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WAIT Vicar’s Blog
I have everything in common with a typical NBA basketball player apart from the fact that they are about seven feet tall and they can fly. And they are all millionaires. The slam-dunk, a prerequisite at their exalted level, is pretty much what it sounds like - a player slamming the ball into the net from above; yes, above. As I play on a Thursday night the net is in the far stratospheric distance. I normally pop and get a stepladder when I get close. But my NBA heroes fly, and land without breaking bits. All of which gets me to the Ascension. In Acts 1 Christ was taken up into the heavenly realms; he will land at the Second Coming, and as we wait He sits in glory. For me that Ascension is obviously the climactic point that you send the church out into the world to shake things up a bit and proclaim the Kingdom of God. But Jesus has
another word for his disciples as they prayed in Jerusalem – wait. (See Acts 1:4) What were they waiting for? Now that is entirely the wrong question, try who were they waiting for? Jesus has ambitious plans for the church, to make disciples of all nations, and the pause in Jerusalem isn’t for dramatic effect, it is that the church might always and ever do her ministry by the power of the Holy Spirit. There is no other way to do authentic Christian ministry. So our teaching series Breathe begins this weekend. It is a series that gives us two months to relearn what we’ve forgotten about the Spirit of God, and to allow Christ to breathe on us afresh as he did the early church. This Sunday we explore how the Spirit and the Bible relate to each
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A B B E Y D I A RY THIS SUNDAY: May 3rd 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church
other. Next weekend I will be encouraging us all to make time in our daily lives to receive the Holy Spirit, to wait on Him, and be empowered by God for daily life, wherever we find ourselves. On Sunday 17th May our focus will be on Acts 1 and the Spirit that sends us into the world. On Pentecost Sunday itself we will reflect on the power of the Spirit to heal and to save, and then as May comes to an end we will look at the end of Acts 2 and the distinguishing features of that first community of the Spirit. In June will enter 1 Corinthians and look, amongst other things, at the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Our prayer in these coming months? Breathe on me, Breath of God.
THIS WEEK EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer TUES 5th 9.30am Women Alive! 2.30pm Prayer for the Persecuted Church th WED 6 10.30am Communion THURS 7th 10.30am Time for Chat 1.45pm Prayers for Janet Parke (Eilmer House) 7pm Choir Practice th SAT 9 10am The Meeting Place 7.30pm Concert
NEXT SUNDAY: May 10th 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church 6.30pm Choral Evensong: The Ascension ADVANCE May 19th Glory! June 19th Riding Lights Roughshod
AC T S 8 : 2 6 - 4 0 26
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road – the desert road – that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means ‘queen of the Ethiopians’). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’ 30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. 31 ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: ‘He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.’ 34
The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’ 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they travelled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptised?’ 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptised him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and travelled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea. Additional Reading: John 15:1-8
DISCIPLESHIP 1. Read Acts 8:26-40 out loud. Share your thoughts on this passage as you heard it being read out? If you need to, read it quietly again. 2. In what ways does Luke (the author) show us that this is starting to be the fulfilment of Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8? 3. What other significant evangelist is tasked with spreading the gospel to the Gentile world (hint chapter 9!). What are the two things the Spirit tells Philip to do? What can we learn from his response about how we should respond to the Spirit? 4. Notice that Philip wasn’t told what to do when he got into the chariot. Can you think of a time that you felt led by God’s Spirit to do something? Was it specific or open-ended? 5. Share together an experience of God’s Spirit speaking to you as you read a verse or passage from the bible. 6. Have a time of waiting on God’s Spirit. Ask him to speak to you. Wait for a couple of minutes and then share if you felt God speaking to you in any way.
D A I LY R E A D I N G S Monday Psalm 145 Deuteronomy 16:1-10 1 Peter 1:1-12 Tuesday Psalm 19 Deuteronomy 17:8-end 1 Peter 1:13-end Wednesday Psalm 30 Deuteronomy 18:9-end 1 Peter 2:1-10 Thursday Psalm 57 Deuteronomy 19 1 Peter 2:11-end Friday Psalm 138 Deuteronomy 21:22-22:8 1 Peter 3:1-12
REGULAR GIVING If you would like to give regularly to the mission and ministry of the Abbey as part of your discipleship, please e-mail alan@malmesburyabbey.com. m
SONGS OF PRAISE
MISSING KEYS
The Songs of Praise segment filmed at Malmesbury Abbey Skate 2015 is now likely to be broadcast on Sunday May 31st. The programme will also include footage from the previous day’s FA Cup Final from Wembley Stadium.
If you are in possession of any Abbey, Eilmer House or Parish Office keys and no longer use them, or use them so infrequently that you could borrow from another key holder, please return your keys to Sandie in the Parish Office as soon as possible. Many thanks.
FUNERAL
HEALING TEAMS
The funeral of the late Mrs Brenda Higgs will take place in the Abbey on Monday 11th May at 10.45am.
There will be a training session for all involved in Healing & Prayer Ministry on Monday 11th May at 8pm in the Parish Office. Neill will be teaching on ‘Healing in the book of Acts.’ The focus of our Glory! Prayer meeting on July 21st will be fasting and prayer for our Healing ministry.
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NOTICEBOARD NEW WINE 2015 From August 2nd – 8th around 30 members from the Abbey will pack their bags and head off for another unforgettable week of laughter and friendship, passionate worship and inspiring teaching at the New Wine summer festival. It’s not too late to book and come with us. You can camp, caravan or commute, come for the whole week, half a week, or just for a day. Go to www.new-wine.org/summer for more details or speak to Revd John Monaghan.
CHRISTIAN AID EVENTS On Sunday 3rd May at 6pm there is a Christian Aid Week Service at the United Reform Church, Malmesbury. The guest speaker is Katrine Musgrave, Christian Aid’s Regional Coordinator for Wiltshire. The retiring collection will be in aid of the Nepal Earthquake Appeal. On Saturday May 9th, from 9.30am-2.30pm there is Car Wash at the ATC on Tetbury Hill; £5 per car. And volunteers still needed to help with the houseto-house collection. Please contact Dick Gray at richardgray.tiscali.co.uk.
Enquiries 01666 826666 // Box Office 01666 824339 office@malmesburyabbey.com www.malmesburyabbey.com issuu.com/malmesburyabbey
breathe May 3rd May 10th May 17th May 24th May 31st
The Spirit & the Word of God (Acts 8:26-40) Receiving the Spirit (Acts 10:44-48) The Spirit & the World (Acts 1:1-11) The Power of the Spirit (Acts 2:1-21) The Community of the Spirit (Acts 2:38-47)