SUNDAY 28 JUNE: TRINITY 3 - CHURCHES TOGETHER IN BENINGTON AND WALKERN - Churches Together in Benington ...

CHURCHES TOGETHER IN BENINGTON AND WALKERN
                                www.ubbw.org.uk

                SUNDAY 28 JUNE: TRINITY 3
                     News from St Mary’s Walkern

Dear Friends,
The doors of St Mary’s church are open –
Alleluia!
What a joy it was last Sunday to be able to
walk into church on Sunday morning! As
recommended by the government and
diocesan guidelines, we were not holding a
service, but anyone could enter and spend
time in the church for private prayer. We
were able to play music over the
loudspeakers and, for some of the time,
Beverley played familiar hymns while the
words were displayed on a screen. Prayers
and readings also helped us focus and meditate.
                              The church has been set up for social
                              distancing, with a one-way system and
                              the pews marked out to allow people to
                              sit 2 metres apart. We look like a game
                              of human noughts and crosses! In the
                              churchyard on the north of the building,
                              we set out chairs and tables to allow for
                              some conversation at a safe distance.
                              We are also opening the church on
                              Wednesdays from 10.30 – 11.30 a.m. for
                              the next few weeks.
                               The last open Sunday before lockdown
                               was March 22nd, Mothering Sunday, so
it was very appropriate that we were open again for Fathers’ Day! As
families were celebrating together, although still with some social
distancing, it was good to be together for a little while as a church
family with the prospect of more events to come as the restrictions are
loosened.

For the moment, we will still be producing a newsletter and the
Facebook page will have a Sunday morning reading and prayers led by
Steve Mason. Also, on Sunday July 5th, we will meet for a Zoom
service at 11 a.m. uniting the benefice of Ardeley, Cottered, Throcking,
Benington and Walkern and including our LEP partners, Benington
Methodists and Walkern URC. We have been learning many different
ways to be the church – let’s hope we can continue as the lockdown
opens and we begin to meet together again.
St Paul’s prayer for the church was that we “being rooted and
grounded in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy
people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of
Christ.”
                With best wishes, Maggie and Beverley

Another chat from Guy
Slavery and Avoiding the Subject.
The Redeemer knew what the Rich Young Ruler was actually asking
(Luke 18:23). He understood what the Woman at the Well was really
wanting (John 4:7). Despite them both beating-around-the-bush and
shilly-shallying Christ was able to see behind their words to discover
their needs. It is a human failing to use words to hide behind, to point
to one thing to distract from another, to criticise others of our own
greatest faults. At this moment in time we point to historical slavery,
which is real enough and terrible enough. But when we do this what is
it that we are really pointing to? What are we saying? What are we
meaning? St Paul reminds us that we all enslaved to our lower nature
(Romans 6:15-23). In our modern
life we don't have to look far to
see we have given up many
freedoms in exchange for
dependence and addiction which
gives us an illusion of peace and
happiness. Our Lord talks about
the slavery of sin (John 8: 34-36),
that we give up what makes us
genuinely free and voluntarily
exchange it for a chained
existence.

I believe that our loss of
                                           freedom is what lies at the
                                           heart of the current race
                                           anxiety, whether we are black
                                           or white, or like most of us,
                                           something golden in between.
                                              When we protest about
                                              slavery our words are actually
 dredging up a much deeper concern. Christians know we have all been
 sold into bondage, the slavery of sin. But we also know we have been
 rescued and redeemed. Our Lord said 'The truth shall make us free.'
 (John 8:32). He is pointing to the key that will turn the lock. We know
 where it is. Slavery is the worst of the human oppressions, so let us,
 through Christ, throw off the chains of every type of tyranny and put the
 tyrant, sin, on the run. And all this talk of 'black' or 'white'! Shame on
 us! Where we worship there are only 'brothers' and 'sisters'! But as
 usual, we get everything the wrong way round, don't we? We are
 always blowing down the wrong end of the trumpet. Instead of pulling
 down the statue of Rhodes, we should be putting garlands around the
 statue of William Wilberforce and putting Charles Wesley's wonderful
 words in sparkling lights:
           'I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; my
           chains fell off, my heart was free!'
                                                                Thank you Guy

St Mary’s church – Wednesday opening
St Mary’s church will be open from 10.30 – 11.30 a.m. on
Wednesday 24th June and following Wednesdays for
those who would like to visit for private prayer

                           St Mary’s Annual Report
             All members of St Mary’s on the Electoral Roll will be receiving
             the Annual Report and information regarding the Annual
             General Meeting later in the year. Please contact Miki Phillips if
             you have queries.

