Dear Friends
September’s return from holiday and travel sets us back to work with the thanksgiving of Harvest. And in thanksgiving we might reflect on our needs and blessings, that which truly feeds and enriches us, that which truly offers fulfilment. So much today seems to break down our giving value to those who support us and strains our ability to support them, particularly when we think of our reliance upon our neighbours and our village communities. So much of what we take for granted in our enjoyment of village life these days seems under threat as fewer people are willing to give of their time or to take part. Village Halls, local clubs and community events as well the gatherings of the faithful in worship compete with a broadening horizon of individual interests and pursuits, and much of today’s aspiration demands more of our time to secure the income to afford them.
Perhaps the disciples faced similar pressures in their day, as the main source of income for their families and dependants, the harvest of their nets provided for their needs as well the growing demands of the Roman Empire. Rome’s advances in engineering and city life offered little to the settled Judaic rural community and neither Rome’s taxation nor even the Temple’s tax offered benefit to the rural settlements of Galilee. Yet Jesus’ calling of those fishers beside the Galilean sea enabled them to think beyond their being tied to mending their nets to give their all in building a new community after the promise of God’s Kingdom – ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of people’ being Jesus’ call.
This call remains with us today, we who as those early disciples find ourselves tied to mending nets in providing for the growing demands of modern life. Our Harvest services remind us to be ready to answer and welcome those in this age who offer thanksgiving in reflecting on their needs and blessings. So it is our Churches offer welcome to all who feel caught up in the pressures of modern life, we hope our catch in faith may release us for more enriching work, that of a more rewarding Kingdom bringing blessing to home and village alike. May our daily prayer for God’s Kingdom come be seen at our hand, in your days and mine.
Yours in Christ
Brin
Bansfield Benefice Rector
Monday, September 1, 2014
Friday, August 1, 2014
Rector's View - August 2014
Dear friends,
August begins with the sombre remembrance of the outbreak of the First World War. At that time churches became centres of prayer and many held prayer vigils throughout each day of the war. Churches today, especially the first week of August, are encouraged again to open their doors, as most in our benefice are, that parishioners can prayerfully mark the great sacrifice of that wartime generation. For those answering the call to arms 'Scripture Gift Mission' published 'active service' pocket gospels to offer strength and comfort in time of dire need, forty three million items of scripture were printed over the course of the war. We will issue replica gospels at our 11am morning worship at Stradishall 3rd August, and use the hymns at the back of the St John gospels that accompanied services in the field. We hope all who receive these gospels will not only mark the great sacrifice of our forebears, but also mark how we can best serve our fellows in this day.
The story of our Diocese began in those War years and to mark our first 100 years of building faith and serving communities in Suffolk we held a theatrical Songs of Praise at the Ipswich Regent theatre. Those who were fortunate to be there enjoyed a multi-media journey through the century, with plenty of song, prayer and worship. 'Being there', to share encouragement and good news, is just what we hope to offer our villages. We have been enjoying the realisation of 'the Lord adding to our number those whom he is calling' not only in Baptisms and Weddings, but also in our Sunday Worship. With thanks to the re-commissioning of our Elders we are now able to offer our villages one service on the same Sunday and time each month. And already we see more people in worship than our joint benefice services attract, so if you're looking to share prayer and fellowship do come along, join our worship and say hello, we would love to see you.
Yours in Christ
Rev'd Brin Singleton
Rector
August begins with the sombre remembrance of the outbreak of the First World War. At that time churches became centres of prayer and many held prayer vigils throughout each day of the war. Churches today, especially the first week of August, are encouraged again to open their doors, as most in our benefice are, that parishioners can prayerfully mark the great sacrifice of that wartime generation. For those answering the call to arms 'Scripture Gift Mission' published 'active service' pocket gospels to offer strength and comfort in time of dire need, forty three million items of scripture were printed over the course of the war. We will issue replica gospels at our 11am morning worship at Stradishall 3rd August, and use the hymns at the back of the St John gospels that accompanied services in the field. We hope all who receive these gospels will not only mark the great sacrifice of our forebears, but also mark how we can best serve our fellows in this day.
