Newsletter For Sunday 20th August 2017 Trinity X Welcome to our worship where we celebrate the 10th Sunday after Trinity

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1 The United Benefice of Old Shoreham and Kingston Buci The Churches of St Nicolas, St Julian and St Giles Newsletter For Sunday 20th August 2017 Trinity X Welcome to our worship where we celebrate the 10th Sunday after Trinity Children: Sunday School in the Parish of Kingston Buci meets on the 2nd and 3rd Sunday of the month in the church hall at the beginning of the service and returns for communion. Toy bags are available in all churches as you come in at the door. Please feel free to make use of these facilities for your children. Need a lift to Church? Please let us know Large print service books are available. Please ask at the door. There is an induction loop for those using a hearing aid.

2 From the Vicar For several weeks now we have encountered numbers in our Biblical readings and it led me to investigate the various meanings of numbers in our Bible. Here are just a few: There is the song - Deck of cards, that tells of a soldier in trouble for having playing cards in Church but he explains in his defence that his Pack of cards is his Bible as every card reminds him of aspects of his faith. Ace is One God, 2 reminds him of the Old and New Testaments, 3 The Trinity, 4 The Gospels, 5 The story of the 5 wise and foolish virgins, 6 God s Creation, 7 God s rest day, 8 Noah s family, the righteous who were saved, 9 the lepers who were cleansed and did not return to say Thank you, 10 The 10 Commandments, The King The King of heaven, the Queen Mary the mother of Jesus and the Jack the Devil. This all helped the soldier to remember. But there is more significance in NUMBERS as well as the Soldiers interpretation 1. One God, one church, one faith, one Lord. 3. The Divine Perfection-Father Son and Holy Spirit. Body Mind and spirit, Thought word and deeds. 4. The Number of Creation - the seasons, the points of the compass, 4 th statement in the Lord s prayer is ON EARTH as it is IN HEAVEN 5. Grace. There are 5 graces, Pardon, Light. Love. Confidence and Perseverance and 5 Books of the Torah 6. A difficult number as if you multiply 6x6 = = 666 the mark of evil (devil) The 6 th Commandment tells us not to destroy life. Thou shalt not kill 7. Spiritual Perfection - series of seven things crop up often in the Bible. We find seven pairs of each clean animal on the ark (Genesis 7:2); seven stems on the tabernacle s lampstand (Exodus 25:37); seven qualities of the Messiah in Isaiah 11:2; seven signs in John s Gospel; seven things the Lord hates in Proverbs 6:16; seven parables in Matthew 13; and seven woes in Matthew Governmental Perfection12 Tribes of Israel, 12 Apostles and the Kingdom is guarded by 12 gates and 12 angels. There are 187 references to 12 in the Bible 40. Prohibition or Trial. The Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness 40 days waiting for Moses to descend from Mount Horeb, Jonah spent 40 days inside the Whale and Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness before his ministry Lastly God created the pomegranate to remind his people that there are 613 laws or Mitzvots in the Torah and the pomegranate has 613 pips. I hope you enjoy this brief look at Biblical numbers and it encourages you to find out more as there is lots more information and lots more significant numbers, this is just a start. Good hunting. Rev. Pat 2

3 Today s Worship Collect Let your merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of your humble servants; and that they may obtain their petitions make them to ask such things as shall please you; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Readings First Reading: Isaiah 56.1, 6-8 Thus says the Lord: Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed. And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it, and hold fast my covenant - these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer, their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather others to them besides those already gathered. Second Reading: Romans a, I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all. Gospel Reading: Matthew Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon. But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us. He answered, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But she came and knelt before him, saying, Lord, help me. He 3

4 answered, It is not fair to take the children s food and throw it to the dogs. She said, Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters table. Then Jesus answered her, Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish. And her daughter was healed instantly. Post Communion Prayer: God of our pilgrimage, you have willed that the gate of mercy should stand open for those who trust in you: look upon us with your favour that we who follow the path of your will may never wander from the way of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Readings next Sunday: First Reading: Isaiah Second Reading: Romans Gospel: Matthew For your Prayers In the Anglican Communion we pray for Rochester (USA) (II, The Episcopal Church) The Rt Revd Prince Singh. Rochester (Canterbury, England) The Rt Revd James Langstaff. Rochester (Canterbury, England) Vacant. In our Diocese we pray for the Diocesan Board of Education: Ann Holt, Director, Lesley Hurst Ass. Director; Michelle Perry, Exec. Ass; Heather Broadbent; Sally Collins; Ruth Cumming; Yasmin Heasman; Vanessa Vollebregt; Mandy Watson. Within our local community we pray for our clergy, as well as the residents of Wilmot Road, Parklands, Arundel Close and Pebble Way. Those in need of our prayers specifically at this time: Ella Hutt, James Wickett, Mary Oliver, John Baldwin, Pauline Packham, Ross Leckey, Kora Servante, Pam Kinnaird, Jean Icke. 4

