Thursday, September 15, 2011
The Children’s Society
For a number of years Ruth Castles was our Benefice Co-ordinator for the Children’s Society and we are most grateful for all that she did. Ruth has now moved into Bury and so we urgently need a new Benefice co-ordinator. This only really involves work twice a year – receiving the collection boxes once a year, counting the contents and sending it off, then returning the boxes. The other thing is ordering materials and publicity for the annual Christingle service. Please think and pray about whether this is something you could take on and, if you can, please let me or a Churchwarden know as soon as possible.
Samaritan’s Purse – Operation Christmas Child
Samaritan’s Purse – Operation Christmas Child – Shoebox Appeal Operation Christmas Child is the world’s largest children’s Christmas project, bringing joy into the lives of underprivileged children since 1990. Please consider supporting the Shoebox Appeal. Information leaflets, containing full details, are to be found at the back of all the churches. Please then pass your completed Shoebox to me or to a Churchwarden for passing on to me. The deadline for handing in the completed Shoeboxes is the Benefice Service at Ousden on 30th October, as they need to be taken to a collection point at
the beginning of November.
the beginning of November.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Rector's View - September 2011
Dear friends,
At Harvest time I would like us to think about the rainbow. The Bible tells us that God gave us the rainbow so that we would remember that as long as the Earth remains we will always have seedtime and harvest time. In other words, God makes sure that we always have food to eat, and enough of the right kind of food to eat, so that we remain fit and healthy.
Perhaps you are thinking, that if this is so, why are there millions of people in our world today who don’t have enough to eat, and who don’t have the right kind of food to eat, and who don’t remain fit and healthy. What is God doing for them? What does His promise mean to them?
The answer lies in the way in which God works. There is enough food for everyone in the world! The problem is that fewer than one-third of the world’s population consumes more than two-thirds of its resources.
God does help those who don’t have enough to eat – through us! We have more than we need and so we can share with those who don’t have enough. In this way we show, in a very practical way, that we are grateful to God for all of the good things he has given us to enjoy. It also shows that we care about those who are not so fortunate. It shows that we, as Christian people, take our stewardship of God’s good things seriously and that we are keen to pass on God’s love and care to those in need. We know God as Father. It is totally inconceivable that God would want some of His children to starve to death, while others have too much.
God is generous to us – in return we need to be generous to others. We have many opportunities to do that, amongst these are the Christian Aid harvest appeal, for those whose harvests have failed or who have had very poor harvests. I know that we all struggle to raise funds to meet our outgoings, so perhaps we could consider just giving a part of our Harvest Festival collections to the Christian Aid harvest appeal? The great thing about Christian Aid is that they ensure that the right kind of help is provided. Christian Aid is not about handouts. It is about restoring self-worth and human dignity, of both the person who gives and the person who receives. Christian Aid funded projects work by meeting with local community groups, or with individual families, and looking at what skills the people have and agreeing on what income-generating work they might take up. The funding is there to provide start-up costs for necessities such as machinery or seeds. They also help to look for markets for the produce. When we buy fair trade products, now available in supermarkets, we help at the other end of the production line, ensuring that the producers receive a fair return. On the first Saturday of each month, at 10.00am, we have a fair trade shop and coffee morning in the Benefice Hall next to Wickhambrook church. Why not come along and enjoy the opportunity to have a chat over a cup of coffee and also take a look at the range of lovely fair trade goods, which are available to buy?
Every year we celebrate Harvest Thanksgiving but, when our abundant harvest makes us so grateful that we want to reach out to the hungry and thirsty, then we are truly thankful.
With every blessing.
Stephen
Rev'd Stephen Abbott
At Harvest time I would like us to think about the rainbow. The Bible tells us that God gave us the rainbow so that we would remember that as long as the Earth remains we will always have seedtime and harvest time. In other words, God makes sure that we always have food to eat, and enough of the right kind of food to eat, so that we remain fit and healthy.
Perhaps you are thinking, that if this is so, why are there millions of people in our world today who don’t have enough to eat, and who don’t have the right kind of food to eat, and who don’t remain fit and healthy. What is God doing for them? What does His promise mean to them?
The answer lies in the way in which God works. There is enough food for everyone in the world! The problem is that fewer than one-third of the world’s population consumes more than two-thirds of its resources.
