Benefice of South Tawton with Belstone

Services January 2006
Please be assured of a warm welcome at all our services

Sunday 1st January – The naming of Jesus

8:30 a.m. Holy Communion, ( modern ) South Zeal

9:30 a.m. Family Communion, Belstone

Sunday 8th January – for Epiphany

8:30 a.m. Holy Communion, ( 1662 Said) Sticklepath

9:30 a.m. Parish Communion, South Tawton

9:30 Junior Church

11:15 a.m. Parish Communion Belstone

Sunday 15th January Epiphany 2

8:30 a.m. Holy Communion, ( 1662 Said) South Zeal

9:30 Junior Church

10:00 a.m. Benefice Communion Belstone

6:30 p.m. Taize Service South Zeal

Sunday 22nd January Epiphany 3

8:30 a.m. Holy Communion, ( modern ) Sticklepath

9:30 a.m. Family Communion, South Tawton

11:115 Parish communion Belstone

6:30 p.m. Meditation and prayers for healing Sticklepath

Sunday 29th January Epiphany 4

8:30 a.m. Holy Communion, ( 1662 Said) Sticklepath

9:30 a.m. Parish Communion, South Tawton

11:15 a.m. Parish Communion Belstone

All Welcome

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

•  10 th & 24 th January: Rectory Bible Study 7:30 p.m.

•  25 th January: South Tawton PCC 7:30

•  29th January: Music Workshop for Lent and Easter 4 p.m.

St. Andrew Church – Free. All welcome.

FROM THE REGISTERS

RIP Peter Varwell

A SERVICE OF THANKGIVING FOR PETER'S LIFE 2:30 P.M. TUESDAY JANUARY 3RD 2006

CHURCH OF ST. ANDREW SOUTH TAWTON

Rectory Ramblings     January 2006

I recently sat with a dying parishioner, a man who had led an incredibly full and active life, and it seemed hard to believe it would soon end. We all know that death is something we cannot avoid experiencing, but still it is hard to believe that life filled with thought, ideas, inspiration and kindness ends because ‘physically' life can no longer be maintained. The human race has come so far in so many ways and yet we are still defeated by death.

I read from the prayer book and gave an appropriate blessing. I chatted for a little while, I was always taught that hearing might be the last sense to deteriorate and that those who could no longer communicate could possibly still hear words of care and love. I hope that to be true. However as often before I realised that words are just words and what seemed the best was simply to give a kiss goodbye.

The use of words can often cover up our fear to reach out in love to another person. We can disguise feelings with words of humour or use them as tools to deflect our emotions when all we really want to do is reach out in love. Rejection can be our greatest fear and so we do not take the risk at all, and yet all that really seems of value involves risk taking and in the wonder of the incarnation that we have just celebrated at Christmas we see God taking arguably the greatest risk of all becoming a human being in Jesus and being open to rejection while offering us the gift of unconditional love. Jesus reaches out to us all in his full acceptance of us, his touch was felt by the sick, the outcast, the children who thronged to him and even in death the crucified arms of God were spread to embrace all people in his ultimate sacrifice which leads us all to the promise of resurrection.

The New Year gives us the opportunity to reach out to others and accept the risk of sharing feelings and love. We can look to Almighty God as the supreme example of risk taking and we can step towards him in the confidence that he will never reject us but promises eternal life and love with him. For the Christian therefore, the kiss goodbye is a kiss ‘au revoir' as life here is only a foretaste of life that is to come.

Michael and Rosaleen wish you all a Happy and Peaceful New Year.

Quote for the month: ‘Life's a voyage that is homeward bound' – Herman Melville.