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Dear <<First Name>>

Welcome to the Athelney Benefice Weekly Bulletin

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? (Ps 130:1-3)

All over the World

I imagine that, like me, you have been watching in trepidation as the situation in Miami continues to develop. I look at the mangled, fallen building, I see the efforts being made to find and free those trapped in the collapse and I hope and pray that those who are missing will soon be discovered to be safe. I am writing this on Friday afternoon as the reports are of four dead and over 150 missing. By Sunday morning when you are reading this in the pew there may be many more rescued and sadly there may be many more discovered to have died in the tragedy. We pray.

I can only imagine how it must feel to have witnessed it happening. We go through life never expecting disaster to happen to us, so when it does, we are never really prepared for it. Our survival instinct as humans is such that we can prepare for danger, predicting risk — like crossing the road —but rarely do we prepare for buildings to collapse. At least, not in our western societies. In the UK we are able to rely on buildings as well as other features of our civilised infrastructure. Electricity, sewerage, water supplies just happen. Sure, when we think about it we know there are many thousands of people working to keep the water running and the electricity flowing, but it's not until these things are taken from us that we notice them. Buildings falling down or being consumed by fire (as in Grenfell Tower) are so rare as to be extra tragic in our emotional response.

This is not the case if we were living in, say, Yemen, where schools are bombed out and children are being taught in their ruins. Or in Bangladesh where regulations are lax and buildings are places of hope in the face of risk rather than of stability. In so many nations, whether it be war or poor infrastructure, risk is a very noticeable feature for so many people.

It is easy to recognise how blessed we are to have such sustainable and predictable systems in our society. But what we often forget to notice is that across the planet there are tens of millions who live in daily expectation that buildings might fall, or that bombs might be fired (think of Gaza and Israel). When we watch our news bulletins or read our newspapers, we need to remember that our predictable lives should be the basis for helping those who live in fear.


Sunday Worship: Third Sunday after Trinity

Collect

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that with you as our ruler and guide we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not our hold on things eternal; grant this, heavenly Father, for our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Lamentations 3:23-33

they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for one to bear the yoke in youth, to sit alone in silence when the Lord has imposed it, to put one’s mouth to the dust (there may yet be hope), to give one’s cheek to the smiter, and be filled with insults. For the Lord will not reject forever. Although he causes grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone.

2 Corinthians 8:7-24

Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.

I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something— now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have. I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. As it is written,

“The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.”

But thanks be to God who put in the heart of Titus the same eagerness for you that I myself have. For he not only accepted our appeal, but since he is more eager than ever, he is going to you of his own accord. With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his proclaiming the good news; and not only that, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us while we are administering this generous undertaking for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our goodwill. We intend that no one should blame us about this generous gift that we are administering, for we intend to do what is right not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of others. And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found eager in many matters, but who is now more eager than ever because of his great confidence in you. As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker in your service; as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you.

Mark 5:21-43

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” So he went with him.

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” He looked all around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Post-Communion Prayer

Eternal God, comfort of the afflicted and healer of the broken, you have fed us at the table of life and hope: teach us the ways of gentleness and peace, that all the world may acknowledge the kingdom of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Pastoral Care

Years Mind

We call to mind parishioners who have died at this time in recent years.

Trevor Astin, Mike Bennett, Joyce Gore, Michael Griffiths, Stewart Heal, Trevor Lewis, Henry Salter, Dennis Silk, Paul White

For those who are sick or in need

We hold in our prayers those affected locally and nationally by the Coronavirus: patients, carers, families, and friends.

We pray also for Alan, Alison, Andrea, Andy, Anne & family, Anne, Aoife, Audrey (2), Barbara, Ben, Bill, Brian, Chris & Jean, Dave & family, Jean, Val, Jan and Peter, Di, Diane, Eileen, George, Gill, Helen, Janet & family, Jean, John, Joyce, Judith & David, Kay, Ken, Lorraine, Margaret, Mary, Mignon, Nicholas, Pam, +Peter, Jane & family, Portia, Primrose, Ralph, Rita, Sheila, Sue & Robert, Susan, Thomas, Victoria … ... and for their families and carers, and all those who are in need but not named. Give thanks for those who have recovered.

If there are people or concerns that you wish to be mentioned in prayer, please tell the vicar or churchwardens.

News and Notices

Singing Hymns

A number of people have asked me what the current plans are regarding permission to sing. I have only been able to say that currently there is nothing to announce. We remain "mute", but with announcements due from the government next week, it is not looking hopeful. In the meantime, "hums" are all we have.

Songs of Praise

On the subject of hymns and hums, please start giving some thought to your favourites. The Sunday worship at Stoke St Gregory on 18th July will be a combined “Songs of Praise” with the Baptist church. It will be outdoors and so we will be able to sing openly and without masks… O Joy! There will be a suggestion form in church in Lyng on 13th June and subsequently in Stoke St Gregory.

Revd Louise’s Priesting

Revd Simon will not be at any services in the benefice this weekend. Instead he will be away in Wells (Saturday) and thenTaunton (Sunday morning) celebrating the ordination of Revd Louise Bale (his wife) as priest. Louise is curate at St Mary Magdalene’s and also St John’s in Taunton and on Sunday morning she will be presiding at her first Holy Communion.

If you have any news that you would like included in this bulletin, please send it to: bulletin@athelneybenefice.com

There will be no zoom broadcast
this Sunday as Revd Simon is not presiding any services

Each Sunday we endeavour to provide an online Zoom broadcast of our worship from one of the Benefice parish churches. This is a little bit hit and miss because connection is unreliable. Please click on the link below and we will be online (we hope!)

Zoom Worship Connection
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