‘Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.’
09/02/14 MALMESBURY ABBEY
HOSPITALITY THAT INVITES PEOPLE CLOSER STABILITY THAT DRAWS PEOPLE DEEPER CREATIVITY THAT LIFTS PEOPLE HIGHER
Vicar’s blog: passers-by The violinist Joshua Bell stood with a 1713 Stradivarius in his hands, lifted his bow, and started to play the Chaconne by Johann Sebastian Bach; composed just seven years after Antonio Stradivari made the particular violin he was holding. The composer Brahms was so in awe of this piece of music that he once wrote that if he had written it the ‘excitement and earth-shattering experience would have driven him out of his mind.’ But for this performance Joshua Bell wasn’t at the Boston Symphony Hall, where two days earlier tickets to hear him went for $100, he was busking at L’Enfant Plaza metro station in Washington DC, to see if commuters bustling by on their way to work would stop. They did, to buy their Washington Post and their daily lottery ticket as usual, but would the beauty and grace of Messrs JS Bach and J Bell cause them to break their routine for a moment, would a crowd gather, would Joshua Bell make enough money to get his cab back to the hotel? Just a handful of over 1,000 passers-by stopped to listen; the virtuoso made $32.17.
The Old Testament prophet Jonah is not known to have played the violin, but something he said while in the (joshua) belly of a fish came to mind as I read the Joshua Bell story: those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. (Jonah 2:8) A secular version of Jonah’s words might be, ‘those who get their priorities utterly wrong miss out on the life they were born to live.’ A preacher’s version of this would be ‘worship the wrong god and you’ll live the wrong life’ - try it in a Deep South accent. Joshua Bell’s version would probably be ‘if you haven’t got time to stop and listen to the music that JS Bach wrote you’ve probably lost touch with the God he worshipped.’ So this is advance notice. March 5th, Lent is coming. No doubt there will be intense chocolate avoidance, and I am currently conflicted over whether I could actually function without fresh coffee (answer, no.) But Lent is actually an audit, a hearing, we stop and listen to our lives, and ask if there is any time in there for us to stop and listen to God. Think about this; from March 5th the violin case is open. neillarcher.blogspot.co.uk
Abbey Diary THIS SUNDAY: FEBRUARY 9th 8am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship, Junior Church & Trax 6.30pm Choral Evensong EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer TUES 11th 9.30am Women Alive! 7.30pm Glory! WED 12th 10.30am Holy Communion 7pm Pipeline THUR 13th 10.30am Time for Chat 4pm Evening Prayer 7pm Choir Practice SAT 15th 10am Healing in the Streets NEXT SUNDAY: FEBRUARY 16th 8am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship, Junior Church & Trax ADVANCE ABBEY DIARY March 5th Ash Wed HC 10.30 am & 7pm April 15th Glory! April 17th Riding Lights ‘Inheritance’ April 20th Bishop Lee preaching June 3rd Glory! June 20th- Church Weekend Away June 22nd (Paul Langham & Bishop Lee) July 2nd Music for Autism July 15th WOMAD at the Abbey July 28/29 Holiday at Home Aug 3rd New Wine Sep 13th Archbishop in Malmesbury Oct 17/18 BBC History Weekend
1 John 3:11-24 11
For this is the message you heard from the beginning: we should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
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This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
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This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 if our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: we know it by the Spirit he gave us.
Additional Reading: John 10:11-13 11
‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
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'this is the message you heard from the beginning' (v11). Where have you heard that before in this letter? What's the reason for John writing this phrase? 'do not be surprised...if the word hates you' (v13). What does John mean by this? How does that make us feel to be 'hated by the world'? 'anyone who does not love remains in death' (v14). John seems to be saying that anyone who carry's on sinning as though no change of lifestyle were required is to question whether new life has in fact occurred in the first instance. Do you agree? 'this is how we know what love is' (v16). What is John's working definition of love? Why is 'love in action' so crucial to what love itself is? 'let us not love with words...but with actions...' (v18). Can you share some examples of times that you have loved with words but not actions. What can you do to help each other love with actions? Why is it so hard to love? Shouldn't it be easy for us? Why does it take such sacrificial effort?!
