Sunday 1st August Trinity 9

WELCOME TO

OUR CHURCH

COMMUNITY

If this is your first newsletter, welcome … if you have any questions about the church family, the Christian faith or about our children’s work, please do not hesitate to call Matthew the Rector on 01787 310 845. This newsletter combines:

 Notices for this week (p1 – p3)  The church diary (including livestream & Zoom joining instructions) (p4)  Prayers and readings for Sunday’s morning service (p5)

Guidance as Restrictions Lift … May we thank all who have responded to our questionnaire relating to the wearing of masks in church. Whilst we assess the feedback we would ask you to continue under the current arrangements for our worship services. These are: continuing to wear face coverings when moving around the church, but those who wish to remove them may do so once they are seated. We will also continue to wear masks when singing whilst we assess the feedback on this particular matter. Thankyou for your understanding.

Evensong We very much look forward to the return of Evensong this Sunday. 6.30pm at Holy Trinity church . We will do a trial of livestreaming, however we will not be projecting the words. This service is dedicated to the memory of Roy Fox.

Messy Church We are able to offer this during the summer holiday period this year. It is on the glebe land next to the Rectory in Long Melford and has a water theme! Sunday 8th August at 4.00pm. Please bring a picnic with you (and a chair if you need one!). To get to the glebe land, walk past the church tower, through the wooden gate and you will hear us!

Church office: 07804 558 160 www.longmelfordchurch.com www.alphetonandshimplingchurches.org.uk Page 1 Sunday 1st August Trinity 9 Melford Music – Wed 4th Aug… …will feature David Chivers (clarinet) his programme will include works by Ruth Gipps, Tom Jackson and Sylvian Kassap, there will be no refreshments available on site but please feel free to bring your own. There is no charge for this event but there will be a retiring collection.

Confirmation / Enquirers In autumn we will be holding a course for all wanting to learn more about the Christian Faith, or indeed any who want to get baptised or confirmed. It will be on Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm starting on the 6th October. If you would like to find out more please contact the Rector Matthew Lawson on 01787 310 845 or [email protected].

The Book Group This will be meeting at Mansel Hall, Little St Mary’s, at 6pm on: Thursday 19th August to consider The Choice by Edith Eger, Thursday 16th September to consider The End of the World is Flat by Simon Edge. All are welcome; the meeting is a good opportunity to meet people, have a glass and enjoy the books. Get in touch with Cheryl (07943 811030) or Sally (07808 338751) with any queries.

Launchpad - Camping Weekend 10th – 12th September Normally in summer there are a variety of Christian Festivals e.g. Spring Harvest, Greenbelt, New Wine, Soul Survivor, and so on; these are particularly helpful for families due to the children’s groups, however all are very welcome. Living, praying (and camping!) together deepens relationships between all involved. Though not quite the same scale, Lightwave , headed by Archdeacon Sally Gaze, will be hosting ‘Launchpad’ - a weekend away to encounter God afresh. This will take place at the Vauxhall Christian Trust, CO7 6QQ (between Ipswich and Colchester). The weekend will include the commissioning (or recommissioning) of our Lightwave leaders by Bishop Mike on Saturday evening.

You can come for one day (no camping); under 5’s are free. Food is provided. Some basic chalets are also available. There is a swimming pool.

Please visit: here to book and/or email queries to [email protected]. We are hoping to take a group from the Chadbrook Benefice – please contact Vicky if you are planning to attend so we can camp together ([email protected]).

Church office: 07804 558 160 www.longmelfordchurch.com www.alphetonandshimplingchurches.org.uk Page 2 Sunday 1st August Trinity 9 July to November 2021 Rota The provisional rota is now on the website, I would be grateful if you could please let me know if you are on the rota for anything and would like it changing. Many Thanks, Vicky ([email protected]). Please note that the service pattern for and is in light of the possible union with and will be reviewed regularly.

