Weekly News - Villager Edition 2013 08

Weekly News “August Villager Edition” for the churches of St Andrew Denton, St Mary & St Peter Harlaxton, All Saints Stroxton, St James Woolsthorpe and St Catherine Wyville

Welcome to our worship today 28 July 2013 - 9th Sunday after Trinity Children are welcome at all our services 9:30am Holy Communion at Harlaxton (A service of holy communion with hymns 691, 437, 411, 82, 417)

11:00am Holy Communion at Wyville (A service of BCP holy communion with hymns 217, 200, 545, 220)

6:00pm Evensong at Denton (A service of BCP evensong with hymns 691, 437, 411, 417)

Sunday’s Readings Hosea 1.2-10; Psalm 85*; Colossians 2.6-15[16-19]; Luke 11.1-13

Collect (Prayer for today) Almighty God, who sent your Holy Spirit to be the life and light of your Church: open our hearts to the riches of your grace, that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spirit in love and joy and peace; 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.

Post Communion Prayer Holy Father, who gathered us here around the table of your Son to share this meal with the whole household of God: in that new world where you reveal the fullness of your peace, gather people of every race and language to share in the eternal banquet of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Collect (BCP) GRANT to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as be rightful; that we, who cannot do any thing that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Group Ministers Rev’d Keith Hanson: Rector (594608) hanson.keith@sky.com Rev’d John Bruce: Hon Asst Priest (561546) office@john-bruce.co.uk Mrs Sheila Finch: Licensed Reader (565086) sheilafinch@googlemail.com Mrs Lesley Devine: Licensed Reader (870795) lesley.devine@tiscali.co.uk Mrs Petula Codd: Licensed Reader (578404) petuladawn@hotmail.com

Group Churchwardens DENTON Mr Keith Hiley (870501), Second position vacant

HARLAXTON Mrs Sue Taylor (574040), Peter Chalk! (07880 745814)

HUNGERTON w WYVILLE Sir Francis Le Marchant (870244), Marion Webb (870374)

STROXTON Mrs Betty Madge (530296), Simon Embley (530481)

WOOLSTHORPE Both positions vacant

Other Contacts Sunday School Mrs Liz Carter (568097), Mrs Allison Rowley (590128) Prayer Circle Mrs Frances Warner (566988), Mrs Sheila Finch (565086) Choir (Harlaxton) Mrs Merle Thomas (573359) Bell Ringing Mrs Catherine Stewart (404868) Church Flowers (Harl’xn) Mrs Frances Warner (566988) Mothers’ Union Mrs Christine Bruce (561546) Tea & Chat Mrs Carole Pearson (560782) Villager Publisher Rev’d John Bruce (561546) !

Email: harlaxton.church@gmail.com

Pastoral Care Team Mrs Sheila Finch (565086) Mrs Lesley Devine (870795) Mrs Barbara Lawry (563272) Mrs Sue Taylor (574040)

Baptism Visiting Team Mrs Sheila Marsh (594330) Mrs Petula Codd (578404) Mrs Christine Bruce (561546)

Saturday 3rd August in Harlaxton Church from 10am ‘till 12 noon Just come along for a drink and a chat

£1.50 for Coffee & Cake or Tea & Cake (with free drinks refills) For the last time -­‐ 3rd August 2013 2

From the Rectory Are you a Crackpot?

“We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us”.

2 Corinthians 4:6-7 The Greek word for “clay pots” is “ostrakinos” which literally means earthenware. It was a word used to describe plain, ordinary, run-of-the mill pots.

Throughout the Bible God is called a master potter, making and forming us, and we are the clay. In Genesis 2, God made man. He formed him out of the dirt, or the clay of the ground. In Isaiah 64:8 we can read, “We are the clay, you are the Potter. We are all the work of your hand.”

God didn’t create human beings to be pretty decorations, something to be seen but never used; he made them to contain something valuable.

