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ELHAM VALLEY OPEN DOOR PRAYER HUB: WELCOME!
Sunday 6 th September 2020 – Trinity 1 3 The final on-line service video for the Benefice (for the 6th
September) is available on our website www.elhamvalleygroupofchurches.co.uk
Good News!Services in Churches around the Group
Here is the new rota of services for some of our churches (there will be more to come once they are finalised) - please note start dates.
1st Sundays – 9.30am Acrise Holy Communion (BCP); – 11am Lyminge WOW – both starting 4th October2nd Sundays – 9.30am Stanford Worship Service – starting 13th September3rd Sundays – 9.30am Paddlesworth Harvest Service (usually Eucharist CW 2); 9.30amAcrise Fellowship Service; – 11am Lyminge Eucharist (CW1) – starting 20th September4th Sundays – 9.30am Stanford – Eucharist (CW1 and 2 alternating) – starting 27th September(BCP – Book of Common Prayer; CW – Common Worship)Every Thursday – 6.30pm Postling A short informal service
Zoom Services The congregation of St Mary and St Radegund, Postling are meeting ‘virtually’ by Zoom as follows, starting on the 6th September:1st Sundays – 9.30am Eucharist2nd, 3rd & 4th Sundays – 9.30am Morning ServiceIf you would like to join with them, please contact Alison Dale and she will send you the link a day or so before.
The Readings for 6 th September
Ezekiel 33.7-11 Romans 13.8-end Matthew 18.15-20
Thoughts for this Week
Matthew 18: 15-20This is a difficult passage from Matthew. It seems harsh in places, but then many of Jesus’ sayings are not easy to reconcile with the way we like to look at things. But then they were never intended to be easy in any way.
We start with instructions on how to handle disputes within a community of the faithful.
ELHAM VALLEY OPEN DOOR PRAYER HUB: WELCOME!
The narrative then speaks of how to deal with those who will not respond to this.
And finally Jesus talks of the good we can do when we work together, alongside his promise to be with us when we do.
Quite a few of recent weeks’ Gospel readings have been about handling conflict. Not surprising given that Matthew’s story is moving into the last phase of Jesus’ mission, heading towards that greatest conflict of all that He faced.Let’s look at the step by step instructions Jesus gave to resolve disputes within a church community. This was not about arguments over whether carnations or chrysanthemums should adorn the church that week. This was about those conflicts that would damage the family of Christ by causing divisions, factions and lasting damage. A falling out within a church family is a much graver matter than one involving a secular group. Because within a church, conflict damages the body of Christ, of which we are all part. It damages God’s mission that He set before us here on earth.The first option Jesus gave was to privately discuss the matter on a one to one basis. Second was to involve a few others in order to air both sides of the problem, hopefully with impartial listeners. Thirdly, the matter should be put before the church community as a whole for resolution.How wise and ahead of his time he was. This method of reconciliation and conflict management would be recognised today by anyone involved in this work. It is particularly used in family therapy circles, and after all this is what is being referred to here – a church family.But then we come to the point where the errant individual will not budge. “if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector”. But what does that mean?For so many centuries this was interpreted to mean they should be cast out of the community, ostracised and isolated.But these are the words of Jesus, “if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector”. How did Jesus deal with such people? He went out of His way to bring these people into the fold – good shepherd that he was.Tax collectors first. He ate and drank with them, as recorded by all the Gospels. He demanded hospitality from them, as with Zacchaeus. He took one of them, Matthew himself, as a member of his inner circle. And Gentiles? Jesus healed and ministered to many. The Canaanite woman’s daughter, the Samaritan woman at the well, the Roman centurion’s servant, Naaman the Syrian, the Gadarene demoniac.So what was Jesus’ meaning when he said those words, “if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector”? He meant you don’t give up and abandon them. They should still be ministered to. They should still be helped whenever possible. Efforts should not cease to try and regain them as part of the family of Christ. He meant that we
ELHAM VALLEY OPEN DOOR PRAYER HUB: WELCOME!should treat these people not as we would, but as He would. Drawing close to them in order to be restored and reconciled. It seems odd now that these words should have been used for so long in another fashion entirely. And so, in emerging from our recent restrictions, perhaps it’s time to start afresh regarding some of our old ideas, our past experiences and previously espoused views. Who knows what our new way forward will look like? But the final part of today’s Gospel reminds us that when we work together, when we worship together, and when we pray together, Jesus is with us. This doesn’t mean he is not when we are alone, but the strength of our unity is magnified more greatly than the numbers involved, because of that very commitment to work, worship and pray together.Once upon a time there was a king who had a good friend. His friend was very positive about everything, and in every situation could be heard to say, “this is good!”. One day the two went on a hunting trip, and the friend made a mistake when preparing the guns. When the king fired, his thumb was blown clean off. His friend said, “this is good!”. The king said “No, this is NOT good”, and immediately threw him into prison.A year later the king went on another trip and was captured by cannibals. As they lowered him into the cooking pot, they noticed his missing thumb. As it was against their beliefs to eat anything that was not whole, they released him. On reaching home he visited his ex-friend in prison, and said “it was good that I lost my thumb after all, and I’m sorry I put you in prison”. His friend replied, “No, it was good you did, because if you hadn’t I would have been with you on this last trip”.We don’t know at the time what good, or what bad, will come out of a situation. Sometimes we never know. All we can do is trust in God, use His word to guide our way of living. AmenSharon Paine
Although we are apart, we pray together:
Generous God we thank you for all that is good in our lives. For our families, our friends, the place in which we live and the things we take for granted. In giving thanks we pray for those who are less fortunate and face many challenges in their lives. We think especially of those who have no family or friends, those who have no place to live, those who are without food or water. Lord in your endless mercy Hear our prayer.
