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September 2019

 

1st 8.00am Holy Communion [Trinity 11]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Communion

4th 9.30am Holy Communion (1662) (Tansley)

1.00pm Wednesday at One (Lady Chapel)

5th 2.00pm Longmeadow Service

8th 8.00am Holy Communion [Trinity 12]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Communion

11th 9.30am Holy Communion (1662) (Tansley)

1.00pm Wednesday at One (Lady Chapel)

14th 12noon Wedding

15th 8.00am Holy Communion (1662) [Trinity 13]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Service

17th 2.00pm Valley Lodge Service

18th 9.30am Holy Communion (1662) (Tansley)

11.00am Lilybank Service

1.00pm Wednesday at One (Lady Chapel)

8.00pm PCC (Meeting Room)

22nd 8.00am Holy Communion [Trinity 14]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Communion

6.30pm Evensong

25th 9.30am Holy Communion (1662) (Tansley)

1.00pm Wednesday at One (Lady Chapel)

27th 2.00pm Darley Hall Service

29th 8.00am Holy Communion (1662) [St. Michael & All Angels]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Communion

4.00pm Taize Service

 

 

Baptisms

 

 

Weddings

 

 

Funerals

1.8.2019 Neville Nightingale (84)

8.8.2019 Philip Williams (71)

 

Dear Friends,

As some of you are aware, I recently spent a few days in Athens looking round the sights and sites. It was funny to reflect as I walked round as a tourist that over 1950 years ago St. Paul was doing the exact same thing. We read in Acts 17 that he looked round at the various sights of Athens, including the Parthenon and the Agora, before going up Mars Hill to the Areopagus. I hope health and safety was better in the first century because I found the area of the Areopagus rather slippery and dangerous! Paul went on to use the opportunity to share the Gospel message with a Greek audience, beginning from things they knew, familiar ideas and then guiding their thoughts towards the story of Jesus Christ.

 

There in the heart of the ancient world where philosophers like Plato and Socrates had debated their ideas, Paul took the message of mercy, grace and salvation. Paul was operating outside his usual comfort zone rather than seeking out the local Jewish community who would be familiar with the back story of God’s dealings with the world and in particular the people of Israel.

 

We live and witness in a not dissimilar age where at least three generations have grown up with limited encounter with the Christian Gospel. We can no longer assume that people are familiar with stories from the Bible, nor with what we would regard as ‘famous’ hymns and prayers. We are now in an ‘unchurched’ age in which, like Paul, we need to find opportunities and ways to communicate the Christian story in a language which the wider society can engage with.

 

As Christians we are not called to convert anyone. It’s God who ‘converts’, who moves hearts and minds to seek out the Truth. Our role is one of not getting in God’s way by thoughtless words and actions but rather by modelling community based on Christian values of respect, justice, mercy, self-giving love, mutual respect, tolerance and forgiveness. Quite a challenge but we have the promise of the Holy Spirit to inspire, empower and guide us.

Every blessing

Richard

 

HARVEST FESTIVAL 2019 in support of the work of the Diocese of Colombo in Sri Lanka – Sunday 6th October. 8.00am Holy Communion; 10.30am Family Service followed by a Soup & Roll Lunch in the Hall