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Athelney Benefice Weekly Bulletin

Save me, O God, by your name, and vindicate me by your might. Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.
Psalm 54:1-2

Bob!

There's a new Bob Dylan album out, so I am a happy bunny. Bobsessive: that's me. Ask my long suffering wife, Louise. I became a follower of His Bobness in the later 1970s, and within five years I had all his (at the time) recordings on vinyl (how hipster?!) and since the dawn of the web in 1990s I have gradually scoured around and acquired hundreds of bootlegs as well as all—and I do mean all—his official catalogue. Louise and I first saw him in concert in the old Wembley Stadium in July 1984. Poor Louise. I've seen him many times since (Louise managed to break free

By now you may be thinking, "Bob Dylan? Didn't know he was still alive!," or "oh dear. He's got an awful voice," or "wonderful! A new album? sounds fab!". Or perhaps you ask, "Who?" Well, whatever you say, I am very happy to evangelise the great man's great works. I warn you, I can talk forever about Bob (as I am sure he'd be happy for me to call him).

The thing is, this new album isn't new at all. It is a collection of performances and recordings he made between 1980 and 1985, and I have already heard versions of every song on the current release. Some of them are not even especially magnificent, being more an historical footnote than any new insight from Bob. They are utterly absorbing, however. I have listened to the album two or three times since it was released yesterday and it is playing now as I write. Bob elicits that response in me. His music is more to me than entertainment; it is the soundtrack to my life. Ask me about any Bob song and I will have something to say: even if you don't want to listen.

But, really, Simon? All this excitement over music not deemed worth an official release when it was recorded over forty years ago? Yes. The excitement is there because Bob's music and his performances are eternally renewed. He records a song, then unpicks it and sews it back together in a different shape. He writes and rewrites. His poetry combines subtle imagery and the bare emotions of the Blues. He is 80 years old (last May) and has released new work in seven decades. He is, bluntly, my hero.

I make no excuses, but I do recognise that I can go a bit far. He's only a bloke: a "song and dance man" as he once described himself, and I need to keep a lid on things. Even so, I wouldn't be a very good priest if I didn't relate my worship of Bob to my worship of God, of Christ. So, here's the thing: they go together. Bob leads me towards God, through his music. I can't be sure, but I imagine many of you might have experiences, parts of your life, that open up the spiritual dimension of who you are. Music does it for me, and Bob especially so. The new is heard in the old. The old inspires me to new things. Now, don't get me started on Mahler.

Worship on the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity

Collect

O Lord, we beseech you mercifully to hear the prayers of your people who call upon you; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil them; 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.

Jeremiah 11:18-20

It was the Lord who made it known to me, and I knew; then you showed me their evil deeds. But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. And I did not know it was against me that they devised schemes, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will no longer be remembered!” But you, O Lord of hosts, who judge righteously, who try the heart and the mind, let me see your retribution upon them, for to you I have committed my cause.

James 3.13-4.3, 7-8a

Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.

Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Mark 9.30-37

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

Post Communion

Almighty God, you have taught us through your Son that love is the fulfilling of the law: grant that we may love you with our whole heart and our neighbours as ourselves; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Pastoral Care

Years Mind

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

Basil Mann, Marjorie Hearn, Jane West, Bernard Drake, Jean Derham, Jean Fiddian-Green

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, Hannah, Helen, Janet & family, Jean, John, Joyce, Judith & David, Kay, Ken, Lorraine, Louise, Margaret, Mary, Mignon, Nicholas, Pam, Portia, Primrose, Ralph, Rita, Sheila, Sue & Robert, Susan, Thomas, Tom, Victoria, Zillah … ... 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.

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. NOT THIS WEEK.

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: we had a lovely time togetehr at Lyng last Sunday, in the evening sunshine. The next two are at Burrowbridge on 26th September at 10am and North Curry also on 26th September also at 10am and finally at 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.

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.

Stewart Heal Memorial

We will be holding a memorial service for Stewart on at 11.30am on Wednesday 29th September in Stoke St Gregory. Stewart was a well known gentleman and is much missed. We will give thanks for his life, and remember all he was to the community.

Pam Pound Memorial

We will be holding a memorial for Pam on Saturday 9th October at 1.30pm in North Curry. Pam was known to many in the village. It will be good to remember her and to pray for thanksgiving for all she meant to everyone.

The zoom broadcast this week will be from the 6pm Evensong at North Curry

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!)