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MERCY Vicar’s Blog
I was sitting next to one of my best friends, Mike. We had just completed a long and rather tedious form as part of our theological training, and in fact the Revd Mandy Churcher would have also been somewhere in the room doing exactly the same thing since we trained together. The form was intended to identify what our spiritual gifts and passions were. I heard an unusually loud groan from Mike, and then a few words that simply can’t be printed here, but Mike will have probably found useful running a PCC over the years. So I asked Mike what was up? He said ‘I’ve just added up my totals on this wretched form and I score lowest for mercy. I am better at administration than mercy! I am better at everything than mercy!’ I helpfully chipped in, ‘Don’t worry mate, God’s really not that merciful is he?’ Mike’s look implied a considerable level of violence, not mercy.
Two things. 1. Mike is one of the most compassionate and merciful men I have ever met. The form was clearly stupid. 2. Mercy really matters. Mike was right to be a bit concerned. There are of course two chapters in the Bible where mercy is totally unnecessary; Genesis 1 & 2. All is going swimmingly there, literally in Genesis 1:20. But then in Genesis 3 humanity is, well, humanity; and the story really isn’t going to end at all well unless, in the words of St James, mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:13.) A tiny phrase, but a very powerful one. It finds its power of course in the cross of Christ where, in the words of the old hymn, ‘through the floodgates of God’s mercy, flowed a vast and gracious tide.’ That I think we can comprehend conceptually, just. But sometimes, because we are simply human, we
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A B B E Y D I A RY THIS SUNDAY: October 16th 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church 6.30pm Wessex Choral Evensong
struggle to make it real. We get it wrong for ourselves, remaining somewhat unconvinced that we are forgiven, that mercy has been lavished on us, and missing the restored, shameless beauty that God sees in us. And, of course, we can miss it as we look at others. I always need to remind myself, as I look to the left and to the right, that the mercy that has flooded my life, which my frailty and failure so clearly needs, has been poured out on my brothers and sisters standing on either side. As Christ’s Good Samaritan parable reminds us: ‘Who was the neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’ The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’ Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.’
THIS WEEK EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer MON 17th 10am Little Stars WED 19th 10.30am Communion 7.30pm Alpha THUR 20th 10.30am Time for Chat 7pm Choir Practice st FRI 21 12.30pm Service of Thanksgiving: Cat Roberts nd SAT 22 11.30am Wessex History Talk NEXT SUNDAY: October 23rd 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church ADVANCE DIARY 28th & 29th Abbey Closed all day for Oct organ tuning st 31 Oct Light Party 2nd Nov Confirmation Service
LU K E 1 8 : 1 - 8 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: ‘In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, “Grant me justice against my adversary.” 4 ‘For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, “Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!”’ 6
And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?’
Additional Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
DISCIPLESHIP 1. Take time together to share what you learnt or experienced of God in our meetings last Sunday. 2. Read the passage twice, using different voices.
D A I LY R E A D I N G S Monday Psalm 1 Exodus 22:21-27 1 Timothy 6:1-10
3. Why did Jesus speak in parables? Why did he tell his disciples this particular parable?
Tuesday: St Luke Psalm 147 2 Timothy 4:5-17 Luke 10:1-9
4. What does ‘always pray’ mean practically, and what might giving up look like?
Wednesday Psalm 119:1-32 Leviticus 8 2 Timothy 1:1-14
5. ‘The concept of personal daily prayer and personal daily bible study is a modern invention that simply leaves people like guilty failures.’ Discuss. 6. This parable is told to ‘disciples’ and Jesus talks about ‘chosen ones’ and ‘they.’ Is prayer, in its very essence, communal? (N.B. ‘Our Father.’) 7. What is the major issue for the widow? How can it become ours in our prayers?
Thursday Psalm 15 Leviticus 9 2 Timothy 1:15-2:13 Friday Psalm 19 Leviticus 16:2-24 2 Timothy 2:14-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
WESSEX EVENSONG
KITCHEN
This Sunday, 16th October, there is a special Wessex Choral Evensong at 6.30pm as part of Malmesbury’s first Wessex Week. The preacher, reflecting on King Athelstan’s faith, will be the Revd Jonathan Wilkes from Kingston-upon-Thames Parish Church and the hymns will all have West Country associations.
Holly and Stella could really use some voluntary help in the Abbey Kitchen during the week. We’re looking for energetic people with a couple of hours to spare in the week who would enjoy a fast-paced working environment. Training provided! Please contact Holly or Stella if this would interest you.
TRINIT Y COLLEGE
H A R V E S T T O TA L
Is anybody considering theological study, to deepen their understanding of the Bible and benefit their ministry? Prospective students are invited to join us at an Open Day on Saturday 12 Nov to chat with our faculty, meet current students, and consider whether God may be calling them to study at Trinity. For more information, contact Nicola Willcocks: email n.willcocks@trinitycollegebristol.ac. uk or phone 0117 968 0254.
At our Harvest Festival, at the end of September, we raised £2785.92 for Tearfund, a fantastic and generous offering. We have asked Tearfund to split this 50/50. Half will go to their water and sanitation project in Kigezi, Uganda, and the other half to their work in the Lebanon with Syrian refugees. Many thanks for all that you gave.
12th CENTURY BEAUT Y 21st CENTURY CHURCH
NOTICEBOARD F O U N D AT I O N G O V E R N O R The PCC is currently looking for somebody to serve as Foundation Governor at Malmesbury CE Primary School, to join the governing body and focus on helping to develop and maintain the distinctive Christian character of the school. This is a wonderful opportunity to work with other members of the Abbey who are Foundation Governors and to serve our community. There are six evening meetings a year with the full governing body, and planning meetings with the Foundation Governors. You do not have to be a parent in the school, and young or old we would love you to pray about joining us. Please speak to Revd John Monaghan or John Jenkins.
T H E T O M B O F K I N G AT H E L S TA N Wessex Week talk at the Abbey, 11.30 am Saturday 22 October, ‘The Tomb of Athelstan’, Dr Julian Luxford, Reader in Art History, University of St Andrews. We are delighted that Dr Julian Luxford has agreed to come down from St Andrew’s University in Scotland to give a talk about the story of the late medieval tomb of Athelstan in Malmesbury Abbey. The tomb is a mysterious object and Dr Luxford is just about the world’s leading authority on the subject. It was commissioned by the monks of Malmesbury many centuries after the death of Athelstan. Julian will investigate the probable story behind the tomb and a devotional cult of Athelstan that the monks promoted in the late middle ages. The Abbey has kindly agreed to arrange the seating so that people attending the talk will get a good view of the tomb itself as Julian gives his talk. Dr Luxford is Reader in Art History at St Andrew’s and his specialist field is medieval monastic art. The tickets for this talk are £7.00, available from the Abbey, Abbey House and the Museum. The talk will be preceded by a performance of late medieval lute music at the tomb from 11.00 am by Mark Willcocks. The talk by Dr Luxford is part of the Wessex Week celebrations.
CONTAC T
ABBEY OFFICE
ABBEY KITCHEN
TICKETS:
WHEN AND WHERE:
ONLY AVAILABLE IN ADVANCE FROM MALMESBURY ABBEY BOOKSHOP
MALMESBURY ABBEY MONDAY 31ST OCTOBER 6PM TO 8PM
£3 PER CHILD
FANCY DRESS:
ADULTS MUST SUPER HEROES! A1C2Ct h OM ( IRFY YCOHUU RWCAHN T C PE ANNTYU R Y B E A U T Y 2 1 s t C E N T U CHILDREN TO!) Contact: The Abbey Office 01666 826666 or andrew@malmesburyabbey.com