260114

‘You have an anointing from the Holy One.’

26/01/14 MALMESBURY ABBEY

Vicar’s blog: Tales from the Riverbank I live a simple life, a country parson on a horse, tipping my hat to passers-by and writing books about butterflies and trains. (As I write my daughter is on her way home from university on Ronald the Replacement Bus Service.)

So an e-mail from the Archbishop of Canterbury’s office made for an unusually exotic week and an inner dialogue on quite how pompous and selfimportant I’m going to get between now and the Archbishop’s visit on Saturday 13th September at 4pm.

Of course his visit is neither about my line-management or a festival of red carpets. The visit of the Archbishop is to share in the mission and worship of the local church, and the fact that the Archbishop will be standing in a river baptising probably says that quite powerfully enough.

So an advanced call. If you would like to be baptised or reaffirm an earlier baptism on September 13th and are willing to attend the preparation sessions in June & July, can you contact me shortly.

neillarcher.blogspot.co.uk

Abbey Diary THIS SUNDAY: JANUARY 26th 8am BCP Communion 10.30am Morning Prayer & Healing Ministry 4pm Informal Worship, Junior Church & Trax EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer MON 27th 8pm Israel 2015 meeting in the Parish Office TUES 28th 9.30am Women Alive!

WED 29th 10.30am Holy Communion 7pm Pipeline THUR 30th 10.30am Time for Chat 4pm Evening Prayer 7pm Choir Practice SAT 1st 10am Healing in the Streets NEXT SUNDAY: FEBRUARY 2nd 8am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship, Junior Church & Trax ADVANCE ABBEY DIARY Feb 5th Healing Ministry training Feb 11th Glory!

Feb 19th- Malmesbury Abbey Skate Feb 21st 2014 April 15th Glory!

April 17th Riding Lights ‘Inheritance’ April 20th Bishop Lee preaching June 3rd Glory!

June 20th- Church Weekend Away June 22nd (Paul Langham & Bishop Lee) July 2nd Music for Autism July 15th WOMAD at the Abbey

1 John 2:15-27 15

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives for ever.

18

Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

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But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ.

Such a person is the antichrist – denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

24

As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us – eternal life.

26

I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit – just as it has taught you, remain in him.

Additional Reading: John 8:42-47 42

Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.’

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What stood out to you from Sunday’s teaching and worship, and why?

Read the 1 John 2 passage. There are five paragraphs—after getting to grips with what each paragraph is about select together one key word or phrase that emerges form each paragraph.

Which two verses might you mistakenly use to justify trashing the planet? Why would you be wrong?

‘World’ (gk. cosmos) in verses 15-17 can mean the material universe, the earth, non-Jewish humanity, the human race, the present order of things, the world outside the church, etc. Which do you think John intends? See also John 18:36.

What links ‘anti-Christ’, ‘anointing’, ‘Messiah’ and Holy Spirit’?

Is it still the last hour? (see verse 18)

daily readings MONDAY Gen 11:27-12:9 Matt 26:1-16

TUESDAY Gen 13:2-end Matt 26:17-35

WEDNESDAY Genesis 14 Matt 26:36-46

THURSDAY Genesis 15 Matt 26:47-56

FRIDAY Genesis 16 Matt 26:57-end

PCC Update The first PCC meeting of 2014 was held last Saturday (18th Jan). Matters discussed included: the significance of 3,500- 4000 people attending services over Advent/Christmas; Music for Autism returning in the Summer, BBC Wiltshire at Easter and BBC History in October. The work on the Abbey's pathway has now been completed and the conversion of the top floor of Le Flambé to a flat for a Children’s Minister continues. Work to create a clear Abbey Identity was commissioned from Michael Salmon Design Ltd and Abbey Bullying and Harassment Policy was completed. The focus after coffee was the Abbey's External Mission Giving for 2014: which includes Janet Parke (Zambia) £,3,300; Phil Williams (Christian Surfers) £500; Open Doors (Persecuted church) £500 and a £2,500 fund, open to all, for specific mission trips. You can read the full minutes in the parish office.

Malmesbury Abbey Skate 2014 Thank you once again for a brilliant response to our sign up for volunteers from both the 10.30am and 4pm congregations! We still need: Help in the cafe during the event Bodies at 7am on the Tuesday to bring in and wrap 180 hay bales just for a couple of hours unless you can stay to help set up the staging. We should be clear by 10am.

• Accommodation for the Christian Skaters team • Volunteers to take down on the Friday evening at 9.30pm - let’s beat our record of being clear in 1.5 hours!!

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Email sarah@malmesburyabbey.com, phone 07767744167 or speak to Clare in the cafe. There will be a team briefing at 6.30pm on Tues 18th Feb 2014 for all those who have signed up to come along pray for the event, ask questions and go over risk assessment, job descriptions and safe guarding.

T Shirts/Hoodies are also available to order from sarah@malmesburyabbey.com. T Shirts are £10 for adults, £7 for children.

Hoodies are £20. Thank you and please continue to pray for this event. Love Sarah, John and the team.

Noticeboard Church Weekend Away A reminder that our Church Weekend Away should be in your diaries from Friday June 20th –Sunday 22nd June. This is for the entire church, not just those wishing to camp, it will be free of charge although there will be a final offering to defray some costs. More details to follow.

Listening to People with Dementia Two sessions led by the Acorn Christian Listening Trust on 1st and 8th March 10.30am-1pm: an opportunity to explore listening to people with dementia. A booking fee of ÂŁ5 per person will cover both sessions. Booking forms available at the back of the Abbey or from Sandie in the Parish Office. Please contact Revd Mandy Churcher at mandy@malmesburyabbey.com for more information. Bookings close on 9th February.

February 2 Love & Identity February 9 Love & Action February 16 Love Sacrifices February 23 Love Overcomes March 2 Love & Truth

1 John 2:28-3:10 1 John 3:11-24 1 John 4 1 John 5 2 John & 3 John

Contact ABBEY OFFICE Mon &Tues (9.30am-12noon) Weds, Thurs ,Fri, (9.30am-2.30pm) 01666 826666 www.malmesburyabbey.com sandie@malmesburyabbey.com Staff members can be contacted by name@malmesburyabbey.com NORMAL CAFÉ HOURS Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday: 9am-3pm Wednesday : 12-3pm Sunday: Closed all day clare@malmesburyabbey.com

The Parenting Children Course Next month, the Abbey will be running a free 5-week course for any parents or carers of children aged 0-10 years. This is a fantastic opportunity to invite those inside and outside the church to share the ups and downs of parenting and pick up ideas along the way. It will be on Tuesday evenings in the Abbey, 7.30pm9.45pm, starting 25th Feb and finishing 25th March. Make sure to grab some flyers on the way out to give to your friends. To book a place, or find out more information, contact our curate, Rev John Monaghan, 01666 829101 orjohn@malmesburyabbey.com

12th CENTURY BEAUTY 21st CENTURY CHURCH