2 8 T H S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4

There is a paradox in the Christian

faith that I particularly enjoy. The

teacher says in Ecclesiastes 1:9,

‘There is nothing new under the sun.’

Got it? That’s simple enough; noth-

ing new. But the prophet says in

Isaiah 43:19 ’See, I am doing a new

thing.’ OK. Nothing new, and a new

thing. God won’t surprise us; God

will always surprise us. Solomon

and Isaiah should get their act to-

gether. In light of that Jeremiah is

helpful when he proclaims: ‘This is

what the LORD says: ‘Stand at the

crossroads and look; ask for the an-

cient paths, ask where the good way

is and walk in it, and you will find rest

for your souls.’ (Jeremiah 6:16) The

people of God often look back-

wards to move forwards. You find

God in both directions.

If we look back through the 1300

year history of Malmesbury Abbey

we find the three core values we’ve

got up and running in the 21st cen-

tury: Hospitality, Stability and Crea-

tivity. There is nothing new under

the sun. The reason is that if we

look at the nature of God we’ll find

those same values. The God who

invites and breaks bread, the God

who is our Rock from everlasting to

everlasting, the God that breathes

life and energises all of creation.

So how do we do hospitality? Bene-

dict wrote to the monastic commu-

nities following his Rule ‘Let all

guests be received like Christ...let fit-

ting honour be shown to all.’ The

kitchen was always close to the al-

tar. Hospitality, for us, is an attitude

that allows people to experience

the love of Christ in us, and then

potentially belong to His commu-

nity and know the life-changing

forgiveness found in Him alone.

HOSPITALITY Vicars Blog

An open Abbey helps. A café with

astonishing cakes and bacon rolls,

Clare and the team offering a smile

and pastoral care, and Pam and her

faithful team of stewards opening

the doors to 60,000 visitors each

year. Open homes matter too. With

congregations totalling around 350

people we perpetually encourage

everybody to get involved in mid-

week small community life of some

sort; or Alpha and Pilgrim for people

enquiring about faith.

And our Sunday together is also

hospitable by design. A deliberately

diverse, multi-congregational cul-

ture of worship and ministry that

helps people of all shapes and sizes

meet and draw near to God. You

will find worship that inspires you,

and most probably worship that

irritates you. Stability and Creativity

coming in future blogs.

NEXT SUNDAY: October 5th

8am BCP Holy Communion

10.30am Holy Communion

4pm Informal Worship,

Junior Church & The Grid

6pm The Mix//the Campbells

also elsewhere

3.30pm Neill’s Installation as

Honorary Canon at

Bristol Cathedral

6.30pm Brokenborough Harvest

Festival

ABBEY DIARY

THIS WEEK

EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer

TUES 30th 7.30pm Healing Ministry

Training

WEDS 1st 10.30am Communion

7.30pm Alpha

THURS 2nd 10.30am Time for Chat

7pm Choir Practice

FRI 3rd 10.30am Creative

Response

SAT 4th 10am The Meeting Place

THIS SUNDAY: September 28th

8am BCP Holy Communion

10.30am Holy Communion with

Baptisms

4pm All-age Communion

6.30pm Corston Harvest Festival

46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had

turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal

official whose son lay ill at Capernaum. 47 When this man

heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went

to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was

close to death.

48 ‘Unless you people see signs and wonders,’ Jesus told

him, ‘you will never believe.’

49 The royal official said, ‘Sir, come down before my child

dies.’

50 ‘Go,’ Jesus replied, ‘your son will live.’

The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he

was still on the way, his servants met him with the news

that his boy was living. 52 When he enquired as to the time

when his son got better, they said to him, ‘Yesterday, at

one in the afternoon, the fever left him.’

53 Then the father realised that this was the exact time at

which Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live.’ So he and

his whole household believed.

54 This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming

from Judea to Galilee.

Additional Reading: Acts 16:25-34

Next Sunday: John 5:1-15

JOHN 4 :46-54

D A I LY R E A D I N G S 1. What can you gather from

John 2:11, 4:54, 7:31 and

20:30?

2. Share together some experi-

ences of God that have felt

like significant signs to you

and to others; no matter

how small.

3. What had been the impact

of Jesus turning the water

into wine in the community

of Cana?

4. Which verse in John 2:1-11

particularly relates to John

4:50b? What mechanisms in

your life assist this dimen-

sion of Christian disciple-

ship?

