Everything should be on YouTube here: Wheathill Benefice YouTube

The Order of service for worship on Sunday:

Service of the Word Morning Prayer for Sunday

Psalm of the day and a hymn to listen to/watch

Psalm 133,

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy

My reflection: 2020 08 16 Matthew 15 10-28

With the reopening of our churches and recommencing of public worship the content of the weekly mailing will change.  We will continue to email this to those on the email list and distribute it to those who have been receiving the news and service by the Royal Mail.  This first week encompasses the next two Sundays, and includes a short reflection as well as details of worship and Morning Prayer readings.

Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 15:10-28) includes the account of an encounter between Jesus, his disciples and a Canaanite woman.  The Canaanites were traditionally at enmity with the people of Israel so by calling her a Canaanite Matthew is alerting us to the fact that things may not bode well for her.

The conversation between the two is remarkable in part because Jesus speaks to her, and gives her his attention, and because it appears to be derogatory towards her, calling her a dog is not the best approach.  I suspect that like many conversations it loses much by being on a written page, we cannot hear the tone of voice, nor can we see Jesus’ facial expressions.  Given the outcome, her daughter is healed and she is praised for faith, I don’t think that he looks down on her.  Rather he challenges her to ask for what is dearest to her, and he grants her request.

May we learn to be bold in prayer, to treat people, insiders and outsiders with respect and to listen well, even when hearing is complicated my masks.  We have a permanent reminder of the woman’s words in the prayer of humble access (we are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs from under your table) what permanent reminder are we leaving behind?

Morning Prayer Readings

Monday 17 August: Psalm 71, 1 Samuel 24, Acts 3;11-end

Tuesday 18 August Psalm 73, 1 Samuel 26, Acts 4;1-12

Wednesday 19 August Psalm 77, 1 Samuel 28:3-end, Acts 4:13-31

Thursday 20 August Psalm 78:1-39, 1 Sam 31, Acts 4:32-5:11

Friday 21 August Psalm 55, 2 Samuel 1, Acts 5:12-26

Saturday 22 August Psalm 76, 2 Samuel 2:1-11, Acts 5:27-end

Monday 24 August (Bartholomew) Psalm 86, Genesis 28:10-17, John 1:43-end Morning Prayer in Keinton Church 9am

Tuesday 25 August Psalm 89:1-18, 2 Samuel 5:1-12, Acts 7:1-16

Wednesday 26 August Psalm 119:105-128, 2 Sam 6:1-19, Acts 7:17-43

Thursday 27 August Psalm 92, 2 Samuel 7:1-17, Acts 7:44-53

Friday 28 August Psalm 88, 2 Samuel 7:18-end, Acts 7:54-8:3

Saturday 29 August psalm 97, 2 Samuel 9, Acts 8:4-25

Upcoming worship

Saturday 15 August 10:45am Barton St David, 11:00am West Lydford VJ day commemoration, both at the War Memorial Sunday 16 August 10:30am Morning Prayer Keinton Mandeville also on the Wheathill Benefice YouTube channel, hopefully as a livestream, or uploaded later!

Sunday 23 August 10:30am Morning Prayer Kingweston

Monday 24 August 9:00am Morning Prayer Keinton Mandeville

Sunday 30 August 8:30am Morning Prayer Lydford on Fosse

10:30am Deanery Morning Worship on Zoom (details to follow)

For Sunday 23 and 30 August if you would like YouTube worship then can I recommend the national Church of England service which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheChurchofEngland/videos or a reflection from Bath and Wells Diocese https://www.bathandwells.org.uk/2020/08/livestreamed-services-and-reflections/

Welcome to your weekly mailing for Sunday 9 August, I hope that as we continue to adjust, wearing facemasks etc you remain well.

Benefice council met on Tuesday of this week and we decided that we will recommence public worship next Sunday 16 August.

Our plans for August are as follows:

16 August 10:30am Keinton Mandeville Morning Prayer

23 August 10:30am Kingweston Morning Prayer

30 August 8:30am  Lydford on Fosse Morning Prayer (Deanery Zoom service at 10:30am)

As you can see we’re starting with Morning Prayer, and will move to Communion in September.  This is so we have time and the opportunity to adjust to being back in church before we add different aspects of the service in.  When you arrive you should be wearing your mask and please use the hand sanitiser.  You will be asked to leave your name with a sidesperson on the door for track and trace; the details of who worships when and where will be kept for the required 21 days.

A sidesperson will then show you to your seat.  Seating has been spaced out using hassocks to show where people can and cannot sit.  There will be no singing during the service, but we will use music and hymn words as appropriate.

If weather permits we may hold the service outside, but we cannot depend upon that.  We’re starting with one service a week, but if the number of worshippers present is near the capacity of our churches then we will add in an additional service each week.

If you do not feel able to return to worship in church yet we’re hoping to livestream the service onto YouTube, so you will be able to watch the service and join in as it happens, or to watch at a later stage.  The recording will not show members of the congregation, only those taking part in the service.  This weekly mailing will also continue for as long as it is needed.

Morning Prayer will recommence in Keinton at 9am on Monday 10 and Monday 24 August.  We’ll start again in Lydford and Barton in due course.

This week’s service is on the sheet enclosed, and uses the order for Morning Prayer from a few weeks ago. You can find the service on YouTube here  The order of service is Morning Prayer Ordinary Time  This week’s service and reflection 2020 08 09 Trinity 9

The Morning Prayer readings for next week are:

Monday 10 August Psalm 44, 1 Samuel 19:1-18, Acts 1:1-14

Tuesday 11 August Psalm 48, 1 Sam 20:1-17, Acts 1:15-end

Wednesday 12 August Psalm 119:57-80, 1 Sam 20:18-end, Acts 2:1-21

Thursday 13 August Psalm 57, 1 Sam 21:1-22:5, Acts 2:22-36

Friday 14 August Psalm 51, 1 Sam 22:6-end, Acts 2:37-end

Saturday 15 August Psalm 98, Isaiah 7:10-15, Luke 11:27-28

I hope that you continue to keep well, and look forward to seeing some of you face to face in the next few weeks!