Sunday Letter

28^th June 2020

Dear Friends

“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” (Matthew 10)

Over the last few weeks, the majority of us have not been able to physically welcome people into our homes. There’s not been an open church where we can welcome others. But most of us have been able to welcome people by the wonders of technology or on the phone. Whoever would have thought that we would be having meetings on Zoom and my street credibility certainly went up with my Grandchildren when they could see me on YouTube!

I’ve been fortunate to be able to go for walks with the dogs in the countryside nearby. I’ve seen fields cut for silage, those same fields ploughed, planted and now new crops growing in them. There has been time and space to appreciate wildlife close by, fir cones forming on the trees, squirrels jumping from tree to tree, (that’s as long as my spaniel doesn’t see them first). A sign of God’s creation all around us. And, yes, I’ve become a Lego addict. I’m enjoying phoning the group of people regularly whose names I’ve been given and sharing their news. Of course, I miss Tots Group, and going into schools but it’s a small price to pay to protect those around us.

During these weeks one in four people in this country have accessed Church of England services online so maybe that will be the way to welcome people into the church in the future.

Let us build a house where hands will reach beyond the wood and stone

to heal and strengthen, serve and teach, and live the Word they’ve known.

Here the outcast and the stranger bear the image of God’s face:

let us bring an end to fear and danger.

All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.

Take care and hope to see you all soon,

Ruth

                                                                                                                                    

You will all, no doubt, have heard that the government has announced that from 4th July churches can have services - with appropriate social distancing, etc, and no singing.

We have discussed this, and we have decided that we will not be starting services in any of our churches again until 2nd August.  There are three main reasons for this:

·       We need to plan carefully and prayerfully how we are going to best restart our services with all the appropriate safety measures in places, and we are not going to rush into this.

·       Many members of our congregations are still shielding until 31st July, and we would like to find a way from 2nd August to bring them back into church.

·       Both of us need a break!  Ann is going to be taking the week beg. 11th July off, and Georgina the week beg. 25th July.

It is also possible that by 2nd August things will have moved on again and holding services will be a bit easier.

Blessings

Ann and Georgina

The Third Sunday After Trinity

Lord you have freed us from the slavery of sin and called us to be sons and daughters of God. Help us to work for the bringing in of your kingdom, Jesus Christ our Lord, who reigns with Father and the Holy Spirit. For ever and ever. Amen 

We pray for your church, that it may be a holy and serving church. May we reveal your love through our care and acceptance of others. We pray for the work of the church among the poor and the oppressed, that in you we may all come to the glorious liberty of the children of God. 
Amen, Lord make it so. 

Guide the leaders of our nation into the way of peace and good will. We pray for those who strive to bring peace in difficult situations and for all who bring unity and harmony to this world. May they be guided by your spirit. 
Amen, Lord make it so. 

Lord, make our homes places of holiness and hospitality. In our dealings fill us with grace and goodness, make us welcoming and friendly. 
Amen, Lord make it so. 

Lord, we pray for all who have lost their freedom through sickness and immobility. We pray for the world-weary, the heavily burdened, the worn out and the broken, that all may know in their hearts the glorious liberty of the children of God. 
Amen, Lord make it so.

Our Bible readings for this week: Genesis 22: 1-14 The Command to Sacrifice Isaac 
After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.” Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together. When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

Matthew 10: 40-42 
“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

Collect 
God our Saviour, 
look on this wounded world 
in pity and in power; 
hold us fast to your promises of peace 
won for us by your Son, 
our Saviour Jesus Christ. 
Amen 


Blessing 
May the God of peace 
bring peace to this house. 
May the Son of peace 
bring peace to this house. 
May the Spirit of peace 
bring peace to this house, 
this day and forever. 
Amen

Holy Communion in Ordinary Time

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Lord open our lips 

Amen  and we shall praise your name.

Hymn

Prayer of Preparation

Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires are known, and from whom no secrets are hidden:  cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayers of Penitence

Jesus Christ, risen master and triumphant Lord, we come to you in sorrow for our sins, and confess to you our weakness and unbelief.