God does help those who don’t have enough to eat – through us! We have more than we need and so we can share with those who don’t have enough. In this way we show, in a very practical way, that we are grateful to God for all of the good things he has given us to enjoy. It also shows that we care about those who are not so fortunate. It shows that we, as Christian people, take our stewardship of God’s good things seriously and that we are keen to pass on God’s love and care to those in need. We know God as Father. It is totally inconceivable that God would want some of His children to starve to death, while others have too much.
God is generous to us – in return we need to be generous to others. We have many opportunities to do that, amongst these are the Christian Aid harvest appeal, for those whose harvests have failed or who have had very poor harvests. I know that we all struggle to raise funds to meet our outgoings, so perhaps we could consider just giving a part of our Harvest Festival collections to the Christian Aid harvest appeal? The great thing about Christian Aid is that they ensure that the right kind of help is provided. Christian Aid is not about handouts. It is about restoring self-worth and human dignity, of both the person who gives and the person who receives. Christian Aid funded projects work by meeting with local community groups, or with individual families, and looking at what skills the people have and agreeing on what income-generating work they might take up. The funding is there to provide start-up costs for necessities such as machinery or seeds. They also help to look for markets for the produce. When we buy fair trade products, now available in supermarkets, we help at the other end of the production line, ensuring that the producers receive a fair return. On the first Saturday of each month, at 10.00am, we have a fair trade shop and coffee morning in the Benefice Hall next to Wickhambrook church. Why not come along and enjoy the opportunity to have a chat over a cup of coffee and also take a look at the range of lovely fair trade goods, which are available to buy?
Every year we celebrate Harvest Thanksgiving but, when our abundant harvest makes us so grateful that we want to reach out to the hungry and thirsty, then we are truly thankful.
With every blessing.
Stephen
Rev'd Stephen Abbott
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Historic Churches Trust Cycle Ride
The annual Historic Churches Trust Cycle Ride takes place on Saturday 10th September. It’s a fun and healthy way to raise funds
for your parish church and for other historic churches. Please consider if you could participate as a cyclist, walker or church sitter and/or by sponsoring one or more of our cyclists, walkers or church sitters.
for your parish church and for other historic churches. Please consider if you could participate as a cyclist, walker or church sitter and/or by sponsoring one or more of our cyclists, walkers or church sitters.
Howard's Retirement as Organist
The Benefice Service at Lidgate on 25th September will be our Benefice celebration for Back to Church Sunday, when we encourage people who used to attend church, and those who have never attended, to come to church. Please think and pray about who you could invite. Further details and invitation cards will be available at all churches from the beginning of September.
This service will also be Howard Sheppard’s last service as an Organist in the Benefice. Howard has served the churches of the
Benefice faithfully for over twenty years and has now decided to retire at the tender age of 93! Please join us to say a heartfelt
thank you to Howard.
This service will also be Howard Sheppard’s last service as an Organist in the Benefice. Howard has served the churches of the
Benefice faithfully for over twenty years and has now decided to retire at the tender age of 93! Please join us to say a heartfelt
thank you to Howard.
A note of thanks
On a personal note, we would like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who made the Benefice service at Wickhambrook on the 14th August so very special. The service, especially the music, was wonderful. Even more uplifting was the obvious love and warmth from our many friends in the Benefice. The lovely and very generous presents were a delightful, and much appreciated surprise, as were all your cards and greetings. Thank you all so much, we feel privileged to be here.
Stephen & Anne
Stephen & Anne
Monday, August 1, 2011
August News letter
Dear friends,
The last few years have seen an extraordinary revival of interest in the beliefs and practices of the first Christian communities in the British Isles. People hunger for a rhythm of worship which has roots, which reflects the human concerns of our time, yet also lets heaven into our everyday world - an expression of Christianity which enables them to enjoy God's presence, to experience awe and to express spontaneity, variety and local colour.
Celtic Christianity brings us back to our common Christian ancestry and heritage and cuts through the numerous divisions and barriers that have been created by Christians over the last thousand years or so. It offers a simple, yet deep, approach to prayer and worship.
