ELHAM VALLEY OPEN DOOR

PRAYER HUB: WELCOME!

Sunday 2nd August 2020 – Trinity 8

Stephen and Jane’s Acts of Worship are available on our website:

www.elhamvalleygroupofchurches.co.uk

(If you have difficulty finding the services on-line, do get in touch with the Benefice Administrator, Alison – she will do her best to help!)

In addition, at 8am every morning, the Ministry Team will be saying morning prayer – and every Sunday at 10am, Rev’d Jane will be doing a service of Holy Communion BCP Common Worship Order 2.

Postling Church

The congregation of St Mary and St Radegund, Postling are meeting ‘virtually’ for a communion service fortnightly at 9.30am with Zoom. The next one is this Sunday, 2nd August. If you would like to join with them, please contact Alison Dale and she will send you the link a day or so before. Also, the congregation are meeting in the church for a short informal service, on Thursday evenings at 6pm – social distancing respected and sadly, no singing. All are welcome!

Acrise Church

(Following in Denton’s example from last week…) There will be an Open Air Fellowship Service on Sunday 9th August at 11.00am on the Green next to St. Martin’s church. This will be a socially distanced Fellowship Service which will be fully in line with current government guidelines. The church will not be used for worship, nor will anything in it be used. It will be an opportunity to renew our fellowship after so many months. All are welcome!

Tips:

1. Bring your own chair or rug, or use the chairs available from the shed.

2. It might be advisable to bring a brolly, but as 9th August would have been our Flower Festival Sunday it won’t rain.

3. Print off the service sheet that Sharon has sent out and bring it with you.

4. If you are doing a reading please bring your own bible/scripture.

5. Bring your own refreshments or lunch or if you wish to, for after the service.

6. Remember that we only have a camping toilet; it will be usable but bring your own hand sanitiser and wipes

The Readings for 26th July – Trinity 7

Isaiah 55: 1-5 Romans 9: 1-5 Matthew 14: 13-21

Thoughts for this Week

Readings: Isaiah 55: 1-5. God invites everyone who thirsts to come to the waters, and those with no money to share wine and milk for free. God promises an everlasting covenant with David, drawing in all nations. Romans 9: 1-5. Paul laments for his Jewish kindred, to whom belongs God’s covenant. Longing for them to believe in Christ. He would happily sacrifice himself for their sake.

Gospel: Matthew 14: 13-21. Jesus withdraws from the crowd in a boat, but is followed by a multitude of men, women and children who follow him on foot, some prepared better than others. Jesus provides for all their needs, healing the unwell, and ensures all are fed.

Thoughts: Recent news reports featured the sacking of 350 experienced pilots by British Airways and the retirement of their 747 Jumbo fleet of 32 aircraft, as a result of the ongoing coronavirus response. The inevitable cycle of economic downturn in customers, income, jobs, infrastructure and overheads, in the quest for survival. A downward spiral which has touched every Diocese and Church Organization in the land, a continued reduction in income staff and buildings in response to shrinking membership.

For quite some time I have been troubled by what can only be described as a disturbing spiritual motivation, hiding within the complex subjects of Global Warming, Brexit and Coronavirus Pandemic. Common to all three, it is the power of disunity. The power to separate, unlike any previous conflict and totally alien to the Christian Spirit, by which we have a powerful bond within the unity of The Holy Trinity, to form what I often refer to as the quadrinity. A unity revealed in the well-known Gospel of today, when the logistics of how to feed a very large crowd with what appears to be a very small amount of food is dealt with by God the Son within the example of latent human generosity. And how the very presence of Christ and perhaps a little boy’s sacrificial example, released sufficient flow of food to produce an overflow.

Firstly, the miracle is told in all four Gospels, giving an indication of it’s importance. All follow the same basic form. The crowd, by this time in Christ’s ministry are Followers, many already hooked by his teaching and healing. Within reason, they know what to expect. It appears particularly in John’s account of the experience, that Jesus was testing the faith of Phillip and Andrew as much as anything else. We note that in all the accounts it is the Disciples who are concerned about the possible hunger of the crowd and also their own. John’s Gospel introduces the generosity of the little boy willing to give up what little he had for Christ.

Christ expresses a certain familiarity with the people in the crowd. I guess he will have seen many of the faces before and he will already know that many would not have come to a gathering like this without some provisions. But many miles will have been walked to get there, and provisions were hard to come by and if there is no need, not to be shared. But this crowd owed Christ a lot in terms of healing, teaching and the promise of forgiveness. While not obvious, all it needed was a trigger or key to unlock their gratitude.

The gift of five loaves and two fish became that key which unlocked the sharing generosity of the multitude and the ministry of that day became a miraculous event involving God and

humanity. Leaving us with the guidance that whatever we bring to God in His service, on behalf of our fellow humanity no matter how small, it will be enough if we share it in faith. Final thought – Did Christ feed the multitude with the help of the little boy or did the little boy feed the multitude with the help of Christ? Amen

Roger Davenport

Although we are apart, we pray together:

Heavenly Father, you are the light of our world, through your Son, Jesus Christ you feed us with the bread of life. We ask that we can receive Him into our daily lives to live a fruitful God-filled life together and as a true and complete family until eternity, filled with the fullness of your love so that we can abide in you as you abide in us.

 

Lord in your mercy....

 

We give you thanks for your churches and ask that in the not too distant future we may be able to reunite with our friends and fellow Christians, to once again share our faith, be able to join in prayer and jubilation, to listen to your word and to sing your praises as a united Christian family and community.

