Services in the Benefice at the weekend:
Sunday 1st December
9:15 am Family Worship at St Lawrence, Towcester
10:15 am Benefice Sunday Worship via zoom
11:15 am Holy Communion at St Bartholomew's, Greens Norton
2:30 pm Baptism at St Lawrence, Towcester
6:00 pm Advent Carols at St Bartholomew's, Greens Norton
Our weekly news contains details of services for this and next weekend, as well as daily bible readings, prayer requests and notices for forthcoming events. Copies are available in churches for collecting especially for those who do not have emails.
Dear friends
A curate's musings
It has been a wonderful privilege to attend my first minister's conference, specifically to receive the bishop's address each morning. Among the many profound statements Bishop Debbie made, what struck me was the comment, "Without kindness, I have nothing. We might as well pack up and go home." Within kindness lays gratitude, and this comment reminded me of an experience of my training and one that is prevalent to most of us today.
Some members of my previous congregation informed me that I shouldn’t be going to Peterborough Cathedral for a month's work experience, the Holy Spirit wouldn’t be there, and that the people there were elitist and would be looking down their noses at me. I felt slightly nervous about my decision, but I went anyway, feeling I shouldn't dismiss something I didn't understand. After a few days and many blunders, both big and small, I apologised to the clergy present for my mistakes and, of course, for the many more to come. Their reply was, ”You are with God and with us; that is all that matters; we will learn together”. That was not what I was expecting of the so-called enemy.
My time at the cathedral was an amazing, warm, and welcoming experience, and these comments not only stayed with me but also helped me grow in my understanding of gratitude for difference—not tolerance of the different but an embracing of difference.
Each of us has, to some degree, a prejudice toward anything outside of our preference; it is, I believe, part of our human nature and a problem for the world and the church. It is a problem we at least need to try to address if we are to survive and put a halt to the divorce between Jesus and his church. How many denominations do we need? I would suggest one, and yet we have hundreds; the evidence, I believe, that we focus on our differences rather than what unites us, that being the gift of grace; it is the only reason any of us live this privileged life of faith. To divide is not to conquer; we are increasingly crippled by each fracture leading us to our current position of being on our knees and gasping for breath in a world which finds us increasingly irrelevant.
I all too often hear people say, but that’s what we do; it is what we have always done. At this point, I would like to ask who our faith is for. Is it about our wants and needs, likes or dislikes, or is our faith for the sake and purpose of others? Why is our faith not strong enough to enable us to come alongside different cultures in a way that is relevant and suitable for those we encounter, or can we only introduce people to Jesus in a way that is appropriate to our liking? To persons that fit the bill.
My thoughts are immersed in the Galatians passage (5.13). We are called to freedom, but we are not to use that freedom for self-indulgence, but through love, we are to become slaves to one another... If, however, you bite one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
Self- annihilation is a distinct possibility when we live solely within our preferences and prejudices, they limit God and fresh revelation if we encircle ourselves with so many boundaries. We do not know when and how revelation will turn up, revelation being an unveiling of something new, which stops us in our tracks and makes us rethink what we thought we already knew.
We need change in our church and our attitudes. As Rev Paula informed us, our iceberg is melting; we need to be doing a new thing. Kindness and gratitude, not tolerance, for that which is different is, the starting point to something new, a fresh perspective and an attitude more like our saviour, Jesus Christ, the one every one of our hundreds of denominations profess to follow.
I pray for fresh revelation, daily growth and the hope that the church might be loved by its neighbours.
Blessings
Rev Nigel Clent
Assistant Curate
From Revd Paula:
This coming Sunday evening is Advent Carols at St Bartholomew's Church, please can I encourage you to come along and support one another.
This Tuesday's Communion will be at 8:30 am rather than 9:00 am as we have the first of our schools Christmas Services with Nicholas Hawksmoor at 9:30 am.
John Evan's funeral is on Wednesday 11th December 11:30 am at Harlestone Church.
Just as the mailing came out last week we heard the news that Cheryl Gratland had died. Her funeral will take place on Monday 16th December 3:00 pm at St Lawrence Church for by cremation at 4:15 pm. Please hold Mike, Kath and Paula in your prayers at this time.
Candles for Ukraine
We are working alongside other churches in the deanery this Christmas period to collect the remnants of candles for reuse. These will be collated and taken to a factory in Swindon where they are melted down to make trench candles and provide light for the displaced who don’t have electricity. Please donate all unwanted candles used or new into collection boxes which will be at each of our churches.
Worship for this coming week
1st December 2024
The First Sunday of Advent
Worship for this coming week
Lectionary Readings:
these links will take you to Bible Gateway from the NRSV:
Jeremiah 3: 14 - 16 Luke 21: 25 - 36
This week's Reflection by Revd Paula Challen "Hope"
In Church Worship:
Details for services are in the Services for This Month.
This can be picked up in church.
Zoom Services:
The meetings rooms are opened about 15mins before the service is due to start. All the liturgy for the service will be displayed on the screen.
- Sunday 10:15 am Benefice Sunday Worship
- Monday to Saturday 9.00 am Morning Prayer (except on the first Tuesday of each month)
Benefice Office Opening Times
9.30 am to 1:00 pm Monday to Friday
01327 350459
For details of how to make a donation to your local parish church, please click here.