The story of our Diocese began in those War years and to mark our first 100 years of building faith and serving communities in Suffolk we held a theatrical Songs of Praise at the Ipswich Regent theatre. Those who were fortunate to be there enjoyed a multi-media journey through the century, with plenty of song, prayer and worship. 'Being there', to share encouragement and good news, is just what we hope to offer our villages. We have been enjoying the realisation of 'the Lord adding to our number those whom he is calling' not only in Baptisms and Weddings, but also in our Sunday Worship. With thanks to the re-commissioning of our Elders we are now able to offer our villages one service on the same Sunday and time each month. And already we see more people in worship than our joint benefice services attract, so if you're looking to share prayer and fellowship do come along, join our worship and say hello, we would love to see you.
Yours in Christ
Rev'd Brin Singleton
Rector
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Rector's View - July 2014
Dear friends,
Summer for our Benefice Churches began most gloriously in song, as Denston hosted the vocal group Voces8 who are enjoying a great year of deserved acclaim and success.
Not only did they sing for our Concert but also for our Morning Worship, which bought to my mind the power of song to bring together communities whatever their need, whether to relax or entertain, whether to reflect spiritual presence in worship, or whether to console in time of challenge.
Song can tell our story in ways that transform our spoken word so as to more fully express the emotion of the telling. Music will feature at commemorations of 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War, and at St Margaret Stradishall's 11am morning worship 3rd August, we will receive service issue St John's Gospels which offered strength to so many who were to lose their lives and helped inspire vision for the future in the care of those bereaved and those who returned. Our Remembrance service at St Mary Lidgate, 10am 9th November will feature a local folk song telling the story of the village through that great trial and loss.
This summer our Diocese tells the story of our first 100 years. And it is a song, specially written for our centenary year, which most fully expresses our Diocesan vision for growth, secured from our daily prayer, 'Your will be done, Your kingdom come'. A Song arranged for traditional choir, congregational singing and worship band, being heard in our Cathedral and Parishes throughout the Diocese. Our benefice choir led our congregational singing as Bishop David visited St Margaret Stradishall for our Confirmation service, where two young members of our fellowship gave testimony to their faith. Our Diocese holds a day of song at Ipswich Regent Theatre 6th July, 3pm for Songs of Praise and 7pm for Worship, perhaps you would like to book your place and join us? Bishop David writes of this great theatre venue 'you yourselves are the stars of our story, and we together will be the people who take God's good story for Suffolk forward into the future'. Indeed at the close of our Centenary year our Deanery Songs of Praise will again hear the words of our centenary song ‘Steer our path and be our vision all our life-time through’. Here we will be singing favourite hymns of the last hundred years, taking strength in our gathering and inspiration in seeking God's vision for us in our song. I do hope you will have opportunity to sing with us of our hope and vision, that we may see in our generation something of God's Kingdom come.
Yours in Christ
Rev'd Brin Singleton
Rector
Summer for our Benefice Churches began most gloriously in song, as Denston hosted the vocal group Voces8 who are enjoying a great year of deserved acclaim and success.
Not only did they sing for our Concert but also for our Morning Worship, which bought to my mind the power of song to bring together communities whatever their need, whether to relax or entertain, whether to reflect spiritual presence in worship, or whether to console in time of challenge.
Song can tell our story in ways that transform our spoken word so as to more fully express the emotion of the telling. Music will feature at commemorations of 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War, and at St Margaret Stradishall's 11am morning worship 3rd August, we will receive service issue St John's Gospels which offered strength to so many who were to lose their lives and helped inspire vision for the future in the care of those bereaved and those who returned. Our Remembrance service at St Mary Lidgate, 10am 9th November will feature a local folk song telling the story of the village through that great trial and loss.
This summer our Diocese tells the story of our first 100 years. And it is a song, specially written for our centenary year, which most fully expresses our Diocesan vision for growth, secured from our daily prayer, 'Your will be done, Your kingdom come'. A Song arranged for traditional choir, congregational singing and worship band, being heard in our Cathedral and Parishes throughout the Diocese. Our benefice choir led our congregational singing as Bishop David visited St Margaret Stradishall for our Confirmation service, where two young members of our fellowship gave testimony to their faith. Our Diocese holds a day of song at Ipswich Regent Theatre 6th July, 3pm for Songs of Praise and 7pm for Worship, perhaps you would like to book your place and join us? Bishop David writes of this great theatre venue 'you yourselves are the stars of our story, and we together will be the people who take God's good story for Suffolk forward into the future'. Indeed at the close of our Centenary year our Deanery Songs of Praise will again hear the words of our centenary song ‘Steer our path and be our vision all our life-time through’. Here we will be singing favourite hymns of the last hundred years, taking strength in our gathering and inspiration in seeking God's vision for us in our song. I do hope you will have opportunity to sing with us of our hope and vision, that we may see in our generation something of God's Kingdom come.
