Church Matters Priory Church of St Laurence, Blackmore St Peter & St Paul Church, Stondon Massey July/August 2019 Donation 50P
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Church Matters Priory Church of St Laurence, Blackmore St Peter & St Paul Church, Stondon Massey July/August 2019 Donation 50p Rev’d Sam (and Joseph) parading in Blackmore’s great Summer Fayre Services - July/August 2019 St Peter & St Paul Church, Priory Church of Stondon Massey St Laurence, Blackmore Usually at 11.00 am Usually at 9.00 am Rainbow Corner 11.00 am Sun 7th July Holy Communion Pet Service Morning Prayer Sun 14th July Holy Communion Holy Communion Book of Common Prayer Common Worship Sun 21st July 1.00 for 1.30pm Morning Prayer Sunday Lunch Service PCC led Service Stondon Village Hall Sun 28th July Holy Communion Sung Holy Communion Book of Common Prayer Sun 4th August Holy Communion Inspire Family Service Morning Prayer Sun 11th August Holy Communion Holy Communion Book of Common Prayer Common Worship Sun 18th August 1.00 for 1.30pm Morning Prayer Sunday Lunch Service PCC Led Service Stondon Village Hall Sun 25th August Holy Communion Sung Communion Book of Common Prayer Morning Prayer - 9.30am Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Priory Church of St. Laurence Copy deadline for September Issue is Friday 16th August Editors Sue & Andrew Watley, Tel: 01277 824854 email: [email protected]. To advertise contact Jill Griffiths or the Editors (Churches/Reg. Charities: free) Rates are: Black/white Full page £110 per year (10 issues), ½ page: £55 per year. Black/white single page £15, half page £10.Colour page £20, half page £15. Church Web Site The link to the site is: http:/www.blackmorechurch.org.uk/ Sending copy to us then send to John Hughes as well. Priory Church of St Laurence Blackmore and St Peter and St Paul Stondon Massey Rev’d Sam Brazier-Gibbs , The Vicarage, Church Street, Blackmore, Ingatestone, Essex CM4 0RN Telephone: 07894 948867 Email: [email protected] Reflections from Rev’d Sam Dear Friends I had an intriguing phone call around a week ago, from a nurse called Joanne at Brentwood community hospital. Joanne was a woman on a mission! Due to patient confidentiality, she couldn’t tell me much, but on her ward was a man, a Normandy Veteran, who had served with the Royal Engineers and had stormed Juno Beach on D- Day. He had been planning to be in Portsmouth on the Boudicca and in Normandy for the D-Day 75 commemorations but had been As I mentioned I had very little admitted to hospital a few days before information and no idea who would be and couldn’t attend. present or what would be expected of Joanne had hatched a plan, that if he me but, entrusting the whole thing into couldn’t go to the commemorations, the God’s hands, I set off for the ward at commemorations should come to him. Brentwood Community hospital. So her request was simple...will you From the noise as I entered the ward I come and ‘do something’. knew that I had printed far too few Sourcing Royal British Legion service sheets. resources, asking the CO of Tom’s sea The buzz coming from the Day room cadet unit for advice and researching was enormous and as I rounded the what had been said and done in corner I could hear Vera Lynn singing Portsmouth and Normandy, I managed White Cliffs of Dover, union flag to pull together an order of service for bunting was hanging around the room an Act of Remembrance. I printed 10 and 50 or so staff, patients, families, copies, thinking it may be too many! members of the Royal British Legion, 3 serving Army personnel and a sense of thankfulness, to Joanne, to trumpeter were filling the room. There the friends he’d lost, for the freedom in the middle sat (who I now knew to they’d won. be) Robert. A chest full of medals and “You’ve done well with the freedom we his Royal engineers beret atop his won” he said, “being a vicar. Women head. After a brief introduction to weren’t always, but that’s what freedom Robert, a quick chat with the members was for wasn’t it?” of the RBL to assign parts of the Act of The tea party that had been arranged Remembrance we began our short was starting and the sandwiches were service. being passed around and I was With prayers and a humbling conscious that there were many others recounting of the D-Day landings, the who wanted to chat with Bob. So I bid last post, two minutes silence, reveille, my farewells to him, Thankful, humbled intercessions for the world the Lord’s and changed by our brief but prayer and a blessing, the service went meaningful meeting. without hitch despite service sheets Psalm 46 being one to five! 1 God is our refuge and strength, I have to admit to feeling very an ever-present help in trouble. emotional. At times I fought back tears 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the especially when, during the prayers, earth give way and the mountains fall Robert grabbed my hand. into the heart of the sea, Those hands I thought, gripped the 3 Though its waters roar and foam wood and metal of a rifle, the sides of a and the mountains quake with their landing craft. Those hands felt the sting surging.