daily readings MONDAY Psalm 30 1 Tim 1:1-17
TUESDAY Psalm 36 1 Tim 1:18-2:17
WEDNESDAY Psalm 34 1 Timothy 3
THURSDAY Psalm 37 1 Timothy 4
FRIDAY Psalm 31 1 Timothy 5
Abbey Youth Ministry After serving very, very faithfully in our youth department for the last seven years, and at the same time obtaining a BA in Youth & Community Work, Sarah McGrory has decided that it is time to take a break, replenish over the summer and consider prayerfully a new direction in ministry; she will be stepping down at the end of February. The Abbey is immensely grateful to Sarah and we will be thanking her more fully at the end of the month. From March, in this time of transition, Neill & Pete Campbell will be overseeing our Youth Department, building on all Sarah has done and recruiting new faces to strengthen the team for an exciting season ahead.
Two Outstanding People Mary Barnes and the junior church team would like to recruit 2 volunteers to join our team. We are looking for 1 person to join the Splash team - 46year old (rec-Y2) and 1 person for the JetSream team - 7-11 (Y3-Y6). We need you to be dynamic, fun, love children, passionate about sharing the good news of Jesus, up for having a laugh and willing to commit to helping once a month. Please speak to me/ phone me on 07967 211018 or email me on mary@malmesburyabbey.com if you want to know more!
Soft Play On Monday 17th February, the Monday of Skatepark week, there will be children’s soft play and a café available throughout the day.
Open Doors—Prayer for the Persecuted Join us to pray for persecuted Christians on Monday 10th February at 7.45pm in the home of Harry & Mollie Raiss (18 West Street). This month we will focus on the new Open Doors World Watch List of the 50 countries where it’s hardest to be a Christian. Please bring your booklet and suggest a particular country to pray for. For more info please contact Mike on 823982.
Noticeboard Abbey Guild This month’s guest speaker will be our very own Dave Bankhead who will be speaking about My Life & Ministry in Music. Come and join us this Tuesday 11th February in King’s Church, Abbey Row at 2.30pm. All invited, young, old, men & women – you’ll all receive a warm welcome.
Glory! God is good. Two remarkable things happened in our prayer life together in 2013. First, throughout the year, each day at 9am, normally 4-9 people gathered for 25 minutes to read scripture, pray liturgy , sing together and intercede. Please join us, even for one morning, in 2014. Second, about 50 of us came to passionately praise God and be led by the Spirit in prayer at our Glory! Prayer meetings. John, Mandy & Neill are leading the next one on February 11th from 7.30pm-9pm. Again, join us. The church is praying.
February 2 Love & Identity February 9 Love & Action February 16 Love Sacrifices February 23 Love Overcomes March 2 Love & Truth
1 John 2:28-3:10 1 John 3:11-24 1 John 4 1 John 5 2 John & 3 John
Contact ABBEY OFFICE Mon &Tues (9.30am-12noon) Weds, Thurs ,Fri, (9.30am-2.30pm) 01666 826666 www.malmesburyabbey.com sandie@malmesburyabbey.com Staff members can be contacted by name@malmesburyabbey.com NORMAL CAFÉ HOURS Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday: 9am-3pm Wednesday: 12-3pm Sunday: Closed all day clare@malmesburyabbey.com
The Parenting Children Course This month, the Abbey will be running a free 5-week course for any parents or carers of children aged 0-10 years. This is a fantastic opportunity to invite those inside and outside the church to share the ups and downs of parenting and pick up ideas along the way. It will be on Tuesday evenings in the Abbey, 7.30pm9.45pm, starting 25th Feb and finishing 25th March. Make sure to grab some flyers on the way out to give to your friends. To book a place, or find out more information, contact our curate, Rev John Monaghan, 01666 829101 orjohn@malmesburyabbey.com
12th CENTURY BEAUTY 21st CENTURY CHURCH