Dear Friends,This weekend we are “belatedly” marking the ancient feast of Lammas. I say belatedly because it is usually celebrated on the 1<sup>st</sup> August, but in inverted commas because it is the feast at which a loaf was presented in offering to God that was made from the first wheat harvested that year, and yet the mill that one of our number has been liaising with has let us know that this year the first wheat is not yet milled. For me this is a wonderful example of how our modern schedules try to regularise nature rather than allowing for the wisdom of nature’s resilient adaptation through times and seasons. Between September 1<sup>st</sup> and October 4<sup>th</sup> the churches have taken up a season on Creation-tide to re-focus on Creation as God’s gift, and our calling to tend to the earth and care for all the living things amongst whom we are creatures. This year praying for the wisdom to address the damage we have done to the resilience of nature is urgent: let’s keep all delegates to the COP 26 conference in Glasgow in our prayers through this time.Lammas was also an ancient expression of gratitude for God’s generosity – offering to God the first fruits in the knowledge that all we have comes as God’s good gift. It is a good time to review and give thanks for all we receive in our lives and perhaps review our patterns of giving to sustain the life of our churches to be signs of God’s presence in the midst of this beautiful part of God’s creation. I am sure parish treasurers would be very happy to talk with you about the best way to give regularly to your church.I have also just received an email from Marilyn who was with us earlier in the year. She is being ordained Deacon on September 11<sup>th</sup> at the cathedral and the service is being live-streamed. Please keep her in your prayers, and if you would like the link to watch the service please email me and I will forward it to you.God blessSamantha
<div>Dear friends,Last week’s commemoration of the flood at Lynmouth church was a very special event. Thanks go to the dedicated PCC members whose organisation was brilliant – enabling us to host the event in the church in a way that enabled everyone to feel secure and confident. The Acorn’s music captured all the feelings that the anniversary brings and provided such a sense of communal life, both past and present that it was a reminder of the real joy of being able to gather once more. It was a very good example of how the changes of the last year can bring really creative responses and enable us to discover new and interesting ways to adapt past traditions in meaningful ways. As we remembered those who died in 1952 we were also able to hold in our prayers the community of Keyham. Prayers are hugely valued by that community and the churches serving them, please keep them going.Let’s hold in our prayers too, the situation in Afganistan, and all efforts to keep safe those who are in fear for their own lives.I know many of you miss the Mission Community magazine which we suspended without notice when it was not deemed wise to be delivering them across the area. We have all appreciated Tricia Morgan’s brilliant work with the magazine through the years. It’s a good time now to say thank you for that to Tricia, and to all who have contributed to it. As a first step back to being able to communicate each parish’s news with each other, in addition to the website, I am working on a very simple newsletter style bulletin to be compiled with your help by Sam White, our administrator. Initially, I envisage a single page with service details and events for each month which can be both emailed out and printed for those who need a paper copy. The events dates will need to be sent directly to Sam at lynvalleymissionoffice@gmail.com and I am sure she would be delighted to hear of anything already planned for coming months!God blessSamantha</div>
Dear Friends,The text of the prayers and my sermon was written prior to the tragic shootings in Keyham, Plymouth but in the video I have integrated prayers for the community there, all who were killed and all those bereaved and in shock into what is offered. Let’s keep that community in our prayers over the next week as they bravely support one another and pray too for the police, emergency personnel, medics, church and community leaders and counsellors who are seeking to offer solace and restore a sense of security.There is a poignancy in praying for a devastated community over the weekend when we mark the anniversary of the flood of 1952. I was struck too, by news of flooding in Japan today, as I have been by reports from across the world in the last month. I know that our commemoration here holds together a range of feelings and thoughts: grief, remembrance, thanksgiving, a sense of honouring the legacy of those who rebuild community life here. We will hold an act of remembrance at 7pm at Lynmouth Church as part of an event led by the Acorns, bring local music to mark the day. I am sure many would wish to attend, but we will need to limit the capacity of the church to remain Covid-aware and if that causes any disappointment I hope you will understand. As with all church gatherings currently we will ask people to wear face coverings.We also celebrate the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary (11am at Lynton) this Sunday. She provides a profound example of a life lived through both suffering and joy in full openness to God and in many traditions and through the centuries Christians have found solace for their pain in drawing close to her experience. Perhaps we can pray to share her sense of God in all things as we bring all that is on our hearts to the worship of God this weekend.God blessSamanthaSunday 15th August9am Morning Worship (self led) Parracombe 11am Holy Communion, Lynton 7pm Commemoration of the Flood, LynmouthSunday 22nd9am Holy Communion (BCP) Brendon11am Holy Communion Lynton11am Morning Worship (self led) Martinhoe8.30pm Epilogue CountisburySadly, the concert planned for Monday 16th August at Lynton is unable to take place
Dear Friends,The recording worked better today, so I am glad to be sending out the video reflection as well as the texts with this email. I am glad that the period when we were not able to worship in church led to this weekly mailing – as it enables me to communicate with members of all our congregations every week and if you want to follow the continuity of the readings and accompanying sermons you are able to. I will now continue this weekly mail out even as we move forward more people are coming to the in-person services at the parish church through the month. It would be helpful to know how useful people find the video as well as the texts. Are they aiding your sense of worship and reflection, especially if you are not yet ready to come in to church? If the videos are helping people pray I am very happy to continue them, but if yet another screen experience feels jaded then we could put them on pause: let me know what you think.God bless, SamanthaThank you to everyone who is enabling us to open all our churches daily again for private prayerSunday 8th August:We ask that people continue to wear face coverings and sit in a physically distanced way at our services in all the churches9.00 Holy Communion (BCP) Martinhoe (with hymns in church)11.00 Holy Communion Lynton (with hymns in church)8.30 Epilogue Countisbury (I think there will be hymns this week) Sunday 15th August11.00 Holy Communion Lynton : (Matronal Festival – feast of St Mary)7pm Commemoration of the Flood, Lynmouth with music from The Acorns Monday 16th August: 3pm Concert at Lynton by Kate Robey with Thomas Cameron
