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OUR ROOF Vicar’s Blog
We’ll be singing Psalm 127, which you can find on the next page, at Choral Evensong this Sunday. It’s a song that is ascribed to King Solomon, and you can see how his building of the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem makes sense of that association. Anyway, in that property-related spirit, an update on our Roof Appeal 2017. There’s bad news and there’s…no, just bad news actually. You will remember that we were hoping for a grant of £90,000 from the government to allow this project to be completed in 2017. Well, we got nothing, and our architects are frankly baffled as to why. Decisions across the region seem to have been rather random and arbitrary. So where does that leave us and our roof? Your PCC (Parochial Church Council) is now starting to explore other ways of making up this significant financial
shortfall. Our options include approaching alternative grant-making bodies, which takes time, and community fundraising, which actually might be a really good thing. Because the work is constrained to two relatively small windows each year (due to weather and bats) it is looking most likely that the work will be delayed until 2018. As soon as we have some sort of Plan B in place we’ll let everybody know, and we will be particularly contacting everybody that made generous personal pledges earlier in the year. Our thanks for your patience in this.
Except the Lord build the house; their labour is but lost that build it. (Psalm 127:1)
P S A L M 1 27 EXCEPT the Lord build the house : their labour is but lost that build it. 2 Except the Lord keep the city : the watchman waketh but in vain. 3 It is but lost labour that ye haste to rise up early, and so late take rest, and eat the bread of carefulness : for so he giveth his beloved sleep. 4 Lo, children and the fruit of the womb : are an heritage and gift that cometh of the Lord. 5 Like as the arrows in the hand of the giant : even so are the young children. 6 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them : they shall not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.
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A B B E Y D I A RY
THIS SUNDAY: July 24th 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church 6.30pm Deanery Evensong with Archdeacon Christine
THIS WEEK EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer MON 25th Holiday at Home (URC) TUE 26th Holiday at Home (URC) WED 27th 10.30am Communion THUR 28th 3pm Songs of Praise 7pm Choir Practice th SAT 30 10am Prayers for Janet Parke in the Parish Office
NEXT SUNDAY: July 31st 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm All-age Communion
ADVANCE DIARY SEP 4th 4pm Carnival Service SEP 13th Glory! SEP 24th Harvest Barn Dance SEP 29th Sung Eucharist OCT 7th Music for Autism th OCT 11 Glory!
LU K E 1 1 : 1 - 1 3 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’ 2 He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: ‘“Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.”’ 5
Then Jesus said to them, ‘Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.” 7 And suppose the one inside answers, “Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.” 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. 9
‘So I say to you: ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 ‘Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’ Additional Reading: Colossians 2:6-15
DISCIPLESHIP 1. Read our Luke passage and then share together anything that particularly stood out from Sunday’s teaching and worship. 2. Why did the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray? Didn’t they know already? 3. How much of the prayer he teaches them is basically good Old Testament teaching with themes that are already established in the Old Testament? Take the Lord’s Prayer apart line by line to answer this. 4. How would a persecuted Christian minority understand this prayer? 5. What do verses 11 & 12 say about the nature of God?
D A I LY R E A D I N G S Monday (St James) Psalm 126 Acts 11:27-12:2 Matthew 20:20-28 Tuesday Psalm 48 1 Samuel 20:1-17 Acts 1:15-end Wednesday Psalm 119:57-80 1 Samuel 20:18-end Acts 2:1-21 Thursday Psalm 57 1 Samuel 21:1-22:5 Acts 2:22-36 Friday Psalm 51 1 Samuel 22:6-end Acts 2:37-end
6. Use the Lord’s Prayer as a framework for your prayers together.
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
JUNIOR CHURCH Junior Church groups are taking a break over August. However, a DVD will be provided during part of the 4pm service, this will be for primary school aged children. This will happen up the steps in The Parvis and a parent from each family is asked to stay with their children.
SONGS OF PRAISE Come and sing Songs of Praise with us in the Abbey this Thursday 28th July at 3pm. Our theme this year is Walking with God. This service is open to all and will be followed by afternoon tea. Please contact the Abbey Office if you need more information.
PERSECUTED CHURCH Pray for persecuted Christians, at 2.30pm on Tuesday 2 August at Mollie's (4 Mill Lane). This month we will be focusing on the Horn of Africa, where the Church is being challenged a terrorist group, a failed state and a malevolent dictator.
T I M E F O R C H AT Time for Chat will be taking a rest during the summer and will recommence on Thursday 8th September 2016.
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NOTICEBOARD S U M M E R C A M P S – S E R I O U S LY FA N ATAT S I C ! Please pray for the young people and leaders from Malmesbury going on Christian Summer camps this summer. Currently we have about 22 young people and 6 leaders going away from Malmesbury to various Christian camps round the UK. Please pray that the Christian gospel will have serious impact on their lives, and that everyone will have a seriously fantastic time!! (Please note this is in addition to the people going away to New Wine.)
A B B E Y K I T C H E N VA C A N C Y The Abbey Kitchen is looking to appoint a part-time member of staff to work Saturdays 8.30am-5pm and provide holiday cover. You will be an energetic, flexible and enthusiastic person with great people skills. We are looking for someone who is committed to the Abbey ethos and community. Key to this role will be managing and supporting two fully trained members of staff and volunteers, food preparation, and a massive smile for our regulars and visitors. Please speak to Dan, Stella or Holly.
Alpha
starts Wed 14th Sept 2016
Alpha is for those exploring or new to the Christian faith. It’s a free, 10-week informal course, which includes a meal, a talk on an aspect of the Christian faith, and a time to chat with others over a coffee afterwards. Over 29 million people in 169 countries have attended Alpha so far. If you would like to sign up, please email john@malmesburyabbey.com, or contact the parish office. Please invite a friend to come with you. There is no pressure to complete the course, just come along to the first week.
CONTAC T
ABBEY OFFICE
ABBEY KITCHEN
Monday Closed Tuesday-Friday 9.30am-3pm
Monday- Saturday (normal) 9.30am-4pm
01666 826666 sandie@malmesburyabbey.com www.malmesburyabbey.com issuu.com/malmesburyabbey
Happy hour (drinks £1) from 9.30am-10.30am. dan@malmesburyabbey.com
Staff members can be contacted by name@malmesburyabbey.com
MalmesburyAbbeyCafe
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