[c] of cold salt water, the sand on Juno 4 There is a river whose streams make beach. Perhaps they pulled up glad the city of God, the holy place comrades, or pointed at the enemy where the Most High dwells. forces, maybe they covered his eyes 5 God is within her, she will not fall; when horrors were too much to look at. God will help her at break of day. Now they were holding mine. As I 6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; prayed prayers of thanksgiving for him he lifts his voice, the earth melts. and those who gave their lives in 7 The Lord Almighty is with us; service, as I prayed that they may be in the God of Jacob is our fortress. God’s hands, his were in mine. These 8 Come and see what the Lord has were Robert’s hands, but to me at that done, the desolations he has brought moment they were also the hands of on the earth. every man who didn’t make it back. I 9 He makes wars cease to the ends of never got to hold the hands of my the earth. He breaks the bow and Grandfather, who was killed in action shatters the spear; he burns the shields on the way for evacuation from [d] with fire. Dunkirk, but at that moment they were 10 He says, “Be still, and know that I his hands. am God; I felt the most awesome sense of I will be exalted among the nations, privilege. I will be exalted in the earth.” After the service I had further 11 The Lord Almighty is with us; opportunity to talk to Robert or Bob. He the God of Jacob is our fortress. said “now we were friends” he spoke Your friend and vicar little of his memories but much of his Sam 4 News from the Diocese You are invited to join the Ongar Churches on a Pilgrimage Walk along St. Peter’s Way from Chipping Ongar to Blackmore Saturday 29th June 2019 9.00am Start at Helen’s Church, Chipping Ongar – Pilgrims’ Blessing 9.30am St Martin’s, Chipping Ongar, Morning Prayer 11.00am Tea and Refreshments, St Mary’s, High Ongar 12.00pm Midday Prayer in the fields by Stondon Massey 1.30pm Tea and Refreshments, St Laurence, Blackmore 2.00pm Pilgrimage Celebration Service, St Laurence, Blackmore The walk will continue from Blackmore to Margaretting where there will be an opportunity to visit the grounds of Bishopscourt and worship with the Bishop of Chelmsford in his chapel at 5.30pm. All are invited even if you are travelling onwards by car. Walk the whole way, just a short section or join us for worship! There is an opportunity to continue the walk throughout the following week to Bradwell-on-Sea (probably on Monday, Tuesday and Friday) as part of the annual Bradwell Pilgrimage. Please contact Rev Stewart Gibbs (07889 092559 [email protected]) if you would like to join in this. 2019 Bradwell Pilgrimage - Saturday 6th July (10.30am-3.45pm) All are welcome. 5 Family News Happy Birthday To Stuart Jennings, Elaine Smith, Sue Watley, Brenda Flack, Tom Hughes, Danielle Cross and anyone else celebrating a birthday in July and August. From the Registers Baptism 2nd June - Douglas James Brown (St. Laurence) Burial of Ashes 2nd June - Lilian V. Dines (St. Laurence) Children’s Holiday Club St. Laurence Church 10.00am -12.00pm Ages 5-10 years Tuesday 27th August Wednesday 28th August Thursday 29th August Friday 30th August Come and join in the fun - all welcome 8+ Group BBQ at St. Laurence 5.30pm Wednesday 28th August 6 Reflections . In your prayers this month please remember . We pray for Rev Sam. Rev Stewart, Summertime Anthea, our Church Wardens Stuart, Take time to claim your strength; this Sandra, Jan and both our PCCs. is a gift from God. We thank you for this season of Summer. For the opportunities to enjoy Take time to have fun; it is God’s your world, to relax, to visit new places way of teaching you your strengths. and catch up with friends and family. Take time to grow yourself; only you We pray for those who are enjoying a can grow you.