 

Lord in your mercy....

 

Blessed are you, Lord God, for the gifts you give to your people. We pray and give thanks for our social workers, carers, home helps, doctors and nurses who do so much to make our life that much easier. During the recent epidemic, we know and appreciate that without them, life would have become intolerable for some and much harder for so many.

 

Lord in your mercy....

 

We pray for all those who are in need. For those we know and those we love, give them the strength and courage to overcome their difficulties or illness and restore them to full health and normality in your true glory. We think of, especially, Alan Field, Kevin Bennett, Janet Thornby, Derek & Nicki North, Daniel Stevens, Katherine Goody, Baby Rowan, Mike Wilson, David Ratcliff, Colin Laker, June Edwards, Derek Ufton, Jean Anderson, Paul Hutchins, John Hammond, Sheila Godden, and for all known to us who need a prayer for healing.

We think of those recently departed known only to us, and those who mourn them,

Len Wilson, Richard Preedy and Paul Warren.

We remember also all those dear, whose year’s mind falls at this time: Frank Marshall,

Rev Michael Dymock, Michael Allen, Eric Doy, Janet Coleman, Pauline Phipps (also Roy Phipps 2010), Pamela Speedy and Dot Baker. 

Lord in your mercy....

 

Finally heavenly Father, the giver of all good things, we give you thanks for all those who have provided for us. We pray for our homes, our friends and for all those that we also try to provide for. May we also be sensitive and caring to all those who live in our community.

 

Bill Meakin

 

Merciful Father, Accept these Prayers for the sake of thy only Son, Amen

May we conclude with the prayer Jesus taught us;

Traditional

Our Father, who art in heaven,hallowed be thy name;thy kingdom come;thy will be done;on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us.And lead us not into temptation;but deliver us from evil.For thine is the kingdom,

the power and the glory,for ever and ever.Amen.

Contemporary

Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our sinsas we forgive those who sin against us.Lead us not into temptationbut deliver us from evil.For the kingdom, the power,and the glory are yoursnow and for ever.Amen.

For Families:

Toddler Praise from St George’s Church, Folkestone, with Rev’d Kate McNeice:

https://www.facebook.com/StGeorgesFolkestone/

https://www.rootsontheweb.com/media/20732/02-aug-2020-childrens-sheet.pdf

https://www.rootsontheweb.com/media/20750/02-aug-2020-colouring-sheet.pdf

Churches open for Private Prayer Only

Lyminge Church:– 9am to 5pm daily

Elham Church: - Jesus Chapel will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 am to 4pm

Postling: - every day, during the day

Paddlesworth:- every day, 9am -5pm

Denton & Wootton:- every day, all day

Here are some links for videos of services and further resources from Canterbury Diocese and the Church of England

https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org

https://canterburydiocese.org/parishsupport/coronavirus/prayer-worship-during-coronavirus/ - some excellent resources and Apps for prayer

https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-service-daily-prayer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgN0s2xmCuM

The cathedral will live stream a midday Eucharist and Evensong at 5.30 p.m. weekdays, and at 3.15 p.m. weekends. Please follow this link to access the live stream on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x1i7znmokE 

Follow the church of England on Twitter https://twitter.com/churchofengland

Daily Hope offers music, prayers and reflections as well as full

worship services from the Church of England at the end of a

telephone line. Options available include materials such

as Prayer During the Day and Night Prayer updated daily,

from Common Worship, and a recording of the Church of

England weekly national online service. A section called

Hymn Line offers callers a small selection of hymns, updated

daily. An option entitled ‘Hymns We Love’, provides a hymn

and reflection and is based on an initiative by the Connections group. The line – which is available 24 hours a day on 0800 804 8044 – has been set up

particularly with those unable to join online church services during the period of restrictions in mind.

Assistance during Isolation

Alison Dale and some of the churchwardens (see below, marked with *) have a list of contacts who can help or provide a service to everyone in the Group, from walking a dog to supplying take-away meals. Please get in touch if you would like to find out more, or wish to make an offer of assistance to others.

ELHAM VALLEY GROUP OF CHURCHES CONTACTS:

Please note – Rev’d Jane is on leave from 6th – 25th July

Priest-in-Charge Rev’d Jane Weeks: 01303 840219 (Monday to Thursday. Jane is not available on Thursday evenings and all-day Friday) revweeks@hotmail.com

Associate Priest Rev’d Stephen Dougal: 07764775507 stephendougal@btinternet.com

Pastoral Team Leader Paul Jarvis: 01303 862215 teeboon19@btinternet.com

*Benefice Administrator: Alison Dale: 07985025381 (Thu-Fri 9-11am)

alison-dale@outlook.com

Churchwardens:

Elham *Peter Swain 01303 840408 - *Graham Ernest-Jones 01303 840645

Acrise *Simon Smith 01303 892162 – Martin Bradley 01303 864289

Denton & Wootton Sue Clough 01303 844324.

Lyminge *Phil Hawken 01303 862151

Stanford *Sara Myers 01303 814183 – *Paul Smallwood 01303 813198

Postling Peter Le Feuvre plefandsem@doctors.org.uk – Chris Reynolds chris.r@thepent.co.uk

Paddlesworth Celia Mosley 01303 893609 - *Lindsey Smith lsmith665@googlemail.com

On the Internet: www.elhamvalleygroupofchurches.co.uk www.achurchnearyou.com