5. Read verse 53 and Acts

16:29-34. ‘In our individualis-

tic society, the concept of a

household of faith has been

lost, even within the church.’

Discuss.

6. Read the John 4 passage

again. How is the Spirit ask-

ing you to pray?

DISCIPLESHIP

Monday

Psalm 150

Daniel 12:1-4

Acts 12:1-11

Tuesday

Psalm 36

1 Kings 8:63-9:9

Acts 16:25-end

Wednesday

Psalm 34

1 Kings 10:1-25

Acts 17:1-15

Thursday

Psalm 37

1 Kings 11:1-13

Acts 17:16-end

Friday

Psalm 31

1 Kings 11:26-end

Acts 18:1-21

G I V I N G

To regularly support the mis-

sion and worship of the Abbey

with your Christian giving

please contact Alan McAdam at

alan@malmesburyabbey.com

M A G A Z I N E T H A N K S S U N D AY S T E WA R D S

2 Sunday stewards are urgently re-

quired to join the team and keep

the Abbey open on the third Sunday

of every month between 2pm to

4pm. You will take over from an-

other steward and will be there for

the set up of the 4pm service, leav-

ing you just enough time for you to

find a seat and join in. If you are in-

terested please talk to either Diana

Crowe, Lesley Wilson or Linda Wes-

ton or contact the Parish Office.

Many thanks from the Vicar, Church-

wardens and the Abbey PCC to

David & Janet Barton who produced

the Abbey Magazine over many

years, and also to the willing volun-

teers who delivered it. Your hard

work and commitment is greatly ap-

preciated. We’d particularly like to

encourage our wonderful team that

visit the elderly and isolated to take a

large print Abbey News Sheet with

them as they visit to keep people in

touch and to provide regular spiri-

tual input.

.

P I LG R I M G LO I N T H E D A R K

‘A course for the Christian Journey’

Monday 29th September at 2.15pm

in Malmesbury Abbey (St Aldhelm’s

Chapel). An opportunity to explore

and deepen your Christian faith.

The first six sessions will be looking

at how Christians know and wor-

ship God through the Lord’s Prayer.

The sessions will include a video

clip, a talk and time for discussion.

Please contact Revd Peter

Yacomeni or Revd Mandy Churcher

to let them know if you are inter-

ested.

Whatever your age you can be part

of this new exciting event on Oct

31st aimed at primary school age

children! Before the event we need

people to pray, make fairy cakes and

sew simple drawstring goody bags

(material provided). At the event we

need helpers to move chairs, super-

vise bouncy castles, serve hot dogs

and run side shows. If you are able to

offer your support for this great com-

munity outreach event please con-

tact Gill Shaw (on 825647) or Sandie

in the Parish Office.

Clare Cork needs volunteers to help in the café for the BBC History Weekend.

Please contact Clare on cafe@malmesburyabbey.com or 07920793594 if you

are ready and willing and don’t mind hearing some outstanding history lec-

tures for free. Thursday 16th October, 4 volunteers needed from 1pm until

7.30pm; Friday 17th October, 4 volunteers needed from 12noon until

7.30pm; Saturday 18th October, 4 volunteers from 9am until 5pm. Thanks!

NOTICEBOARD

B B C H I S TO R Y

NEW SMALL GROUP

Revd Linda & Chris Sullivan are launching a new small group for people new

or new(ish) to our 10.30am congregation. Meeting Wednesdays at 2.30pm to

look at the questions on the News Sheet. 01666 822281 for more details.

JANET PARKE IN ZAMBIA

Please join us in prayer for Janet Parke, our missionary based in Mukinge,

Zambia. We will be meeting on Saturday 4th October in Eilmer House at

10am for coffee followed by prayer. Please contact Jane Druett for details.

THIS HARVEST Dinner for Kigezi, Oct 12th

CONTACT

A B B E Y O F F I C E

Monday (10am-12pm)

Tuesday-Friday (9.30am– 3pm)

Tel: 01666 826666

sandie@malmesburyabbey.com

www.malmesburyabbey.com

issuu.com/malmesburyabbey

Staff members can be contacted

by name@malmesburyabbey.com

C A F É H O U R S

Tuesday-Saturday

9am– 4.30pm

Sunday & Monday closed all day

clare@malmesburyabbey.com

1 2 t h C E N T U R Y B E AU T Y 2 1 s t C E N T U R Y C H U R C H