26TH APRIL 2015
MEETINGS Vicar’s Blog
The book of Acts is heading our way for the next two months, with some 1 Corinthians thrown in too. Starting next Sunday we ‘breathe’, we look at deeply exciting passages which describe humanity, the church and society encountering the Holy Spirit of God. So I really need to apologise, repent even, sackcloth and ashes in abundance, because this Sunday we’re going to have our Annual Meeting. Voting, accounts, elections, reports, points of order, fist fights and sandwiches. Church in its glory. But before we dismiss the AGM as something unspiritual, can I lead you through the book of Acts by a road less travelled. First, listen to the process to replace Judas Iscariot in Acts 1:26. They prayed and ‘then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.’ Hey, the early
church held elections, prayerfully, but seem to be even a little less democratic than us. They tossed a coin to get an apostle! On Sunday at 2pm we will select people to be churchwardens, treasurers and council members; but did the Spirit-filled early church bother with such delegation? Is this church stuff, or is it God stuff? Acts 6:1-7 is interesting, because there seven people are delegated the task of caring for the poor and the widowed. There, side by side, sits the fullness of the Spirit, the laying on of hands and delegation. God is at work in discussion and process. But by now you are probably crying out ‘OK, vicar, we accept all that, but surely the Spirit-filled early church didn’t look at the accounts and deal with stewardship and tricky financial matters?’ But in Acts
A B B E Y D I A RY THIS SUNDAY: April 26th 10.30am Coffee 11am Festival Communion with Children’s Activities 12.30pm Picnic (BYO) and Bouncy Castle 2-3pm Annual Meeting 2:44-45 we see the intentional generosity of the church and in Acts 5:1-11 we discover that financial integrity is a massively important matter to God, ask Ananias and Sapphira. And if you’re still not convinced that we should have Annual Meetings and PCCs can I draw your attention to Acts 15—the whole chapter is a council meeting, except the last six verses, which are a ‘sharp disagreement’ between Paul and Barnabas. So come this Sunday, coffee from 10.30am. We’re having a meeting, God is at work. Bring sandwiches.
THIS WEEK EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer MON 27th 2.30pm & 6.30pm The Kaleidoscope of Dementia TUES 28th 7.30pm Glory! WED 29th 10.30am Communion THUR 30th 10.30am Time for Chat 7pm Choir Practice FRI 1st 10.30am Creative Response SAT 2nd 10am The Meeting Place
NEXT SUNDAY: May 3rd 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church
ADVANCE May 19th Glory! June 19th Riding Lights Roughshod
1 CO R I N T H I A N S 3 : 5 - 1 5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned each to his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants or the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labour. 9 For we are fellow workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
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By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that is already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on the foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet be saved—even though only as one escaping through flames.
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Additional Reading: John 5:17-20
DISCIPLESHIP 1.
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Read verses 5 to 9. Discuss together how you came to believe? Who were the key individuals and churches that helped to shape your faith? Who grows us? How would you identify spiritual growth in your life currently? Give some examples, and examples of growth you have seen in others. ‘The church is too content to be a field or a building, and there are too few prepared to work.’ Would Jesus agree with this statement? Do you?
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What task has God assigned to you? How can you get better at it?
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Read verses 10-15. Two questions: How should we build, and what might that look like? Can we lose our salvation by serving God poorly?
D A I LY R E A D I N G S Monday Psalm 103 Deuteronomy 9:1-21 Ephesians 4:1-16 Tuesday Psalm 139 Deuteronomy 9:23-10:5 Ephesians 4:17-end Wednesday Psalm 135 Deuteronomy 10:12-end Ephesians 5:1-14 Thursday Psalm 118 Deuteronomy 11:8-end Ephesians 5:15—end Friday Psalm 146 Deuteronomy 13:1-5 Ephesians 6
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.
SONGS OF PRAISE
G LO R Y !
The Songs of Praise segment filmed at Malmesbury Abbey Skate 2015 is now likely to be broadcast on Sunday May 31st. The programme will also include footage from the previous day’s FA Cup Final from Wembley Stadium.
This Tuesday, 28th April, at 7.30pm we gather at the Abbey for our monthly Glory! prayer meeting. After a time of extended praise and worship led by John Monaghan and a small band, we will make space together to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in our intercessions for our church, our community and our world.
O R D I N AT I O N
P R AY E R x 2
If you would like to support Linda Sullivan and attend her Ordination at Bristol Cathedral on Sunday 5th July at 10.30am please contact Margaret Evans on 01666 503381 or at margrayevans@gmail.com. We are hoping to hire a coach (leaving at 9am) - a fee of ÂŁ6 per person at the time of booking will be requested and we will need to know numbers by 10th May latest. All are very welcome, but the service is not particularly suitable for young children.
Prayer for Persecuted Christians takes place in Eilmer House on Tuesday 5th May at 2.30pm; and Prayers for Janet Parke and her work in Zambia takes place on Thursday 7th May at 1.20pm, also at Eilmer House. All are very welcome at both.
12th CENTURY BEAUT Y 21st CENTURY CHURCH
NOTICEBOARD 2014 FINANCIAL SUMMARY Alan McAdam, our Abbey Treasurer, writes: In 2014 we received £775/day (£275K in total), split across the categories shown in the chart on the left below. Gift Aided personal giving was our biggest income source. This is the most efficient way of giving as we get 25% back from the Government. The chart on the right shows our expenditure (£286K in total) or £785/day. Major work was finished on the East Wall and we paid our Parish Share in full. 2015 brings fresh challenges, we have a new Children’s and Youth Minister and we are expecting a quinquennial architectural report, which will add to our maintenance costs over the next 5 years.
MARRIAGE COURSE STARTS MONDAY 11th MAY It's only three weeks to go until John and Alice run The Marriage Course at their house. They are looking for five more couples of any age to consider coming on the course. Whether you are about to get married, been married a year or two, or forty years; whether your marriage is strong or struggling, or any where in between, the course is for you. Regularly investing in your marriage is one of the most important things you can ever do, so please consider coming along, and invite others too. There is NO group work, so you spend the evening as a couple, watching a DVD, and processing the material together with your workbook over coffee and cake. For more details, see the flyers in the Abbey, or speak to Revd John Monaghan.
CONTAC T ABBEY OFFICE Monday (10am-12noon) Tuesday-Friday (9.30am– 3pm) Tel: 01666 826666 sandie@malmesburyabbey.com
CAFÉ HOURS Tuesday-Saturday (normal) 9am– 3.30pm Sunday & Monday closed all day clare@malmesburyabbey.com
www.malmesburyabbey.com issuu.com/malmesburyabbey Staff members can be contacted by name@malmesburyabbey.com
12th CENTURY BEAUT Y 21st CENTURY CHURCH