Dear friends
Yesterday afternoon I visited one of our church schools, St Mary's Thorncombe, to be 'interviewed' by the Key Stage 2 children (7-11 year olds). It was a great experience, and I was absolutely blown away by the depth of the questions!
Jesus challenged the disciples (and us) with the words, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 18:3).
Children often have a unique ability to ask questions that adults either really want to ask, but don't, or have just lost the openness of mind to dare to explore such things. Having been asked a great many questions by children over the years, I knew that I had my work cut out and would likely be challenged far more exactingly than I might on a typical Sunday morning!
All of the questions were prepared by the children themselves, written in their RE books, and they took it turns to ask them. Here are a selection of them for you to try!
Why did God come to earth as a human being? (in the context that he could have been any other part of creation) If Jesus is God, how could he exist before he was born? Does Jesus look like God? What does God look like? In which ways was Jesus 'God on Earth'? In which ways was Jesus an ordinary person? If God made everything, who made God? Is Jesus alive now? How does it feel to sense God's spirit is with you, or inside you? How do your beliefs make a difference to your life and to the life of your church? How did Jesus heal people, and what examples can you give?Questions are wonderful things; no matter who we are we should always ask questions. It is that sense of curiosity that brings out what is true and what is not, what is actually valuable and what is not. As my old school chaplain once said to me, "if you really want to strengthen your faith, you need to take it out of its box and give it a good spin once in a while".
What questions might you ask about your own faith or beliefs? And what questions might you have for God?
SERVICES FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS:
Sunday 15th October
10.00am: Family Service; St Stephen's, Winsham. The theme for this service this month is 'Health'. All Welcome.
10.30am: Holy Communion with Sunday School; St John's, Tatworth. All Welcome. Sunday School meets in the church rooms from 10.15am; led by Rev'd Michelle and Caroline.
Tuesday 17th October
9:30am: Celtic Morning Prayer. St John's, Tatworth
Wednesday 18th October - St Luke's Day. See details for Healing Service below.
9:30am: Holy Communion; St Mary's Thorncombe; followed by coffee morning.
7pm: Benefice Healing Service - St John's Tatworth. This is a quiet service with an opportunity to receive prayers for healing. All Welcome.
Sunday 22nd October
8.00am: Morning Prayer; St John's, Tatworth
10.00am: Holy Communion; St Mary's, Thorncombe.
6.30pm: Evening Prayer (BCP); St Michael & All Angels, Chaffcombe
6:30pm: Service of Light; St Stephen's, Winsham.
Sunday 29th October
1030am: BENEFICE SERVICE - St Mary's, Thorncombe. A special service in commemoration of the dearly departed from the periods of Covid Lockdown during the height of the pandemic.
CHRISTMAS SHOE BOXES
Olive Mitchell in Thorncombe, and Rev'd Michelle in Tatworth, are coordinating the annual appeal for Christmas Shoe Boxes to go to those in need in Eastern Europe. The organising charity are Blythswood Care, who will distribute shoe boxes filled with required items. You will find information on this appeal in S Mary's Thorncombe and St John's Tatworth. There are links here too with further information:
Shoe Box Appeal | Blythswood Care
https://blythswood.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ShoeBox_leaflet_2023.pdf
Completed shoe boxes need to be dropped off in Tatworth for Rev'd Michelle by 18 October or in Thorncombe for Olive by the 24 October please! They can also be dropped off at the Welcome Bap in Chard.
PRAYERS
Israel / Gaza
There can be no reasonable person who is not greatly concerned and grieved by the violence we have seen erupt in Israel and Gaza over the last few days. Please do hold those living in fear and caught up in that violence in your prayers. Here is a prayer from Churches Together in Britain and Ireland that you may like to use:
O God of all
Of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Isaac, and Ishmael:
Our hearts are broken in pieces at the suffering and murder of your people.
Our voices cry for peace and for justice.
Comfort those who grieve,
Console and heal the injured,
Be close to those in fear,
Restrain with your mighty hand those who perpetrate violence.
Send us your wisdom in all that we say and do,
That our voice may always seek justice, peace and security for all.
Amen.
In Celebration:
We celebrate with Ricky and Chloe as they get married in St Mary's Thorncombe this weekend. We give thanks for their love and bless them in their new life together. Congratulations!
Pastoral:
Please hold in your prayers all you know who are struggling in any way, in body, mind or spirit. We are asked to pray by name for:
Dave Boyland; Terri Boyland; Wendy Cotton; Mary Marsh; Tony Taylor; Margaret Bandy; Di Nicholls; Hester Down; Stella Hutchison; Margaret Shields; Andrew de Pury; Cyril Larcombe; Lynn Ranson; Keith Legge; Peter Harper; Ron Bone
We remember all those who we love but see no longer, and particularly at this time Margaret Golesworthy, Eileen Bray, and Susan Jerrett, and hold all those in mourning in our prayers.
The Collect for the 19th Sunday after Trinity:
Faithful Lord,
whose steadfast love never ceases
and whose mercies never come to an end:
grant us the grace to trust you
and to receive the gifts of your love,
new every morning,
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Blessings
Philip
The Reverend Philip Butcher
Rector - Two Shires Benefice (Tatworth, Thorncombe, Winsham, Chaffcombe & Cricket Malherbie)
The Vicarage
3 Home Farm
Tatworth
Chard
TA20 2SH
01460 221286
PASTORAL EMAILS - please to: [email protected]
HOME PRAYER & WORSHIP: https://twoshires.wordpress.com
Rest Days - Mondays (Tuesdays where following a bank holiday)
For non-urgent enquiries please allow up to a week for responses.
Mornings are best times for phone contact!