Dear Friends, I hope you are having a good long bank holiday - whether that is good meaning a good rest, a meeting with family and friends, or for many around here, a calm but busy time serving those who are on holiday! There is something very resonant about the pictures of the crowds in London from across the world gathering to celebrate the Jubilee as we also mark the great feast of Pentecost. Themes of unity and renewal were talked of after the wonderful service of thanksgiving at St Pauls on Friday - and of course unity and renewal are the great Pentecost themes too. Let's pray that the Queen's example of faith, hope and love may inspire us all, as we still live through challenging times, to take joy in the lives we share, look out for those who suffer, and contribute all that we can to making the world a kinder place. Thank you to all across our Mission Community who have embraced the Jubilee with enthusiasm: for flags flown and bells rung, for music played and flowers arranged, for welcoming and pudding production! God bless Samantha
The June edition of the newsletter is now available in the <a href="https://media.acny.uk/media/news/notice_sheet/2022/06/Newsletter_June_2022.pdf">Notice sheets menu</a>.
Dear Friends,I have moved the celebration of Ascension from Thursday to Sunday to give this feast its full significance. Forty days after Easter Jesus blesses his disciples, commissions them to take his love to the ends of the earth, and carries our humanity into the immedieate life of the Godhead. The disciples response is joy and worship as they await the gift of the Spirit he promises. In recent years, we have been encouraged to renew our response to this feast with what is now a worldwide wave of prayer inspired by Jesus' prayer: "Thy kingdom come" https://www.thykingdomcome.global/https://exeter.anglican.org/christian-faith/thy-kingdom-come-2022/https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/thy-kingdom-comeThis year I have not organised anything formal for our keeping of this time - but I encourage you to take some time to reflecton how you might give some time to praying for the triumph of God's love in our world, and in the lives those you know. This is now an annual event and it woudl be great to have a small group of people from across he Mission Community who might be willing to co-ordinate our response nest year - do let me know if this is something you'd be interested in.Thank you to all who joined in and helped organise the Rogation Day walk last week - we were blessed by beautiful weather as in turn we prayed for blessing on our land, our farming community, and all who live or visit our parishes.This weekend Parracombe are holding a festival of flowers - if you have a chance, do pop in to see the decorated church and the examples of local craft. Next weekend Platinum Jubilee celebrations there include a Sunday "Royal Bells and Platinum Puddings, and at Martinhoe there will also be a flower festival over the weekend.We are also entering the season of weddings - please pray for all who are preparing to be married this summer. This weekend we also welcome a family for the baptism of their child - we give thanks for the newest member of the church in our midst on Sunday!God blessSamantha
Dear All,This weekend, the gospel asks of us that we recognise the peace that is not from the world, but is Jesus' gift: not something we work to create or earn in ourselves, but something that we open ourselves to receive, even something that we can ask for. Asking is also the theme of this Rogation weekend - traditionally a time to ask for good harvests and the fertility of the land. As we are seeing currently there are deep connections between peace and a steady food supply: what those in other war torn and famine struck regions have known before, now even our continent is experiencing - the disruption of food networks by violence.There is a lot around us to trouble our hearts and raise our anxiety but today's gospel offers us Jesus' gentle guidance: "do not let your hearts be troubled and do not let them be afraid".Let's take him seriously - and take our asking seriously this Rogation-tide too: for good harvests and the peace that makes them possible; that swords may indeed be turned to plowshares and that we will learn to live harmoniously both with our fellow humans, and with all living things with whom we share this earth.Weather permitting there is a chance to take our prayers outdoors at 2pm on Sunday 22nd with our Rogation Sunday walk from Countisbury Church (park at Barna Barrow car park) up the hill. If the rain comes in we will relocate into church - but please dress for Exmoor!God bless,Samantha
