Hello All!

The daily reflections this week have all been centred upon prayer, often using poetry as the means. They have reflected different ways of praying, everything from sensing the rhythm of prayer through our everyday experience through to deep gratitude for the smallest of mercies and unexpected joy. This may challenge our perception of prayer as only being of the intercession type, or the deep contemplative experience, as important as those two styles of prayer are. Ultimately prayer is the moving out of ourselves to connect with God's spirit, grace and love, and being intentional about that opening up on a daily basis.

'Bless the Lord my soul, and bless God's holy name, Bless the Lord my soul, who leads me into life'.... (Taize chant).

Louise

Next week, please send all contributions for the newsletter to Gill by the end of Thursday and material for A Church Near You to Tony Raven: [email protected]

Services and calendar for the week

Saturday 13 July - 

 7.30pm…Concert – Bel Canto…St Margaret’s

Sunday 14 July - 

10am… Holy Communion…St Luke’s

10am…Holy Communion…St Margaret’s

12.00…Baptism…St Margaret’s

3pm…Open the Story… C’s Wear Forest School, St Luke’s

6.30pm…Evensong…St Margaret’s

Monday 15 July - 

10am…Take 5…St Margaret’s

7pm…Compline… Zoom

Tuesday 16 July - 

9am…Morning Prayer…St Margaret’s

10.30am…Coffee and Chat…St Luke’s church rooms

12.30pm…Funeral – John Grey…St Margaret’s

Wednesday 17 July - 

10am…Morning Worship…Zoom

11am…Summer Study Group…St Margaret’s

2-4pm…Open Church…St Luke’s

Thursday 18 July - 

10am…Mini Messy Church…St Margaret’s

3.15-4.15…Summer Study Group…St Luke’s

Friday 19 July - 

9am…Morning Prayer…St Margaret’s

Saturday 20 July - 

12.00…Wedding…St Margaret’s

Sunday 21 July - 

8am…Holy Communion…St Margaret’s

10am… Joint Holy Communion…St Margaret’s

3pm…Open Air Songs of Praise… St Margaret’s

The Zoom links and meeting IDs for all the Zoom events are on our pages on ACNY (A Church Near You)

St. Luke’s Church is now open on Wednesday afternoons between 2.00 and 4.00.

All are welcome...

To look around

To sit quietly for a while

To light a prayer candle

To pray.

News and Notices

From the end of July, there will no churchwarden at St Margaret's, unless someone comes forward! If you would like to know more about what is involved, please contact Gill: [email protected]

Please pray for at least 1 churchwarden for St. Margaret’s.

Bookings - St. Margaret’s bookings has been taken over by Caryll Ingerslev. Contact: [email protected]

Lunchtime Concerts There is no lunchtime concert on Wednesday 17th July.

The next series will start in September.

Summer Study and Fellowship groups

The book chosen for the summer session is “Holy Habits” by Andrew Roberts. Meet in the social area of St Margaret's Church for tea/coffee from 10.40.

All are welcome.

For more information contact Revd Maggie Stirling Troy:

[email protected]

St Luke's are reading the same book, starting on Thursdays 3-15 pm - 4-15 pm, meeting in their Church rooms and also serving tea/coffee. All are welcome.

Songs of Praise, Sunday 21st July at 3.00 p.m.

Last chance to vote! Closing date for voting for Topsham's favourite hymns is this Sunday after Evensong. Vote for the hymn you would most like to sing at St Margaret's Patronal Festival Songs of Praise

Open-air Songs of Praise 3pm Sunday 21st in the churchyard (in church if wet). Please bring your own chair if you can! Followed by tea and cake

Flower Festival at St. Margaret’s – Thursday 25th - 27th July

There are still plenty of gaps to be filled, stewarding, making cakes, helping with refreshments.

As always the success of this major event in our church year depends heavily on volunteers who are happy to smile at visitors!

There are now sign-up lists at the back of the church. Please check you diaries before coming to church on Sunday!

Please ask David Byrne (01392 758557) [email protected] or Gill Yates [email protected] if you want to find out more.

Exmouth Food Bank

Supplies We Are Short Of This Month – July 2024

·Tins of baked beans & spaghetti hoops

·Cereals

·Stir in pasta /pasta bake sauces

·Tins or packets of soup

·Tinned fruit

·Peanut butter

·Jars of jam

·Coffee

·Tea bags

·Packets of biscuits

·Shampoo & conditioner

The Exmouth Foodbank urgently needs bags for life/large plastic bags to enable people to carry their food parcels home. Thank you.

Many thanks for your support. We simply couldn’t do this without you!

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

For further information email: [email protected] 07787758511

Prayers

For those who are ill or in need of our prayers:

Roger Fogwill, Lucy, Pauline, Jill and Adrian, Michael, Kirsten, Chris Whitehead, Fay, Anne, Tony Bradford, Marlene Gardner, Pam Wormald, Mary, Peter, John Heal, Rosemary Henry, Gail Miller

Housebound or in nursing/care homes:

Alfred Wonnacott, Janet Mutter, Georgina Lear

Please pray for Anne Plested supporting the work of Bethlehem Bible College, and Ben and Katy Ray in Tanzania, St. Luke’s CMS mission link.

Anniversaries

Dorothy Patchett, John Drague

Alfred Meager, Josephine Scott, Rosamond Major

Recently departed

John Grey, Pat Lomax

Gospel Readings for the coming week

Sunday 14th July Mark 6: 14-29

Monday 15th July Matthew 10: 34 -11:1

Tuesday 16th July Matthew 11: 20-24

Wednesday 17th July Matthew 11: 25-27

Thursday 18th July Matthew 11: 28-end

Friday 19th July Matthew 12: 1-8

Saturday 20th July Matthew 12: 14-21

Sunday 21st July Mark 6:30-34, 53-end

Collect and reading for Sunday 14h July

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: graft in our hearts the love of your name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of your great mercy keep us in the same: 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.

King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some weresaying, ‘John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.’ But others said, ‘It is Elijah.’ And others said, ‘It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.’ But when Herod heard of it, he said, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.’

For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. For John had been telling Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’ And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.’ And he solemnly swore to her, ‘Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.’ She went out and said to her mother, ‘What should I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the baptizer.’Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, ‘I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’ The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

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