I have spent some time this week away on the Bristol Diocese residential clergy conference. We had the opportunity to spend time together in prayer, and worship and be blessed by some heart stopping testimonies and talks. (It was also great fun catching up with many familiar faces and learning new ones although I recognise that 150 clergy in one room is not everyone’s idea of fun!) The focus was Psalm 23, where we reflected on the valley, lament and hope. There were some amazing images that I hope over the coming months and years we will be able to share in. One that I has continued to capture my thoughts was when the speaker reshaped my concept about the banquet table. I had always imagined the two scenes, the valley and the table being separate. Two different places even. Yet her image was that the banquet table was set in the depth of the valley – it is there in the darkest and most dangerous of places that the shepherd feeds and nourishes the sheep. I will continue to reflect and pray around that for a while I suspect. This week our readings lend themselves to perseverance in prayer, the wrestling that Jacob does with God, and the continued knocking of the widow on the judges door. Life can have times and seasons where it feels like a continual slog of wrestling and knocking. Yet both of these stories from scripture, along with Psalm 23, are stories that bring hope, restoration and new things. I pray that is the case for you, others, the parishes and beyond this week.

Services this Sunday 16th October

Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity 

Readings  Genesis 32:22-32; 2 Timothy 2:8-15 Luke 18:1-8.

10.00am     Baptism in a Sung Service of the Word at St. Marys with Revd Lizzie and Revd Diane 

10.30am     Holy Communion Service at All Saints with Canon Paul Denyer

 

Coming up in the week ahead

Wednesday 19th  9am             Celtic Morning Prayer at All Saints Church            

Thursday 20th  10am             Holy Communion at St Mary’s Church    

 

Next Sunday 23rd October

8am at All Saints – Said service of Holy Communion

10am at St.Mary’s       Sung service of Holy Communion

10.30 at All Saints       Cafe Church

 

 

Blessings

 

Lizzie