At this harvest time, we are conscious of the grain grown both locally and around the world, and think of the flowers, fruit and vegetables traditionally associated with harvest festivals. In his letter to the Christians in Galatia, St Paul talks of a different and wonderful sort of fruit - the fruit of the Spirit - that the Holy Spirit can develop in our lives, and which we've witnessed in the lives of Christians we've known. For the words see our illustration or read Galatians 5:22,23Someone in whom the Holy Spirit had brought forth the fruit of the Spirit was the late Revd Denis Sweetman, whose Christian virtues were clear in all his dealings with us. His was a familiar face at St Mary's some years ago. As an accomplished artist he earned his living from his artistic work prior to ordination. We at St Mary's have been fortunate to enjoy his greetings cards over the years. There are still a few of his "Fruit of the Spirit" cards on the stall at the back of the church. He had a sense of humour - see if you can find his trademark "mad monk" in the image above
One of our sister churches, the medieval church of St John the Baptist in Edlingham, with whom we share our Priest in Charge, the Revd Rich Townend, was the setting for a concert of medieval and renaissance music on Saturday 23rd September, by the Medieval Mix choir led by Margaret Watchorn. Music from this era is beautiful in its simplicity, and the acoustics of a medieval church building are ideal - because our sister church in Edlingham is very much the sort of building for which the music was composed.Several members of the St Mary's congregation were at the concert and enjoyed both the music, the medieval church, and the welcome they received there.
Five life lessons from Mother Teresahttps://www.wordonthestreets.net/Articles/667234/5_life_lessons.aspx)1. Never Quit. She persevered through all the adversities that she knew in her life. 2. Embrace the Power of Prayer. She said that if you're too busy to pray, you're too busy. For her, it all began with prayer. 3. Age with dignity: She delighted in old age. She knew that she had come from God and she was going home to God and that was the secret to how she aged with dignity. 4. Find Joy in Serving Others: She said that a life not lived for others was not worth living. She lived for others and derived great joy from her relationships. 5. We Need Each Other: She knew that we were made to love and to be loved, and this was our primary need. She lived it out, loving others and allowing them to love her, particularly as she aged and became more dependent on those who cared for her.With acknowledgements to Word on the Streets, https://www.wordonthestreets.net, from whose recent email this piece was sourced
Until the arrival of Bishop Helen-Ann in 2023, Newcastle Diocese had a set of three one-word values that appeared on many diocesan publications: Open, Generous, Engaged. Since then our new bishop has introduced a new set of three words that aim to take each of these a step forward: SEEKING through being Open to God’s transforming love; SHARING through being Generous with God’s transforming gifts; SENDING through being Engaged in God’s transforming work in the world. As she explained to the Diocesan Synod, we are being called by God to Turn outwards in mission and grow younger and more diverse. We are to be youthful in scope, mindful of the realities of our diverse contexts, and think of audiences beyond the ones we see now. This may well mean significant changes. It will be uncomfortable for some, while at the same time making us more diverse in age and background. This will require us to - Build confidence in belonging and believing, lifting morale; - Be realistic and hopeful about finances;- All - clergy and members young and old, whatever our background - to be open and willing to change and be changed.Compiled locally, from reports received from the Diocese, of Bishop Helen-Ann's address to the Diocesan Synod in May 2023, in the absence of any definitive publications on the subject from the Diocese. We apologise for any inaccuracies or misinterpretation, and would appreciate any official publication on the subject.
