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All our churches are open daily.
Many thanks for your interest, we hope to see you soon.
HELLO FROM CANON BARRY
Dear Friends,
Writing this article just before the Sunday known as 5 of Easter, I feel as if we are in a waiting phase; we have celebrated the Resurrection and anticipating what comes next.
It is, I reflect, a bit like what I shall be doing this afternoon…. sitting and waiting. We go to Lyng to collect our two lovely grandsons from their Primary School, and if we get there too early (an infrequent event due to the many, many, sets of utility works – gas, WIFI and electricity – not to mention the road maintenance) there is the opportunity to wait in the warm car with a book counting the moments until about 200 Mixed Infants come piling out full of the joys of Spring. Then the day really starts for us…. back to their home in Billingford…. refreshments, spelling revision, reading and then football in the garden until the Witching Hour when television may be watched while we prepare the supper.
There is that sense of anticipation until the frenetic activity starts which puts me in mind of this time between Easter and Pentecost. The disciples did not know what to expect, and even if they thought about it, I guess the events of Pentecost must have come as a total surprise.
God can indeed catch us by surprise, when he asks something of us which catches us out; it could be an event in our lives, or a change in lifestyle, even to a type of ministry.
This waiting time should not find us unready to serve the Lord, but it could well catch us by surprise; in these times of anxieties about world events and assorted fairly deranged leaders, the call of the Lord will always be reassuring, even if surprising, and we should be, in the words of the Grace before meals: nor like old porridge, cold, lumpy and difficult to swallow, but like corn flakes: crisp, nourishing and ready to serve.
With best wishes
Barry
A REFLECTION AND PRAYER
As we await the feast of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit, let us begin by reflecting on our divided world, on the differences in culture and language that separate us. As our communities become more diverse, we recognize that language, culture and religion have divided us. Let us reflect on the gift of communication, the gift of tongues at Pentecost, allowing people fully to understand the good news of God’s love in their own tongue. We embrace God’s longing for us to come together in mutual understanding. We are one family, one race, the human race, children of God.
Let us pray:
God the Father of all people,
of every culture and nation,
bless us all to become your family.
God in Jesus,
who calls us to be one, despite our differences,
bless us all to become your body.
Holy Spirit of God,
who calls us into community,
bless us all to discover the connecting language of love.
And may God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be with us now and for ever.
Amen
THE BISHOP OF LYNN
IS COMING TO THE BENEFICE
The Bishop of Lynn, the Rt Revd Dr Jane Steen, will be Presiding at the Benefice Sung Eucharist Service on Sunday 13th July at 10.30am at Holy Trinity Church, West Runton.
Make a note of the date in your diary now and watch out for more details!
PRAYER CORNER
“Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares for you”.
1 Peter 5:7
Please pray--
SAFEGUARDING, HELP AND ADVICE
Safeguarding means protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of children and adults at risk of, or experiencing, emotional, psychological, physical or spiritual harm and/or neglect.
Safeguarding means enabling those who are affected to live safely, free from any kind of abuse or neglect. It is about people and organizations working together to prevent and reduce both the risks and actual experience of abuse in all of its forms.
We take safeguarding very seriously, at all of the Benefice Churches and care about all those we seek to serve within our churches and our communities.
We conform to the policy of Norwich Diocese which can be found at https://www.dioceseofnorwich.org/about/safeguarding
If you believe that either yourself or someone you know may be at risk of harm or neglect, please contact the Benefice Safeguarding Officer Rev. Paul Yeomans 07437203535 to discuss your concerns and what the next steps might be.
Alternatively, you may contact the Norwich Diocese Safeguarding Team by email at [email protected] or by telephone on: 01603 882345.
If you yourself or someone you know is in immediate danger of being harmed then please call 999 to be advised by the emergency services.