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Bolingbroke Deanery Team Parishes Faithful, Confident, Joyful 26th September 2021

17th Sunday after Trinity (Green)

Celebrating God's generosity 26/09/2021 Take time and space to reflect on God’s generosity. Join us from St Gabriel's Church, Greystones, as Bishop Guli delivers the sermon from Chelmsford Cathedral.

https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/church-online Prayer in our own homes See below

17th Sunday after Trinity 9.30am Spilsby HARVEST - (PC) 11.15am Little Steeping Eucharist (JC)

Services in the Marden Hill Cluster 9.30am East Keal Eucharist (+DR) Banns 3rd Adam Kane Le’Gate & Rhian Selena Carter Both of St Matthew Skegness for West Keal 23/10/2021

3.00pm Old Bolingbroke Eucharist (PC) Banns 3rd Luke Elliott Middleton & Hannah Rebecca Paula Boffy both of OB for 02/10/2021 OB

Services in the Stickney Cluster 11.15am Stickford Morning Worship (FJ)

Services in the Partney Cluster 11.15am Sausthorpe Morning Prayer (PMcL) 11.15am Langton Holy Communion (TMcL) 5.00pm Skendleby HARVEST (TMcL)

Services in the South Ormsby Cluster 9.30am Tetford Holy Communion (TMcL)

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Almighty God, source of our hope and all good things; you call us in love to share in the work of creation

in making all things new. Bless our diocese: may we be faithful in our worship; confident in our

discipleship; and joyful in our service; that, through us, the world may catch a glimpse of the love you have for each one

of us, made known to us in your son, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

Our Web Site http://lincoln.ourchurchweb.org.uk/spilsby/index.php Bolingbroke Team Churches YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqTDWzvL2jxeB6ESF-aP9Nw?view_as=subscriber Monday Vincent de Paul 27 September Founder of the Congregation of the Mission (Lazarists), 1660 1.30pm Spilsby & District Churches Together via Zoom 3.00pm Spilsby PCC

8.00pm Stickford Harvest Supper

Tuesday 2.00pm New Leake Bible Study Wednesday 10.30am Spilsby Eucharist 12noon Spilsby Cemetery Rachel Lenton’s Funeral 1.00pm Partney Jean Butler’s Funeral 4.00pm Team Meeting 6.30pm Lusby Harvest Thursday Jerome 30 September Translator of the Scriptures, Teacher of the Faith, 420 & Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury 1 October Social Reformer, 1885 Friday Remigius 1 October Bishop of Rheims, Apostle of the Franks, 533 Saturday Lancelot Andrewes 25 September Bishop of Winchester, Spiritual Writer, 1626 & Sergei of Radonezh 25 September Russian Monastic Reformer, Teacher of the Faith, 1392

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1.00pm Old Bolingbroke Wedding: Luke Middleton & Hannah Boffy

18th Sunday after Trinity 9.30am Spilsby COMMUNITY SERVIVE OF PRAYER & THANKSGIVING - (PC) 11.15am Halton Holegate HARVEST (PC) Banns 1st Gary Roderick Catterall & Sarah Jane Callerall (Lydon) for 1/12/21

Hundleby) 3.00pm Hundleby HARVEST (FJ) 5.00pm Gt Steeping HARVEST

Services in the Marden Hill Cluster 3.00pm East Keal HARVEST (PC)

Services in the Stickney Cluster 11.15am Stickney HARVEST (FJ)

Services in the Partney Cluster 11.15am Sausthorpe Morning Prayer (PMcL) 11.15am Langton Holy Communion (TMcL) 3.00pm Scremby HARVEST (TMcL)

Services in the South Ormsby Cluster 9.30am South Ormsby HARVEST (TMcL)

Private Prayer in the Following Churches: St James Spilsby Daily 08.00 to 16.00 St Helen East Keal Daily 10.00 to 15.00 St Nicholas Partney Thursdays 11.30 to 12.30 St Mary Tetford Wednesdays 11.30 to 12.30 St Luke Stickney Daily 10.00 to 16.00 St Helen Stickford Daily 10.00 to 16.00 St Mary Hundleby Daily 10.00 to 14.00 Spilsby Daily 8am Morning Prayer & at Noon God of love, turn our hearts to Your ways and give us peace. Amen The sick at home or in hospital, Nigel Worth, Kathleen, Molly, Veronica, Dorothy, Maggie J. Betty Brawn, Tristan, Michael P, Joan T. Mark, Jossie Lee, June, Hilary, Michael, Harriet, Rose L., Abby, Sheila Janes, Fleur, Mary, Jeff Mason, Rosie, Bob, (Baby) Chloe Lear, Lawrence, Ann Howman, John Prince, Sylvia Bonsey, Anthea B, Jo & John, Bessie Reddin, Mary Julyan, Norman Huntingford.