Yours in Christ
Rev'd Brin Singleton
Rector
Monday, June 16, 2014
Clare Deanery Quiet Day at Clare Priory - 3rd July
You are warmly invited to the Clare Deanery Quiet Day at Clare Priory on Thursday 3rd July from 10am to 3.30pm.
The subject for the day will be the "A passion for poetry" led by The Very Rev'd Frances Ward, Dean of the cathedral in Bury St Edmunds.
There will be worship to begin and end the day as well as time for quiet reading, reflection and prayer. The Dean will share with us in the morning.
The cost is £14, please bring a packed lunch. Further information can be obtained by emailing contact@bansfieldbenefice.org.uk
The subject for the day will be the "A passion for poetry" led by The Very Rev'd Frances Ward, Dean of the cathedral in Bury St Edmunds.
There will be worship to begin and end the day as well as time for quiet reading, reflection and prayer. The Dean will share with us in the morning.
The cost is £14, please bring a packed lunch. Further information can be obtained by emailing contact@bansfieldbenefice.org.uk
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Confirmation Service on Trinity Sunday with Bishop David
Trinity Sunday was an especially wonderful day for the Bansfield Benefice as we hosted Bishop David who had come to be with us to confirm two members of the benefice at Stradishall church. It was a very uplifting service and we were very pleased for both Sarah and Ellen who were the candidates being confirmed. Congratulations Sarah and Ellen!!
Ellen, Bishop David and Sarah ( Left to right)
In the porch at Stradishall church
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Trinity Sunday Benefice Confirmations with Bishop David at Stradishall church
On Trinity Sunday - 15th June at 11am - Bishop David will be joining us at Stradishall church to confirm two candidates from the Bansfield Benefice. We hope to see you there for this important time in both candidates' spiritual lives.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Rector's View - March 2014
Dear friends,
Many may share bemusement at the mood talk of 'green shoots of economic recovery' and wonder why if 'we're all in it together' we're not, the parties of power still pouring blame on past failings with little attention to those of the present.
Our calling in faith through Lent to Easter, is to look honestly at our own failings and in reforming the foundation of our lives allow the waters of blame to flow away. It is as that great Easter hymn has it ‘in the fields of our hearts' that the 'green blade riseth'.
Through Jesus’ own journey from His childhood presentation in the Temple (Candlemas) to His triumphal return entering again Jerusalem's Temple (Palm Sunday), the mood talk was all about forgiveness and reconciliation. Stories He told such as the Prodigal son - he whose Father has love for both the prodigal and the faithful son, the Lost Coin - joy at finding the lost, and the Good Samaritan - those hated and blamed who yet perform good works, enabled His followers to make new friendships and beginnings.
Our new beginning in faith this Easter will celebrate the resurrection with our 6am Dawn Eucharist (thanksgiving). Just as His birth saw the gathering of the faithful at the Midnight hour, so again we gather to celebrate the time of His rising again.
I do pray whatever new start you look for, you may find it early in this life's day, that all the more may share your rejoicing.
May Lent's reward bring Easter's joy.
Rev'd Brin Singleton
Rector
Many may share bemusement at the mood talk of 'green shoots of economic recovery' and wonder why if 'we're all in it together' we're not, the parties of power still pouring blame on past failings with little attention to those of the present.
Our calling in faith through Lent to Easter, is to look honestly at our own failings and in reforming the foundation of our lives allow the waters of blame to flow away. It is as that great Easter hymn has it ‘in the fields of our hearts' that the 'green blade riseth'.
Through Jesus’ own journey from His childhood presentation in the Temple (Candlemas) to His triumphal return entering again Jerusalem's Temple (Palm Sunday), the mood talk was all about forgiveness and reconciliation. Stories He told such as the Prodigal son - he whose Father has love for both the prodigal and the faithful son, the Lost Coin - joy at finding the lost, and the Good Samaritan - those hated and blamed who yet perform good works, enabled His followers to make new friendships and beginnings.
Our new beginning in faith this Easter will celebrate the resurrection with our 6am Dawn Eucharist (thanksgiving). Just as His birth saw the gathering of the faithful at the Midnight hour, so again we gather to celebrate the time of His rising again.
I do pray whatever new start you look for, you may find it early in this life's day, that all the more may share your rejoicing.
May Lent's reward bring Easter's joy.
Rev'd Brin Singleton
Rector
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