard Baxter, Puritan Divine, 1691 Ferncumbe Primary School. Headteacher: Sally Morris. We pray for God's We pray for Bishop Christopher who will be visiting All Saints' C of E Junior Sun 7 blessing on this school community and we give thanks for all the pupils, Mon 15 School, Warwick, to open and bless their new extension today. During School teachers, staff, parents and governors. Appeals Week we pray for all those who are appealing for new decisions to be First Sunday We pray for the candidates who will be confirmed by Bishop John at St John made and for the panel in making the right decisions. after Trinity the Divine, Willenhall, today. *Evelyn Underhill, Spiritual Writer, 1941 Page 3 Page 4 We pray for Bishop John as he visits Warwick and Leamington deanery today.