1 5 t h OC TO BE R 2 0 1 7

The Revd’s John & Alice Monaghan

THE KIND OF FEEDBACK MINISTERS LOVE…

Rev’d John Monaghan, Curate

I’m standing at the back of church after the service, ready to shake hands with the battle-ready disciples as they charge out of the door and into the mission field, chanting ‘onward Christian soldiers’ under their breath, and then I awake from my day dream. Firstly there’s the grammar police: “Thanks for the sermon Vicar - by the way, you didn’t pause long enough for me to hear the comma so I misheard what you said. I thought you said, ‘Let’s eat Grandma’ - and I was about to contact the police, but in actual fact you meant to say, ‘Let’s eat, Grandma’.” Then there’s the fashion police - “you did realise the end of your trouser legs were visible under that cassock” (meaning, ‘I found the blue/black contrast too distracting to help me process what you were saying about imputed righteousness’). Of course there’s

the worship hymn/song police - “not sure about that last hymn”, or “we repeated ‘good good Father’ so many times during that song I thought that any good father wouldn’t want to inflict that level of discomfort on their children.” However, above all, the kind of feedback that puts a smile on the minister’s face is hearing how you were equipped to live out your calling. God has personally placed you in your family, neighbourhood, workplace because you are the best person in the history of humanity able to bring the Kingdom of God and meet the needs of those around you. The church is the place where we come not to be entertained but to worship our Saviour and be equipped to live out our calling as disciples of Jesus during the week.

A B B E Y DI A RY THIS SUNDAY: Oct 15th 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship &

Junior Church 6.30pm Wessex Choral Evensong

THIS WEEK EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer

MON 16th 2.30pm Funeral of the late Mrs Hall

WED 18th 10.30am Communion THUR 19th 10.30am Time for Chat 7pm Choir Practice FRI 20th 12.30pm Christian Aid Soup Lunch in the Upper Room of the URC NEXT SUNDAY: October 22nd 9am Holy Communion BCP 10.30am Holy Communion CW 4pm All-Age Communion

ADVANCE ABBEY DIARY

Creative Reponses Friday 27th October at 10.30am

Service of Thanksgiving for the Faithful Departed Sunday 29th October at 6pm

Light Party Tuesday 31st October, 6-8pm (Tickets available in the Abbey).

It’s been a joy serving with you these past four and a half years. As you step into this new season, by all means keep your ministers accountable for being grammatically correct, fashion conscious and sensitive in song choices, but above all, keep them accountable for equipping you as disciples to live out the amazing call God has on each of your lives. God bless you.

Above photo: St Edyth’s Church,

Sea Mills, Bristol.

If you would like to attend John’s licensing at St Edyth’s please

contact Richard Griffiths (churchwarden at St Edyth’s)

by 20th October latest at richard.h.griffiths@hotmail.co.uk

or 07717177701 ALL VERY WELCOME

MAT T H E W 2 2 :1 - 1 4

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. 4 ‘Then he sent some more servants and said, “Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.” 5 ‘But they paid no attention and went off – one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, ill-treated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 ‘Then he said to his servants, “The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.” 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 ‘But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, “How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?” The man was speechless. 13 ‘Then the king told the attendants, “Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 14 ‘For many are invited, but few are chosen.’ Additional Reading: Philippians 4:1-9

DI S C IP L E S H I P

D A I LY R E A D I N G S

Monday Psalm 80 2 Chronicles 17:1-12 Mark 15:1-15

Tuesday Psalm 89:1-18 2 Chronicles 18:1-27 Mark 15:16-32

Wednesday Psalm 147 Isaiah 35:3-6 Luke 10:1-9

Thursday Psalm 92 2 Chronicles 20:1-23 Mark 15:42-end

Friday Psalm 88 2 Chronicles 22:10 – 23:1-end Mark 16:1-8

If you would like to give regularly to the mission and ministry of the Abbey as part of your discipleship, please e-mail alan@malmesburyabbey.com.m

R E G U L A R G I V I N G

1. Read Matthew 22:1-14. Share what stood out for you as you read it. 2. Try to identify, in the context of the parable, who the various characters might represent: The King; his Son; the servants; the people invited at first; the people invited later; the person not wearing wedding clothes (v12); the Kings attendants; the ‘many who are invited’ and the ‘few who are chosen’ (v14). 3. In what ways is this parable related to the parable before (Matthew 21:33-45)? 4. Read and discuss Romans 11:1-25. Does this help to explain some of the theology in these two parables? 5. Reflect & pray for yourselves and others about ‘the kindness and sternness of God’ (Romans 11:22) which can be conveyed in this parable and throughout scripture.

S U N D AY S T E WA R D S N E E D E D

S E R V I C E S O N S U N D AY 2 9 t h O C T O B E R

1 2 t h C E N T U R Y B E A U T Y 2 1 s t C E N T U R Y C H U R C H

To keep the Abbey open on Sundays we desperately need stewards. We especially need one or two for the FIRST SUNDAY of every month for 2-3 hours from 12 noon. This is such an important ministry in the life of the Abbey and a great way to welcome visitors to our beautiful 12th Century Church. Please contact Linda Weston on lw19w10@btinternet.com

Please make a note in your diaries that on Sunday 29th October we have just two services taking place in the Abbey. The first at 11am, a service of Informal Worship with a Focus on Healing and the second at 6pm a service of Thanksgiving for the Faithful Departed where those who have lost a loved one during the last year can take time to be still, to light a candle and to reflect. Please contact Sandie if you would like a loved one’s name mentioned during this service.

F U N E R A L D E TA I L S

The funeral of our brother, the late Bill Gibbins will take place on Weds 18th Oct, 1.15pm at Oak Chapel, Crown Hill Crematorium, Milton Keynes. If you would like to attend and need to discuss transport options please contact Peter Giddins on 01666 822668.

Let us also remember in prayer the friends and families of Mollie Batstone and Caroline Lloyd Jones.

Mollie passed away at the end of September aged 102. Mollie’s funeral has already taken place at the Moravian Church, Tytherton.

Caroline passed away on 12th October at Hill House and a funeral service for Caroline will take place in Malmesbury Abbey on Monday 23rd October at 2pm. Both Mollie and Caroline were regular attenders of the Abbey’s Wednesday Holy Communion service and will be missed by many.

CONTAC T

1 2 t h C E N T U R Y B E A U T Y 2 1 s t C E N T U R Y C H U R C H

A B B E Y O F F I C E A B B E Y C A F É

Tuesday-Friday 9.30am-3pm

01666 826666 office@malmesburyabbey.com www.malmesburyabbey.com Staff members can be contacted by name@malmesburyabbey.com

Monday-Friday 9.30am – 4pm café@malmesburyabbey.com

MalmesburyAbbeyKitchen

M A L M E S B U R Y A B B E Y

At Malmesbury Abbey we love to welcome new people, so don’please make yourselves known to us today or contact the Parish Office

during weekday office hours (details above).

We also love to show care for our community, please help us byknow if you, or anyone you know, needs our help.

1 2 t h C E N T U R Y B E A U T Y 2 1 s t C E N T U R Y C H U R C H

B B E Y C A F É

Friday (normal)

café@malmesburyabbey.com

MalmesburyAbbeyKitchen

At Malmesbury Abbey we love to welcome new people, so don’t be shy, known to us today or contact the Parish Office

during weekday office hours (details above).

We also love to show care for our community, please help us by letting us know if you, or anyone you know, needs our help.