Our Sunday Service

Dear All

I hope this finds you keeping well. Here is a gentle reminder that our historic church is cool inside during the hot weather forecast for this coming week and it is open every day 9.00am-4.30pm – so do come and find come cool, peaceful and prayerful space!

We celebrate Pentecost this Sunday, with the coming of the promised Holy Spirit communicating the good news of Jesus in different languages and yet bringing the diverse disciples together in prayer and worship as individuals all unique and loved by God.

The Spirit differentiates us from each other not by age, social or work status, gender or language but by his gifts…The diversity of languages on the day of Pentecost wasn’t set aside. It was affirmed when people of many languages heard the good news in their own language. [Roger Spiller]

In our social media age, where our individuality and human uniqueness is being harnessed by the likes of Facebook and Google in order to advertise tailor made products and services, there is a real danger that our humanity is being reduced to being a commodity for the sake of business profit.

How does the Spirit today help us as part of the worldwide Church to affirm our individual uniqueness and shout, against the spirit of the age, to say that we are each wonderfully and fearfully made in the image of God- whatever generation we are?

I came across this prayer which was used recently at a multi generational event in Exeter Cathedral, which reminds us at this time of Pentecost, that our parish priorities need to be rooted in passing on the good news of the kingdom of God to the next generation here in Marnhull…

“One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts” Psalm 145:4-6

Forgive us Lord when we have not stepped into the calling you have placed on our lives.

Forgive us when cannot believe that the youngest sibling is called to royalty or that the voice in the night might be you. Give us the boldness of the prophet yet the sensitivity of the shepherd. May the boundaries between our generations be porous. May there be love and coaching, forgiveness and modelling. May we like Elizabeth and Mary find those whose calling is similar but whose ages are distant. May the babes of world-changing ideas in our wombs leap with joy when we find fellow travellers to inspire us, lead us and guide us. Jesus you led the temple as a 12 year old. 

Give us hearts to lead and be led, no matter what our age. 

May we lead like you, who in full knowledge of all your power, grabbed not for a sword but for a towel.

Amen.

THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS

Acts 2: 1-21

1 Corinthians 12: 3b-13

John 2-:19-23

THIS WEEK

Sunday 24th Pentecost / Whit Sunday

8am Holy Communion (traditional language)

10am Parish Communion- followed by coffee

Please wear red for the services!

Weds 27th

9am  Parish Prayer

Friday 29th 

11am Funeral service of Alan Lloyd

Sat 30th 

9-11am Church/churchyard working party- with coffee and bacon rolls provided. 

NEXT WEEK

Sun 31st Trinity Sunday

8am Holy Communion (traditional language)

10am Service of the Word- followed by coffee

Weds 3rd June

9am Parish Prayer

11am Monthly Holy Communion

7pm PCC in church 

LOOKING AHEAD

• Sat 6th- 14th June Love our Churchyard. We are taking part in a national survey of churchyard biodiversity and invite the whole village to get involved! www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk/churches-count-on-nature Please see the church display table/ contact Judith for more local information/ see poster below.

• Wednesday 10th June 10am-12pm St Greg’s Coffee Morning at the British Legion Hall, Sodom Lane. Donation £2. All ages welcome. See poster below.
• Friday 19th-Sunday 21st June is the St Gregory’s Great Hymnathon! Gordon and other musicians will be playing 2 minutes of EVERY of the 847 hymns in our hymn book back to back and overnight! Details on poster below.
• We are hosting one of 4 Archdeacon’s Visitation services on Tuesday 23rd June at 7pm. Help is needed to provide and/or serve refreshments afterwards- please speak to Revd Gaenor.

OTHER NEWS

• There are still a couple of spaces on the PCC including the Health and Safety role to fill. Please speak to Sharon or Revd Gaenor to find out more.
• There is new information on the inside noticeboards about the church’s link with Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Please note its mention of supporting families who have gone through baby loss.

PRAYERS

• Please pray this Pentecost for the Holy Spirit breath of love and life to revive and sustain God’s Church worldwide, especially in the next generation
• Please continue to pray for the clear guidance of the Holy Spirit as we seek parish priorities for the years ahead.

• Please pray for the family of Alan Lloyd- for Christ’s comfort and hope in their grief
• Please pray for all in or from our parish who are currently ill in body, mind or spirit- for healing and wholeness

CONTACT US

Rector Revd Gaenor Hockey    

01258 821605  [email protected] 

Licensed Lay Minister (LLM) Judith Male

07852 780517 [email protected]

Parish Safeguarding Officer   Miriam Gaston 

01258 821573 [email protected] 

Organist/ Music Season     Gordon Amery

07817 379006    [email protected]

St Gregory’s Singers   Louise Cousins

                         [email protected] 

ONLINE

Parish: www.stgregorysmarnhull.org.uk

Facebook: ‘stgregschurch’ & ‘musicatstgregs’

Diocese: www.salisbury.anglican.org

Church is open daily:  9am – 4.30pm