Dear Friends,This week we hear Jesus' most simple and profound commandment to those who follow him: as I have loved you, love one another. Its a reminder that noticing God's love for us, and letting it flow through us in our love for others is at the heart of life as a Christian.This week is Christian Aid week with the theme :Turning hunger into hope. I have included the prayer sheet from Christian Aid as part of this mail out, and encourage you to learn more from their website about their work, and how you can give directly to them. Many of our churches will also have envelopes available for donations too:https://www.christianaid.org.uk/appeals/key-appeals/christian-aid-weekParticipation in Christian Aid's mission is an a clear way of extending God's love to those who are most vulnerable and suffer most from the inequities of human failure to oragnise our world with love.Next Sunday is Rogation Day and we have our Rogation Walk leaving from Countisbury church at 2pm (please park as Barna Barrow car park). This is an opportunity to recognise God's love in the beauty of creation and pray for our parishes, our land and a good harvest.God blessSamantha
Dear Friends,This week the church invites us to celebrate the fact that God has created each one of us with a unique combination of gifts, strengths and weaknesses and called us into the community of the church, where together, as members of the body of Christ, offering our own gifts and weaknesses we can become a sign of God's love in the world. We are invited to celebrate that everyone has a "vocation", a calling from God to be the hands, feet, heart, eyes, ear or mouth of Christ in this time and place.In my work with those exploring whether they have a calling to ordained ministry what also becomes evident, is that as we become more attuned to our vocation , the way God is shaping us into the people we are created to be, we also find deeper contentment, fulfillment and calm - we flourish. When we live out that vocation fully in the world, we bring that life to others too. That is true of all vocations, not just those given particular names.Vocations Sunday, then, offers us another insight into the new life, the renewal of Easter - if each of us is attuned to God's calling in our lives, what a surge of life both personal, and communal is available!A reminder that Christain Aid week begins on 15th May - if you wish to give directly to the charity there are details here: https://www.christianaid.org.uk/appeals/key-appeals/christian-aid-week Rogation Sunday Walk 2pm 22nd May beginning and Barna Barrow car park and Countisbury Church: this is an opportunity to gather and pray for the whole Mission Community, our land and homes, with a walk in the beauty of this area up to the top of Countisbury Hill echoing the tradition of beating the bounds on Rogation Day. If any one could help with the refreshments at the end please contact Sam White on the office email.Thank you for your continued understanding that I am not yet back to full capacity after Covid, slow and steady is the way forward!God blessSamantha
Dear Friends,All the blessings of May Day!In this week's gospel we are drawn around the fire with the risen Jesus and the disciples as he bids them "Come and have breakfast". The gospel writer says that no one had to ask him if it was him, because they knew it was. There is an informal companionship in this scene that reminds us that God calls us into a closeness that does not always need a lot of words to explain. As we travel into the Easter season, and through the beauty of many spring mornings here, may we sense that closeness in the simple things of our daily life.Many of you may already know that my planned week of annual leave turned into sick leave, when I tested positive for Covid early in Easter week. I have been left with the fatigue that is being reported as a common symptom so I am having to manage my diary and workload carefully for the time being. I am very grateful for the understanding of the congregations of Barbrook and Parracombe this week who have suggested modifications to the first Sunday of the month service pattern:9am Parracombe Self - Led Morning Worship11am Lynton Holy CommunionNo service this week at Barbrook.The May newsletter is available via Sam White (copied into this email). Please drop her and email if you are not on her list, or if more paper copies are needed for your church).God blessSamantha
He is risen indeed, Alleluia.Dear Friends,Happy EasterMy apologies that this is arriving a day after Sunday - but it is a reminder that Easter is a season - we will be staying with the stories of resurrection for a number of weeks as we get glimpses of Jesus meeting with different people a revealing more of the power of his resurrection to offer us new life, new love, new hope.Thank you to all who have participated in Holy week services and prepared our churches for the joyful celebration of Easter Day.For those who have been unable to come to church in person I am attaching Easter prayers and my Easter morning sermon.I will be taking a week of Annual Leave from tomorrow.Revd Jean is very happy to be contacted for pastoral matters For any practical concerns Sam White or Vivien Thomas and Barbara Burnard are the first ports of call (see below). My thanks to them.I am grateful too for those taking services next week:Brendon 9am Holy Communion: Revd Tim WoodsLynton 11am Holy Communion: Revd Laurence HillelMartinhoe 11am Morning Worship : Lee abbey team May the blessings of Easter renew and restore our world in the days to come,God bless Revd Jean Loveday 01598 752699Mrs Vivien Thomas 01598 752084Mrs Barbara Burnard: 01598752370 Lyn Valley Mission Community Administrator : Sam White 07340762327 or email: lynvalleymissionoffice@gmail.com