Macmillan Charity Walk On Sat 31st July, Richard Blyth took part in the 26 mile Macmillan Cancer Charity Walk from , Long Melford to Mill, Dedham Vale. Anybody who wishes to help him raise money please visit his donation page via the just giving page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/richard-blyth12 or call him on 01284 828544. Many thanks

Church office: 07804 558 160 www.longmelfordchurch.com www.alphetonandshimplingchurches.org.uk Page 3 Sunday 1st August Trinity 9 Diary Sun 1st Aug 9.00am Holy Communion at Alpheton 10.30am Holy Communion at Holy Trinity with Live Stream * 11.45am Zoom Coffee ** 12.30pm Christening at Holy Trinity – Charlotte 6.30pm Choral Evensong at Holy Trinity Tues 3rd 2.00pm Funeral at Holy Trinity – Rita Rice 7.30pm Melford PCC Meeting – St Catherine’s Wed 4th 1.10pm Melford Music- David Chivers clarinet 7.30pm Bell Ringing Practice at Holy Trinity Thurs 5th 7.30pm A&S Homegroup Fri 6th 12.00pm Graveside Funeral at Holy Trinity – Violet Tolchard Sat 7th 1.00pm Wedding at Alpheton – Tom & Catherine Sun 8th 10.30am Holy Communion at Holy Trinity with Live Stream * 11.45am Zoom Coffee after the Service ** 4.00pm Messy Church 7.00pm Eden’s Youth Project Social

* Livestream Joining Instructions  Google the five words “Holy Trinity Long Melford Facebook”.  Click on the top link (or simply click here) to open the church’s Facebook page and scroll down a bit.  Please note that you do not need a Facebook account yourself in order to watch the livestream. ** Zoom Coffee after the Service Zoom Meeting ID: 833 5925 6347, Passcode: 682003, or click this link # Morning Prayer Zoom Meeting ID: 810 2345 2032, Password: 283350, or click this link

Dates for your Diary  Fri 23rd July – Sat 7th August – Suffolk Art Society Exhibition in the Lady Chapel  Wed August 11th, 18th and 25th – Melford Music Lunchtime Recitals  Sun 8th August, 4.00pm, Glebe Land by Rectory – Messy Church  Fri 10th – Sun 12th Sept – Camping Weekend, Launchpad.  Sunday 26th Sep, 4.00pm – Informal Worship at Holy Trinity  Sun Oct 10th – Elders Commissioning, 10.30am, HT, with Bishop Mike

Church office: 07804 558 160 www.longmelfordchurch.com www.alphetonandshimplingchurches.org.uk Page 4 Sunday 1st August Trinity 9 Collect (prayer for the day) Gracious Father, revive your Church in our day, and make her holy, strong and faithful, for your glory’s sake in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

First Reading Daniel 5 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. 2 While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3 So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4 As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. 5 Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. 6 His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking. 7 The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, ‘Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed round his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.’ 8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. 9 So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled. 10 The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. ‘May the king live for ever!’ she said. ‘Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. 12 He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.’ 13 So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, ‘Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. 15 The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. 16 Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed round your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.’ 17 Then Daniel answered the king, ‘You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means. 18 ‘Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendour. 19 Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. 20 But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 21 He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes. 22 ‘But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. 23 Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honour the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. 24 Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription. 25 ‘This is the inscription that was written: mene, mene, tekel, parsin 26 ‘Here is what these words mean:

Church office: 07804 558 160 www.longmelfordchurch.com www.alphetonandshimplingchurches.org.uk Page 5 Sunday 1st August Trinity 9

Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. 27 Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. 28 Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.’ 29 Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed round his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. 30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, 31 and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.

Post Communion Prayer Holy Father, who gathered us here around the table of your Son to share this meal with the whole household of God: in that new world where you reveal the fullness of your peace, gather people of every race and language to share in the eternal banquet of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Suggestions for Prayer  We remember before God those who have recently died and those who mourn, including the friends and family of Peter Gavin Brown-Eidsgard, Rita Rice, and Marianne Sansbury.  For Lawshall Parish as we continue to reflect on the possible union.  For those who are ill and for those who care for them. In particular we pray for Ian Spear.

 For Charlotte being Christ ened this weekend.

Church office: 07804 558 160 www.longmelfordchurch.com www.alphetonandshimplingchurches.org.uk Page 6