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Dear <<First Name>>

Welcome to the
Athelney Benefice Weekly Bulletin

Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right,and speak the truth from their heart; who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbours; in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honour those who fear the Lord; who stand by their oath even to their hurt; who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be moved. (Psalm 15)

It’s a long and narrow way to freedom

I can't get the image out of my mind: a little child at his mother's side listening to her tell Lyse Doucet, (BBC) just how awful it is and how terrifying it has become to be a woman in Afghanistan now that the government has fallen to the Taliban. Lyse Doucet is everywhere it seems, just as it is impossible to escape being confronted by images and stories of desolation and despair. The bombing this week seemed inevitable. I have to confess that when I heard the news I thought, "well, that's no surprise, is it?" What a sad confession? Have I become immune to the threat of terror? I worry that I have.

When the twin towers came down on 9th September 2001, almost twenty years ago, I recall hearing politicians remarking that the world will never be the same again, and I also recall thinking, "wasn't it ever thus?" We are very poor at reflecting on historical precedents. Someone once said that all that remains is change. One very local example: eleven centuries ago (or thereabouts) Alfred was King of Wessex, holed up on Athelney and biding his time to fight back against the Danes which he did in Edington in 878 (you all know that, though). From that battle and Alfred's ousting of the Danes, and with many twists and turns down the centuries, we have a United Kingdom with a sustainable system of governance. It all seems to obvious and inevitable doesn't it? But it wasn't easy. Along the way there was dreadful fighting across the tribes of Wessex, Mercia and the rest, invasions from northern France, murders of Archbishops and executions of queens and kings, a civil war. And I haven't even begun to consider Scotland.

We too are the product of tribal conflict and it is a long road from such a state to the present day where we have come to rely on trust, respect and accountability to guide how we rule ourselves. It is often challenged, but it is a resilient means of social organisation because it relies on trust, respect and accountability. I am deeply thankful for this, and I am equally sorrowful and lament that it is not the same, yet, across the whole of humanity.

This is not in anyway at all a criticism of Islam. Islam is a righteous, sincere and profound faith tradition, born of the same roots as Christianity. It is all the more desperate that the teachings of Islam are being perverted by the jihadist tendencies. My prayer is that those who join dreadful groups such as ISIS-K et al. can live to see there is a way to freedom and reliable social organisation through reasoned adherence to their faith. Just as Alfred's tribal violence has led to present day resilience, I pray that Afghanistan's people can grow into a reasonable collection of governance: based on trust, respect and accountability. I pray for the small child. His mother and all those whose families struggle in the distant land of Afghanistan. It will clearly take more than the twenty years since 911 to achieve stability, and it is not worth giving up. Not ever.

Revd Simon

Sunday Worship: St Bartholomew

Collect

Almighty God, who called your Church to bear witness that you were in Christ reconciling the world to yourself: help us to proclaim the good news of your love, that all who hear it may be drawn to you; through him who was lifted up on the cross, and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Deuteronomy 4.1-2, 6-9

So now, Israel, give heed to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God with which I am charging you.

You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!” For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is whenever we call to him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today?

But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children—

James 1:17-27

Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.

But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.

If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Mark 7.1-8, 14, 15, 21-23

Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written,

‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching human precepts as doctrines.’

You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.” Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.” For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Post Communion

God our creator, you feed your children with the true manna, the living bread from heaven: let this holy food sustain us through our earthly pilgrimage until we come to that place where hunger and thirst are no more; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Pastoral Care

Years Mind

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

Margaret Denman, Sanna Wardle, Bruce Wall, Liz Grant

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.

Please note: during August we shall be renewing the prayer list. If you are a ‘sponsor’ for anyone mentioned in these prayers, please can you let Simon or churchwardens know if you wish for their names to continue to be published?

Notices

Bible Study: The Epistle of James

I have already publicised the bible study we are doing next month, beginning this coming Thursday in fact. There has been a little rethinking about the times and venues. I picked the date from mid-air: it seemed the only way to get things underway. However, I have since discovered that because there is so much going on beyond the churches on Thursdays (still getting the hang of this...) I have decided to on the study twice on a Thursday. This will hopefully enable people to come along according to their own schedule.

