Absolutely against his will, Gregory was elected Bishop of Rome in the year 590. And immediately he found himself amid ecclesiastical, civil, economic, political and military chaos. Barbarian war lords were freely roaming about Italy, looting, burning, raping, torturing, murdering. Destitute and starving refugees were flooding into the city. The only coherent institution left in the country was the Catholic Church. So this lover of solitude and seclusion, this man of fragile health who only wanted to be a monk, this peaceful man of interior life and study found himself acting perforce as father of his people. No one else in the country was capable of exercising any control, and so he took over. We are fortunate to possess over 850 of the letters Gregory wrote during his Pontificate. They reveal a man of astonishing energy; a supremely competent and hands-on administrator, a man of the most upright rectitude, who was also well able to deal prudently with the most diverse and complex situations. Gregory’s first preoccupation as Pope was to secure a food supply for the population. Then to organise defence, while negotiating with the enemy. Then to manage flood relief. Then to buy back kidnapped prisoners. Then to appeal to the Emperor against unjust and impossible taxes and levies. Then to administer civil justice. Then to re-organise devastated monasteries and Churches, and to counter heresies, and to encourage and recruit good pastors. Then to evangelise the English.

And all this time Gregory was also preaching God’s word, in season and out. Many, though certainly not all, of his homilies and scripture commentaries from this period have come down to us. And we trace through all that he writes his own experience of physical pain, of bodily weakness, of crushing sorrow and loss, and also his intense awareness of the malice of sin. So Gregory loves to point us beyond this present age, this valley of tears, this realm of death and distress – to kindle our longing for our heavenly homeland, where God is, to which we are called, and where our dignity in Christ will find its fulfilment and achievement.

In the modern age this whole way of looking at life has been to a great extent set aside, and even rejected, even within the Church. It needs to be recovered, because it’s an open-eyed reflection on the truth of the human condition, while offering also a securely rooted understanding of human greatness, and human possibility, within God’s Kingdom.

 (An excerpt from A homily for the Feast of St Gregory 2018, Pluscarden Abbey)

May we be open eyed to the truth of the human condition and human possibility as we seek to follow Christ in the way of St Gregory.

SUNDAY’S BIBLE READINGS

Proverbs 22: 1-2, 8, 9, 22, 23

James 2: 1-10 (11-13) 14-17

Mark 7: 24-end

THIS WEEK

Sunday 8th September  Trinity 15

8am Holy Communion (traditional language)

10am Parish Communion

3pm Afternoon Recital 2/6 Neil Sissons (organ). For more information contact Gordon 07817379006. Help with refreshments welcome.

Mon 9th

12pm Funeral of Deidre Hills

Weds 11th

9am Morning Prayer

2.30pm Tea with Friends

Fri 13th

9am School Worship with coffee from 08.30am

12pm Village Prayer at St Gregs

Sat 14th

10am-4pm.  Church open for Dorset Ride and Stride.Please sign up for an hour to welcome our riding/walking visitors. Ed Highnam will be cycling that week and would appreciate sponsorship- St Gregs’ received half of what Ed raises.

NEXT WEEK

Sunday 15th  Trinity 16

8am Holy Communion (traditional language)

10am All Age Worship including the baptism of Lily Calcott

LOOKING AHEAD

Friday 27th

6.30pm  Village Harvest Supper hosted by the village churches-tickets £8 pp and under 16’s free. Includes main and dessert course, cider or juice. Plus bring a poem celebrating rural life if you like.Tickets available from Jannie Redman or via Spar and Robin Hill Stores.

Saturday 28th  

9am-11am  Monthly churchyard/church working party. 

Coffee and bacon rolls provided. Please speak to Barrie if you can help- the more the merrier.

11am   Judith is being formally welcomed as LLM in our diocese at Salisbury Cathedral at 11am.

Sunday 29th Creationtide week begins

8am Holy Communion

9.30am 3 sites for Village Blessing- culminating in an open air service at Church Farm, Crown Road at 10.30am. Parking will be available onsite.

Sat 5th October 

9-4pm Church Gift Day- with offering of money towards the church (see September Marnhull Messenger or speak to Chris Langhelt for details)

4pm Pet Blessing Service-open to all pets (on leads etc!)

Sun 6th Harvest Festival

8am Holy Communion

10am Harvest Communion- with offering of food gifts for Foodbank please.

OTHER NEWS

• Please donate any surplus garden produce to the church porch for others to enjoy.
• Please sign up to welcome and host visitors for an hour during the DHCT Ride and Stride event on Saturday 14th September.
• Are you a Thomas Hardy fan? we are looking for someone to be a link person with the new Diocesan Hardy project. For more information please contact Revd Gaenor.
• Do you have some time to give to our church school in this new school year? As a Foundation Governor or as a reading listener? Please speak to Revd Gaenor or Mrs Shea in the school office.
• St Greg’s contribution to the Village Harvest supper is 3 casseroles (of which we already have 2), 3 puddings and 12 table decorations. There is a list at the back near the coffee. Please sign up if you can help or speak to Jannie Redman.

PRAYERS

• Please pray for cessation of violence in the Sudans and lasting fruit from our diocesan link www.salisbury.anglican.org/mission/the-sudan-link
• Pray for the family and friends of Deidre Hills and all others facing bereavement at this time
• Pray for all those riding and striding across Dorset this Saturday- for safety and blessing
• Pray for our village churches making a positive impact and contribution to our village- for faith and hope
• 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] 

Part time: Sunday, Wednesday and Friday 

Assistant Curate

Revd Angus Mayhew 07788100885

[email protected]

Shared curacy: Marnhull and Gillingham Team  

Rest day: Monday

Licensed Lay Minister 

Judith Male 07852780517

[email protected]

Churchwarden

Barrie Jenks 01258 821604

[email protected]

Please contact one of us or use our church prayer tree if there is someone you would like us to pray for at Morning Prayer.

Parish Safeguarding Representative

Miriam Gaston   01258 821573

ONLINE

Parish:  www.stgregorysmarnhull.org.uk

Facebook: stgregschurch; stgregsallagepage

Diocese:  www.salisbury.anglican.org