OUR CHURCH COMMUNITIES

News from the Three Valleys team

Dear Friends Seen on a church door: “This is the Gate of Heaven, enter ye by this door.” Below which was written – “This door is kept locked because of the draught.”

Sometimes unintended irony can say a lot about the church.

One of the things I find difficult to do is to write these church paragraphs for the magazine and it is my turn again this month. It must be my Lenten Penance (except that I believe Lent is a time for preparation more than a time of sorrow). I find it hard because we are writing these articles to a very wide spectrum of opinion and expectation. Some want a sermon that moves them, some expect a sermon that is irrelevant to their lives and are happy to be confirmed in that view, whilst some are just mildly interested in what we have to say but do not want anything too “heavy”. Judging by the feedback I have received, strangely for this supposedly secular society, it appears that most people do read our articles and would miss them if they did not appear.

I think that the Christian message is largely misunderstood. Often people think it’s about rules and dos and don’ts, but it’s not. It is about joy, happiness and the fact that everything can be made all right with God through his Son Jesus Christ. Every church service should have the elements of a party about it.

Evidence suggests that the Early Church services, from about 80AD or so, were really quite lively and far from modern conceptions of worship. In fact, the first disciples gave every appearance of being drunk after receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and St. Peter did not deny the possibility but simply countered the accusation by saying it was really too early in the morning.

People go to church quite simply because God asks them to and because when they do, he puts something back into their lives which makes those lives better, stronger, easier, more fulfilling and happier.

Yours

Tony Gilbert

Rector Three Valleys Benefice & Rural Dean of Sherborne

News from Yetminster Methodist Church

I am writing this as Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday loom but, by the time you read it, we will be well into Lent. Lent is the period of 40 days that precede Good Friday and Easter Sunday, for me the most important dates in the Christian year. I once did a talk about the real meaning of Christmas being Easter. Jesus was born that he might die, which 55

in one sense is true of all of us. The only thing we can guarantee in life is death and taxes! But Jesus died for the whole world, to demonstrate his love for the world and, in his death, he restored the relationship humanity has with God. It is why I believe that Jesus is God. A human being can’t take the pain and suffering of the world upon themselves and make much of a difference, but God dying transforms everything.

Christians use the Lent period to prepare themselves for God’s great act of self-giving on Calvary. Lent is also the time when Christians consider the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness. The temptations are listed at the beginning of Luke: Chapter 4. The first was to a man who was famished; ‘Turn those stones into bread,’ goads the Devil. Nourish yourself, eat, make life bearable for yourself. I find it hard enough, especially in lockdown, to avoid the extras let alone the staple of bread. Go on, you know you want that chocolate bar or glass of wine, so I am in awe of Jesus who is starving hungry to resist what he could so easily have done and turned the stones to bread. The temptation to soothe ourselves is huge as is the temptation to be self-sufficient rather than God dependent, especially in our relatively affluent times.

As if that is not enough, the Devil continues to goad. He appears to offer to fulfil Christ’s purpose on earth. ‘I will give you the glory of all the kingdoms of the world and all this authority that has been given to me – all you must do is worship me,’ Evil tempts. You can imagine how the Devil puts it. No one will know, you can appear to be doing all the right things, only you and I need know that really you worship the Devil. Only you and I need know that your heart is not really committed to God and His ways, plans and purposes. To be honest this is a real temptation to Christians, particularly in our consumerist age. Christians who come to church for all the benefits – fellowship, love and care – but who do not want to sacrifice their pew, seat, way of worship, the way it is done here.

If Lent and especially Holy Week teach us anything, it is that Jesus’ way was one of sacrifice and high personal cost. In His case flogging and hanging on a cross until he died. God himself dying in our place. Disciples are followers, Jesus’ disciples are followers of Him, which means we do things He does. The missionary Hudson Taylor used to spend as little money on himself as possible, so he could send more missionaries to China. He sacrificed so others might flourish. What does the example of Jesus and Hudson Taylor say to us as we yearn for a holiday after lockdown?

Rev’d Kate Konrad

THREE VALLEYS TEAM

Team Office:

Yetminster Jubilee Hall, Church Street, Yetminster, DT9 6LG

01935 872600

e:3valleysoffice@gmail.com w:www.threevalleysteam.org Opening hours Mon, Wed, Thurs & Fri 9.30am – 12.30pm Tues 1.30 – 4.30pm

Team Rector: Rev’d Tony Gilbert

The Rectory, Church Rd, Thornford, Sherborne. DT9 6QE

01935 873044 e: rector3valleys@gmail.com

Team Vicars Rev’d George Moody

The Rectory Church St, Yetminster DT9 6QE

01935 873214 e: revgeorgemoody@gmail.com Rev’d Richard Kirlew

@RuralChaplain

01963 23570 e: rector3valleys@gmail.com

Jubilee Hall Yetminster

ENQUIRIES: Three Valleys Benefice Office,

01935 872600 e: 3valleysoffice@gmail.com

Yetminster Methodist Church

Chapel Lane, Yetminster DT9 6LJ Minister: Rev Kate Konrad 01935-415837 Worship co-ordinator: Mrs Barbara Driver

Tel: 01935 873690 Treasurer:

Mrs S Gilbey

All services begin at 10:30am followed by coffee.

Hilfield Friary services continue but are closed to all visitors at this time, due to the pandemic. However, we are on Zoom. Information can be found on our website https://hilfieldfriary. org.uk and Facebook page www.facebook.com/HilfieldFriary so please look to see what we are up to. Our Sunday Liturgy Zoom link is https://zoom. us/j/94844024511 You can use the same link every Sunday at 8.30am.

Roman Catholic Services

Roman Catholic Church

The Sacred Heart & St. Aldhelm, Westbury, Sherborne DT9 3EL

tel: (01935) 812021 Weekend mass times: Saturdays at 6.00pm Sundays 10.30am Holy Days 10.00am and 6.30pm

Parish Priest: Monsignor Canon Robert Draper e: sherbornerc@prcdtr.org.uk w: sherbornecatholicchurch.org.uk