Worship was central to the life of the Christian communities which flourished in the British Isles between the sixth and tenth centuries AD. These communities went about their daily tasks conscious of God's presence and blessing in even the most mundane aspects of life. They steeped themselves in the language and images of the Psalms. They regularly met together to praise God, to express their deep penitence to Him for their failings, and to ask for His protection in a dangerous and threatening world. Their worship was characterised by simplicity, freshness, rhythm and brevity.
Celtic spirituality can refresh our ways of coming into God's presence and speaking with Him. It naturally and powerfully finds the presence of God in all things - the reality of His protective power and enfolding love, the blessings of creation, the closeness of the angels and the hosts of heaven, and a real sense of the communion of saints.
Celtic Christianity has become an important part of my own spirituality and discipleship and I have been associated with the Iona Community for many years. I find Iona refreshing and invigorating - if you ever get the chance why not visit Iona? There are also a good number of books about Celtic Christianity. If you would like to find out more, I would be happy to recommend some further reading.
A Celtic Benediction
Deep peace of the Running Wave to you.
Deep peace of the Flowing Air to you.
Deep peace of the Quiet Earth to you.
Deep peace of the Shining Stars to you.
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.
With every blessing.
Stephen
Rev'd Stephen Abbott
On a personal note...
Anne and I celebrated our Silver Wedding Anniversary when we were on holiday in Jersey last month. We would very much like to have a further celebration with our friends in the Benefice, now that we are home.
I am very pleased to say that Archdeacon John Cox has agreed to Celebrate and Preach at the Benefice Service at Wickhambrook on 14th August at 10.00am, during which we will also renew our Wedding vows. It was Archdeacon John who brought us to this Diocese, when he interviewed me for the Incumbency of Brandon in 1996.
Everyone is warmly invited to join us for this joyful occasion and for refreshments in the Benefice Hall afterwards. Hope to see you there.
Stephen & Anne
The last few years have seen an extraordinary revival of interest in the beliefs and practices of the first Christian communities in the British Isles. People hunger for a rhythm of worship which has roots, which reflects the human concerns of our time, yet also lets heaven into our everyday world - an expression of Christianity which enables them to enjoy God's presence, to experience awe and to express spontaneity, variety and local colour.
Celtic Christianity brings us back to our common Christian ancestry and heritage and cuts through the numerous divisions and barriers that have been created by Christians over the last thousand years or so. It offers a simple, yet deep, approach to prayer and worship.
Worship was central to the life of the Christian communities which flourished in the British Isles between the sixth and tenth centuries AD. These communities went about their daily tasks conscious of God's presence and blessing in even the most mundane aspects of life. They steeped themselves in the language and images of the Psalms. They regularly met together to praise God, to express their deep penitence to Him for their failings, and to ask for His protection in a dangerous and threatening world. Their worship was characterised by simplicity, freshness, rhythm and brevity.
Celtic spirituality can refresh our ways of coming into God's presence and speaking with Him. It naturally and powerfully finds the presence of God in all things - the reality of His protective power and enfolding love, the blessings of creation, the closeness of the angels and the hosts of heaven, and a real sense of the communion of saints.
Celtic Christianity has become an important part of my own spirituality and discipleship and I have been associated with the Iona Community for many years. I find Iona refreshing and invigorating - if you ever get the chance why not visit Iona? There are also a good number of books about Celtic Christianity. If you would like to find out more, I would be happy to recommend some further reading.
A Celtic Benediction
Deep peace of the Running Wave to you.
Deep peace of the Flowing Air to you.
Deep peace of the Quiet Earth to you.
Deep peace of the Shining Stars to you.
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.
With every blessing.
Stephen
Rev'd Stephen Abbott
On a personal note...
Anne and I celebrated our Silver Wedding Anniversary when we were on holiday in Jersey last month. We would very much like to have a further celebration with our friends in the Benefice, now that we are home.
I am very pleased to say that Archdeacon John Cox has agreed to Celebrate and Preach at the Benefice Service at Wickhambrook on 14th August at 10.00am, during which we will also renew our Wedding vows. It was Archdeacon John who brought us to this Diocese, when he interviewed me for the Incumbency of Brandon in 1996.
Everyone is warmly invited to join us for this joyful occasion and for refreshments in the Benefice Hall afterwards. Hope to see you there.
Stephen & Anne
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