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The Departed: John Francis, Janet Hedges, Wendy Hall, Kevin Williams, Fraya Jarvis-Boyall, Susan Whitham, Audrey Prince, Cliff Taylor, Jeff Bogg, Rachel Lenton, Jean Butler. Anniversary: Eric Dennett, Henry Slack, Vera Patrick, Jean Scrimshaw, Ethel Towle, Harry Ely, Fred Thornett(p), Barry Murden, Doris Scott, Joan Neil, Iris Brough, Bob Johnson, Sarah Welton, Mary Bee, Win Stone, Trish Swanson, Alf Chantry, George Bogg, Yvonne Watts, Josephine Cowdell, John Braybrooks, John Thornalley, Gladys Brader, Kathleen Scrimshaw, Josephine Cowgill Margaret Milliken, Margaret Knowles, Matt Pinner, Brenda Pinner, David Quigley, Dale Jacklin, Eric Damms, Eric Woods, Anita Froy, Reg Woodward, Irene Hall, Jim Bailey Alvina Ash, Vera Beamis, Marlene Seal, Malcolm Machin, Teresa Sellars, Donald Hutchin, Michael Wilkinson, Wendy Done, Beryl Moore, Margaret Day, Delia Hanson, Wendy Baxter, Neville Padley, Raymond (Eggy) Goodwin, Sid Mabbott, Tony Richmond.

Sunday 26th

Season of Creation Social Services

Jesus said: ‘For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.’ Mark 9: 41 The Episcopal Church

Monday 27th

Season of Creation Vincent de Paul, Founder of the Congregation of the Mission (Lazarists), 1660 Tourism

Corby Glen – Revd Stephen Buckman That all might open their hearts and minds to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as we seek to further Christ’s mission in our benefice. The Diocese of Southwest Florida – The Episcopal Church (IV (4) Province)

Tuesday 28th

Season of Creation Universities and Colleges

Edenham Group of Parishes – Revd Ed Martin Pray for everyone who will benefit from the quiet space at Edenham this month. The Diocese of Fond du Lac – The Episcopal Church (V (5) Province)

Wednesday 29th Season of Creation Michael and All Angels Young Peoples Uniformed Organisations

The North Beltisloe Group – Revd Anna Sorensen Please pray for Robert, Hilary, Clive, Ruth, being authorised this month, and for all the ministry team. For all new mission initiatives including the community markets. Bishop’s Council of Diocesan Trustees The Diocese of Fredericton – The Anglican Church of Canada (Canada Province)

Thursday 30th The Ringstone in Aveland Group – Revd Neil Bullen

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Season of Creation Jerome, Translator of the Scriptures, Teacher of the Faith, 420 Youth and Children’s Work

Pray for the Churches facing an uncertain future as a result of the RSC discussions. Boston AMPC The Diocese of Free State – The Anglican Church of Southern Africa

Friday 1st

Season of Creation Remigius, Bishop of Rheims, Apostle of the Franks, 533 Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury, Social Reformer, 1885 Animal Care* See note at the end of the prayer diary.

The Deanery of Bolingbroke – Rural Dean: Revd Peter Coates, Lay Chair: Mr Bill Rose Pray for the deanery as we have discussions about the outcomes of Time to Change – Together and how each Church is affected. The Diocese of Ekiti West – The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) (Ondo Province)

Saturday 2nd

Season of Creation Armed Forces

Church Schools in the Deanery of Bolingbroke - Halton Holegate, Partney, Stickney Primary, Stickney William Lovell Academy. The Diocese of Eldoret – The Anglican Church of Kenya

Sunday 3rd

Trinity 17 Season of Creation Charity sector

Jesus said: ‘Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it’ Mark 10:15 The Diocese of Port Elizabeth – The Anglican Church of Southern Africa

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Bolingbroke Team Ministry

Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity Morning Worship

Inclusive God, we gather together. Welcoming God, we come to you. Valuing God, we see our worth in you. Challenging God, open our ears to your words, open our minds to explore our ways, open our hearts to receive all that you offer. Loving God, we come to you. Amen. Hymn What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

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Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer! Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged—Take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; Take it to the Lord in prayer. Are we weak and heavy-laden, cumbered with a load of care? Jesus is our only refuge—Take it to the Lord in prayer. Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there.

