This Week

Dear all

I am sorry that the weekly news is coming out so late this week - there has been a lot going on! This morning I joined 120 or so members of the Diocesan Synod for our summer meeting. Due to the pervading situation the meeting took place over Zoom though given the distances some have to travel for these meetings, perhaps that was no bad thing. Much of the meeting was given over to responses to the pandemic, both spiritual and fiscal. There was also a presentation on the report, Disciples Together on youth work in the diocese. Further information here - please take a look.

I have also been liaising with wardens (though as I write, there are still some to phone!) about the reopening of churches for private prayer. Where churches are reopened (and it won't be all our churches opening) the way it happens will vary according to circumstance. Please keep an eye on your email inbox and notices at the churches for further information.

All of this has taken place against the backdrop of unrest in London, around the country, and around the world. The world is far from perfect, and we need to hold on to - and live out - the reality that we are all created by God, each and every person is equally valuable to God and we are to love all people unconditionally. For “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28)

Our online service will, once again, be available from 8.30am on Sunday morning from the benefice at this link. After a bumpy start the services of Prayer During the Day and Compline for Ordinary Time are up at that page on the Benefice website as well. More to come.

Services from the Diocese of Oxford and the national church are also available. If you are in contact with people who are not online, please do pass on the numbers for the initiatives from the central Church of England and the Diocese of Oxford:
'Daily Hope' offers music, prayers and reflections as well as full worship services from the Church of England at the end of a telephone line on 0800 804 8044 (further details can be found here.)
The Oxford Diocese line for those unable to watch services online is reached via 01865 920930 and, once connected, dial 0 for the full version of the service, or dial 1 for a short version. However - PLEASE NOTE - this line is not free, standard call rates apply. Please remember there will be a few seconds of silence before the service starts.

Also included below - along with the Weekly Sheet - we have a sermon from Douglas for the feast of Corpus Christi (last Thursday) and a sheet with notes on the Saints' days of the week.

I am still hoping to broaden the input to our worship. If any of you can help and would be willing to record bits of a service - preferably video but audio would be fine - and then email them to me then I will do the editing. There is a lot to include each week, so if you can offer a reading or a prayer, please let me know (edownlandrector@gmail.com) - it will feel more like benefice worship if more are involved in leading parts of it as we haven had in our worship week in, week out.

Please do still encourage others to keep in touch with what is going on by signing up to these updates – just cut and paste the link to them in an email:
https://mailchi.mp/d58d3b280189/east-downland-sign-up

Very importantly, if there are any people who you know would like a hard copy of this then please print it off for them or let me know, and I’ll take care of it (whilst keeping physically distant!)

And finally (and in the spirit of keeping the most important bit until last) a very important announcement about our curate, William.

William has now been with us for almost five years and his curacy is coming to an end. Bishop Olivia has signed off on his curacy being complete and so the next step is to decide where he will continue his ordained ministry as an Associate Priest. It is with great delight - with huge joy - that I can now tell you that William will be staying with us in the East Downland for this next stage. While we won't be able to have the big licensing service and bun fight that would normally accompany this change, please join me in congratulating William on the completion of his curacy, welcoming him among us under this new title, and praying for him, for Karen, and for their family as he continues to minister among us.

For now, as always, all the best, God bless, and keep safe

John