Dear friends,
Welcome to this week’s update. I do hope that you are finding these weekly updates useful? Please let me know via: [email protected].
Please find below a reminder of our services and events coming up across our Middle ESK Moor church communities over the next week, and a copy of the readings he had yesterday at our harvest festival at St James in Lealholm. I didn’t do a ‘standard sermon’ yesterday, instead we had a discussion about what the ‘perfect’ church might look like in Lealholm in 2030. I include some reflections on that below.
Next week, there’ll hopefully be a report to share with you all following the ‘Where next? Charting the future’ community forum we had on Saturday. The meeting was very well attended and it addressed a number of questions, along with the one we discussed at St James yesterday.
If there’s anyone you think would find this update useful please ask them to subscribe via this link: http://eepurl.com/izDueg.
With prayers and all good wishes,
Anthony
Church Services, Events and Meetings Coming Up
Tuesday 10 October – 6:30 pm at Alum Garth Farm, Eskdaleside, Sleights. YO22 5ES
Sharing Space
A new informal discussion group open to all - we will be thinking about ‘the language of faith’ - contact Anthony on [email protected] for further information and/or to arrange lifts. This group will meet fortnightly.
Wednesday 11 October – 9:00 am at Grosmont, St Matthew
Breathing Space
A new venture for those wanting to slow down for 45 minutes, including space and time for contemplative prayer in silence - again, please contact Anthony for further information. This group will meet weekly.
Thursday 12 October – 10:30 am to 3:00 pm at Grosmont, St Matthew’s,
Community Space: Cafe in Grosmont
Please support this if you can, there’s a selection of more delicious sandwiches, cakes and drinks to buy, and additional volunteers would be most welcome.
Friday 13 October - 10:15 am, meeting at Egton, St Hilda's
Walking Space: Whitby Centenary Walk - Invitation and Information
Bishop Paul and Archdeacon Amanda are walking from Whitby to Lastingham at the end of this week. If you’re a keen walker and you’re available on Friday 13 October , why not join the pilgrimage along with Reverend Anthony on the stretch from Egton?
Sunday 15 October – 10:30 am at Egton, St Hilda’s.
Worship Space: Holy Communion followed by refreshments
Tuesday 17 October – 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at The Village Hall, Goathland
Community Space: Cafe in Goathland
With special guest speakers and delicious treats and refreshments to enjoy – again, please support this if you can.
Yesterday’s Readings (Harvest Festival again)
2 Corinthians 9:6-end
The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made-up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. As it is written,
‘He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness endures for ever.’
He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. Through the testing of this ministry you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others, while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Luke 17:11-19
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’
When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’
And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’
Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’
Yesterday’s Service at Lealholm
We revisited the readings from last week again, focussing on the story about the ten lepers. But before we talked about that we thought a bit about what the ‘perfect’ church in Lealholm might look like in 2030 if we can develop and grow the Church of England in this place over the next six years.
One of the children at the service summed those characteristics up perfectly, by describing what the church was actually like yesterday morning, and she wrote those characteristics down beautifully on this piece of paper -see the first attachment on this page.
She also listed all the things we were thankful for - see the second attachment on this page.
She was quite an inspiration!
We put her contributions on the altar.
At the forum on Saturday we thought that the perfect church could be described in lots of different ways, but the one characteristic that struck me was that it should be a church that is the first place people instinctively go to in times of trouble.
I think that’s a wonderful thought.
Last week I was talking about the ten lepers and I said that all they wanted from Jesus was some help and understanding, When those ten lepers approached Jesus, they weren’t looking for a miracle cure. They simply wanted to be acknowledged by Jesus in their struggles. They wanted to be accepted by Jesus.
They didn’t ask to be healed. They asked for mercy. They were really quite humble.
Because of their infectious condition the lepers stood some way off from Jesus to shout, "Have mercy on us!"
Lepers were the untouchables of society; they always remained on the fringes of a community, shunned by everyone. They were outcasts. Abandoned. Through his actions, Jesus shows his followers the importance of accepting and embracing those who live on the fringes, those who’ve been rejected, those who’ve become untouchables. And, like the lepers, those who live on the edge of society don't have the confidence to walk forwards to meet others. They stand some way off. They have to shout at Jesus to make themselves heard. They need somewhere to go in their time of trouble.
Jesus didn't shout back at them. He drew near to them and spoke to them, treating them with all the respect and humility any human being deserves. His words gave them the ability and the confidence to re-enter society.
It strikes me that what we were saying on Saturday in many ways was that we need to be the place where anyone can come in times of trouble and find help: practical help, of course, but also spiritual help. Help for body, mind and soul. The kind of help that enables someone to discover the deep purpose God has for them in their lives.
Can we can aim to be that place that folk will instinctively come to?
What do you think?
Some lovely photos of the wonderfully decorated St James’ Church from yesterday are also attached to this page. Thanks to all involved for such an amazing job. And thanks too for the wonderful harvest displays in Goathland and Grosmont. Such a lot of work goes on behind the scenes and it’s all very much appreciated.
It been such a blessed time! Let’s give thanks for the harvest!
The Reverend Anthony Bennett
Interim Minister – the Benefice of Middle ESK Moor
middleESKmoor.org
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these two books, edited by Jane Williams, are continuing to be very helpful with planning my sermon writing:
Williams, J (2009), Ed., ‘Lost for Words, A Sermon Resource for the Anglican Three Year Cycle,’ Redemptorist Publications, Chawton, UK.
Williams, J (2011), Ed., ‘Lectionary Reflections, Years, B and C.’ Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, London, UK.