Dear all
Yesterday Michelle and I had an 'away day' - a day away from home and the phones to plan our year ahead and also do some strategic ministry thinking. It did not start well. I had prepared for the day in advance by writing an agenda and I had loaded my bag with paper, pens, year planner, lectionary - all the bits and bobs I thought we might need. For the morning session we decided to go to a nice quiet cafe we know near Honiton where the owner has known us for years and we could relax with good refreshments and plenty of table space.
And so we arrived - and promptly realised that I had left my bag at home. No resources. Michelle helpfully suggested that perhaps this was God's way of telling us that our strategic thinking needs to start with a blank piece of paper. So, armed with a little notepad and a biro we went into the cafe - to discover it was open but also having a refurb. Relaxing it was not. We soon decided that staying for one coffee was about the limit of our endurance and decided to de-camp to another hostelry near Exeter, which has been fine in the past. It turned out that everyone in the area seemed to have had the same idea, but we found a table and did at least manage to do our diary planning. It was however way too noisy and distracting for doing our strategic thinking!
It was a truly beautiful day, and so we headed down to Topsham Quay and, as luck would have it, there was one space left in the car park on the quayside. There was also one bench available in a suntrap behind the antique shop with the most stunning and calm vista across the estuary with cormorants skimming the water and boats lazily swinging on their moorings. This was perfect - and was absolutely not in the plan just a few hours before.
In today's Gospel from Mark (3:13-19) Jesus calls his first disciples. He does so by first and foremost getting away from the usual context. He goes to a different place. "Jesus went up onto a mountainside..." He calls the disciples away from their own contexts and into a new place. Today we are also called by God to follow Jesus. Part of discerning that sense of call is the space needed to listen to what God might be telling you - or might be showing you. We often do alot of talking - but perhaps not quite so much listening!
What do you really need, right now, to listen to God? And where do you find that that listening best takes place?
SERVICES FOR SUNDAY 22nd JANUARY (EPIPHANY 3)
8am - Holy Communion; St John's Tatworth. Rev'd Philip
10am - Holy Communion; St Mary's Thorncombe. Rev;d Judith
6:30pm - Service of Light, St Stephen's, Winsham
6:30pm - Evening Prayer (BCP), St Michael & All Angels Chaffcombe
MIDWEEK
Holy Communion (Said) Wednesday 25th January at 9:30am in St St Stephen's Winsham.
PRAYERS:
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; Sheila Clement; Wendy Cotton; Hannah Knott; Jan Knott; Mary Marsh; Tony Taylor; Margaret Bandy; Dorothy White, Tony Meech, Di Nicholls, Hester Down, Stella Hutchison; Oskar Lee; Margaret Shields; Andrew de Pury; Frank Long; Jean Dodd
We remember all those whom we love but see no longer, especially at this time Jim Tucker, Margaret Bowditch, Amy Barr , Nick Frankau, and Vernon Martin. We hold all those who are bereaved in our prayers.
We pray in thanks for those preparing for Baptism. In particular Darcey who is being baptised this Sunday in the Benefice.
Collect for Epiphany 3
Almighty God,
whose Son revealed in signs and miracles
the wonder of your saving presence:
renew your people with your heavenly grace,
and in all our weakness
sustain us by your mighty power;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Blessings all
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
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