Words: Joseph M. Scriven, (1855) Invitation to Confession Jesus says, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’ So let us turn away from sin and turn to the Lord, confessing our sins in penitence and faith. A prayer of confession For the times I don’t live my best life, or even recognise what that might be: I’m sorry, Lord, please forgive me. For the times I have the sulks because I think my nose is out of joint, and I’m too blinkered to see you in others: I’m sorry, Lord, please forgive me. Sometimes I just don’t understand your word; when I haven’t the patience to work out what it really means: I’m sorry, Lord, please forgive me. For the times when I try and water down your Gospel because I don’t like what it is saying to me: I’m sorry, Lord, please forgive me. Sometimes I judge others harshly, and try to stop them because I don’t agree with what they are doing – even though it may be for good: I’m sorry, Lord, please forgive me. Amen. Assurance of forgiveness Loving Lord God, you care so much for each one of us. You are there for us whenever we turn to you. When we are truly sorry, and intend to move

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forward, to live our best life, you graciously forgive us all our sins. We gratefully and humbly accept your forgiveness and peace. A Reading from James 5:13-20 Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest. My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. Hymn Love is his word, love is his way, feasting with men, fasting alone, living and dying, rising again, Love, only love, is his way. Richer than gold is the love of my Lord: better than splendour and wealth. Love is his way, love is his mark, sharing his last Passover feast, Christ at his table, host to the twelve. Love, only love, is his mark. (Refrain) Love is his mark, love is his sign, bread for our strength, wine for our joy, "This is my body, this is my blood", Love, only love, is his sign. (Refrain) Love is his sign, love is his news, "Do this," he said, "lest you forget all my deep sorrow, all my dear blood." Love, only love, is his news. Love is his news, love is his name, we are his own, chosen and called, family, brethren, cousins and kin. Love, only love, is his name. Love is his name, love is his law. Hear his command, all who are his: "Love one another, I have loved you." Love, only love, is his law. Love is his law, love is his word: love of the Lord, Father and Word, love of the Spirit, God ever one. Love, only love, is his word.

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Words: Anthony Milner.

Reading from the Gospel of Mark 9:38-50 John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched. For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.’ Homily from the Diocesan Website Christians have been rather quick over the centuries to condemn both non-Christians and fellow Christians alike for not conforming to their own ideas of correct Christian practice. Condemnation does not usually get us very far though. Generally speaking it is better and more constructive to look for areas of agreement than to focus on disagreement, condemnation and a refusal to engage further – nobody benefits from such a situation. Great care should be taken when we take it open ourselves to pronounce the work of others to be not of God, we are often not the best judge of such things and we must generously recognise where God's love is flourishing in places and ways that have nothing to do with us. We are all called to spread the Good News of the love of God and to encourage and enable that wherever it is happening. It is perhaps easier to condemn others than to examine how effectively we ourselves are witnessing to Christ, to ask what we are doing to further the kingdom of God. Of course, there must be safeguards around who does what. Recent safeguarding scandals have painfully highlighted how important it is we ensure our ministers, youth workers, pastoral workers and all who come into