A pot or a vessel is, in its most practical sense, designed and created to hold something, not to be an object valued for itself.

We sometimes think God doesn’t need anything or anyone. But God chooses to use us; he chooses to fill up our lives with His treasure. And so we might reasonably come to the conclusion that God actually needs, and is searching for, empty pots to fill up with his treasure. God can’t fill a pot if it’s full of rubbish. God needs empty pots.

What an amazing thought! We have this precious commodity that God needs! We have a place within us where God can send his Son Jesus Christ to live. That’s a great treasure! Maybe, then, in our prayers we need to ask God: “What, then, will Jesus do in and through me once he’s there?”

The Apostle Paul called himself the chief of sinners, yet He wrote that the secret to usefulness was “Christ in you the hope of glory.” The presence of God himself is in you and me, working and flowing out from us, we are filled with the Holy Spirit, to do the ministry of Jesus.

God chooses to use imperfect, flawed, cracked pots, imperfect people like you and me “To show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” God can take our brokenness as it is and can fill us with his holy, life-giving power and use our cracks to allow his life-giving power to escape through! Our cracks become channels of God’s overabundant, over-flowing love!! Gosh!!!

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A cracked pot is more useful than we think.

Once upon a time there was an elderly Chinese woman who owned two large clay pots. She would hang each pot on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. Each day she would walk from her house to the nearby stream to fetch water. She would fill up both pots, pick up the pole and walk back to her house. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full pot of water. At the end of the long walk back to her house, the cracked pot always arrived only half full. Because of the crack, half the water had leaked out during the trek. For two full years, this happened daily.

The Chinese woman arrived home with only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud that it had never lost a drop of precious water. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfection, and was miserable. The cracked pot thought of itself as a complete failure. One day, the cracked pot was so tired of failing that it spoke to the woman. The cracked pot said, “I am ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. I have failed you, and I’m sorry. Maybe you need to replace me with another pot that isn’t cracked.”

The old woman smiled and said gently, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side.

And every day as I’ve walked back you’ve been watering those seeds.

For the past two years I’ve been able to pick the flowers to decorate my table. Without you being just the way you are, there would have been no beautiful flowers to grace my home.”

As a Church community we need to always be placing ourselves and our brokenness in God’s hands making ourselves available for him to fill with his treasure so that through us He can bless our Church, our community and our world.

So may the God of all Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and may you be a Crackpot for God. God Bless

Keith Hanson 4

Services and Events for August 2013 Sunday service times are as advertised in the weekly news sheet:

Wed 31st July at 10:00am Holy Communion at Denton Church Thu 1st Aug at 7:00pm Julian Prayer at Wyville Church Sat 3rd Aug at 10:00am The Last KafĂŠ Klub at Harlaxton Church

Week commencing Sunday 4th August 9:30am Holy Communion at Denton church 11:00am Harlac’s Song at Harlaxton church 6:00pm Songs of Praise at Stroxton church Wed 7th Aug Holy Communion in Denton Church Fri 9th Aug at 10:30am Mary Sumner Day Eucharist at Harlaxton Church Sat 10th Aug Healing Service in Harlaxton Church (time to be confirmed)

Week commencing Sunday 11th August 9:30am Holy Communion at Harlaxton church 11:00am Open House at Denton church 6:00pm Evensong at Wyville church Wed 14th Aug at 10:00am Holy Communion at Harlaxton church

Week commencing Sunday 18th August 9:30am Holy Communion at Denton church 11:00am Holy Communion at Harlaxton church 4:00pm Family Service at Woolsthorpe church Wed 21st Aug at 10:00am Holy Communion at Harlaxton church Wed 21st Aug at 10:45am Staff Meeting at Harlaxton Rectory Thu 22nd at 10:30am Coffee Morning at 35 Rectory Lane Thu 22nd Aug at 7:00pm Fashion Show & Sale in Denton Church Sat 24th Aug at 11:00am Jumble Sale at Woolsthorpe church

