THE BEAULIEU, EXBURY & EAST BOLDRE NEWSLETTER 1st August 2010 No.1384
9th SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Web site: www.beaulieuchurches.org
E-mail: office@beaulieu-rectory.org.uk

COMMENT ON TODAY’S READING
It is easy for most people to accumulate many possessions, and equally difficult to part with them, for all sorts of reasons. Fashionable lifestyle programmes now entertain us by freeing people from the material and emotional clutter to which they have become attached. The immediate benefits are obvious, but on a deeper level Jesus warns that, if the desire for possessions gets out of control, we cannot be rich in the sight of God. This applies equally to individuals, families and nations, in a world of surplus and starvation.

WEDNESDAY MORNING COMMUNION SERVICES
Mostly in the Abbey Church, but in the Abbey Church Hall on the last Wednesday of each month when it will include a Service of Healing with the Laying on of Hands.

MOTHERS’ UNION COFFEE MORNING
The Communion Service in the Abbey Church on Wed. 4th August will be normal, not MU Corporate.
There will be no branch meeting in August, instead a coffee morning will be held at the home of Jill Wrightson, Lynchetts, North Road, Dibden Purlieu on Thursday 19th August at 10.30am A bring and buy stall and raffle will take place. Members and their guests will be very welcome.

OUTDOOR EVENING SERVICE
As last year, we shall be holding the Evening Service in the ruins of the Abbey in the area which would have been the choir and the high altar. It is a stunning venue and good to keep the place spiritually ‘aired’!
Entry will be through the Abbey Church.


STEWARDING IN THE ABBEY CHURCH
During the summer months there will be a lot of visitors to the church, both weekends and week days. If you can give some time to welcoming these people and chatting please let Howard Moore know 02380 891111


MUSIC AT BEAULIEU
Saturday 28th August 7pm £10
Tommy Andrews Quintet
Voice, Sax, Piano, Bass and Drums
Tommy was the winner of the 2009 Music at Beaulieu Award. He is, at 22, an outstanding jazz (and clasical) saxophonist. He has already had a varied career, performing on Radio 3, BBC2 and has played in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. He enjoys playing in jazz clubs around London.


THE DAILY OFFICES
Morning Prayer 8:30am
Tuesday to Saturday - Abbey Church

Evening Prayer 5:30 pm
Tuesday - St Paul’s, East Boldre
Wednesday - Abbey Church
Thursday - St Katharine’s, Exbury
Friday - St Mary’s, Bucklers Hard
Saturday - Abbey Church





This Sunday 1st August
9th SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
8.00am Bucklers Hard – HOLY COMMUNION
9.30am Abbey Church – SUNG COMMUNION
11.00am St Paul’s, East Boldre – HOLY COMMUNION
12.30pm St Paul’s, East Boldre - baptism
6.30pm St Katharine’s, Exbury - EVENSONG


We pray for the sick: for Joy, Irene, Pamela, Betty, Pat, Jill, Ivor, Marjorie, Colin, Nellie, Minna, Andrew, Ruth, Christopher, Kathleen, Berni, Eve, Sheila and Barry (In order to keep this list up-to-date and relevant, please let us know the names of those we should continue to hold in our prayers.)

Those who have died: We pray for the soul of Cicily (Jo) Dawtrey whose funeral was last Tuesday in the Abbey Church. We pray for the soul of Vera Reynard whose funeral was last Wednesday in St Katharine’s and we pray for the soul of Ruben Lloyd, funeral Friday 30th July at 11.30 in the Abbey Church. We pray for all recently departed and for all those who mourn.

Weddings: We pray for David England and Gail Dunne, Marriage Blessing in the Abbey Church on Friday 30th July at 7pm. We also pray for Stefan Slatter and Katherine Lawrence who will be married in the Abbey Church on Friday 6th August at 2.30pm and for Samuel Smith-Bosanquet and Lara Agius who will be married in St Katharine’s, Exbury on Saturday 7th August at 3.30pm

Baptisms: We pray for Liam Thomas Lomax Wells, for Maisie Rose Willett and for Millie Mai Willett, all of whom will be baptised in St Paul’s Church, East Boldre today.

CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK
Tuesday 3rd August
7.30pm Abbey Church Hall – Beaulieu band

Wednesday 4th August
10.30am Abbey Church Hall – HOLY COMMUNION
12.30pm East Boldre Luncheon Club

Thursday 5th August
10.00am – 12noon Rectory Office

Friday 6th August
2.30pm Abbey Church – Wedding

Saturday 7th August
3.30pm St Katharine’s, Exbury - Wedding

Next Sunday 8th August
10th SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
8.00am Bucklers Hard – HOLY COMMUNION
9.30am Abbey Church – ALL AGE/FAMILY SERVICE
11.00am St Katharine’s, Exbury – HOLY COMMUNION
and baptism
12.30pm St Katharine’s, Exbury - baptism
6.30pm Abbey Ruins – OPEN AIR EVENSONG

Readings for Next Sunday 8th August
10th SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

First Reading Genesis 15:1-6
Abram believes God’s improbable promise of a son, and God credits his faith to him as the equivalent of being righteous.

Second Reading Hebrews 11:1-3. 8-16
The writer of Hebrews defines faith as blind certainty that God knows what he is doing.

Gospel Luke 12:32-40
Worry is a distraction from recognising the kingdom which God has given us. Jesus tells his disciples to avoid worry caused by possessions by giving them away.


From the Rectory Study August 2010

In recent weeks the General Synod of the Church of England has met. This body is often referred to as ‘the Church’s Parliament’ and to a degree it serves a similar function to the one at Westminster although I would like to think that there are some considerable differences too!

It used to be the case that Christians organised their affairs in a very hierarchical way. A man at the top – always a man – with the help of other senior figures determined with the benefit of their learning and prayers what they believed to be God’s purpose for his church and then passed the orders down through the ranks to the laity. Some of these people, Leo the Great and Gregory the Great for instance were incredibly inspiring Christian leaders and their writings centuries on are as fresh and profound as the day that they were penned.

That system has its attractions. You can have a clearly defined view, which everyone knows to be ‘the policy’, or the interpretation of scripture and those who do not agree can either be left behind or encouraged to conform.

With the coming of such inventions as the printing press information began to be shared beyond the ranks of the clergy and the laity found it possible to have a copy of the Bible in their own homes. This meant that people could begin to form their own interpretations of God’s word for themselves which for an organisation structured as above could be and indeed was somewhat threatening.

Fast forward to recent decades and the church in our own country. The old structures of Bishops, Priests and Deacons (apprentice priests serving their first year in ministry) continues but they work with what is know as synods at deanery, diocesan and national level. In such a body there are three ‘houses’, Bishops, Priests and Laity with membership by election. For a major change to be agreed in the life of the church there has to be a two-thirds majority in each house.

This recognises that through prayer and study all parts of the church have a voice in its life and the right for that voice to be heard.
However, the key element in all this is that those elected are informed, open to the will of God through prayer, have an open mind and leave prejudice at home.

It is in the light of all this that I welcomed the recent decision by the General Synod to move a step closer to the consecration of women as bishops. The time has come to move forward on this. Some will say it is long overdue, others that it is too soon whilst some feel that it will upset the neighbours who have yet to reach this stage in their own journey.

However, I genuinely believe that the Holy Spirit was at work in this. There are those who feel that their dearly held views and traditions have been ‘defeated’ and they feel hurt. That is why there is no room for any triumphalism but simply generosity of spirit towards those who have and, we pray, will continue to travel on in communion with us in good faith.

A living church has Christ at its centre and engages in the challenging and exhausting search to discern the will of God for his people. That is only achieved by prayer, reflection on his Word and a keen awareness of the world around us, as it is, warts and all.

Only then can a church – any church – relate to the needs of this changing world. From it’s earliest times in the Greek speaking world of the first centuries, Christianity has always experienced a tension between holding fast to the original traditions and applying the spirit of those teachings to contemporary life. We have simply seen another progression in this process of evolution. Change is often uncomfortable but an organisation that ceases to accept the need for change is dying. What the ladies who are already showing such ability will do with the role is going to be interesting – what it will not be is dull! CRS