Welcome
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Welcome to the Atlantic Coast Cluster web site We are living in strange times, but the great news is we are now permitted to open our churches for private prayer and worship. Details of current services can be found on the Home page
We are opening up slowly to allow us to review how things are going and make adjustments as neccessary The worship will be Holy Communion at present and there is no singing permitted and social distancing must be maintained and the wearing of masks is compulsory We will continue to offer recorded services as we know many still will be unable or unwilling to attend worship. If you would like to listen to our services please go to the audio page in the media section if you know of someone who has not got internet access then the daily service can be I will contine to post things that I have found helpful below as well as the Sunday Reflection
above is a photo the blessing which is in my hall, the celtic blessing, Useful links From the Times - Ways to Improve your Mood A 3 minute meditation +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-++-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-++-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ Reflection for the 16th Sunday after Trinity Reflection Reflection So there are times when the lectionary appears to get fixed on a certain type of story, there are times when we appear to have a run on bready stories, stories about manna, and the feeding of the multitudes, and breaking of bread, or seedy stories, good seed and bad seed, mustard seeds and parable of the sower and now we are being treated to winey stories, or to be more precise stories about vineyards, last week we had the workers in in vineyard being all paid the same, this week we have a short story about 2 sons, working or not as the case may be and next week we will have the story of the mutinous vineyard tenants. For centuries before Christ, the Jewish people understood the vineyard metaphor to stand for them and their relationship with God. God was envisaged as the owner of the vineyard, and they were his workers, or even at times the vines and hence Jesus also uses vineyards, wine and vines as the basis for many of his parables and stories about God and the Kingdom. He knows those listening will immediately be hooked into listening, after all who does not like a story when you already know the characters and identify with them. In this story Jesus points to the failures of the leaders of God’s people, and it is therefore not received with delight by the leaders, however I am sure the ordinary people loved it as, it spoke about how their leaders were getting it wrong. So today’s gospel opens with a confrontation between Jesus, the chief priests and the scribes. They are not happy that Jesus is teaching with authority, so they question him, who gave you the right to say these things. Now, I am not sure about you, but I felt as if Jesus was just getting a bit techy. He is getting rather annoyed, the chief priests and the scribes are scheming once again, trying to catch him out and he wants nothing to do with it. He responds to their questioning of his authority, with one of his own, about John the Baptist, and his authority and they don’t like it. They know they cannot slander John the Baptist, as the people revere him, and they cannot say he had no authority, as they let him preach, so they cannot give an answer. In response, Jesus says well if you cannot answer that I will not answer you, but rather than leave it there, he then tells them the story of the two sons, one who says he will work and doesn’t and one Jesus is aiming this story directly at the leaders of the faith, telling them that they have claimed to accept the law from God, but they have failed to live up to it, by being obedient. Outwardly, they are pious, but God knows their hearts, and there, they have failed miserably. In the two sons, Jesus shows his listeners an image of two classes of people in Israel. On the one side are the religious leaders of the people, pleased with their own self-righteousness and boastful regarding their own holiness. On the other side are the sinners and outcasts of society, those that the leaders thought scarcely worthy to be looked at—the tax collectors and prostitutes. The Jewish leaders would not have been happy to be connected with the son, who says I will go and yet did not do his father’s will. Jesus is calling them to account for their hypocrisy, they always had the Law on their lips but did not obey the commandments or walk in God’s ways. The other son, on the other hand, is an image of the repentant sinner. They had not, indeed, done the will of God when asked, but repent and do the right thing. Pauls wonderful hymn to Jesus, is about taking on the mantle of Jesus, being a humble servant of all, unlike the Jewish leaders in the parable, it is about serving others with the love and compassion of Christ, who made this His work throughout his life and death and resurrection. We are called to do the same, to serve God and others with all that we have, we may not always do it when first asked, but as long as we do, repent and turn, we will always have a place in the Kingdom, and if that is not good news, I have no idea what is O Lord, help us to be obedient to you, may we learn to hear your words and treasure them in our hearts, so that all that we have is yours Lord Amen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ During these times, if you need prayer or want to talk to a member of clergy, please contact us, by calling 01872 572654 or emailing atlanticcoastcluster@btinternet.com
St Cubertus by Sue Parkington “Tis closed”, the old man said, “Locked and cold within”, ‘Why’s that?’I asked ‘I can’t make sense of thee’. “Tis the virus; and the Bishops, So they say, They’m scared we might get sick. I’m only ninety three” ‘Let’s chat outside a while’ I said, Though raining heavily. “No good”, he said, then added, “Just come along with me, ‘Tis cosy in the south porch, And sheltered from the breeze”. And so we shared our crib there, Saffron bun and mug of tea. Keeping social distancing! A friend and company.
Precious Life (An Acrostic for Easter Time 2020) by Liz Cleves Perhaps we are listening, and Remembering what is dear to us Each of us recollecting Spring times, and the promise of nature bringing its gifts Conscious too that the beautiful Earth is suffering from our ‘overload’. In the morning I listen to the robin and the wren guarding my garden, and Out early I see the mighty sun lift over the horizon Unfettered and free in it’s course. Softly I give thanks for all in my care and all that I receive.
Let me give thanks In every way let me treasure my life and all that is dear to me Fearing only fear itself and Enjoying all while I may.
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