Dearest friends,
We often think of prayer as asking God to do something for us. Of course there is a place for that. Jesus himself tells us to bring our needs before our Heavenly Father. But the deepest purpose of prayer is not to change God; it is to change us.
We know this from our closest human relationships. Spending time with someone we love gradually shapes us. We begin to share their joys and sorrows, to understand their hopes, and to see the world a little more as they do. Prayer is no different. It is time spent with God, and no one spends time in His presence without being changed by it.
Sometimes our circumstances change. Sometimes they do not. But the person who prays is never quite the same person who first knelt down. So don’t be discouraged if your prayers sometimes seem quiet or uneventful. God is always at work, and often His greatest work is not around us, but within us.
In love,
Fr. Matthew
Notices
Summer lecture
As the majority of those who requested this lecture are unable to make the date, I’ve decided to postpone it until the autumn, when more people will be able to attend.
St John’s APCM
Our Annual Parochial Church Meeting will be held in Wickham Hall on Wednesday 15th July at 6.00pm. If you’re on the Electoral Roll, please do come along as we review the past year, elect officers and PCC members, and look ahead to the year ahead.
Explorers
We’ll be at St. Catherine’s school again on the afternoon of the 5th July for Explorers – do come along and join us as we explore Moses and the gift he gave us.
Quiz & Chips
The quiz returns! Come to St. Luke’s for the very popular quiz with fish and chips. Could you either sign up at the back of St. Luke’s or just let Fr. Matthew know if you’re planning on coming.
Summer Pilgrimage
Fr. Matthew will be leaving Devon on the 23rd July from St. John’s at 10am. There’ll be a special Mass, led by Fr. Robin. He’ll bless Fr. Matthew (and his bike!) as they depart on their 9000km pilgrimage to many of Europe’s great Marian shrines. This journey will form the backbone of a book called ‘Two Holy Bikers’ which will be published by Bloomsbury in October 2027.
Parish Outing – 4th July – Exmouth
There are several ways of getting to Exmouth, so please choose whichever suits you best.
- By train: Catch the 10.12 train from Newton Abbot, which arrives in Exmouth at about 11.15.
- By train & ferry: Catch the 10.12 train to Starcross, then take the ferry across to Exmouth.
- By car: Drive either to Exmouth or to Starcross if you’d like to take the ferry across with others.
Whichever route you choose, we’ll all meet at the War Memorial in the centre of Exmouth between 11.30 and 11.45.
Many thanks to Mandy for coordinating everything!
Sunday 5th July
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
9am – Sung Parish Mass [SJ]
11:15am – Sung Parish Mass [SL]
3-5pm – Explorers [SC]
Year A(II), Psalm week 2, Trinity 5, Proper 9
Upcoming Dates
July
1st – St. Luke’s Ladies Group
4th – Parish Outing to Exmouth
5th – Explorers
15th – St John’s APCM (6pm) [WH]
18th – Table Top Sale [WH]
Rosary Group (10:30am) [SL]
19th – Joint mass with BBQ [SJ]
23rd – Sending Mass for Fr. Matthew’s Pilgrimage, 10am [SJ]
25th – Quiz with Fish & Chips [SL]
26th – NA Benefice Evensong, West Ogwell
Sept
2nd – St. Luke’s Ladies Group
5th – Glastonbury Pilgrimage
10th – Winter Term & Christmas Planning Meeting [SL]
11th – Bingo [SL]
13th – Explorers
20th – Lecture, Church Vestments (4pm) [WH]
Afternoon Tea (5pm) [WH]
Evensong (6pm) [SJ]
27th – NA Benefice Evensong, St. Mary’s
No Ladies Group in August
No midweek Mass in August
Fr. Matthew on pilgrimage from 24th July to 4th September
[SJ] St. John’s | [SL] St. Luke’s | [WH] Wickham Hall
[SC] St. Catherine’s School