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contact with others in the name of the Church are safe and trustworthy. We belong to a church where there are certain expectations in terms of training, authorising, licensing and ordaining for particular ministries but being appropriately mindful of this should not stop us from nurturing and equipping others doing the work of God within a system with the appropriate checks and balances. We should also welcome opportunities to work with those of other faiths and none and other Christian denominations to further the work of the Kingdom of God. These are not easy areas to navigate but the world and the whole people of God will be poorer if we only engage with those who think exactly like us. Christ came in order that we might have life and life in abundance and that abundance is likely to manifest itself in more than one way of doing things. Although it has its challenges such engagement is possible whilst maintaining the integrity of the Gospel we proclaim in the name of Christ. Not easy by any means but possible. Communicating the Good News needs to start with where people are, with discovering where Christ might already be at work in their lives not where we are or where with our help we would like them to be! We need to allow the Holy Spirit to work in the lives of others and perhaps resist the temptation to get in the way. Jesus seems rather keener to draw his disciple’s attention away from the condemnation of others and towards the importance of not putting stumbling blocks in the way of others and not to allow their own stumbling blocks to get in the way of the life of faith. Perhaps a good rule of thumb when someone or something really annoys us is to examine our own lives and see whether the strength of our reaction does not indicate an area of our own lives that needs attention. Maybe I condemn the selfishness or anger of another as a way of deflecting and hiding from myself my own selfishness and anger for example. There is much hyperbole at the end of this passage and while few believe that Jesus is advocating actually chopping off hands and feet and tearing out eyes, we do need to attend to those things - and we know what they are if we are honest – that get in the way of our following Christ. Being honest about these areas of struggle, praying about them and maybe talking them over with a trusted friend or mentor is a good way forward. The end of this quite challenging passage is hopeful: Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another. We are encouraged to do what we can, to be active in whatever way we can in Christ's name and that will vary according to personal circumstances and may be simple like the act of offering a cup of water to drink. We are also encouraged to be at peace with one another. Peace seems to be in short supply at the moment. Levels of anxiety and uncertainty remain high as we continue to rebuild and recover

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from Covid 19. We will not get far if we cannot cultivate God's peace in our own hearts and in the hearts of others. Questions for reflection 1. Have you experienced Christ working in an unlikely place or through an unlikely person? 2. What implications do the words of Jesus “Whoever is not against us is for us” have for both ecumenical and interfaith relationships? 3. What are our own stumbling blocks that get in the way of our lives of faith and what stumbling blocks might we be putting in front of others? 4. Is there anything else from the passage that speaks to you not already discussed? What is it? 5. What will you do this week in your Monday-to-Saturday ministry in response to what you have heard today? #everydayfaith The Creed Let us declare our faith in God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit: We believe in God the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. We believe in God the Son, who lives in our hearts through faith, and fills us with his love. We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with power from on high. We believe in one God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. Hymn I lift my eyes to the quiet hills in the press of a busy day; as green hills stand in a dusty land so God is my strength and stay. I lift my eyes to the quiet hills to a calm that is mine to share; secure and still in the Father's will and kept by the Father's care. I lift my eyes to the quiet hills with a prayer as I turn to sleep; by day, by night, through the dark and light my Shepherd will guard his

sheep. I lift my eyes to the quiet hills and my heart to the Father's throne; in all my ways to the end of days the Lord will preserve his own.

Words: Timothy Dudley Smith Prayers of Intercession

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Loving Father, following the meeting of the UN this week, talking about their response to climate change and vaccines for the poor, we pray that the words they say will turn into concrete actions and interventions for our world. We pray for the poorest who need the help of the richest. May those who lead and hold power see the humanity in others, feel the pain and strife of those who are desperate, and act with integrity making meaningful promises they can keep. May we see the shape of God in all of humanity. Lord, hear our prayer. Gracious God, the energy crisis will be worrying many people. As the weather gets colder, some will be wondering how they will afford to heat their homes and keep warm. We want to pray for everyone who is anxious about their future. We pray for people who are struggling financially and concerned for their family. We also pray for those working hard to being relief to people in need. Give them the energy and resilience they need to keep being supportive and bearers of hope. We pray for our foodbanks, debt advisors and mental health services, help us to give generously where we can. May we see the imprint of the Holy Spirit in everyone we encounter. Lord, hear our prayer. God of all, even with the crisis in Afghanistan leaving the news cycle we continue to pray for this country. We pray for those who are fearful and for people who really don’t know what the future holds. Please help those who need to leave find ways out of Afghanistan and for those who have to stay please keep them safe. May we see the outline of your grace even in the darkest places. Lord, hear our prayer. Heavenly Father, help us to learn how to live our lives in your service. Help us to live our best life for you. Help us to learn more about your values and see them in our own lives. Help us not to be stumbling blocks for others but signposts towards you. Help us to bring peace and light into others’ lives. As we go through this week help us see God at work in the people we meet. May we see the pattern of your love in all we do. Lord, hear our prayer. Amen. Collect Gracious God, you call us to fullness of life: deliver us from unbelief and banish our anxieties with the liberating love of Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen. Song Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be. Refrain Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed thy hand hath provided— Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me! Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above, Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Words: Thomas Obediah Chisholm (1866-1960) A sending out prayer Lord God, bless us and keep us. And may we be a blessing to others in all we think and say and do. Amen. Some items are © ROOTS for Churches Ltd (www.rootsontheweb.com) 2002-2020. Reproduced with permission.