Hymns, Readings and Prayers

                 SUNDAY 28 JUNE: TRINITY 3

    Hymn
for the week

 Paul Cobb has offered this hymn for this coming Sunday. It’s number
 560 from Hymns Old and New:
              Will you come and follow me?
 Paul says:
     This Sunday is the feast of St Peter, who Jesus called ’the rock on
     which I will build my Church.’ For this reason, Petertide is a significant
     time for new priests to be ordained in the Church of England. The
     chosen hymn, sometimes called ’The Summons’, is not just
     appropriate for those new priests, but it reminds all Christians that we
     are called by God to do his work on earth. The hymn is from the Iona
     Community, and its jaunty Scottish tune brings back happy memories
     of several visits to that lovely and spiritual island with Benington
     friends.
 If you would like to listen and maybe sing along, just click on the blue
 link below or copy and paste it into your internet browser (eg Google):
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnXOEUS7BBM
                                                             Thank you Paul

Reading
for the week
Reading: Matthew 10: 40-42
According to an old story, there’s a monastery in Italy with the following
sign on it:
   •   First, if a stranger comes to this monastery, you will share with
       them what you have.
   •   Second, if they criticise, listen. They may be sent by the Lord.
   •   Third, if they become obstreperous, they shall be cast out.
   •   Fourth, if they refuse to go, four strong monks shall explain to
       them the will of God.
Hospitality in some cultures is seen as a sacred duty, and to fail in this
can bring shame not just on the individual but to their family. This short
passage from Matthew gives us an indication of a heavenly reward of
hospitality but it goes much deeper than that. This passage comes at the
end of the chapter on discipleship, that when we follow Jesus in his
ministry we must expect the knocks and the bruises as well as the
heartache of division it can cause between family members; but this is to
be expected because the insult in not necessarily aimed at us personally
but indirectly at God because of other people’s relationship between
themselves and God.
I was told quite bluntly this week by a Muslim that I couldn’t possibly be
a Christian because I didn’t follow the laws of Jesus: we don’t prostrate
ourselves as we pray, we don’t refrain from eating pork and we don’t
practice circumcision. I referenced the quote of Jesus saying that when
we pray, we should go into our room and pray quietly with the Lord; and
briefly explained about the circumcision of the heart (to keep God’s
commandments). I then politely said that Jesus only had two laws which
he commended to us and they were:
    “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
    and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this:
    ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment
    greater than these.”

It is these two laws that are central to our discipleship that by loving God
with every part of our being we will be drawn to keep his commandments
and we will also naturally demonstrate a predisposition to show
hospitality. And it is worth remembering that hospitality isn’t just opening
up ones home for meals but it is about kindness to the stranger, the new
person in the village, at work or in church; it is about generosity of spirit,
giving without counting the cost; it is about showing friendliness,
especially to the friendless; and always having a warm welcome for
those who we meet.
Our faith is not dictated by keeping strict laws but by demonstrating the
freedom that Jesus has given us from the law, because by simply having
faith in him, drawing close to him in prayer and reading that our faith will
speak loudly to others.
                                                                 Steve Mason

                                              Prayers
                                            for the week
                             COLLECT
            God our saviour,
            look on this wounded world
            in pity and in power;
            hold us fast to your promises of peace
            won for us by your Son,
            our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
               Please join us in saying the Collect at
                        12 noon every day.
               on Sunday at 11
I know that many say the Collect at 11 am on a Sunday in the
knowledge that their friends are doing the same thing. You may like to
join me on Sunday for an informal Zoom meeting to sing Barbara’s
hymn, hear the reading and say the prayers together.

The information for this meeting is:
      Topic: Sunday at 11
      Time: Jun 28, 2020 11:00 AM London
      Join Zoom Meeting:
      https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%
      2Fus04web.zoom.us%2Fj%2F78282951950%3Fpwd%3DOCt0Yk1
      OK0ZDNWxsaDZzZi9wRnUyUT09&data=02%7C01%7C%7Ce
      7d73a37511247ddf57608d816b099ab%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aa
      aaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637284295025265473&sdata=o
      RwYuWgBM8CGBmCZxTMjnue8ny2i9Ro%2BgiLYxswIz8I%3D&a
      mp;reserved=0
      Meeting ID: 782 8295 1950
      Password: 1Z9NDq
                                       Paul Cobb
If you need some help getting started with Zoom, click this link for a
useful YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsy2Ph6kSf8&list=PLKpRxBfeD1
kEM_I1lId3N_Xl77fKDzSXe

Prayers
“Salaam”, “Shalom”, words of greeting, words of peace in the Middle East,
    where there is no peace,
    where people die from sudden attack and terrorist bomb,
    where hostages linger in makeshift cells and wonder why, and
    wonder how they can make the difference to a dispute that
    governments cannot and will not solve.
We pray or wisdom for those who lead us that they make seek peace
before they think about their politics and their personality

“Salaam”, “Shalom”, words of greeting, words of peace in the Holy Land,
    where the Prince of Peace once walked and lived and loved and died
    for the peace, for the sake of the world.
Help us all Lord to realise our roles in bring peace to this world, that it
begins first in our own hearts before we can share it with others.

