WELCOME TO ST MARY'S AND ALL SOULS
Take a look at the churches in the Benefice from the air |
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St Mary's and All Souls Services We will post any revisions to services here and on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/StMarysAndAllSouls |
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St Mary's and All Souls latest Newsletter |
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PCC Papers You can now download minutes and other PCC documents from the PCC page |
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Food Bank latest needs: https://bromleyborough.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-food/ *PLEASE DON'T SEND US FROZEN OR CHILLED ITEMS AS WE DON'T HAVE THE CORRECT STORAGE FOR IT AND IT SPOILS BEFORE WE CAN DISTRIBUTE IT* WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF PASTA, CEREAL & BISCUITS
Thank you!
Judith Simmonds will be taking the Parish contributions towards the end of the month so please drop your donations into our box in the porch before then. |
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Susan writes:
This month we will be celebrating the feast of Pentecost – the birthday of the church. Pentecost marks the end of the Easter season and celebrates the day on which the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus’ disciples in wind and flame.
They were filled with the Spirit’s gifts and burst out of the room in which they had been hiding to speak the Good News of Jesus to the crowds in Jerusalem. The people were gathered from many nations and all heard the Good News in their own language as the Spirit gave the disciples the ability, at that time and in that place, to speak in that way.
The disciples had been locked down since Jesus’ death, venturing out on a few occasions but still living in fear of the Roman and Jewish authorities. The Holy Spirit, which Jesus had promised them at his ascension, gave them hope, courage and the words to say to share God’s love with all gathered in the city. Then they followed Jesus’ instruction and took the message out wider and wider to the ends of the earth. Without the Spirit’s help the account of Jesus’ life would never have been passed down to us.
Now, it is not that long ago that we all had a taste of being locked down. The fear and concern about venturing out in the early months of the Covid pandemic left many of us wondering when we would be able to get back to our regular activities and how different they would have to be. Most things have since returned to normal but some aspects of our lives may have changed. For some of us that may mean we are more cautious when mixing in large groups, for others it may be that we are much more adept at having meetings on Zoom, google meet etc.
Like the disciples, the Holy Spirit was there to help us break out of our lock down and continues to be with us today. I can’t promise that we will ever be able to speak many languages, but the Spirit gives us, like the disciples, the gifts we need at the time we need them. St Paul tells us that the fruit we show when the Spirit is within us are these – love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control – and I’m sure we could all do with some help to demonstrate some of these.
As we approach the feast of Pentecost let us consciously ask the Holy Spirit to come and help us today, maybe not in wind and flame, but with peace and God’s love. Then, like the disciples we can become part of God’s story and keep on spreading the Good News of Jesus, so it reaches to the ends of the earth or even just around the corner.
Reverend Susan
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