A very warm welcome to all
Psalm 19: “The commandment of the Lord is pure and gives light to the eyes.”
Season of Creation Week 5
Readings: Numbers 11: 4-6, 10-16, 24-29; James 5: 13-20
Gospel: Mark 9: 38-50
In our Gospel today
Jesus encourages his disciples towards love and kindness. He warns them about excluding others and putting obstacles in their way. Love seeks to include everyone rather than who is in or out. Be ‘salt’ and bring healing to the world.
Numbers 11 takes us through the problem of leading a badly informed and traumatised people. The virtues of delegation and the liberation of enabling others are held up for us. James also holds before us the great benefits of Christian community. And for control-freaks there are few more salutary passages in the gospels than our verses from Mark 9 which includes ‘Whoever is not against us is for us!’.
Ordination Services
Two familiar faces are to be ordained priest in next week. Rev’d Godwin Chimara and Rev’d Ferdinand von Prondzynski both worshipped with us during their training and are frequently amongst us. The service for Rev’d Godwin’s ordination as priest is on Mon 30th September 7pm St James, Holburn Junction. That for Rev’d Ferdinand is on Thursday 3rd October 7pm St Andrew’s, Main Street, Alford. All would be welcome at either of these services.
Season of Creation
During the five Sundays of September, we will use the Season of Creation (Creationtide) theme. This is an ecumenical idea that has been growing over recent years and seeks to raise the profile of our understanding and action about climate and biodiversity issues as Christians. The series culminates with the service of Harvest. You can find out more about Season of Creation here: https://seasonofcreation.org/about/
Next Vestry Meeting
The Vestry will meet on Tuesday 1st October at 7:30pm. Please contact a member of the Vestry if you’d like to add anything to the agenda. Thank you!
Harvest Festival Sunday 6th October:
Another note for your diary or calendar. We will be celebrating the Harvest Festival with a Bring & Share Lunch on Sunday 6th October. Please sign-up on the sheet at the back of church to help us plan the lunch items. Thank you!
Harvest Magazine copy deadline
Please send any copy for our Harvest Magazine to our editor, Nick Mills, on or before Monday 30th September. Thank you!
Pizza & Quiz Night Friday 11th October
Another social date for your diaries and calendars. We are going to have a fun Pizza & Quiz Night on Friday 11th October starting at 7pm. Pizzas will be ordered in, but please bring along your own drinks. Suggested donation £10 per person.
Church Grounds Tidy Up
Thank you very much to all who have done the excellent weeding work over the past few weeks. Please feel free to keep the good work going over the next few weeks – every little helps! Thank you!
Photograph Competition 2024
Our Photograph Competition comes to a conclusion on Monday 30th September. You still have a few hours to send photograph entries to David Rose. Thank you to all who have sent in photographs so far! Our entries can be viewed here:
https://stmaryscardenplace.org.uk/photograph-competition-2024/
Services and events commencing this Sunday and for the coming week
Sunday 29th September 8am Holy Communion (1970 Liturgy): Revd Roger Dyer
Sunday 29th September 10am Sung Eucharist (1982 Liturgy): Revd Kate Gibson
Wednesday 2nd October 10am Holy Communion: Revd Roger Dyer
Friday 4th October 6pm Compline: Iain Stewart
Sunday 6th October 8am Holy Communion (1970 Liturgy): Revd Roger Dyer
Sunday 6th October 10am Sung Eucharist (1982 Liturgy): Revd Kate Gibson
Next Sunday’s readings: Genesis 2: 18-24; Psalm 8; Hebrews 1: 1-4, 2:5-12
Gospel: Mark 10: 2-16
“To hope is to give yourself to the future and that commitment to the future makes the present inhabitable.”
(Rebecca Solnit, Hope in the Dark)
For any pastoral matters please contact our Assistant Priest Revd Roger Dyer on 07719 458571 or revrogdyer@btinternet.com