Daily ScriptureAt that time prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine over all the world; and this took place during the reign of Claudius. The disciples determined that according to their ability, each would send relief to the believers living in Judea; this they did, sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul. (Acts11.27-30)Daily ReflectionIn our own time we are constantly confronted with the needs of so many people, both far away and in our own communities, that it’s often difficult to know where to start when it comes to giving help. The Christians in Antioch responded immediately to the need of their brethren in famine-struck Palestine, each giving according to their means; and we, too, are called to give as generously as we can, through the many channels available to us.Why should we give to people we don’t even know? We give in thankfulness for all the unearned blessings that we ourselves have received, given by God for us to use in his service.‘All things come from you, O Lord, and of your own do we give you’. Revd Rosemary
Sunday 25th July 8 am Holy Communion at St George's led by Lyn Hayes & Revd David Commander10am Holy Communion at St Nicholas led by Lyn Hayes & Revd David Commander
Good MorningYou will be aware, I'm sure, of the lifting of Covid restrictions by the Government from the 19th July. In a nutshell, the Government have lifted all the restrictions on public worship........ and put the onus upon individual churches to decide what they want to do and how we keep everyone in our churches safe!The churchwardens and I have been looking through the 12-page document from the CoE Recovery Group, and working out what we think is the way forward for our three churches in the benefice. Where possible we have tried to be consistent across the three churches, but the physical layout and other factors are different between the churches so there are some parts of our guidelines that are specific to each church.We have tried, through all of this, to tread the path between wanting to ease restrictions, considering the anxieties of those who will feel vulnerable if there are no restrictions whatsoever, and being aware of the rising Covid numbers nationally/locally and our responsibilities to everyone. Inevitably there will be differences of opinion on what we have decided, but this will be continually reviewed with experience, feedback, and any changes to the guidelines from the Government or CoE Recovery Group.Please find attached a leaflet that lays out our guidelines for worshipping in the Benefice of Benenden and Sandhurst with effect from tomorrow, Sunday 25th July 2021.I look forward to seeing you tomorrow and worshipping together.Revd David
Daily Scripture:Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1 v 17 )Daily Reflection: I don’t know whether you are familiar with a TV programme, which is quickly becoming something of a “must watch”, entitled ‘The Repair Shop”? It is set in the West Sussex countryside in an old thatched barn where very skilled restorers work their magic to bring much loved treasured items back to life. People bring their old broken down objects and the experts use their wonderful talents to breathe new life into them - what an amazing gift it must be to be able to bring such joy to the owners of said objects by lovingly renovating long abandoned keepsakes. The joy is reciprocal, the giver of the gift is very proud of what he/she has been able to produce and the receiver is very often brought to tears by the sheer brilliance and skill of the giver. That joy can also be felt when we, as the receiver, accept the gifts freely given by our awesome creator and ultimate restorer, God. Lyn Hayes, ALM
