I am very fond of the little snippet that comes from one of the readings for this Sunday. In the letter to the Hebrews we are invited to 

“Show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” 

Not only is there something about being abundant, without favour, in a generous way of being with people. There is also something about having that sort of experience of people who are strangers that enrich our own lives. On one very simple level, everyone we may now count as “knowing” was at some point “unknown to us” – a stranger. 

For me one of the keenest delights of life is meeting and being with people. Some of these have long and profound impacts on our lives, and some are but fleeting – yet all of them are filled with the possibility that we are in the company of angels, even if we don’t know it at the time. 

May we gather together in that same way this Sunday for worship, being hospitable to all of us as known and unknown, strangers and angels. 

Worship this weekend:

Sunday 31^st August – Benefice Services

8am – BCP Holy Communion – All Saints

10.30am – Benefice Service Holy Communion at ALL SAINTS

(Please note there is no service at St Mary’s this Sunday as we worship with our sisters and brothers at All Saints)

The week ahead

Wednesday 3^rd Sept

 9am – Celtic Morning Prayer – All Saints

Thursday 4^th Sept

10am – Holy Communion – St Mary’s

Friday 5^th Sept

11am – Living After Loss – St Mary’s Parish rooms

12-1.30pm – Sat Lunches – St Mary’s

Sunday 7^th Sept

10am – Creative Church (Forgiveness theme) – St Mary’s

10.30am – Holy Communion – All Saints

6.30pm – Choral Evensong – St Mary’s (Patronal Festival)

Blessings

Revd Lizzie