Loving God, our schools have returned this week. We pray for all pupils and members of staff as they start a new year, that they will remain safe in their study and work. May they return with a sense of excitement and openness to the challenges and opportunities that this new year will bring. Lord in your endless mercy Hear our prayer.
Faithful God, in the next few weeks your church in our benefice will be returning to corporate worship in our buildings. We pray that we will do so with a renewed
ELHAM VALLEY OPEN DOOR PRAYER HUB: WELCOME!sense of faithfulness, excitement, generosity and hope. We know that worship will not quite be the same as we remember, but however we pray, let it be led by your Spirit. Lord, help us to discern how the Church can renew in this difficult time and give us the grace to be open to the challenge of change. Lord in your endless mercy Hear our prayer.
Merciful God, we know that you are with us always. We pray that you will be with those for whom this week is not such a good time, those who suffer in body mind or spirit. We especially bring before you all those who are waiting or undergoing treatment, those recovering and for all nearing the end of their life. In particular Lord, we think of all those in our community who are sick at this time especially Vanessa Ashman, Margaret Morphew, Alan Field, Kevin Bennett, Janet Thornby, Derek & Nicki North, Daniel Stevens, Katherine Goody, Baby Rowan, Mike Wilson, David Ratcliff, Colin Laker, June Edwards, Derek Ufton, Jean Anderson, Paul Hutchins, John Hammond, Sheila Godden, and for all known to us who need a prayer for healing. We think of those recently departed known only to us, and those who mourn them.And we remember also those dear, whose year’s mind falls at this time: Robert Martin, John Chapman, Betty Jones and Colin Brown.
Lord, thank you for all those who work to alleviate the suffering of others. Be with our health workers, the emergency services, those charged with social care and those who look after a friend, relative or neighbour at home.Lord in your endless mercy Hear our prayer.
Finally Lord, we pray for ourselves as we approach the world in this coming week. We pray that we will go out filled with your spirit, with a sense of purpose and love in all that we do and wherever we may be. Help us to be generous and open hearted to all those we meet, that we may be true ambassadors of your love in all our words and actions. Merciful fatherAccept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Rev’d Stephen DougalMay we conclude with the prayer Jesus taught us;
Traditional
Our Father, who art in heaven,hallowed be thy name;thy kingdom come;thy will be done;
ELHAM VALLEY OPEN DOOR PRAYER HUB: WELCOME!on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us.And lead us not into temptation;but deliver us from evil.For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,for ever and ever.Amen.
Contemporary
Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our sinsas we forgive those who sin
against us.Lead us not into temptationbut deliver us from evil.For the kingdom, the power,
and the lory are yours glory now and for ever.
Amen.
For Families:
Toddler Praise from St George’s Church, Folkestone, with Rev’d Kate McNeice:https://www.facebook.com/StGeorgesFolkestone/https://www.rootsontheweb.com/media/21027/06-sept-2020-childrens-sheet.pdfhttps://www.rootsontheweb.com/media/21042/06-sept-2020-colouring-sheet.pdf
Churches open for Private PrayerLyminge Church:– 9am to 5pm dailyElham Church: - Jesus Chapel will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 am to 4pmPostling: - every day, during the dayPaddlesworth:- every day, 9am -5pmDenton & Wootton:- every day, all day
Daily Hope offers music, prayers and reflections as
well as full worship services from the Church of England at the end of a telephone line. Options available include materials such
ELHAM VALLEY OPEN DOOR PRAYER HUB: WELCOME! as Prayer During the Day and Night Prayer updated daily, from Common Worship, and a recording of the Church of England weekly national online service . A section called Hymn Line offers callers a small selection of hymns, updated
daily.
ELHAM VALLEY GROUP OF CHURCHES CONTACTS:Priest-in-Charge Rev’d Jane Weeks (on leave 22 nd August to 7 th September):01303 840219 (Monday to Thursday. Jane is not available on Thursday evenings and all-day Friday) [email protected] Associate Priest Rev’d Stephen Dougal: 07764775507 [email protected] Pastoral Team Leader Paul Jarvis: 01303 862215 [email protected] Benefice Administrator: Alison Dale 07985025381 (Thu-Fri 9-11am) [email protected] Churchwardens:Elham Peter Swain 01303 840408 - Graham Ernest-Jones 01303 840645Acrise Simon Smith 01303 892162 – Martin Bradley 01303 864289Denton & Wootton Sue Clough 01303 844324.Lyminge Phil Hawken 01303 862151Stanford Sara Myers 01303 814183 – Paul Smallwood 01303 813198Postling Peter Le Feuvre [email protected] – Chris Reynolds [email protected] Celia Mosley 01303 893609 - Lindsey Smith [email protected] On the Internet: www . elhamvalleygroupofchurches . co.uk www.achurchnearyou.com
Sunday 15 th September: Beating the Bounds of Acrise Parish – All welcome!
We will be walking the northern end of the parish this year. We will set out from the church at 10.00am, have a lunch stop at Reast Lane Gate (Sue & Mike Prebble’s home) and then head back to the church in the afternoon. Dogs welcome on leads!
ELHAM VALLEY OPEN DOOR PRAYER HUB: WELCOME!
