Thank you – to all those who helped make our harvest weekend a sucess: those who lugged books up and down stairs, those who unpacked and repacked books, those who baked for the booksale, those who bought and sold books, those who performed at the talent show, those who prepared food for our Indian lunch, those who made coffee and tea, those who cleared up, those who led the prayers and held up maps, those who came, listended, sang, prayed and ate…. played the organ, preached and celebrated … hopefully no one has been forgotten!
Don’t forget the clocks change this weekend! On Sunday we welcome Kai, Isabelle and Niven for their baptism.Children remember to bring your baptism candles! We will all start together in church and the children will go to Sunday School after the baptism.
CHAPLAIN’S MUSINGS 21st October 2019
Healing was central to the ministry of Jesus. It was a sign of God’s kingdom, bringing renewal and wholeness of life to those who turned to God in their need. Jesus sent out his disciples with the commission to ‘proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal’ Luke 9.2
In every act of worship, the church celebrates the grace of God who desires wholeness of body, mind and spirit for all people. In the Christian Calendar, around the time of St Luke (18th October, therefore usually the third Sunday in October) even those churches who don’t offer a weekly or monthly healing ministry, will focus on this aspect of Jesus’ ministry.
Sadly with interviews for the Old Catholic’s new priest we have had to change Sunday venues and re-jig our October services. Thus, this year Harvest has gone into the St Luke’s slot.
Any Sunday, any time and hopefully once again next year around St Luke time – we can bring to God our frailty and brokenness – not just in the forms of physical illness or even mental, but in guilt, anxiety and all the burdens which weigh us down. We can also bring our concern for others. Above all we come in faith. Faith that trusts God knows our needs before we can articulate them, and whose love is stronger than suffering and death.
The Eucharist lends itself particularly well for such a focus where the risen Christ is present in sacrament to heal and renew and restore.
We pray for the sick and the suffering in our weekly Prayers of Intercession. This is also a good opportunity to remind ourselves that –
Requests for prayer for a named person (name only) can be put on the Altar up to and including during the first hymn every/ any Sunday – I pray for those people during the Eucharistic Prayer.
A candle can be lit to mark a bereavement or the anniversary of one, in the sand bowl at the Altar up to and including during the first hymn every/ any Sunday.
Collect for St Luke:
Almighty God you called Luke the physician whose praise is in the gospel to be an evangelist and physician of the soul: by the grace of the Spirit and through the wholesome medicine of the gospel give your church the same love and power to heal; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit one God, now and for ever.
Healing Prayer:
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ grant you the riches of his grace his wholeness and his peace. Amen
(which I can pray for anyone on any Sunday – just ask!)