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An act of Spiritual Communion You may wish to find a space for prayer in front of a cross, a candle, or a special place. You might choose to make your Spiritual Communion at a particular time of day, or after viewing a live streamed service. Reflect on the day and on your relationships.

- What good things have come from God today? - Where have I fallen short? - What might I do tomorrow?

You may wish to say or pray Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Read the following words from Scripture. If you have access to today’s readings for Holy Communion, you may wish to read and reflect on them. Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’ John 6.35 Pray for the needs of the world, for your local community, and for those close to you. End with the Lord’s Prayer. Our Father... Give thanks for the saving death and resurrection of Jesus and ask him to be with you now. Thanks be to you, Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits you have given me, for all the pains and insults you have borne for me. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, I ask you to come spiritually into my heart. O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother, may I know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen. after the Prayer of St Richard of Chichester

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Conclude with the following: The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil, and keep us in eternal life. Amen.

A prayer for all those affected by coronavirus Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy. Sustain and support the

anxious, be with those who care for the sick, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may find comfort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love

in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. Clergy Team

The Rev’d. Canon Peter Coates The Vicarage, Church Street, Spilsby, PE23 5EF

email: peter.coates50@yahoo.com Tel: 01790 752526

The Rev’d. Ms. Fran Jeffries

The Rectory, Horbling Lane, Stickney PE22 8DQ email: revfjeffries@outlook.com

The Rev’d. Mrs Joan Thornett email: fctjw@btinternet.com

Tel: 01790 754151 The Rev’d Mrs Jean Coates

Contact via Spilsby Vicarage – As above email: coatesjean@yahoo.co.uk

Rev’d. Mrs Teresa McLaughlin &

Mr Paul McLaughlin – Community Chaplain The Rectory, Scremby Road Partney PE23 4PG

tmclaughlin@tiscali.co.uk 01790 752344

The Rev’d Judith Simons revjudithsimons@hotmail.com

Or Contact via Stickney Rectory – As above

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Saints on Earth - ¶ September

Wilson Carlile

26 September Founder of the Church Army, 1942

Wilson Carlile was born in Brixton, London in 1847 and had a patchy education owing to the chronic back trouble from which he suffered all his life. But he excelled at languages and music. He was highly successful in business until recession and serious illness combined to end his career at the age of 31. A breakdown followed which was in turn followed by his conversion. He later commented: I have seen the crucified and risen Lord as truly as if He had made Himself visible to my bodily sight. That is for me the conclusive evidence of His existence. He touched my heart, and old desires and hopes left it. In their place came the new thought that I might serve Him and His poor and suffering brethren.

Initially he offered his services to the Americans Moody and Sankey, at that time holding a mission in London. He accompanied Sankey on the harmonium, learned a great deal about methods of evangelism and was inspired to become an evangelist himself. Consequently he was confirmed into the Church of England and then entered the London College of Divinity to train for his ordination in 1880. He served his curacy at St Mary Abbots in Kensington but the lack of contact between the Church and the working classes was a cause of real concern to him and he began outdoor preaching in order to reach those who would not come to church.

Carlile left Kensington in order to work in a slum mission, and from 1882 began the process of uniting local Anglican parish missions into a national organization, which in keeping with the popular use of military terminology in church life at that time took the title 'Church Army'. A training college for men was founded in 1884 followed by one for women three years later. After some initial hesitancy the Church of England incorporated the Church Army into its structures and in due course the office of

Evangelist was founded for Church Army officers and sisters. The Church Army's work included evangelism and social and moral welfare work and this was supplemented by work among the troops during the First World War. Carlile was careful to ensure that the Church Army always worked within

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official church structures. He remained honorary chief secretary until his retirement in 1926, having been made a prebendary of St Paul's Cathedral in 1906. He died in 1942.