“Salaam”, “Shalom”, words of greeting, words of peace not wholly
understood by the western world,
     where Middle Eastern cultures and faiths are misunderstood,
     where aims of bringing western peace to a troubled Middle East are
     contrived,
     and fall short of Your desire for Peace on Earth.
Help us all, despite our culture or our faith, to work together for peace by
celebrating what we have in common and respecting each-others
differences without judgement.

“Salaam”, “Shalom”, words of greeting, words of peace spoken to you
Lord,
     but true peace, your peace is no easy peace,
     so give to the nations of the Middle East the courage to set aside
     their pride, their anger, their feelings of injustice,
     to meet and work and live together, to banish war,
     and give to the governments of the west a sense of responsibility
     to rise above fear and suspicion and work with other countries
     towards reconciliation and peace,
     to bring about that day where each can sit in safety in the Light of
     Christ.
Amen.
                                                                Steve Mason

                      A prayer during vacancy
God our Father, at this time of change, send your Holy Spirit to fill us with
vision, energy and faithfulness in prayer, that we may be true to our calling
to bring new life to our community. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

PRAYER REQUESTS
Named requests for prayer will be included on the notice sheet for at least one month.
If you would like a name to be included for our intercessions, please contact the
Parish Office ubbw@hotmail.co.uk or 07407 630159 or Maggie Hawkins (359500) for
Walkern or Rita Plumb (869731) for Benington. (Names from the prayer board in
St Mary’s Church will also be included in the intercessions in that church.)
Prayer is regularly offered for all the sick and needy in our community.
                       FOR OUR PRAYERS THIS WEEK
Those who live in our villages: This week we pray for all who live in Benington
Road, Walkern and Blacksmiths Hill, Benington.
We pray for those in our parishes or friends and family members who are
housebound, unwell, receiving treatment or recovering from operations:
Peter Ruffle, Charlotte Elizabeth, Elizabeth (Anne Marshall’s daughter), Diana Barton,
Residents of Jubilee Court, Dave, Sarah and Olivia Wicks and Katie Sinclair (Miki
Phillips' family, all tested positive with Covid-19 in South Africa) and Donna.
We also remember those who have died and their families and friends, especially,
Bill Pilgrim, Aelwyn Jones, Sue Knight (nee Baker) and Chris Dawson.
  CHURCHES TOGETHER IN BENINGTON & WALKERN: CONTACT NUMBERS
                 MEMBERS OF ECUMENICAL MINISTRY TEAM
   Methodist: Revd Malcolm Peacock (01462 646562), Mr Brian Burgess (237748,)
                           Mrs Brenda Davies (227293);
        URC: Revd John Walker (01462-895481), Mrs Mary Miller (861289),
                             Mrs Olga Ginn (861754);
                    Roman Catholic: Mrs Rita Healy (861098);
               St Peter and St Mary: Revd Norman Plumb (869731),
       Mr Paul Cobb, Reader (869348), Mr Laurie Hawkins, Reader (359500),
                        Mr Steve Mason, Reader (360847),
               Mrs Jenny Cobb (869348), Mrs Rita Plumb (869731).
      TO ARRANGE BAPTISMS, WEDDINGS OR FUNERALS, CONTACT:
    Church clergy: United Reformed Church: Revd John Walker (01462 895481)
       Benington Methodist Church: Revd Malcolm Peacock (01462 646562)
       St Mary’s and St Peter’s: Benefice Administrator ubbw@hotmail.co.uk

                   FOR OTHER PASTORAL HELP, CONTACT:
            Benington Pastoral visiting team c/o Mrs Rita Plumb (869731)
           Walkern Pastoral visiting team c/o Mrs Maggie Hawkins (359500)
                       St Peter’s, Benington Churchwardens:
             Mrs Christine Brown (869468) & Mrs Clare Wood (869674)
                        St Mary’s, Walkern Churchwardens:
           Mrs Beverley Harlow (225365) & Mrs Maggie Hawkins (359500)
                 FOR ADMINISTRATIVE ENQUIRIES, CONTACT:
              Benington Methodist Steward: Mr Brian Burgess (237748)
                 Walkern URC Secretary: Mrs Olga Ginn (861754)

Anglican Benefice Administrator: Heather Ferguson (07407 630159):
      Tuesdays 8.00am–11.00am & Thursdays 2.00pm–5.00pm or
                       ubbw@hotmail.co.uk.
    St Mary’s church key available from: Ron Hollings (861183) or
                    Stephen Gardner (861833)

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