5 Notices Everyone is very welcome to join our benefice evening service of Said Evening Prayer, today at 6pm in St Julian s church. St Giles' Church will have a table of surplus books (Bibles, service books etc) at the back of the church. Would folks who would like any of them please help themselves. Opening St Julian s Church From 5 August to October, St Julian s will be opened to visitors every Saturday and Sunday. If you d like to help with opening and closing the church or maybe popping in to greet any visitors please let Fr James know. St Nicolas church is also open daily, all year round, and welcomes visitors. Rectory Bible Study future dates for your diary: 30 August, 20 September and 25 October. Sessions start at 7.30pm and everyone is welcome to attend any or all of the study groups. Prayer Group for Healing at St. Nicolas': We meet on the 1 st & 3 rd Mondays of the month at 8.30am (except Bank Holidays) for a short service based on the one used at the Burrswood Christian Hospital in East Sussex. All welcome. Further details available from Dennis & Pam Wears (Tel ). Our next meeting will be on 4 th Sept. Sussex Historic Churches Ride and Stride Event 9 th September. Calling all intrepid cyclists/walkers--dust your bikes and check them and your walking boots. The annual event is fast approaching. At St Nicolas Church, all those people interested in doing this Annual Sponsored Ride/Stride please get in touch with Len Batten for more details. Those prepared to sit in the church to welcome visitors can also be sponsored. We do need people to assist in greeting people and making them welcome. This event will tie in with the English heritage Open Day so it has been decided to bring forward the monthly coffee morning so we can greet all our visitors with cake and drink as well as offering ploughman s lunches between 12 and 2pm. For Kingston Buci, please contact Jill Austin for information. Anna and Jim will be participating and we wish them luck. If you d like to sponsor them please let them know. There will also be a coffee morning in St Julian s church on the same day, between 10am and 12noon, so whether you are participating in the event or would simply like to enjoy a cup of coffee in the church, we hope to see you. Please put this date in your diary and come and support everyone! 5

6 Please join us in Buckingham Park on the 17 th September for a communal church picnic in the park, immediately after the Parish Eucharist at St Giles. Our traditional Sunday School will also take place in the park instead of the hall prior to the picnic. Everyone is very welcome to come along to what promises to be a fun event. At St Giles we are planning to start Messy Church in September with the first one on Saturday 23 September 3-5pm. Messy Church is for everyone, whatever age, so please come along, as all are welcome. Benefice Harvest Supper the date for this is Saturday 14 October, in St Julian s hall. More details will follow, in the meantime please make a note on your calendar. Year's Mind Anniversaries: We are renewing our anniversary book at St. Nicolas' and would like to know the name and date of death of any of your loved ones who you wish to be included. Their names will be read out on the 2 Sundays nearest to their anniversary. Dennis & Pam Wears (Tel ) Please note: Morning Prayer will not take place between 14 to 25 August, as Fr James will be on holiday. All other services will take place as usual. There will also be no clergy surgeries on 16 and 23 August while Fr James is away. Pilgrims and Family Services at St Nicolas: Our monthly Pilgrims Service will move from 1 st Sunday to the 2 nd Sunday of the month while the Family Service will move from the 3 rd Sunday to the 4 th Sunday. This change will begin in September with the first Pilgrims Service of the new term on Sunday, 10 th September. Call for articles: If you would like to contribute to the newsletter please get in touch with Fr James or Tina Robertson. We ve usually got some space, which is free to share some of what is going on in the life of our parishes as well as offering space for your thoughts and reflections. There is usually space for about words. 6

7 Sunday 20 August Trinity am 9.45am 10am 6pm This Week St Nicolas St Nicolas St Giles St Julian Wednesday 9.30am St Nicolas Eucharist Eucharist Family Eucharist Parish Eucharist Evening Prayer Thursday 10am St Julian Holy Communion Friday 7.15pm St Nicolas Senior Choir Saturday 9am St Nicolas Morning Prayer Next Sunday 27 August Trinity am 9.45am 10am 12noon St Nicolas St Nicolas St Julian St Julian Eucharist Parish Eucharist Parish Eucharist Holy Baptism 7

8 Contact Details Fr James Grant Associate Vicar or Rev d Barbara Wilson Deacon barbara.a.wilson@btinternet.com Rev d Pat Alden Hon. Assistant Priest pat@looksouth.net Mr Len Batten Churchwarden, St Nicolas len.batten1@gmail.com Miss Ann Burton Churchwarden, St Julian southwickann@gmail.com Mrs Penny Joseph Church Warden, St Giles penejos@gmail.com Kingston Buci Church Office office@parishofkingstonbuci.org.uk For Hall bookings: St Giles Hall: Mrs Sarah Ringshaw sarahelaine70@hotmail.com St Julian s Hall: Mrs Nancy Knill Notices for the Weekly Newsletter Mrs Tina Robertson tinarobertson99@yahoo.co.uk (deadline 5pm) More information can be found on our websites: & OR visit us on Facebook and Twitter 8