Category: Benefice

Musing on Mark 3, 20 to the end family matters When I told my mum that I was giving up my architectural practice and entering the ministry full time, she thought I was mad to give up  the ‘safety’ of a profession (this quite overlooked that this ‘safe’ profession had been through a period of over 50% unemployment less than 10 years previously from which I had been extremely fortunate to survive with only small debt). ‘Can’t you do it in your spare time like you are now?’ (I was a reader) she asked. But as some of you will know, when God calls you, there’s little choice but to follow your vocation. Has your family ever told you that they think you’re crazy, an extremist, taking things to far as you try to live as a follower of Jesus? In the first couple of chapters of Mark we see Jesus response to his vocation. He tours through Galilee healing the sick, driving out...

This Sunday Messy Church will be back at Chearsley Village Hall (outside).  We still can’t offer you food, but if you bring a picnic and blanket, we would love to sit and eat “together” at the end. Our theme is “Toilet Twinning” so we will be doing lots of crafts and games based on toilets! Can you lob a loo roll into a loo? Throw a dice and race to build a compost loo Make poo out of Weetabix, then plop it into the compost loo, adding sawdust to stop the smell Play a memory game with all the bathroom items we take for granted Get messy with toilet paper and glue as we make a collage together Hear the story of Rachel, a schoolgirl from Africa, whose life was transformed by a toilet. Write your prayers graffiti style on the back of a toilet door Spend  a penny – can you get your pennies into the glass jar We would love...

John 15, 26 to 27 and 16, 4b to 15 The Spirit of truth and conscience. It’s a long time since I’ve read any Dom Camilo books, but the abiding image in my mind, rightly or wrongly, is of a priest with two small people, one on each shoulder, whispering in his ear, good thoughts from one side, temptations from the other. It echos Paul’s writings about his inner battles between what he wants and what God wants of him. Some call that inner voice that makes us feel uncomfortable when we act in selfish and unloving ways our ‘conscience’. Jesus makes clear that this is the Holy Spirit at work. I suggest that the Spirit is at work in people in this way whether one is a believer or not. What do you think? Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as ‘the Helper’. He also calls him (I use the convention of ‘he/him’ though the Bible gives no gender as God is all genders)...

Our commitment as a Benefice is to pray as a community continuously for the 12 hours 07:00 – 19:00. This year we are opening a “virtual prayer room” for bookings, using the 24/7 Prayer site. There is no actual online “room”, those praying promise, by booking a “slot”, to pray during the period they have booked, in their own homes, in private.   The 24/7 Prayer site is a booking system that allows anyone to commit to a “slot” – 30 minutes, 60 minutes or longer – during which time they will pray for whatever is on their minds, whether this be for the benefice, the church, the world.   We simply ask people to commit to actively praying in the slot they choose. The site for booking is on: https://www.24-7prayer.com/emailredirect/b79b48dd646ef0af02646b332a92d855/ There is no need to log-in, simply click on “Book as Guest” and leave your email so we know who’s praying! Thy Kingdom Come is all about praying for people to come to know the amazing, life-transforming love of...

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Lenten Giving With schools once again closed due to the pandemic, it is clear that many students still do not have access to a computer, laptop or data, and this lack of access to digital technology for all pupils, is demonstrating existing inequalities in households. You can go a little way towards helping some of our local young people this Lent, by making a donation to: 3 Villages Lent Appeal Lent is not just a time for “giving things up”, but for simply “giving” too! All funds raised will be donated to Mandeville School in Aylesbury, and spent on IT support for students in need of assistance. Please make online payments to Alicia Howard  20 74 09  50983772 referencing your payment LENT or cash/cheque in envelopes clearly marked LENT to Great Barn, School Lane, Chearsley. Many thanks, Alicia (Churchwarden at St Nicholas’ Church, Chearsley)...

Unto us a child is born Unto us a son is given...

Many thanks to Toby, our amazing village craftsman for making our beautiful new star, and thanks to Roy, Darren and Oliver for helping to install it in the cold foggy weather.  As the next few weeks of advent lead us to Christmas, do take an evening walk down Church Lane to see the star and think of the Magi, who followed the star to Bethlehem, to find a little baby, born to save the world. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold,  wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,  saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”  Matthew 2:1-2...

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A new pattern for services in church in October We are going to double the number of Sunday morning services in each parish church. This has necessitated a change in both the time and pattern of services. Please remember to attend worship in your usual church, as capacity is significantly restricted by the 2m distancing rule that remains in place. Please note also that face coverings in church are now mandatory:   4th October         9.30am Nether Winchendon BCP Communion 11am Long Crendon Traditional Harvest Festival 4pm Long Crendon Family Harvest Service   11th October       9.30am Chearsley Traditional Harvest Festival 11am Long Crendon Service of the Word 4pm Chearsley Messy Harvest   18th October       9.30am Nether Winchendon Family Service 11am Long Crendon Communion Service   25th October      9.30am Chearsley Service of the Word 11am Long Crendon Service of the Word...