21/7/24
Your weekly update from the Benwell & Scotswood Team.
Click below to read this week's information and latest news.
Jump to:
Services this week
Sunday 21 July
9.30am - St John's Holy Communion
9.45am - St Margaret's Holy Communion
11am - Hub service at St James (Parish Eucharist)
Tuesday
9.30am - Morning Prayer at Venerable Bede
4.30pm - Bible study with Farsi translation at St James
Wednesday
11am - Morning Prayer at Venerable Bede led by Mothers’ Union
Thursday
9.30am - Morning Prayer at Venerable Bede
10.30am - Holy Communion at Venerable Bede
Sunday 28 July
9.30am - St John's Holy Communion
11am - St James' patronal festival
4pm - St Margaret's Evening prayer
Dates for your Diary
Wed 24 July
Re-scheduled PCC at Ven Bede
Sat 3 Aug
Benstock Festival at St James
3pm - free family friendly art activities
5.30pm - doors open for music festival
Sat 11 Aug
4pm - David's final service at St James'
News
BENSTOCK '24
It's back! On Saturday 3rd August at St James' Church.
Buy your tickets at benstock.org
Benstock 24 is the biggest music festival in Benwell this year. Stacked with the best up-and-coming talent and established names, this is the place to feel the beats and dig the vibes. Chill with the music and enjoy a night to remember.
Bands, licensed bar and more!
Free family friendly art and activities from 3pm.
Bands from 5.30pm - tickets £10 (or £5 for those who are unwaged).
All proceeds will go to the 'Something Wonderful' project, working with the vulnerable and isolated and strengthening the community of Benwell. More info at benwellscotswood.com/somethingwonderful
David's farewell celebration
A celebration of David’s ministry of over 39 years, and farewell to David and Elspeth as they prepare to leave Benwell and Scotswood.
Sunday 11th August 4 pm at St James, Benwell
Farewell Eucharist to mark David’s retirement
Preacher: Revd Yvonne Greener, Area Dean of Gateshead
Followed by Celebration Supper in St James Church Hall until 8pm
(food will be provided but all contributions welcome!)
St James' patronal festival
Join us at next Sunday's Hub service as we have transferred St James' feast day to celebrate together at 11am.
During this most special occasion there will be 6 people being baptised, please pray for Amin, Amir, Arya, Divine, Helen, and Leili as they take this big step in their journey with God.
Embrace - Gaza appeal
The people of Gaza are living through an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Israel’s response has led to indiscriminate civilian suffering, with residents forced to move from place to place in search of safety. Food and medical supplies have all but run out; water, electricity, and fuel have been cut off.
The people of Gaza were already on their knees with 80% of residents reliant on humanitarian aid to survive. Please, can you make a donation into help in their hour of need?
You can donate online, by clicking below, or by calling 01494 897950. Your gift will support Embrace’s Christian partners in the immediate aftermath of this humanitarian crisis and to help to heal the wounds it’s caused across Israel – Palestine.
Sunday Worship
Sunday 21 July 2024
Trinity 8
Green
Readings
Ephesians 2.11–22
11 So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by those who are called ‘the circumcision’—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— 12remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. 15He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, 16and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it.17So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, 20built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.21In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God.
Mark 6.30–34, 53–56
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, 55and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the market-places, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
Intercessions
Prayers for others:
John Nicholson
Malcolm Smith
Paulette Thompson
John Peterson
Maria Hawthorn
Herbert Agbeko
Ellis Nelson
Pauline Nelson
Michelle Wilson
Peter Wilson
Alan Taylor
Maureen Taylor
Irene Foskett
Lorraine Atkinson
Pat Law
Moe and Mary
Hilary Dixon
Lynn Mosby
Nelly
Irene Scaife
Baby Alice Rose, Jodie and family
Other
The ongoing situation in Russia, Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, Sudan and all other places at war.
Those preparing for baptism.
If you would like to add someone to the prayer list please email church@benwellscotswood.com
The name will stay on the list for 1 month unless requested to be long-term.
Sermon
Revd David
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Two weeks ago, we heard how Jesus sent out the twelve disciples in pairs and how, they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them. Today we heard how they came back to Jesus, obviously excited, gathered round him, and told him all they had done and taught.
How does Jesus respond? Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while. Jesus is concerned for them. Their mission may have been successful, but that doesn’t mean it has been easy, and even now they have finished that work, we are told so many are coming and going, that they don’t even have time to eat. So, Jesus prescribes a retreat, and off they go in the boat, to a deserted place by themselves.
A retreat is something clergy are encouraged to undertake regularly. To step aside from other commitments and make time for rest and prayer. The week before last, Elspeth and I were able to go on a short retreat to St Hilda’s Priory in Whitby. We took part in the regular round of prayers with the sisters and shared meals with them, usually in silence. It was a restful and rewarding time, even if the weather was lousy. We all need times of rest and refreshment, unfortunately it is often the case that those who most need it find it hardest to come by. We are now coming into summer holiday time, great for some but for many families, a struggle.
In the gospel today, it didn’t quite work out as expected. The deserted place they head for, turns out not to be so deserted, after all. People have realised where Jesus is going, and a great crowd awaits them as they arrive. Jesus could have sent the crowd away and said, ‘leave us in peace’, but no, ‘he had compassion on them’. Another translation of the word used is, ‘he was moved with pity’. It is the same word used when he meets a person with leprosy who says, ‘if you want to, you can heal me’. It signifies a pity combined with anger, anger not at the man but at the way he has been treated. Jesus says, ‘ I do want to’, reaches out and heals him. Just as he felt for that one individual he now feels for the whole crowd, ‘they are like sheep without a shepherd’, the anger is not at them, but at the shepherds who were meant to care for them. Jesus, despite having recommended a retreat, will not walk away or send the crowd packing but spends his time teaching the crowd until late.
What is the lesson for us who want to be followers of Jesus? Do we listen to what he says to the twelve, ‘Come and rest a while’.? Or do we follow His example, respond to pressing need with pity and anger and work away at all hours?
In fact, we know that Jesus example is more nuanced. He takes time for prayer with complete seriousness, not only in his teaching, but in practice, retiring alone and sometimes spending whole nights in prayer. When Martha comes to complain that her sister Mary is neglecting the duties of hospitality because she is just sitting listening to Jesus. Jesus tells her Mary has chosen the good part. Prayer is never the enemy of compassion any more than love for God is an enemy of Love for Neigbour.
Finding balance in our Christian life is the important thing , self-care alongside care for others, but there is no ‘one size fits all’ way to achieve it, often we must live with tensions and contradictions. The gospel reading we had at our Thursday Communion service this week embodies the tension but also invites our response.
‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’
Firstly, Jesus promises rest. Are you weary? Bearing heavy burdens? Moved with pity, Jesus reaches out to you. The good Shepherd seeks you out until he finds you and brings you home. But then there is something else. ‘Take my yoke upon you’. A yoke is for cattle, a sign of servitude, are we sure we want that? He promises ‘my yoke is easy’, but even, so a yoke implies work to be done. He has a job for you, is that so bad a thing? Of course there is still work to be done. Many things to move us with pity and anger, many places for us to show the compassion of Jesus, many places also in need of his rest and healing. Would we really rather sit by,
’ How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use! ‘
Rest and work, Jesus offers us both. The balance we need in our lives is held out to us in those words of invitation ‘ Come to me’, all we need do is respond. Amen