So, the sessions will run at 4pm in North Curry (in church) and 7pm in Stoke St Gregory (in the church room). You can mix and match, come to one (or both!) and change from week to week. I hope that will be flexible enough for people.

Just to remind you what the study is all about, the Epistle of James has much to offer as to how we view the world as Christians. In these times of global turmoil and the ever impending onset of climate change, we need to be aware of how our faith directs our behaviour. James writes about the rich and poor, the powerful and powerless, the need to follow Christ and live in "The Way" as the early followers of Jesus described themselves. As COP26 looms over the horizon, it is worth reflecting how we, the Athelney Benefice, are part of this bigger picture.

What you need to do in preparation for the study sessions:

Not much. And nothing is obligatory! However, if you can, please do have a look at James's Epistle. Also, if you can, please do give some thought to how you step out into a world of challenge and turmoil. Also, also, if you can, please pray for how we learn together. Other than that, just turn up.

Harvest Festivals

The season of harvest is upon us. Our four parishes will be celebrating harvest as follows: Lyng on 5th September at 6.30pm, Burrowbridge on 26th September at 10am, North Curry also on 26th September and also at 10am and Stoke St Gregory on 3rd October at 11am.

All Souls and All Saints

Some advance notice: All Saints (1st November) and All Souls (2nd November) will both be marked on 31st October this year. As each is a distinct feast day, we shall be holding two distinct services, and both be Benefice services: All Saints at 10am in North Curry and All Souls at 5pm in Burrowbridge. Liturgically and theologically All Saints is a moment to celebrate the saints in heaven, known and unknown, and is a more general acknowledgement of the lives of those who have gone before as disciples of Christ across the millennia. All Souls is a much more intimate moment in the calendar, when we remember those known to us who have died recently. The last time we gathered for All Souls was 2019, before covid and before funerals were required to be so curtailed. During the pandemic so many of us lost loved ones and were unable to mark their passing in the desired way. All Souls will be a time to acknowledge this, to give thanks for all those who have died and to mark the moment appropriately. The service is open to any who grieve the loss of anyone dear to them, across all four benefice parishes.

Appeal of Bells

Thank you to everyone who organised and provided a fine welcome at the charity concert last Saturday in North Curry. The concert was in aid of the North Curry "Appeal of Bells" and featured stunning performances, in particular the re-imaging of Vivaldi's Four Seasons by Fenella Humphreys (violin) for violin, percussion (George Barton), accordion (Iñigo Mikeleiz Berrade) and double bass (Ben Griffiths): an entrancing sound that gave everyone a great deal of enjoyment. And funds were raised!

Summer Fayre

St Gregory's congregation were well involved in the Stoke St Gregory Summer Fete last Saturday. I was not able to attend but I hear it was a very enjoyable and enthusiastic time. The new pavilion was opened and "there was must rejoicing". The church had a stall and was a very visible presence. Thank you to all who organised the stall.

Little Angels

Little Angels, the pre-school group that meets in North Curry will restart after such a long time at 10am on 9th September. This is a great relief and a time to give thanks that some kind of outreach for younger people will at last be happening in the village. The group is open to anyone with pre-school children. There will be song, dance, stories, food, drink, chatting. You name it. Ideal for young parents who want to meet others and who would like their little ones to meet others as well, of course! The group will then meeting monthly on the second Thursday. Thank you to Jenny Satchwell for getting this underway.

Songs of Praise

There will be a Songs of Praise service in the North Curry Methodist Chapel on 24th October at 3pm. This is advanced notification: it is never too early to suggest a hymn that you would like sung at the service. Please let Simon know, and if possible, be ready to explain a little of why it is a significant hymn for you.

The zoom broadcast this week will be from the 10am United Benefice Eucharist at Stoke St Gregory

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!)