THE 1662 Book of Common Prayer has arrived on Amazon smart speakers, helping users to say morning and evening prayer and to learn more about its history.On Thursday, Cambridge University Press, which publishes the Prayer Book, announced that Alexa smart speakers would now be programmed with a new “skill” — one of the voice-driven apps — called the Cambridge Prayer Book. The idea is to help people to pray and worship at home during the pandemic.Users can now ask Alexa to: “Say morning prayer”; “Say evening prayer”; “Pray the Lord’s Prayer”; “Give me the Apostles’ Creed”; and “Recite the Grace”.The services are read by clergy from St John the Evangelist, Cambridge, close to the publisher’s headquarters. In place of a congregation, responses are said by members of the Cambridge University Press choir. There is also a small selection of Bible readings.https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2020/18-september/news/uk/new-alexa-skill-to-help-say-the-office-from-the-prayer-book
Dear Friends,Today I have another happy introduction to make. For the last year of her formational training before ordination, Marilyn Sanders is joining on placement to experience and learn about our life as a rural Mission Community. She will be in church on Sunday and we look forward to getting to know Marilyn and her husband Steve over the coming weeks. In her own words Marilyn says:My name is Marilyn, I am married to Steve and we live in Barnstaple. We have three grown up children and I am currently training for Ordination at St Mellitus college in Plymouth. I have just completed my first year of training and begin my second year in early September. I am very much looking forward to getting to know everyone in the Lyn Valley Mission Community and serving Jesus alongside you, as I begin my placement with you shortly!' Let’s assure Marilyn and her family of our prayers for them as she responds to God’s call in her life and all that her training involves.God blessSamantha
Dear Friends,It was a great joy for me to be able to celebrate the Eucharist for the first time after so long last week – a joy to see many people again in church and a joy to be able to hold the whole community in prayer in the midst of this sacrament. My sermon this week is perhaps a reflection on this experience – and the link between what we do in church and the challenges of our everyday life. Our church community gathered in church and dispersed at home makes that link well.Today seems a good time to pass on some good news to you all, (news already given to Lynton and Barbrook PCC). Bishop Jackie has given Revd Laurence Hillel “Permission to Officiate”(often known as PtO) so that he is formally authorised to offer priestly ministry, primarily in Lynton. Lynton residents may know Laurence well, but if you don’t know yet know him and are in church on Sunday, he is the person who is going to read and lead our intercessions. I asked Laurence for some words of introduction:“I trained for ministry in my late 30s. I became a School Chaplain in a large Church of England Secondary School for ten years, as well as serving as an Assistant priest in three London Parishes. I also developed an expertise in inter religious dialogue with other world faiths, and in that capacity worked at a Christian centre for inter religious engagement finishing up as Co-Director for five years before retirement.” I am delighted that Laurence is willing to join with Revd Jean and me in priestly ministry here – especially at a time when we are moving step by step in response to the new patterns of life we share.Please keep us in your prayers, and be assured of ours,God bless, SamanthaPS I have written an artice to be published on Sunday evening on the Exmoor Magazine Facebook page - if you are on Facebook you may want to take a look!
