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WORK Vicar’s Blog
I used to have a proper job. OK it was dressing up in wigs and costumes, putting on make-up and singing operas, not a very common job. But I do remember standing in the wings at English National Opera with a cup of tea, chatting to a singer about what we’d watched on TV the night before. I also remember during a love duet at Sydney Opera House that when I mentioned to the soprano that I was getting an Indian on the way home, she replied, between her phrases of Mozart, that she fancied a Thai. So it was a job. And my evershifting workplace was a place where God worked too. In London a dear friend came into my dressing room 30 minutes before curtain up and asked me to pray with him as he bravely continued singing despite a diagnosis of brain cancer. We stood praying together, dressed ready for a Donizetti opera.
Working in Athens a brokenhearted soprano needed counsel and prayer as she found out that her husband was leaving her and her children in extremely difficult circumstances. Working up in Scotland I was rather surprised when, sitting in a Glasgow pub after a performance of The Magic Flute, one of my colleagues simply asked right out ‘so tell me, what actually is the Christian faith.’ And at one UK opera company a large part of the chorus came to talk with me about an issue regarding some blasphemy they were being required to sing in a newly commissioned opera. I remember replying that they seemed to be fine with me ‘murdering people’ at work, why did they suddenly have a problem
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A B B E Y D I A RY THIS SUNDAY: The Ascension 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church
with ‘blasphemy.’ Of course what allowed all these encounters to take place, with some significant spiritual content was (a) they knew that I was a Christian, and (b) they knew that I wasn’t from the planet weird. So, as it says in the Ascension text, Acts 1:8, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses wherever you find yourself.
Cover image: Work by Chris Brown. Flikr//Creative Commons License
THIS WEEK EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer TUES 19th 9.30am Women Alive! 7.30pm Glory! th WED 20 10.30am Communion THURS 21st 10.30am Time for Chat 7pm Choir Practice rd SAT 23 10am The Meeting Place
NEXT SUNDAY: May 24th 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion & Healing Ministry 4pm All-age Service with Baptism
ADVANCE June 19th Riding Lights Roughshod June 23rd Glory! June 29th Lifepath project June 30th Lifepath project July 5th Ordination as priest of Revd Linda Sullivan
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In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’ 6
Then they gathered round him and asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ 7 He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ 9
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.’ Additional Reading: Luke 24:44-53
DISCIPLESHIP 1. Read through Acts 1:1-11 and Isaiah 6:1-8. Look especially at Isaiah 6:8 and Acts 1:8. What are the common themes? Why might we think that Isaiah was given this vision of God's glory? Why were the apostles to receive the Holy Spirit? 2. The Holy Spirit equipped the apostles and Isaiah for particular ministries. What might He be seeking to equip and empower us for today, not just as individuals but as the people of God here? 3. We are not all called to be evangelists or prophets, but we are all called to be witnesses to our faith. If we think about our personal situations, what are the opportunities for witness, not just through words, but through works of service? (Cf James 2: 1417). And what are the challenges: are they external to us e.g. a difficult workplace, or sceptical family members? Or are they internal: do we believe, like Isaiah, that we are not 'holy' enough? 4. Finish by praying for each other that the Holy Spirit will so empower us that, like Isaiah, we can say 'Here am I, send me'.
D A I LY R E A D I N G S Monday Psalm 93 Numbers 27:15-end 1 Corinthians 3 Tuesday Psalm 99 1 Samuel 10:1-10 1 Corinthians 12:1-13 Wednesday Psalm 29 1 Kings 19:1-18 Matthew 3:13-end Thursday Psalm 24 Ezekiel 11:14-20 Matthew 9:35-10:20 Friday Psalm 28 Ezekiel 36:22-28 Matthew 12:22-32
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
SPEAKER Our speaker at the 4pm service on May 17th will be Oliver Home, Diocesan Secretary for the Diocese of Bristol. Oliver will be speaking on Acts 1, and the work of the Spirit in the world and the workplace.
GLORY ! This coming Tuesday at 7.30pm please join us in the abbey for our monthly Glory! Prayer meeting. John & Mandy will be leading our extended time of worship and prophetic prayer together. Ends at approximately 9pm.
If you would like to discover more about our diocese please visit www.bristol.anglican.org
M I N I S T R Y A S S I S TA N T
L EAV E
We are exploring appointing a Ministry Assistant this September to work alongside Andrew in our Children’s and Youth ministry. This is a one-year training opportunity, serving, developing gifts and deepening discipleship. We would like a member of our church family to host them during this important year. If you have a spare room and you would like to find out more about being a host please speak to Andrew on 07784 3333361.
Neill will be on compassionate leave for most of next week to support his parents who are facing some critical issues around their health, hospitalisation and longterm care. Please pray for Margaret & Peter Archer, and particularly for Margaret in her struggle with dementia.
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NOTICEBOARD W O R L D W AT C H 2 0 1 5 As part of our External Mission Giving the Abbey is corporately a supporter of Open Doors, a charity that for 60 years has been serving persecuted Christians around the world. As we look at the book of Acts this Ascension & Pentecost, and note the witness and martyrdom of the early church, we are also offering three resources over the next two weekends from Open Doors to help us all better engage with the persecuted church. World Watch 2015 is a global guide to persecution in 50 countries, from 1. North Korea to 50. Kuwait. The Step to Yes is daily dicipleship guide for personal devotional use allowing us to prayerfullly enter the world of the persecuted church; and this also comes in a format for use by small groups. Please look out for these resources at the back of the Abbey after our services, or speak to Mike Langtree.
NEW WINE 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 John Monaghan.
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 June 7th June 14th June 21st
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) The Gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-13) The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26) Worship in Spirit & in Truth (John 4:19-26)
Talks available online shortly.