Vincent de Paul

27 September Founder of the Congregation of the Mission (Lazarists), 1660

Born the son of peasant farmer at Pouy in the Landes, south-west France around 1580, Vincent was educated by the Franciscans and at the universities of Dax and Toulouse. While travelling by sea from Marseille to Narbonne in 1606 he was captured by pirates and sold into slavery in Tunisia, but escaped after a few months and returned to France.

Ordained in 1600, he spent ten years in uneventful parish ministry but eventually he underwent a marked change of attitude to the poor and the suffering. In Paris, Vincent visited prisoners condemned to be galley slaves and, appointed by Louis XIII as royal almoner of the galleys (in effect, chaplain to the galley slaves), he continued this ministry, both pastoral and evangelistic, at Marseille and Bordeaux.

In 1617 he founded the first Confraternity of Charity, made up of wealthy women working among the sick and poor near Lyons. For a number of years he was the personal chaplain to the wealthy Gondi family who encouraged and supported Vincent in his charitable and mission work. With their support he founded the Congregation of the Mission – an institute of priests initially organized for rural mission.

A community of the Congregation was formally established at the Collège des Bons-Enfants in Paris in 1626, where Vincent served as Principal. The alternative name 'Lazarist Fathers' was given to the group when it established headquarters at the former priory of St Lazare, in 1632.Vincent not only headed the order but also founded with others several charitable organizations, notably the Daughters of Charity, in 1633.This was notable in being the first non-enclosed community of women which was devoted to caring for the sick and the poor. From 1628 the Congregation of the Mission organized several seminaries for the training of priests as a result of work done by Vincent with young men about to be ordained. He was also concerned with relief work during the religious wars in France. His implacable opposition to the Jansenists (a group considered heretical within the Roman Catholic Church) was believed to have been responsible for its

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suppression, yet paradoxically in an age of religious conflict he was unusually courteous towards Protestants, insisting that they be treated as brothers, with respect and love.

Vincent died in Paris on 27 September 1660. It was said that 'the poor of Paris lost their best friend and humanity a benefactor unsurpassed in modern times'.

Jerome

30 September Translator of the Scriptures, Teacher of the Faith, 420

Jerome (also known as Eusebius Hieronymus) was born around the year 342 at the edge of the Latin-speaking world in the city of Strido in Dalmatia (modern Croatia). He was highly influential in the history of Christian thought and his translations were crucial to the spread of Christianity and Christian study. However, he was an extremely temperamental individual, sarcastic, impervious to gossip (many of his close friendships were with women), and had a habit of making enemies wherever he went. He could, by all accounts, be equally gregarious and an enthusiastic friend when his confrontational side was not to the fore.

The man who became known as the 'prince of translators' began by studying grammar and rhetoric at Rome. During his time in the city he was baptized, and then left for Trier in Gaul where, with a group of friends, he was persuaded to enter the monastic life.

After an argument, the group split, and Jerome left the community. With some of the group, Jerome journeyed to Antioch, and by the time he had reached the city in 374 two of his travelling companions had died, and Jerome himself was seriously ill. It was during this period that he is believed to have had a dream in which God condemned him for living more like a person from classical literature (a Ciceronian) than as a Christian. On his recovery he started to live as a hermit in Syria, and during this time learnt Hebrew – a language he found difficult and coarse, and from which he frequently retreated.

He was ordained priest in Antioch, before studying in Constantinople under Gregory of Nazianzus. Jerome's ordination to the priesthood was strange. He never served as a priest in any capacity, and there is no evidence of his ever

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celebrating the Eucharist. He seems to have been ordained simply to fulfil the desires of others, and saw himself as having primarily a monastic vocation.

It was in Constantinople that his reputation as a translator began to emerge, and he was much in demand as an interpreter but once again he found relationships difficult and his work took him back to Rome. In Rome he began a work on a Latin text of the Bible, which eventually became known as the Vulgate. Jerome's translation was to become the standard version of the Bible in the Western Church for over a thousand years. He was supported in his work by a group of Christian women, which resulted in some scandalous gossip. As ever with Jerome this relationship did not last long. He eventually settled in Bethlehem in 386, founding a monastery where spent the last 35 years of his life as a monk and a scholar.

During this period of his life Jerome wrote many books, some vehement in their response to what he considered false teaching. His single-mindedness in pursuit of his own point of view led to the loss of his great friendship with Rufinus, and he also locked horns with Augustine.

