The Welland-Fosse Benefice: Prayers and Notices.

 Sunday 19th July 2020:  Trinity VI

 

• Please remember in your prayers those who are sick: Bishop John and his wife and Janette Saunders (all with Coronavirus), Barry Broughton, Graham Robinson, Catherine Tanser, David Bradshaw and Derek Barker.
• We pray also for all those who put their lives in danger to serve others suffering from Coronavirus and for those who have lost their jobs in the crisis.
• Zoom services continue throughout the week, including Sunday, 10am (via sialey@aol.com) but today we begin a gradual return to church with worship in Duddington Church at 11am and next week (26^th July) at Barrowden, 11am
• “5 More Steps to Kick-start Prayer”?  Go to the benefice website: wellandfosse.org
• Zoom bible studies in St. Mark’s Gospel will continue on Tuesday 21 July at 7.30pm.

SOUTH LUFFENHAM

Church is open 10am – 4pm daily for private prayer.

MORCOTT

The church will open 10am-4pm each Sunday for private prayer. 

MEDITATION

Although this meditation runs counter to my sermon last week it might help understand this more tricky parable:

 

Suppose we are soil, the field.  Jesus has sown the word in us. It’s going to do its good work and bear fruit. That’s great.  But there is someone else at work, with bad motives. The “enemy” has snuck in when we weren’t looking and planted something else. The enemy’s plants are not the Word. The enemy’s plants will compete for the nourishing soil, the refreshing rain, and the warm light of the sun. The enemy’s plants will bear fruit too — rotten fruit maybe, or poisonous. 

 

What should a good and responsible soil do? Should we find some way to eject the weeds? Maybe call on those farm hands to help? Or do I take it as an explanation of why I have such an odd mixture in my life? Some things shine with virtue like Christ’s own image. Other things in my life — well, they are frankly weedy, rotten, and poisonous. 

 

Maybe this parable explains God’s own patience with my mixed character and behavior. God doesn’t just yank out all the problematic stuff. God doesn’t want to damage me or what is growing so well. God is busily, patiently, growing the good stuff. Maybe I just need to be the best and most patient soil I can be. I’ll accept the seed. I’ll accept the water and the sun. That is I’ll welcome the Word, listening and meditating on it, seeking to let it thrive and grow. But I’ll also realize that I’m not the farmer. My role is patient and receptive.

 

 

See wellandfosse.org for much more information, including contact details for

The Very Rev Christopher Armstrong and the churchwardens