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The work of the Vacancy in See Committee, chaired by Archdeacon Simon
• Businesses and their staff reopening or adjusting to changes in Step 4
• Children, young people and school staff during the holidays, including those waiting for exam results
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Church Diary
The Church will be open for private prayer:
Sundays - 12 noon to 3.30pm
Thursdays – 9.00am to 12.30pm
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Tuesday
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August 3 |
9.00am Zoom Morning Prayer
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Wednesday
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August 4 |
10.00am Holy Eucharist
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Robin and family will be off duty from 23 July to 7 August
Information Update:
• The Church will be open for private prayer on Sundays - 12 noon to 3.30pm and Thursdays - 9.00am to 12.30pm.
• The Parish Office will remain closed to the public.
• For enquiries about the Church Hall, please contact Lesley Jones.
Zoom Morning Prayer - Tuesdays at 9am
Around 8 of us are enjoying beginning the day together once a week on Zoom with a time of prayer and Bible readings. There is usually time for a chat afterwards too in our meeting, which lasts for 40 minutes. All are welcome to join us. No books or apps are needed as all the words are shared on the screen from the Church of England website.
Please contact Katy on katymgough@gmail.com or 01823 330854 with any questions or for help with using Zoom.
To join us for the above, please contact the Parish Office for the log in details - standrewstaunton@gmail.com
REFLECTION
Ephesians 4: 1 – 16
“one Church, one faith, one Lord”
Can you recall those occasions when in the theatre, or perhaps the cinema, the whole audience have shared a moment of complete oneness. It may have been only for a split second or sometimes longer, but there is a collective feeling of all being together which is almost palpable.
When I went to see the film of the musical “Les Miserables”, at the end there was a complete silence as we were all moved by the emotions in the film – and then someone clapped and we all joined in.
We were laughing as well because it was a film and the actors couldn’t hear us applaud but the togetherness was wonderful.
The feeling generated there was regardless of age, gender, sexuality, qualifications, disability, beliefs – we were one for that minute and I can remember that feeling now.
It is the same emotion we can know in worship and I think this is the sort of feeling and purpose that Paul wishes for the church.
In the previous chapter, Paul longs for the Ephesians to know the love of God in all its width, length, height and depth, and he now moves on to speak about the need to discover their unity.
But when Paul speaks of the unity of the Spirit he is not speaking of uniformity. There is a difference between the two.
We hear him long for all followers to know one body and one Spirit;
one hope, one lord, one faith, one baptism.
And in our Creed we declare:
We believe in a church that is holy, catholic, apostolic and ONE.
He is calling for the believers to discover that, beneath any differences, there is that common unity in Christ.
Through the death and resurrection of Christ, God has broken down all divisions and the new church must not create fresh divisions which then undo the work that Christ has already done.
Paul lists some of the roles of different members of the church:
apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers and we could list all the different ministries here in St Andrews.
But all the various members, in all their different roles, share the common task of building up the body of Christ. Each person’s call is to help every believer to know Christ in all His fullness.
In other words there is one common aim, one purpose for all the believers to build up the Church.
Robin has asked us to think about what sort of church we want to be or feel we should become as we and the country move out of and away from the pandemic.
I spoke to him about this and asked him what he is asking as surely the church is the church – what does he mean?
What options are there?
I think today’s reading gives us some clues. We have to think about:
What message are we trying to give to those who are not in the church?
What are we working towards?
What unites us?
(and perhaps what divides us and how we deal with that)
How do we all play our part in the building up of the church?
In our hymn of the week on this week’s newsletter, I have chosen
“Thy hand, O God has guided thy flock from age to age”.
And I chose it for its stirring refrain “one Church, one Faith, one Lord”.
When we sing it together we can sense that feeling of oneness and it seems so straightforward and obvious.
But how do we make that a reality?
Do look at the hymn again and play the link. Think about the words and its underlying message.
How do we translate our desire to know Christ better, and to tell others about Him, into a language that others not only understand but then desire for themselves?
