Harvest News
Priest-in-Charge Fr John Ainslie (revjohnainslie@gmail.com; 01628 629827)
A very warm welcome to any new readers, and to visitors and newcomers to St Michael's. If you are new to St Michael's, do join us for refreshments in the Vestry Hall after the service, so we can welcome you properly.
PRAYER REQUEST SLIPS are available at the back of church if you want to request prayer for yourself, for someone else or for a particular situation.
SERVICES THIS WEEK: Thursday Mass at 10.30, next Sunday Sung Mass at 10.30 followed by refreshments.
Huge thanks to Sue and husband John for planting lots and lots of spring bulbs alongside the path to our main doors, and in the grassed area in the NW corner of the churchyard – a sure sign of confidence in the blessings that God has in store for us in the months to come. Sue and John have also planted up some containers to brighten up the winter months for us as we wait for the spring bulbs to appear!
May the flowers and bulbs be a source of joy to us and to all who see them. May we recognise in them the beauty of God’s creation and the blessings which God delights to pour upon us.
SAINTS FOR THIS WEEK: Amongst others, the Church celebrates the 7th century Bishop St Paulinus on Thursday. Probably Italian, Paulinus was sent by Pope Gregory to boost the work of St Augustine of Canterbury. He travelled to Northumbria, built the first church in York where he became its first Bishop, and established Christian communities across the North East. He had to flea from the pagan king Penda of Mercia and ended his episcopal career as Bishop of Rochester. The 8th century Bishop Wilfrid of Ripon, a hugely influential personality on the side of Rome at the Synod of Whitby, is remembered next Saturday, along with the First World War nurse Edith Cavell – born into a clergy family and with great faith, she cared for the wounded of both sides working for the Red Cross in Belgium. She was arrested and shot for assisting allied soldiers to escape back to England.
FINANCE. Further to recent notices, please continue to bear in mind the resources that we need to sustain and enhance our beautiful building (which I can testify really does speak of God to those who come into this sacred space), provide the worship of the Mass week by week, and to provide ministry not just amongst the congregation but also to schools, care homes and those in pastoral need. If you need help working out how best to give regularly, speak to myself or to our Treasurer Lee.
FOR OUR PRAYERS: We give thanks for the fruits of creation which feed us and sustain us, and the beauty of the natural world. We pray that we would guard and nurture God’s creation as wise stewards of God’s gifts to us. We pray for those who do not have enough, for those without food or water, without shelter or healthcare. We pray for all organisations that seek to promote a just distribution of the earth’s resources. We pray that we would all learn to live more sustainably, to reduce, re-use and recycle. We pray for Making a Difference Maidstone, local foodbanks and those making plans to care for the homeless in our town over the winter.
We pray for Kieran and Alice from our parish, as they are married at St John’s West Wickham next Saturday.
We pray for those in need, and especially Paul Jones, Glynis Reynolds, Yvonne Young, Jessica O’Sullivan, Frank Carr, Lindsay Wheeler, Peter Rowe, Martyn Nash, Lisa Thompset, Fran, Keanna, Ellie Tomlinson, Claire Goodwin, Sara Dray, Robert Hill and Michael.
We pray for the recently departed. We remember those who have faithfully served God in this Church in previous generations, and we pray for those whose year’s mind occurs this week: John Gibbons, Charles Relle, Joan Cheese, Bill Tuppen, Jim Farnan, Vivian Sheridan, Iva Winifred Comber, Dorothy Wickenden, William Ure, Mildred Milton.