Daily ScriptureWhen they had finished breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.’ (John 21.15-17)Daily ReflectionThe night that Jesus was arrested a terrified Peter had three times vehemently denied that he even knew him. Sitting together now at the lakeside, Jesus does not reproach Peter, but gives him the chance to reaffirm his love, mercifully wiping out the memory of his threefold denial by a threefold declaration of love. We have all, at one time or another, said or done things which we deeply regret. We have let people down, but perhaps even worse is the knowledge that we have let ourselves down. Like Peter, we cannot undo what is done; but God, whose whole nature is love, does not dwell on our past failures, but restores us, as he did Peter, to a life of renewed love and service. Revd Rosemary
Please see attached for weekly news. Sunday 9th May- The Sixth Sunday of EasterThis Sunday's services:8 am HOLY COMMUNION AT ST GEORGE’S, BENENDEN led by Revd Rosemary Kobus van Wengen & David Harmsworth 10 am HOLY COMMUNION AT ST NICHOLAS, SANDHURST led by Lyn Hayes, David Harmsworth & Revd Rosemary Kobus van Wengen
Daily Scripture(from the Collect for Julian of Norwich) Most holy God, the ground of our beseeching, who through your servant Julian revealed the wonders of your love: grant that as we are created in you nature and restored by your grace, our wills may be so made one with yours that we may come to see you face to face and gaze on you for ever; Daily Reflection On this day in 1373, Julian of Norwich received her last rights. Just thirty years old, she was gravely ill and expected to die. But instead she received a series of sixteen visions primarily of Christ on the Cross. She was also completely healed. For the next twenty years Julian meditated in prayer upon the things she had seen, recording her reflections in a book, becoming the first woman anywhere in the world to publish a book in the English language. Julian chose to live in almost complete solitude in a small cell built onto the side of St. Julian’s Church in Norwich. Her writing is mystical and marked profoundly by a message of God’s all-encompassing love and the quote for which she is best known also captures her absolute certainty in the love of Christ - ‘All shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well’ Perhaps that is something you may want to meditate on today. Lyn Hayes ALM
Daily ScriptureFinally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:8)Daily ReflectionO that we could all live like this, with these characteristics – these cares for one another – as a church, as a community, and within our own families. God longs for the day when humanity will do this. That we have the same goals and all work towards them. That we are responsive to the needs of others – with willing hearts. That we see and treat everyone the same way we wish to be seen and treated. That we are sensitive and caring towards others. That we encourage one another and rejoice in the success of others.Some of these things we do some of the time; God is waiting for it to be the norm for all people all of the time. He has even given us an example of how to live like this. In addition, God is waiting to bless us! Revd David
