13TH NOVEMBER 2016
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STORY Vicar’s Blog
I am an early bird. I have never caught a worm, but at 5am I start wondering where everybody else is, and by 8pm I am clutching a hot water bottle and asking why nobody else is in his or her pyjamas. When I arrived here as vicar one of my first acts was to shift our PCC meetings to Saturday mornings as I was worried that me sleeping through long evening meetings might give the wrong impression. I’ve always been like this, and I used to love it as a child when my Nan & Pap came to stay. Pap, Jack Munns, a good East Midlands name, was a postman, so he always got up ridiculously early in both his working life and his retirement. And I used to sit with him at 5am by our gas fire, inhaling his cigarette smoke, telling him about my schoolboy world and listening to his stories over mugs of hot tea. In the
midst of great tales, of epic deliveries gone wrong, I remember one very slight disappointment, when Pap came to tell me his war stories. ‘I enlisted for the RAF, and served as ground crew.’ Good so far. ’Then I was attached to the US Air Force and stationed in the Caribbean for the rest of WWII.’ Oh, what? No dambusting with Barnes Wallis then, only heroic tales of severe dehydration and sunburn. But Pap did at least throw in the tale of fixing the car of one of King Edward VIII’s staff in the Bahamas. Still, I was very glad that he came back safe. So was Nan. And so many countless didn’t. And many carried overwhelming and heart-breaking sadness from 1945 for the rest of their lives. And those stories of loss and pain through conflict have sadly been replenished thoroughly over the ensuing 71 years.
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Towards the end of our Acts of Remembrance across the nation this weekend we will hear the words of the Kohima Epitaph:
When you go home tell them of us and say for your tomorrow we gave our today. Words from Allied operations in India in 1944 which remind us that we don’t just keep silent this Sunday, we ‘tell them.’ We tell them of conflicts ended and lives lost, and we pray for those who in our time have committed their lives to work for peace.
A B B E Y D I A RY THIS SUNDAY: November 13th 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion with Act of Remembrance 2.30pm British Legion Service of Remembrance 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church with Act of Remembrance THIS WEEK EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer MON 14th 10am Little Stars TUES 15th 7.30pm Glory! WED 16th 10.30am Communion 7.30pm Alpha th THUR 17 10.30am Time for Chat 7pm Choir Practice SAT 19th 9.30am Choir Practice 7.30pm Cantores Chamber Choir NEXT SUNDAY: November 20th 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church
ADVENT & CHRISTMAS BROCHURE Available at issuu.com/malmesburyabbey
LU K E 2 1 : 5 - 1 9 5
Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6 ‘As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.’7 ‘Teacher,’ they asked, ‘when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?’ 8 He replied: ‘Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, “I am he,” and, “The time is near.” Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.’ 10
Then he said to them: ‘Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. 12 ‘But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 And so you will bear testimony to me. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 Stand firm, and you will win life.
Additional Reading: Malachi 4:1-2a
DISCIPLESHIP 1. Read the passage. Particularly reflect on Luke 21:5-7 and share your thoughts. 2. If you had been one of the disciples what might your response to the destruction of the temple have been? 3. From your reading of the Gospels what sense do you have of the significance of the temple for the Jewish people? 4. What was Jesus’ attitude to the temple? (Luke 19: 45-46) 4. 5. Do you think that there was a link between the destruction of the temple and the fulfillment of his mission? (John 2:19-22)? 5. 6. The writer of Hebrews 4:14-16 spoke of Jesus’ role as our High Priest. Does this relate to your life and how?