Week commencing Sunday 25th August 9:30am Holy Communion at Harlaxton church 11:00am Holy Communion at Wyville church 6:00pm Evensong at Denton church Wed 28th Aug at 10:00am Holy Communion at Harlaxton church 5

Songs of Praise

Sunday 4th August - 6:00pm at Stroxton church Followed by Pimms and refreshments

Fashion Show & Sale

Coffee Morning

St Andrew’s Church Denton

The home of Jeff & Sheila Finch

Thu 22nd Aug at 10:30pm

35 Rectory Lane

Thursday 22nd August

Jumble Sale

Doors open from 7:00pm for 7:30pm start

St James’ Church Woolsthorpe

Tickets £5.00 includes refreshments Available from PCC members or Jil Hiley 870501

Saturday 24th August Starting at 11:00am

Mothers’ Union - Harlaxton Branch

Friday 9th Aug at 10:30am in Harlaxton Church

Mary Sumner Day Eucharist ALL ARE WELCOME!

Deadlines Dates September “Villager” Weekly News (published on 25 August)

the Deadline is Sunday 18th August September/October/November Events & Service Guide,

the Deadline has passed! harlaxton.church@gmail.com or - 5 Welwyn Close, Grantham, NG31 7JU - 561546 6

The Bishop of Lincoln writes: As I write this, I’ve just returned from General Synod where we were discussing the ordina<on of women as bishops. Whilst everyone agrees it will happen, there remain major differences about exactly how to enable the move. During the debate, I was very impressed with the nature and quality of the contribu<ons from people who disagreed so profoundly about something.

Being able to disagree honestly about something is very important – as Voltaire said, “I disagree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.” The concept of free speech is one that underpins democracy.

I came across these words from St Augus<ne of Hippo recently, carved in beau<ful calligraphy on the floor of a chapel: ‘We come to God not by naviga<on, but by love’.

It seems to me these words have something to say to us about how we handle disagreements in general, not just in the church. Rather than being angry and looking for someone or something to blame when something goes wrong, we would do beQer to look for God's providence.

Of course God allows things to go wrong and for human beings to make mistakes, but the grace of God is always available for us to discover his will for the future. For me this means changing the language of our discourse from one of suspicion and mistrust to one of mutual respect and trust.

To use Augus<ne’s metaphor, the method of ploUng an accurate course across the ocean which we ini<ate and in which we are in control is not God’s way. Instead God invites us to respond to his love by building new rela<onships characterised by mutual respect and trust.

This is not easy, but it is a path worth taking. If we can listen and understand views of those with whom we disagree, we can humbly explore the way God is calling us to walk. +Christopher Lincoln: 7

News and Events for week commencing 28 July 2013 Mon 28, 10:30am - Bible Study Group meets at Susan Watkin’s home (Sheila Finch for details) Tue 29, 7:00pm - Bible Study (more information from Lesley Devine) Sat 3 Aug, 10:00am - Kafé Klub in Harlaxton church - the LAST one.

Next Sunday, 4 August - services at the usual times 9:30am ! Holy Communion at Denton 11:00am !Harlac’s Song at Harlaxton 6:00pm! Songs of Praise at Stroxton - followed by Pimms & refreshments

Next Sunday’s Readings Hosea 11.1-11; Psalm 107.1-9,43*; Colossians 3.1-11; Luke 12.13-21

Advance Notices Fri 9th Aug at 10:30am Mary Sumner Day Eucharist at Harlaxton Church Sat 10th Aug Healing Service in Harlaxton Church (time to be confirmed) Wed 21st Aug at 10:45am Staff Meeting at Harlaxton Rectory Thu 22nd Aug at 10:30pm Coffee Morning at 35 Rectory Lane Thu 22nd Aug at 7:00pm Fashion Show & Sale in Denton Church Sat 24th Aug at 11:00am Jumble Sale at Woolsthorpe church

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