Jerome was an intensely knowledgeable man, gifted in translation, and devout in his personal life. His difficult personality and frequent quarrels have led many to speculate at his designation as a saint. However, Jerome's immense literary output, his translation of texts from the original Hebrew into Latin, his Bible translation, his adaptation, revision and continuation of Eusebius' Church History, and his biblical commentaries, mark him out as one of the most gifted and erudite Fathers of the Church. His correspondence is refined and detailed, drawing from the best of Eastern and Western theology.

It shall come, it shall come, that day when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality Letter 14

Saints on Earth

¶ October

Remigius 1 October Bishop of Rheims, Apostle of the Franks, 533

Remigius is one of the most famous bishops of Rheims, and according to Gregory of Tours was bishop for 70 years, having been ordained at the age of 22. Born in Gaul, he became known as the 'Apostle to the Franks' for his role

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in the conversion of Clovis I, the Frankish ruler, and the subsequent baptism of 3,000 of his subjects.

Clovis I became King of the Salian Franks in 481, and expanded his kingdom rapidly, spreading into Roman Gaul and other territories. He converted to Christianity after marrying Clotilde, a Burgundian Princess, who was a devout Christian. Alongside her influence was the healing of a sick child that Clovis interpreted as divine intervention. Similarly Clovis won a significant battle victory, which he saw as a sign from God. When the battle was going away from him, Clovis called out to 'Clotilde's God' and promised that he would be baptized if the battle was won.

Clovis was then trained in the Christian faith and baptized by Remigius some time between 496 and 506.There was close co-operation between Clovis and Remigius, and consequently between the Church and the State. Whatever the cause of Clovis' conversion, be it the healing of a child, or a battle victory, there is no doubt as to the effect of the baptism of the king upon the country, and subsequently upon Western Christendom. Once Remigius enjoyed the protection of the king he was free to preach the gospel all through the Frankish lands where he founded many churches and bishoprics.

Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury 1 October Social Reformer, 1885

Born in London in 1801, and educated at Harrow and Christ Church, Oxford, Anthony Ashley Cooper had an intensely unhappy childhood. Abandoned by his parents to the care of servants, he was fortunate that his childhood nurse Maria Millis taught and nurtured him in the Christian faith. His childhood experiences gave him a deep sympathy with the sufferings of poor and unwanted children, and his evangelical faith gave him the sense of duty to seek the path of serving suffering humanity rather than pursuing personal pleasure, as was the norm in the aristocracy at that time. He had entered Parliament in 1826 as Conservative member first for Woodstock and from 1831 for Dorset, and on his father's death in 1851 he entered the House of Lords as the seventh Earl of Shaftesbury.

Shaftesbury was far from pietistic in his clear evangelical faith, believing that 'Christianity is not a state of opinion and speculation. Christianity is essentially practical.' In Parliament he was an important force in early British reform legislation being responsible for numerous social reforms aiding factory workers, women and children in coal mines, the insane, chimney sweeps and poor children. He took the trouble to find out for himself about

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the conditions of the poor, visiting slums and factories, going down mines and visiting asylums and schools. Outside of Parliament he was indefatigable in his support of Christian causes, being involved in the Ragged School Union, the British and Foreign Bible Society, the NSPCC, the London City Mission, and the Church Pastoral-Aid Society to name but a few. All this activity underpinned what he described as the 'single object' of his life – 'the advancement of God's ever blessed name, and the Temporal and eternal welfare of all mankind'.

Shaftesbury was related through marriage to Lord Palmerston, Prime Minster for all but fourteen months of the years from 1855 to 1865. Knowing little about the Church, Palmerston consulted Shaftesbury in all his ecclesiastical appointments in order to find suitable candidates for senior posts in the Church of England. Hostile to Tractarianism within the Church of England (though he and Pusey – see 16 September – were cousins), but not to Roman Catholicism, Shaftesbury struck up a friendship with Cardinal Manning, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England. After Shaftesbury's death Manning, on reading his biography, commented, 'what a retrospect of work done. It makes me feel that my life has been wasted.'

Lord Shaftesbury died in 1885. Refusing to allow a statue of himself, he is commemorated by the statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus, appropriately situated at the end of Shaftesbury Avenue.

