The Friends of Kent Churches gave grants totalling £169,500 to 36 churches to help with essential repairs. This year’s Ride and Stride is also the 40th anniversary of Ride and Stride. Acrise church will be open from 10.00am until 6.00pm, to provide refreshments and a place to rest. Sue, Mike and Richard will be riding or striding on the day and would be grateful for any sponsors. Their sponsor forms will be in church on 7th September.
This is one of our local historic buildings which will be open to the public from 12th to the 21st September. It is usually open only by appointment on 07590753394. (Check English Heritage website to confirm opening before your visit).Free entryThis building was built in the 13th-century. It was a chapel and hall of a 'Commandery' of Knights Hospitallers. The Knights Hospitaller were a military and religious order founded in the 12th century with the purpose of caring for and protecting pilgrims to the Holy Land. Their main unit of local administration was the commandery, where knights and sergeants lived together under the rule of a commander, who administered the estates with which the order had been endowed. Revenues from commanderies funded hospitals for sick pilgrims. The Hospitallers founded a religious community here in 1180, This Chapel is the only remaining building of the Commandery of the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem. There were 38 of these Commanderies in England, four in Kent, one of which was Swingfield. (Swingfield, Dover. Kent CT15 7HG)
I wonder if you ever find yourself worrying about not having enough resources to do something? Perhaps there's something special you want to do or make or maybe an important task that is required of you, and you wonder if you have enough money, enough ingredients, enough time, enough of what the task requires… Jesus was invited to a wedding along with his mother and disciples and once the reception was in full flow, his mother Mary came to him with the news that the wedding hosts had run out of wine. Imagine that - a wedding reception running out of celebratory drinks. What a disaster! Jesus didn’t seem too bothered about what his mother had told him but she told the servants to, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’What happens next is nothing short of a miracle. Jesus asked the servants to fill some very large stone water jars with water ( each holding about 20-30 gallons) and when this was poured out it became the best tasting wine! Jesus used the resources around him - willing servants, water jars and water to bless a wedding and God transformed the water into great tasting plentiful wine.The Lord wants us to use the resources given to us, however small, to serve and honour Him, to reach out his love and care to others, and God will perform the miracle. Things may not turn out exactly how we thought or planned but when we offer our gifts, God will do the work of transformation and God will provide generously - more than we could ever have imagined - when we do whatever he asks…Dear Lord, help me to see the resources around me as gifts you have provided. Help me to see your amazing generosity as these gifts are given to bless others and serve you. Amen
By the time you read this message I shall hopefully be away on holiday. Some of you will have already returned home or back to work after having been away. Some may not have been away at all and spent the summer maintaining your daily routine. However we spend our time, whether we go or stay, rest or play, let us be grateful for the gift of each new day in God’s grace. Let us celebrate and strive for peace in our nation and work for the common good. As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and forever. Amen. Preparation prayer for Morning Prayer
