Sunday Reflections from St John's East Dulwich

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photo of labourers picking grapes in a vineyard

Sunday 20 September, 2020
Trinity 15

Dear friends
Parables are so immensely clever I think. We don’t so much read them, as they read us, as they reveal so much raw truth about who we are, about the way human desire works, and about the nature of God, and the new thing God is about. All this from a story.

In the story told in our gospel reading (Matthew 20.1–16), labourers work all day in a vineyard in the scorching heat. They are joined by other workers at nine o’clock, at noon, at three o’clock and at five pm, and they are understandably unhappy, when at the end of the day, everyone receives pay for a full day, regardless of how many hours they had worked.

On the surface, this looks like a huge injustice, but if we allow the story to sit with us awhile, we see that it reveals a picture of God whose moral world, and concept of justice, are beyond our imagining. In this world, each person, regardless of how late they turn up, or how much work they are able to do, is of equal value and worth.

This had resonance for Matthew’s community, as it tried to work out what it meant to belong to the embryonic church, made up of Jewish and gentile believers. But it also has resonance for us, both in our approach to those we would label ‘other’ and in our understanding of God’s regard for each one of us. May we come to a fuller understanding of the generosity of God, and may that shape in us a generosity of regard for all people.

With best wishes,
Gill

Services in church today

There will be simple, said Masses in church at 8am and 10am this Sunday. We will also have a service at 11.30 where children and families will be especially welcome.

We will continue to observe social distancing. We will ask people to sanitise their hands on arrival and wear a face covering (this is now mandatory unless you fall within one of the legally defined exemptions). Please also do not congregate in church after the service has finished but make your way to the churchyard instead.

Please stay at home if you are unwell, and do let us know and we can keep you in our prayers.

If you would like to download or print the service sheets, you will find them here:

• 8am service sheet
• 10am service sheet

The 8am service is quieter, and you may prefer to come to that if you are concerned about being in a larger group. The 11.30 service caters for those with young children.

You are welcome to join us, and we look forward to seeing you, but if you would prefer please attend our online service instead at 11am.

Online worship

11am today: Mass for the 15th Sunday after Trinity. Today we will again be holding Mass on Zoom at 11am.

The links to the join the online services this week are below. By clicking on these links you will be taken straight to the waiting room where whoever is hosting Zoom will let you in to the service.

•    11am Sunday Mass - You can find a copy of the liturgy here and the pew sheet with today's readings is here
•    9am Monday Morning Prayer
•    9am Thursday Morning Prayer

If you have any problems logging in to the service you can go to Zoom’s webpage (www.zoom.us), click on Join a meeting at the top of the page and, when you are prompted, enter the relevant Meeting ID and Password which you can find in this document.

It would be lovely to see you. However, if Zoom seems a bit too much for you, there is a guide to using it here. There is even an option for you to dial in on your phone; the details are here. We look forward to gathering together online, but please don't feel under any pressure, Zoom isn't for everyone!

If you are not joining us online, you may like to use the Prayer at home sheet we have produced here.

Live streaming from church

We are working to enable services at St John’s to be watched live via the internet. Various aspects are being worked on, including arranging a good wifi signal in church, setting up microphones and deciding on the best broadcast medium.

In the meantime services will still be held on Zoom as well as in church, to make sure that as many people as possible can take part.

Music this week

Words for two of the hymns this week are in the pew sheet, and you can listen to them or join in using the links below:

Today St John’s choir would have sung “Litany to the Holy Spirit” by Peter Hurford (1930-2019). Here is a recording by Southwark Cathedral Boys Choir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl05xS9m_fI

John will be playing the following music for the services today:

Chorale preludes on “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott” (The Reformation Hymn):

Before - Johann Pachelbel
Communion - Johann Gottfried Walther (8 am and 11.30 am)
End - Michael Praetorius

10 am: During Communion Nicola Harland will sing the anthem: “Listen, sweet dove” by Grayston Ives.

Resources for young people

If you would like to support your young people with prayer and worship, the Diddy Disciples website has lots of free resources, including stories, songs and prayers, as well as more general information.

Our service in church at 11:30am on Sundays is specifically designed for families with young children.

Private prayer

The church continues to be open for private prayer every Thursday from 12 noon to 2pm.

Do come during this time for your prayers or meditation, or to enjoy the quiet space.

5K for St John’s

We are very grateful to everyone who has donated so generously to help with the costs of reopening the church. We are continuing to fundraise, including a sponsored bike ride at 10am on Saturday 10th October.

The bike ride will be around 10 miles, be non-competitive and suitable for families and children, starting and finishing at St John’s with three breaks walking with bikes in parks and woods, passing through Peckham Rye Common, Mayow Park, Sydenham Wells Park and Dulwich Woods. The ride should take a maximum of three hours including breaks.

Please bring your own refreshments. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. You will be responsible for your own safety, including the need to follow coronavirus guidance.

If you are interested in taking part, please contact Chris Eldridge by email by Sunday 4th October at the latest.

Children’s Society sponsored run

Olivia Coates and her fiancé Chris are "running 50K" during the month of September in aid of the Children's Society.

If you would like to sponsor them, please contact Olivia Coates.

PCC Meeting and Annual Meetings

The PCC met again last Wednesday. Topics discussed included the current pattern of worship, The Gander, Parish Support Fund 2021, proposed memorials in the church, finances and stewardship.

Please do get in touch with Gill or Christine (PCC Secretary) if there's anything you wish us to consider at the next PCC meeting.

Our Annual Meetings 2020 on 29 March had to be postponed this year. They will now take place electronically on Sunday 15 November at 3 pm. Further details will follow nearer the time.

Our 2019 Annual Report can be seen here.

Coffee morning changes

Coffee Morning will start and finish a little later from next Wednesday, 23rd September. Our new start time is 11:30 and we will continue until about 1pm. We're hoping this will give those working from home a chance to drop in while they're grabbing some lunch.

As ever, all are welcome to Coffee Morning, whether you come every week or just drop in now and then for a quick hello. It will always be good to see you. The link to join coffee morning is here.

We are also hoping to re-start our guest speaker visits very soon - on Zoom of course. Stay tuned for details!

The Gander

Plans are continuing for our new monthly magazine to begin from October, to replace our weekly Wednesday Magazine emails.

The magazine will be called The Gander, to tie in with our being located on Goose Green, and the goose being a symbol of the Holy Spirit in Celtic Christianity.

Please do email Raymond with your thoughts and ideas, we will be very pleased to receive your contributions.

And finally ...

The latest issue of the Dulwich Diverter newspaper includes an article on the Turner Prize winner, Jeremy Deller, who went to St John’s and St Clement’s School and has a close connection with St John's church.

It includes this photo from Jeremy's visit to the school earlier this year, before the lockdown. You can read the article online on the Dulwich Diverter website. You may spot some familiar faces among the children, too!
Photo of Jeremy Deller with schoolchildren

Photo of Jeremy Deller with schoolchildren