God of mercy,  

we acknowledge we are sinners,                                                                                         

We turn away from the wrong that we have thought and said and done                           

and are mindful of all that we have failed to do.                                                                  

For the sake of Jesus, who died for us, forgive us all that is past,                                               

and help us to live each day in the light of Christ our Lord.                                                                                  

Amen.

Assured of God’s forgiveness we come to sing his praise:

Gloria in Excelsis

Glory to God in the highest,                                                                                                          

and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King,                                                                                                       

almighty God and Father,                                                                                                            

we worship you, we give you thanks,                                                                                               

we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,                                                                                  

Lord God, Lamb of God,                                                                                                                 

you take away the sin of the world:                                                                                              

have mercy on us;                                                                                                                                      

you are seated at the right hand of the Father:                                                                                    

receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One,                                                                                                                             you alone are the Lord,  

you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,                                                                                                            

with the Holy Spirit,                                                                                                                               

 in the glory of God the Father.  

Amen.

The Collect

Readings

 The Profession of Faith

Do you believe and trust in God the Father?                                                                                          

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ?                                                                                     I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,  suffered under Pontius Pilate,  was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.  On the third day he rose again;  he ascended into heaven,  he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit?                                                                                       

I believe in the Holy Spirit,  the holy catholic Church,  the communion of saints,  the forgiveness of sins,  the resurrection of the body,  and the life everlasting.  Amen.

Prayers of Intercession

Hymn

The Peace

Not an easy peace,  not an insignificant peace,  

not a half-hearted peace,  

but the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ  is with us now.

We share the peace. 

The Lord be with you.

 And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give thanks and praise.

 It is indeed right, for you made us.

And before us, you made the world we inhabit,

And, before the world, you made the eternal home

In which, through Christ, we have a place.

All that is spectacular, all that is plain, have their origin with you;

All that is lovely, all who are loving  point to you.

And grateful as we are for the world we know and the universe beyond

our ken, we particularly praise you, whom eternity cannot contain, for

coming to earth and entering time in Jesus.

For his life which informs our living,

For his compassion which changes our hearts,

For his clear speaking

Which contradicts our harmless generalities,

For his disturbing presence,

His innocent suffering ,

His fearless dying,

His rising to life breathing forgiveness

We praise you and worship him.

Here too our gratitude rises

For the promise of the Holy Spirit,

 Who even yet, even now,

Confronts us with your claims

And attracts us to your goodness.

Therefore we gladly join our voices

To the song of the Church

On earth and in heaven:

Holy, holy, holy Lord,

God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

And now, lest we believe that our praise alone fulfills  your

purpose

We fall silent and remember him who came because words

aren’t enough:

 Silent reflection and prayer

 Merciful God, send now, in kindness, your Holy Spirit to settle on

this bread and this wine and fill them with the fullness of Jesus. 

 And let that same Spirit rest on us, converting us from the

pattern of this passing world, until we conform to the shape

of him whose food we share.

Amen.

 (Taking and breaking bread)

 Among friends, gathered round a table, Jesus took bread, and broke it

and said, ‘This is my body—broken for you.’

 (Holding up a cup of wine)

 Later he took a cup of wine and said, ‘This is the new relationship with

God made possible because of my death.  Take it, all of you, to

remember me.’

 Jesus, firstborn of Mary,

Have mercy on us.

 Jesus, Saviour of the world,

Have mercy on us.

 Jesus, monarch of heaven,

Grant us peace.

He who the universe could not contain,

Is present to us in the bread.

He who redeemed us and called us by name

Now meets us in this cup.

So take this bread and this wine,

In them God comes to us

So that we may come to God.

                                                                            

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name;

thy Kingdom come; thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation;

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the Kingdom,

the power and the glory,

forever and ever.  Amen.

 The Bread and Wine are shared.

Closing Prayer                                                                                                                                                        

Our food shared like his.

Christ’s life in our hands,

Our lives shaped by his.

Christ’s love in our hearts,

Our love warmed through his.

Christ’s peace on our path,

Our path following his.

Blessing

May Christ, that great Shepherd of the sheep, who has opened up for us the gate of glory, give us peace and hope and lead us to eternal life.  And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with us, and all of those we love, this day and always.

Amen.

                                                                                                                                     

you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,