#541 The key to the matter
Fr Sam writes
For most of you, I imagine the Harvest festival is a fairly brief affair: one day’s celebration, a couple of familiar hymns, and done. For me, however, it takes up a whole month of my life! I have already done the celebration with St Nick’s in September, then last week with St Cecilia’s school and in church on Sunday, with St Paul’s school to come in a week or so.
This is all lovely, of course, but the repeated ploughing of fields and scattering is beginning to get me looking over the horizon to when the herald angels start to sing…
Meanwhile, this morning St Paul’s hosted the annual celebration service for TKAT: the Keys Academy Trust, which runs St Cecilia’s school, along with several others. They put together a simply enormous key for the occasion: sadly a photograph will have to wait for next week’s newsletter: we’ll have to make do with this picture of St Peter with his keys instead!
This Sunday: who’s coming to the party?
This Sunday the readings ask us to consider how our calling as Christians affects how we act in our daily lives.
Our first reading this Sunday is from St Paul’s letter to the Philippians, bidding them farewell and inviting them to remember what he taught them (Philippians 4.1-9).
In our Gospel reading, Jesus tells the parable of the wedding banquet, where the original guests fail to arrive and others are recruited in their place (Matthew 22.1-14).
Image: ‘A Wedding Party’ by Jan Steen
Services this Sunday
| 9.30am | St Paul’s | Parish Mass | Fr Sam Tanna-Korn |
| Organ Prelude: Spiritual (from the Deep South Suite) – John W. Work III Anthem: Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks – Herbert Howells Voluntary: Obangiji – Fela Sowande | |||
| 10am | Woosehill Church | Holy Communion | Revd Wes Hampton |
| 11am | St Nicholas’ | Community Eucharist | Fr Sam Tanna-Korn |
Harvest Festival at St Paul’s
After the Parish Mass last Sunday we had the annual Harvest auction, raising money for our parish charities. The auction raised £486: many thanks to everyone who bid and to Pippa, our wonderful auctioneer!
A bit bazaar
The autumn bazaar will be on 7 November between 12 noon and 3pm in the St Paul’s Parish Rooms.
Grand Draw tickets are on sale now. These are available from Liz Gallagher or Teri Austen. The first prize is a Lovely Luxury Hamper, the second prize a Wine Hamper and there are many more prizes. We would be grateful for donations for the hampers. There is a sign-up list at the back of St Paul’s and St Nick’s. We would also be very grateful for donations of other suitable prizes!
Woosehill Magazine
The latest edition of the Woosehill Church magazine has been published and is available online and at the back of St Paul’s.
This week’s calendar: a saintly king
On 13 October, the Church remembers St Edward the Confessor, King of England from 1042 until his death in 1066. Edward was remembered for his deep Christian faith, his generosity to the poor and his devotion to prayer. His reign was closely associated with the foundation of Westminster Abbey, where he was buried. He was later canonised, and for centuries was regarded as one of England’s principal patron saints.
St Edward’s example reminds us that holiness is not confined to monasteries or churches, but can be sought amid the responsibilities of our daily life. Whatever work or authority is entrusted to us, we are called to exercise it with humility, generosity and prayer, seeking not our own glory but the good of those whom God has given us to serve.
Image: Edward shown in the Bayeux Tapestry
