Dear Friends

In the Gospel passage from Luke today (Luke 9:1-6) we hear Jesus sending out the 12 disciples.  “Take nothing for the journey”; he says to them. 

We again find ourselves wondering in what direction of ‘travel’ we are going in the face of the ongoing pandemic.  Many of us will have watched the Prime Minister address the nation again last night, just as he did all those months ago when all this was quite new.  I was probably not the only one watching waiting for the shock announcement that we would wake up this morning again in full lockdown.  Thankfully that wasn’t the case, but the picture painted is stark indeed.  We need to be very careful and ‘redouble our efforts’ to stave off an exponential second wave.

Back in March when everything did come to a crashing halt I do reflect on those first days and remember feeling like those disciples might have felt.  Everything known and established had been stripped away, yet the call to serve remained.  It did feel like there was ‘nothing for the journey’, and yet together we have been able to travel.  We have had to find new and different ways of doing things, and we have had to be ever more adaptable.  Not everything has gone right or well, but equally a number of things have been joyous discoveries. 

As we again wonder where we might be heading we can take comfort from those early days, but also from the words of the Gospel today.  Jesus did send those first disciples into the wilderness with nothing.  There was no church, no gatherings, no ‘online’, and yet the Word flourished. 

Whatever we face and whatever decisions we need to make in the coming days, weeks and months, we can do in the comfort of knowing that where they are made with heart, with love, and in the footsteps of Christ, that the Word will live.

 

OUR COMMUNITY WORSHIP THIS WEEK

At the point of writing the only changes from the recent Government announcements that affect churches are a reduction of the cap of people who can attend weddings, which has been reduced from 30 to 15.  The Church of England will review the details from the Government when it is published and update their own guidance accordingly.

 

ONLINE:

Thursday Evening Zoom – 7:30pm – 23^rd  September

Join us on the link below for the regular Thursday evening prayer.  This week will be a form of Night Prayer from the Bristol Diocese.

Join Zoom Service at 7:30pm:

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/71745192963?pwd=WmgvSCt2K1grcEVCZit3RFp5WXZrZz09

Meeting ID: 717 4519 2963

Passcode: twoshires

 

Sunday 27^th September

Online live service on Zoom at 11:30 this Sunday celebrating St Michael & All Angels; 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/78564291818?pwd=Uk9MZmhFOGxvQ3dtbVJLM0RtRlpEZz09

 

Meeting ID: 785 6429 1818

Passcode: twoshires

 

After the service a video recording will be processed and uploaded to our YouTube channel at:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkgAPth84w8vMfDgFeO6DIA

And to our website at:

https://twoshires.wordpress.com/sunday-service

 

CHURCH:

Worship Sunday 27^th September:

Holy Communion –             10am St Mary’s, Thorncombe (Rev Philip)

4pm St Michael’s, Chaffcombe (Rev Philip)

 

This Sunday is the Patronal Festival for St Michael and All Angels at Chaffcombe.  Our services of Holy Communion there will therefore celebrate that.

 

Midweek Holy Communion:

Wednesday 23^rd September 11am at Thorncombe

Wednesday 30^th September 11am at Tatworth

HARVEST:

Tatworth and Cricket Malherbie had their Harvest Festivals last Sunday.  It was wonderful to have those services of joy and thanksgiving.  It was a definite first in giving the talk whilst also painting a ‘creation landscape’ in 5 minutes with poster paints, and a lot of fun.

Harvest Festivals still to come:

Winsham – 4^th October 10am

Thorncombe – 11^th October 4pm

Online – 11^th October 11:30am

 

PRIVATE PRAYER

All churches will continue to be open during the week for an hour for private individual prayer. 

Wednesdays – Tatworth, Cricket Malherbie & Thorncombe at 11am

Thursdays – Chaffcombe & Winsham at 11am

FOR YOUR PRAYERS:

I invite you to hold the following in your prayers this week.  As always, please do let me know of any additions or changes needed:

·       The people, homes, school and businesses in Chaffcombe Parish.

·       Those preparing for marriage; particularly Major Alan Hewett and Laura Page getting married in Thorncombe next month.

·       Those preparing for hospital stays

·       Those in isolation

·       We pray for those we know who are sick, and those we don’t know, including those we are asked to pray by name for:

Bishop Peter Hancock; Hannah Knott; Rob Allen; Lynne Applegarth; Phyllis Baker; Margaret Bandy; Sue Bennett; Sue Cheese; Terry Conway; Nick Frankau; Paul Glazier; David Goodwill; Mike Heywood; Joy Howard; Ann Jarvis; Mark Lindsey; Frank Long; Peter McHugh;  Diana Rowlands; Ann Ricketts; Jim Tucker; Rosemary Walley; Rosemary Walton; Vivien Wheaton; Alan Wills, Anna Woodward; Pamala Young; Milly granddaughter of Jane & Alan Rudkin; Gillian Muggeridge; Chris Gould; Brian Griffiths; Peter Hathway

·       For the Bereaved – The family & friends of: Barbara Childs (whose funeral is in Winsham on 29^th September); John Larcombe.

 

SCRIPTURE FOR THIS WEEK:

Wednesday 23^rd –    Prov 30:5-9; Luke 9:1-6

Thursday 24^th – Exodus 1:2-11; Luke 9:7-9

Friday 25^th – Eccles 3:1-11; Luke 9:18-22

Saturday 26^th – Eccles 11:9-12:8; Luke 9:43-45

Sunday 27^th – Rev 12:7-12; John 1:47-end (St Michael & All Angels)

Monday 28^th – Job 1:6-end; Luke 9:46-50

Tuesday 29^th – Dan 10:10-19; Matt 18:1-10

Wednesday 30^th – Job 9:1-12, 14-16; Luke 9:57-end

 

Harvest Readings (for use at Harvest Festivals) – Dt 8:7-18; Ps 65; 2 Cor 9:6-end; Luke 12:16-30

 

 

 

A PRAYER FOR THE WEEK:

 

Keep us, good Lord,

under the shadow of your mercy.

Sustain and support the anxious,

be with those who care for the sick,

and lift up all who are brought low;

that we may find comfort

knowing that nothing can separate us from your love

in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen.

 

 

Blessings to you all,

 

Philip