2 4 t h M AY 2 0 1 5
GET AWAY Vicar’s Blog
I was ordained by a wonderful man, the Rt Revd Jonathan Bailey, in Derby Cathedral on July 4th 1999. When he had finished his prayers for me he stood up and said ‘and don’t forget Neill, this completely ruins your Bank Holiday weekends, until the end of your days.’ As time passes, I wonder if he actually said those words, or whether since ordination has had that effect on me for the last 15 years I have simply put those words into his mouth. Those of us who work regularly on Sundays dream of a Bank Holiday Thursday where the rest of the nation adopts our rhythm of life and has a BBQ and does DIY on a Thursday afternoon. Rest matters. Stopping matters. It’s good to do it together. But it isn’t easy. Listen to the American author Wendell Berry: ‘Everybody is weary, and there is no rest. To rest, we are
persuaded, we must ‘get away.’ But getting away involves us in the haste, speed, and noise, the auxiliary pandemonium, of escape.’ He must have seen the English motorway network on a Bank Holiday weekend when all is designed to be abrasive to the soul and the journey home can strip from you the few drops of peace collected over the weekend. Berry’s thesis that escaping in itself is exhausting leads him to the conclusion that there is no escape from escape ‘unless we adopt the paradoxical and radical expedient of just stopping.’ Now where does that idea come from? ‘By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested…’ (Genesis 1:2,3) God stopped, God rested, and God en-
A B B E Y D I A RY THIS SUNDAY: May 24th 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion & Healing Ministry 4pm All-Age Service with Baptism joyed the very good fruits of his labour from the previous six days. God ordained rest; we need to find it. The prophet Isaiah lamented over Israel: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.’ (Isaiah 30:15). Isaiah wasn’t demanding that Judah have a corporate long bath with scented candles. He was suggesting that Judah rest from wrong allegiances (on this occasion Egypt.) Which are yours? I shall have a holiday from my bank this weekend; why not? I shall also resist the auxiliary pandemonium of escape, and I shall stop. And then on Tuesday I shall see what starting looks like.
THIS WEEK EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer WED 15th 10.30am Communion THUR 16th 10.30am Time for Chat 7pm Choir Practice FRI 17th 10.30am Creative Response SAT 18th 10am The Meeting Place
NEXT SUNDAY: May 31st 9am BCP Communion 10.30am CW Holy Communion 4pm Café Service with Junior Church
ADVANCE June 19th Riding Lights Roughshod
AC T S 2 : 1 - 2 1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.7 Utterly amazed, they asked: ‘Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs – we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!’12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?’ 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, ‘They have had too much wine.’ 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: ‘Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17
‘“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Additional Reading: John 15:5-16
DISCIPLESHIP 1. Read through Acts 2 v1-21. If you had been present imagine what you might have thought, felt and responded. Please share your thoughts with the group. 2. Read Matthew 3v16 ,Acts 2 v22 and Acts 10 v 38 Discuss why Jesus needed to be anointed by the Holy Spirit when he was the Son of God.
3. What is your understanding of the power and purpose of the Holy Spirit being sent at Pentecost? Share your experience of the Holy Spirit's work in your life. 4. We are told that the apostles received the Holy Spirit again post Pentecost ( Acts 4 v31) and Paul says we are continually be filled with the Spirit ( Eph 5 v 19) Discuss how you might live ' ‘filled' in your every day life. 5. As a community of believers is there any way that we can continue to provide the sort of 'environment' that will free the Holy Spirit to work among us.
D A I LY R E A D I N G S Monday Psalm 126 2 Chron 17:1-12 Romans 1:1-17 Tuesday Psalm 132 2 Chron 18:1-27 Romans 1:18-end Wednesday Psalm 119:153-end 2 Chron 18:28-29:11 Romans 2:1-16 Thursday Psalm 143 2 Chjron 20:1-23 Romans 2:17-end Friday Psalm 144 2 Chron 22:10-23:21 Romans 3:1-20
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 I N I S T R Y A S S I S TA N T
RIDING LIGHTS ROUGHSHOD
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.
In partnership with the charity Open Doors, who have served persecuted Christians across the world for sixty years, Roughshod Theatre Company are coming to Malmesbury Abbey on Friday 19th June @ 7.30pm with their production of Irre3sistible. Tickets now available from the Abbey Bookshop £7 &£3
CHRISTIAN AID
THANKS
This years’ Christian Aid Week has been a record breaking year! The Market Cross raised a record £1,575 and the total collected so far stands at yet another record of £7,339.59. !! Many thanks to all who have helped in raising this impressive total, either by being involved in the collecting, or by supporting the events. Money is still coming in (it’s not too late to make a donation), so please see the notice in the Abbey Porch for the latest figures.
Many thanks for your prayers and support for Neill’s family at this time. Margaret Archer is now on Liddington Ward at the Victoria Centre at the Great Western, Swindon for a number of weeks. Visitors are welcome and if you would like to take Peter with you please call him on 01666 822401 or speak with Neill.
12th CENTURY BEAUT Y 21st CENTURY CHURCH
NOTICEBOARD WORLD WATCH 2015 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 Lang-
NEW WINE 2015 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 CONTAC T
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.
12th CENTURY BEAUT Y 21st CENTURY CHURCH