I am not saying that we are simply looking for others to start coming to St Andrew’s and signing up – even though I am the Electoral Roll Officer! And that would be great.
But the deeper aim is to for others to see a church that is one, and holy, and apostolic, and welcoming and loving and …….………………….?
Perhaps you can add in whatever it is that you would desire for the church to be.
Only then can the church really preach Christ crucified, risen from the dead and living & reigning in each one of us.
At the opening of the 2020 Olympics a few days ago, these words were spoken:
“If you need reminding
Together is stronger.
Our differences should be celebrated and embraced.
This is it.”
But actually it is even more than that:
and then, by all creation
thy name shall be adored,
and this shall be their anthem:
one Church, one faith, one Lord.
And not just for a few weeks – but for all eternity.
Amen
Ruth Cook, Reader
HYMN OF THE WEEK
The words of the hymn were written by Edward Plumptre who became Dean of Wells Cathedral following a number of ministerial posts in London. He died in 1891 and is buried in the Cathedral graveyard next to his wife.
Thy hand, O God, has guided
thy flock, from age to age;
the wondrous tale is written,
full clear, on every page;
our fathers owned thy goodness,
and we their deeds record;
and both of this bear witness:
one Church, one faith, one Lord.
Thy heralds brought glad tidings
to greatest, as to least;
they bade men rise, and hasten
to share the great King's feast;
and this was all their teaching,
in every deed and word,
to all alike proclaiming
one Church, one faith, one Lord
Through many a day of darkness,
through many a scene of strife,
the faithful few fought bravely,
to guard the nation's life.
Their Gospel of redemption,
sin pardoned, man restored,
was all in this enfolded:
one Church, one faith, one Lord
And we, shall we be faithless?
shall hearts fail, hands hang down?
shall we evade the conflict,
and cast away our crown?
Not so: in God's deep counsels
some better thing is stored;
we will maintain, unflinching,
one church, one faith, one Lord.
Thy mercy will not fail us,
nor leave thy work undone;
with thy right hand to help us,
the victory shall be won;
and then, by all creation
thy name shall be adored,
and this shall be their anthem:
one Church, one faith, one Lord.
OTHER NOTICES
Sunday Zoom Coffee
Please note that there will be no Zoom Coffee after this Sunday’s 10.00am service and through August. This will be reviewed in September, when it is hoped that we may be able to meet for coffee in person after the 10.00am services.
Organ Recital – 22 August
David Bednall will be giving an Organ Recital at Temple Methodist Church on Sunday 22nd August at 3.00pm. Theo Poole will be playing the piano during the interval.
Exploring Faith 2021/22
Exploring Faith is a new diocesan course to help you dig deeper into the Christian faith and reflect on how to live that faith out in action.
It will run over three terms with 5 - 6 sessions per term.
The Course is online only with material provided by the Irish Bible Institute but participants will be in groups with a local facilitator from this Diocese.
For more information see the leaflet on our website and visit: www.bathandwells.org.uk or speak to Ruth Cook
Summer Lunch on Sunday 22 August at 12.00 noon
The Fundraising Team invite you to join them for a Summer Lunch on Sunday 22 August at 12.00 noon.
Ploughman’s Lunch, Meringue and Summer Fruit, Coffee/Tea
(soft drinks provided)
£10 Adults - £6 under 16s
To book your seat, call Alison on 01823 278571 or the Parish Office on 01823 332531
(please advise if you are a vegetarian, vegan or require a special diet)
Church Services by Telephone – free
A reminder of this service launched earlier in the year by The Archbishop of Canterbury. This is a free national phone line which brings worship and prayer into people’s homes while church buildings are closed because of the coronavirus. Daily Hope offers music, prayers and reflections, as well as full worship services from the Church of England at the end of a telephone line.
The line – which is available 24 hours a day on 0800 804 8044 – has been set up particularly with those unable to join online church services.
Sunday
8th August 2021
The Tenth Sunday after Trinity
10.00am Parish Eucharist
Readings: 2 Samuel 18.5-9, 15.31-33, Ephesians 4.25-5.2, John 6.35, 41-51