Stour Vale Letter No
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Stour Vale Letter No. 30 In our Churches: Our services this Sunday, 4th October are: 10:30am West Stour Morning Prayer (CW) 11:00am East Stour Parish Communion Please note: Todber have no service today due to the repairs required on their church ceiling and an alternative venue being unavailable. If you normally attend Todber please do join us at East Stour. There is upstairs seating so plenty of room, even socially distanced! Do join us as we worship together. Please remember that wearing a face covering in church is now required for those over the age of eleven, unless there is a medical reason not to. This is in addition to the other safety measures in place: using sanitizing gel on entry and exit, giving your name and phone number as part of the Test & Trace requirements and observing physical distancing at all times. And, most importantly, if you feel ill or have symptoms of any kind, please do not come to church. (CW = Common Worship BCP = Book of Common Prayer) Readings and Collect for the 17th Sunday after Trinity Deuteronomy 8.7-18 2 Corinthians 9.6-end Luke 12.16-30 Psalm 65 Collect Almighty God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you: pour your love into our hearts and draw us to yourself, and so bring us at last to your heavenly city where we shall see you face to face; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Quote of the Week From baker, Julie Jones, talking of cake baking - but it could just as well apply to anything we do…. “It can be quite surprising what can appear in front of you when your creative side takes over. Be spontaneous, be unique, be authentic, be proud of what you are making and, most importantly, do it with love in your heart.” Harvest Services in the Stour Vale Owing to the increased numbers attending Harvest services and the very limited numbers we can accept in church under Covid 19 restrictions, we are having to make all our harvest services entry by ticket only. Even if you are a regular attender you MUST get a ticket for the venue you wish to attend. Please note that we will not be able to let you in without a valid ticket in order to keep you and others safe. And please remember that face coverings MUST be worn. Tickets available from: 4th October at 11am East Stour 01747 838784 11th October at 9.15am Buckhorn Weston 01963 370709 or 01963 370238 11th October at 11am Fifehead Magdalen 01258 821517 18th October at 9.15am West Stour 01747 838738 25th October at 9.15am Stour Provost 01747 838481 or 01747 838726 25th October at 11am Kington Magna 01747 838669 or 07811 165026 Saint of the Week – St Francis of Assisi We are on a roll with notable saints to highlight at the moment! October 3rd sees the feast day of St Francis, the founder of the Franciscan monastic order. Born in Assisi in 1182, he grew up leading a privileged life as the son of a wealthy cloth merchant, but gave up his wealth to live a life of poverty. He is the patron saint of animals and the environment and his devotion to God was expressed through his love for all of God's creation. We remember the Franciscan community at Hilfield, here in Dorset, particularly in these challenging times when many of their brothers are vulnerable and their guesthouse has to remain closed. Prayer of St Francis Lord, make me an instrument of your peace Where there is hatred, let me sow love Where there is injury, pardon Where there is doubt, faith Where there is despair, hope Where there is darkness, light And where there is sadness, joy O Divine Master, grant that I may Not so much seek to be consoled as to console To be understood, as to understand To be loved, as to love For it is in giving that we receive And it's in pardoning that we are pardoned And it's in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen Poem In John’s Gospel, Jesus said “I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness” (John 10.10). Here’s a poem to show us how….. Be Alive Think freely: Practise patience: Smile often: Savour special moments: Live God’s message: Make new friends: Discover old ones: Tell those you love that you do: Feel deeply: Forget troubles: Forgive an enemy. Pick some daisies: Share them: Keep a promise: Look for rainbows: Gaze at stars: See beauty everywhere: Work hard: Be wise: Try to understand: Take time for people: Make time for yourself: Laugh heartily: Spread joy: Take a chance: Reach out: Let someone in: Try something new: Slow down: Be soft sometimes: Celebrate life: Believe in yourself: Trust others: See a sunrise: Listen to rain: Reminisce: Cry when you need to … Author unknown Just for a laugh! Edna finds herself in dire trouble. Her business has failed and she’s in serious financial difficulties. She’s so desperate that she decides to ask God for help. She begins to pray... ‘God, please help me. I’ve lost my business and if I don’t get some money, I’m going to lose my house as well. Please let me win the lottery.’ Lottery night comes and somebody else wins it. Edna again prays.... ‘God, please let me win the lottery! I’ve lost my business, my house and I’m going to lose my car as well.’ Lottery night comes and Edna still has no luck. Once again, she prays, ‘My God, why have you forsaken me? I’ve lost my business, my house, and my car. My children are starving. I don’t often ask you for help and I have always been a good servant to you. PLEASE, just let me win the lottery this one time so I can get my life back in order’. Suddenly there is a blinding flash of light as the heavens open and Edna is confronted by the voice of God himself: ‘Edna, meet me halfway on this. Buy a ticket!’ For your Prayers: We pray for those who will be unable to meet with loved ones in light of the change in social gathering rules. We give thanks for the hard work our local shops are carrying out in order to make us feel welcome and safe. We pray for our high street businesses struggling to regain lost income and survive in these difficult times and for those who are losing their jobs as online shopping increases. We remember those still working from home and losing the social connections with their colleagues, and we pray whose workplace is no longer the safe place it once was. We pray for those who have been shielding, and those nervous of going out into society again. We pray for those who are working tirelessly in medical research and those who are helping with the testing of vaccines. We remember those who still feel isolated or are suffering from severe loneliness. We remember those whose home is a place of danger and those who have no home. And we continue to remember all those working in health and social care, and all who are ill or anxious. And we remember those who have lost loved ones and miss them. Churches open for private prayer Most of our churches are open for private prayer so if you want to find a quiet place to think or pray, do pop in at the times below: Buckhorn Weston Thursdays 10am - 12 noon East Stour Thursdays 10am – 12 noon Kington Magna Tuesdays 10am – 12 noon West Stour Wednesdays 10am – 12 noon Todber is currently closed to due to ceiling damage. Fifehead Magdalen and Stour Provost are not able to open their churches during the week but please do remember all their communities in your prayers. This Newsletter If you know of anyone who doesn’t yet receive the newsletter but would like to, let them know about it and tell them to send their email address to [email protected] with the subject “Newsletter Mailing List” But, if you do not wish to continue receiving them, please email him at with “Unsubscribe” in the subject field. Revd Richard Priest – Vicar of the Stour Vale Benefice Telephone: 01747 838494 Email: [email protected] .