George Bell 3 October Bishop of Chichester, Ecumenist, Peacemaker, 1958

Born to a clergy family on Hayling Island, Hampshire in 1881, George Bell was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford. He was ordained in 1907 to a curacy in Leeds. After returning to Oxford to teach at Christ Church for four years Bell became domestic chaplain to Archbishop Randall Davidson in 1914 and later acted as assistant secretary to the 1920 Lambeth Conference.

From 1924 to 1929 he was a reforming Dean of Canterbury when, amongst other things, he abolished the entrance fee and established the Canterbury Festival of the arts.

In 1929 Bell was appointed Bishop of Chichester and was able to use this public platform to further his commitment to Christian social work and was in the forefront of moves towards Christian Unity, advocating co-operation of all Christian denominations in international and social action.

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He was in Germany at the time of the Nazi takeover in February 1933 and later that year met Dietrich Bonhoeffer who was in London for two years as representative of the foreign churches; the two became close friends, and Bonhoeffer often informed Bell of what was really going on in Germany under the Nazi dictatorship. Bell then made this information known to the public of Europe and America, for example through letters to the press and speeches in the House of Lords. In 1934 Bell was a signatory to the Barmen Declaration which stated the incompatibility of Christianity with Nazism and marked the foundation of the Confessing Church in Germany. In 1936 Bell became chair of the International Christian Committee for German Refugees, and in that role he was able to support Jewish Christians, who were neither supported by Jewish nor Christian organizations.

Through Bonhoeffer Bell was in touch with the underground anti-Nazi opposition in Germany and unsuccessfully attempted to get a commitment from the wartime government to distinguish between Germans in general and Nazis in particular. During the Second World War, Bell spoke in the House of Lords strongly condemning some of the actions of the Allies such as indiscriminate bombing of German cities. Though there is no actual evidence one way or the other it is widely accepted that this preparedness to speak the truth as he saw it may have prevented him from succeeding William Temple as Archbishop of Canterbury after Temple's sudden death in 1944.

Bell was a staunch supporter of the Church of South India and was joint-chair of the Anglican-Methodist conversations when they began in 1956. Over thirty years he edited several volumes of Documents on Christian Unity and his two-volume life of Randall Davidson still remains the standard work on that archbishop.

George Bell died on this day in 1958.

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Be Generous with Yourself Author: Gareth Higgins

Kiwi writer Mike Riddell tells of how, on his conversion to Catholicism at fortytwo years old, he had to go for his first confession. He and the parish priest spoke together, but not in the familiar dusky booth—they talked in the living room of the priest’s house. After telling the stories for which he sought absolution, Mike nervously awaited the priest’s response. I don’t know the exact words that came, but they went something like this: “Are you willing to follow the discipline of the church?” said the priest, no tone of warmth imbuing the question. “Yes,” said Mike, though not without some inner reconsideration of this whole conversion thing. He was not expecting this. “I’m going to instruct your penance now, Michael,” the priest continued. “If you are to be obedient to the discipline of the church, and if your conversion is to be honest, you will do what I say.” Perhaps this wasn’t a good idea, thought Mike, wondering if he would have been better staying a freelance theologian rather than a son of holy mother church. “What is the most beautiful place you like to visit?” asked the priest. “I like to walk my dog on the beach,” Mike responded. “How long do you usually spend there?” “About twenty minutes.” “OK. Here is your penance. Go out into the world and breathe in its fullness—its beauty, its struggle, its amazing possibility. Then go to the beach. Bring a flask of coffee and a blanket. Find a quiet place to sit. Watch the waves, and the people, and the seagulls, and the sand. Stay there for two hours. Breathe. Give this gift to yourself. And receive the knowledge of your own forgiveness. All is well.” What gift could you give yourself if you really believed you were forgivable?

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Rest with these questions for a while, and maybe write down some responses to them. Then make a plan to do something in the next week that mirrors Mike Riddell sitting on the beach. Give yourself the gift of at least two hours doing something life-giving, restful, and alone. Reflect on the words the priest told him: “Breathe. Give this gift to yourself. And receive the knowledge of your own forgiveness. All is well.” If it’s true that you can’t truly love others without loving yourself, what are you waiting for? From How Not to Be Afraid: Seven Ways to Live When Everything Seems Terrifying by Gareth Higgins (Canterbury Press 2021)