D A I LY R E A D I N G S Monday Psalm 47 Daniel 8:1-14 Revelation 10 Tuesday Psalm 52 Daniel 8:15-end Revelation 11:1-14 Wednesday Psalm 56 Daniel 9:1-19 Revelation 11:15-end Thursday Psalm 62 Daniel 9:20-end Revelation 12 Friday Psalm 63 Daniel 10:1-11:1 Revelation 13:1-10
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
SMALL GROUPS
DELIVERY
Over 150 people from our Abbey community are part of a small group that studies the Bible and connects with each other at times away from our Sunday services. Brian Whitehead, a Lay Minister based at our 10.30am congregation, is now our Small Group Coordinator. If you would like to find out more or join a small group please contact Brian through the Abbey Office. 01666 826666 or office@malmesburyabbey.com
Pressed into your hand next week will be a copy of the 2016 Abbey Advent & Christmas brochure, Christmas at the Abbey. We’d also like to bless you with another 50100 copies of the brochure for delivery across Malmesbury in the following 72 hours. We’ve found that more people come to Abbey services and events when we actually let them know about them. Your help is essential and greatly appreciated.
GLO RY !
TICKETS
Come to the Abbey this Tuesday at 7.30pm for a time of worship and prayer led by Revd John Monaghan. A time to honour God in worship and to seek his face together in Spirit-led prayer.
As we get closer to Christmas, now is the time for Abbey Members to pick up tickets for our major events and services. Free Tickets for our Advent Carols by Candlelight and Nine Lessons & Carols are now available at the stewards’ desk, as are Malmesbury Nativity tickets (Adults 2.50, Children free.)
12t h CE N TU RY B E AU T Y 21st CE NTU RY CHU R CH
NOTICEBOARD ABBEY CRAFT EVENING On Tuesday 22nd November at 7pm, ladies, come and try your hand at making simple, eye catching Advent and Christmas crafts in the warmth and beauty of the candlelit Abbey. A perfect event to come to with a group of friends. Light supper with wine, music and plenty of time to chat and create and a reflection by Kim Hartshorne. ÂŁ10 per person includes soup, cake & wine and material and instructions to make five crafts. Tickets can be purchased from the back of the Abbey. For more information contact office@malmesburyabbey.com
CHRISTMAS VOUCHER SCHEME You can be part of a great example of the church in action in our community! Each year Churches Together in Malmesbury (CTiM) like to give a Christmas present to low income families in the area, so they can enjoy celebrating this special time of year too and know that the local community cares for them. Our generosity means they will be given vouchers that can be exchanged for food at the local Co-op stores. Last year we were able to help around 70 local families. This week special envelopes are available at each service. If you would like to contribute, please place your donation inside one of the envelopes provided, and if you pay tax then please write your name etc on the envelope so that gift aid can be added to the total. Your envelope can be placed in the collection in any of the services during November. If you know of someone who would like to contribute but isn’t here today, extra envelopes are available at the back of the Abbey. Thank you for helping to make sure this event continues to be a local success.
! ABBEY AD V ENT & CH R ISTMAS D IARY 20 16 Sat 26th Nov
6.30pm Advent Carols by Candlelight 1
Sun 27th Nov
ADVENT SUNDAY 9am & 10.30am Advent Holy Communion 4pm All-age Advent Service 6.30pm Advent Carols by Candlelight 2 7pm Youth Action Wiltshire Carol Service 7.30pm Malmesbury Community Choir Christmas Concert
Fri 2nd Dec Sat 3rd Dec Sun 4th Dec
Thu 8th Dec Sat 10th Dec Sun 11th Dec
Wed 14th Dec Sat 17th Dec Sun 18th Dec
Fri 23rd Dec
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ADVENT II 9am & 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church 10am Malmesbury CE Primary School Christmas Service 7.30pm Malmesbury Singers Christmas Concert ADVENT III 9am & 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church 7.30pm Malmesbury School Carol Service 6.30pm Nine Lessons & Carols by Candlelight 1 ADVENT IV 9am & 10.30am Holy Communion 3pm The Puppet Nativity for younger children 6.30pm Nine Lessons & Carols by Candlelight 2 7pm The Malmesbury Nativity
Sat 24th Dec
CHRISTMAS EVE 2pm, 4pm & 6pm The Malmesbury Nativity 11.30pm Midnight Communion (Carols from 11.15pm)
Sun 25th Dec
CHRISTMAS DAY 9am Holy Communion 11am Family Celebration 12 noon Champagne (bring a bottle)