6TH MARCH 2016
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NEIGHBOURHOOD Vicar’s Blog
At the back end of Luke 10, an expert in the law, with some pretty dubious motives, stood up to ask Jesus how he might inherit eternal life. As was often his way, Jesus then dragged the correct answer out of him - love God and love your neighbour. The expert’s pedantic follow-up question ‘and who is my neighbour?’ then calls forth from Christ the pointed richness of the famous parable of The Good Samaritan, which interestingly can be heard in two contrasting ways. One, our neighbour is the beaten up person at the side of the road that we stop to help. Love them. Or two, our neighbour is the one who helps us when we are beaten up and at the side of the road. Love them. (Actually, I think the text more strongly implies the latter.) So it’s really that simple. Love God, and love your neighbour. However, the thing that I have noticed, since I
have been wearing plastic around my neck, is that the connection with both God and neighbour is at the very heart of many of the struggles of the normal Christian life. Our 2016 Lent challenge to return to a daily practice of prayer and Bible reading, 20 minutes a day with God, addresses the loving God dimension. Alongside that I put out the suggestion that we might meet with each other and eat soup (or whatever) and pray and talk about God each week. This is not just fussy interference from the vicar, although I do enjoy that, a lot. This is also something we’ve adopted in the Abbey staff and leadership for some time now, to help us notice, amongst other things, who’s lying at the side of the road, and who isn’t. We shouldn’t pretend that our festival of the creative arts and spirituality Easter at the Abbey is us crossing the road like the Samaritan. It isn’t. But it
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A B B E Y D I A RY THIS SUNDAY: March 6th 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church
does at the very least get us on the same road as others; it gets us in the neighbourhood. And in a world that increasingly sees the church as a disconnected irrelevance, that is no bad thing. We now have 3,750 brochures to deliver. Please pick up a pack in the next few days, if you are able, and don’t wait too long before you deliver them. Comedy, jazz and a genuinely warm welcome might just be bandages and oil to somebody. Brochure now online at issuu.com/malmesburyabbey
THIS WEEK EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer MON 7th 10am Little Stars TUES 8th 2.30pm Abbey Guild 7.30pm Refresh th WED 9 10.30am Communion 7pm Malmesbury School Chamber Concert th THUR 10 ALL DAY Organ Tuning: Abbey Closed 7pm Choir Practice SAT 12th 10am The Meeting Place NEXT SUNDAY: March 13th 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church 6pm Labyrinth Set-up
EASTER AT THE ABBEY Brochure now online at issuu.com/malmesburyabbey
JOHN 19:25-27 25
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26
When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing near by, he said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ 27 and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
Additional Reading: Isaiah 66:10-13 10 Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her— 11 that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious bosom. 12 For thus says the Lord: I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm, and dandled on her knees. 13 As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
DISCIPLESHIP 1. Read the John 19 passage through and keep silence for at least a minute. Read it again and than say a word or phrase that strikes you. Read it for a third time and then share what the phrase might mean and what questions it might raise. 2. Imagine how being at the cross might have been for Mary. In what ways does her presence demonstrate the love of a mother? 3. In Isaiah 66:10-13 God is depicted as a mother who comforts. How is this reflected in the life of Jesus, including in his words from the cross? 4. Reflect on the way you have experienced and know God. Has it ever felt to be as a mother's love? 5. How might we include and reach out to those who are vulnerable and isolated and feel far from God's love?
D A I LY R E A D I N G S Monday Psalm 77 Exodus 2:11-22 Hebrews 9:1-14 Tuesday Psalm79 Exodus 2:23-3:20 Hebrews 9:15-end Wednesday Psalm 90 Exodus 4:1-23 Hebrews 10:1-18 Thursday Psalm 86 Exodus 4:27-6:1 Hebrews 10:19-25 Friday Psalm 102 Exodus 6:2-13 Hebrews 10:26-end
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
SOUP LUNCH
WELCOMER S
Please help support Christian Aid by joining us for a soup lunch at the United Reformed Church on Friday 11th March at 12.30pm. For more information please contact Dick Gray on 01666 823979.
We are looking for a few extra people who might be able to spare a couple of hours a week to help on our welcome desk, particularly on a Thursday afternoon or a Saturday morning (although other times may be available). Till training will be provided. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet people from all over the world, and to learn more about the history of our beautiful Abbey, while serving the local community. Please speak to Robert Hitchings or Holly Bird.
ABBEY GUILD
REFRESH
This Tuesday 8th March at 2.30pm is the AGM of the Abbey Guild followed by our very own Sister Joan Wilbourne talking to us about her life serving in the Church Army. Refreshments will be provided. For more information please contact Helen Small
Join us for Refresh on Tuesday March 8th at 7.30pm at the Abbey when Wendy Reakes, from Clevedon Baptist Church, will be speaking on ‘Is this what I believe, that God so loves me?’ and will also be sharing her testimony. Wendy suffered an accident in 1999, which led, to infection and then to a leg amputation. However, it was during her recovery she met with God. Please book a place with Sandie on office@malmesburyabbey.com or 01666 826666.
12t h CE N TU RY B E AU T Y 21st CE NTU RY CH UR CH
NOTICEBOARD L I T T L E S TA R S N E E D S M U S C L E ! Little Stars had 96 little ones and adults last Monday in the Abbey (10:00am to 11:30am), they jumped on the bouncy castle, raced cars around the track, went fishing, drew their own meal and finished with songs, a bible story and prayer. It’s action packed and Spirit filled! However, to continue to serve such a large group we need space, which means moving chairs. We would like to have 3 teams who can help with this at different times. Team 1: Move chairs after the 4pm service at 5:30pm. Could you serve on a rota? Team 2: Re-set the chairs after Little Stars has finished at 11:30am on Monday (during school term time). Team 3: Set up on Monday from 8am once a month (when there has been Choral Evensong the night before). It should take about 20 minutes and will be a great blessing to the children and adults who come but also to the team running Little Stars. Please contact Andrew on andrew@malmesburyabbey.com or 07784333361 to join a team and support this exciting new ministry.
GLO RY ! Our next Glory! prayer meeting is on Wednesday 16th March at 9pm. Following a chance earlier in the evening to pray The Garden Labyrinth we will gather at the foot of the cross for 45 minutes of devotional worship and prayer together.
S U N G E U C H A R I S T : M A U N D Y T H U R S D AY A new development at 7.30pm on Maundy Thursday when Neill and the Abbey Choir will lead us in a Sung Eucharist – a reflective service of Holy Communion of great beauty, where a very large part of the service is sung by the minister and the choir. All are very welcome; the service will last about one hour.
Refresh
CONTAC T
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR WOMEN TO GET TOGETHER AND ENCOUNTER GOD
ABBEY OFFICE
ABBEY KITCHEN
In 2016 we have a closer look at John 3.16 Is this what I believe... ...That God so loves me.
Tue 8 March 2016 at 7.30pm - Malmesbury Abbey Fun with flowers
...That Jesus died for me.
Fri 13 May 2016 at 6.30pm - Roberts Berry Farm - Grittleton Clay Pidgeon shoot / walk, food & drink
...That I am truly forgiven.
Wed 13 July 2016 at 7.30pm - Malmesbury Abbey Quiet reflective evening
...That I have eternal life.
Sat 1 Oct 2016 at 9am - Malmesbury Abbey Breakfast & Testimonies
...That Jesus is the light of the world.
Tue 22 Nov 2016 at 6.30pm - Malmesbury Abbey A 1d v2et nht Ce vEeNn T t UwRi tYh B c rEaAftU&T Ys u 2 p p1esrt
CENTURY CHURCH