Message from The Rector
Some good news. We have made some significant moves to open our churches for private prayer. St Andrew’s Aldringham is open every day, though access is restricted to a small part of the church in order to allow us to keep it clean. St Peter & St Paul’s Aldeburgh will be open every Sunday from 10.00am until 4.00pm. Again, access will only be to part of the building but as we are only open for one day a week the cleaning is less onerous and we feel that we can allow access to a small number of chairs (suitably distanced) in the Trinity Chapel. St Mary’s Friston will be open by appointment and details of how to access the church will be posted in the porch. We are lucky to have members of the congregation living very close to the church building and they have kindly agreed to unlock the church should there be a need. St Lawrence’s Knodishall is still deep in thought about the best way to handle things and there will be news very soon. It’s not an easy decision for any of our churches because opening the building means extra work for volunteers. The more of the building we open, and the more often we open it, the more work there is. We all pray for a time when restrictions are relaxed further but for the time being these are the restrictions under which we work. In the meantime, the online services continue and it’s good to be together at the same time, albeit in different places. The Holy Spirit draws us together and, as it were, ‘joins the dots.’ All shall be well.
PSALM 86 Verses 1-11
BOW down thine ear, O Lord, and hear me : for I am poor, and in misery
2 Preserve thou my soul, for I am holy : my God, save thy servant that putteth his trust in thee.
3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord : for I will call daily upon thee.
4 Comfort the soul of thy servant : for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For thou, Lord, art good and gracious : and of great mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
6 Give ear, Lord, unto my prayer : and ponder the voice of my humble desires.
7 In the time of my trouble I will call upon thee : for thou hearest me.
8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord : there is not one that can do as thou doest.
9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship thee, O Lord : and shall glorify thy Name.
10 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things : thou art God alone.
11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and I will walk in thy truth : O knit my heart unto thee, that I may fear thy Name.
First Reading
Romans 6.1b-11
What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Second Reading
Matthew 10.24-39
‘A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!
‘So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
‘Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.
‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
Collect
Lord, you have taught us that all our doings without love are nothing worth: send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love, the true bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whoever lives is counted dead before you. Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ’s sake, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Reflection for the Second Sunday after Trinity
The Revd Sheila Hart
For nearly 3 months now we have been living under lockdown because of Covid 19. And now, over the past week or so, suddenly this place of safety is beginning to be opened up, so that life can begin to slowly return to normal – whatever that means now.
We have been in lockdown for fear of becoming infected by the virus – to keep us safe – for protection of ourselves and others – and now some of the strict rules are beginning to be lifted and there is a different norm. And, as a result, a different fear or apprehension.
Being in lockdown has been experienced in different ways by different people.
Initially many were disorientated – not quite knowing which way to turn or how to react.
For many it was seen as an opportunity to do all those things on their ‘to do’ list and so they entered upon a period of frantic activity – tidying, cleaning, clearing out unwanted junk that had been lying around for ages in piles which needed sorting.
As time went on an element of resignation took over – this was how life was going to be for some time and so we’d better get used to it.
And finally, for many a sense of pent up anger and frustration which could have sparked the reaction to George Floyd’s death in America and subsequently the ‘Black Lives Matter’ demonstrations in this country and around the world in the past couple of weeks. The sense of ‘I have to blame somebody or something for my fate.’
In a different context and at a different time, this is exactly what Jeremiah was experiencing in our Old Testament lesson. He had reluctantly responded to God’s call to be a prophet in his youth. He had faithfully spoken God’s message to the people of his time, and he had received opposition and criticism from his hearers. He had tried to contain his resulting frustration and anger and live with it and eventually, he had had to let it out and he had a good rant at God, after all it was God who had got him into this mess and it was God’s responsibility to get him out of it!
Having had a go at God, Jeremiah has a moment of revelation in verse 11 of our reading: ‘But the Lord is with me like a dread warrior; therefore, my persecutors will stumble, and they will not prevail…. O Lord of Hosts, You test the righteous, you see the heart and the mind;’
So let’s be honest – how many of us are blaming God for our current situation and what we have been through in the past weeks?
Just because we are Christians – people who have committed our lives to serve God – it does not absolve us from our humanity.
Jesus is very clear in our Gospel reading from Matthew as to what following Him is all about.
‘Whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it and those who lose their life will find it.’
Being a Christian is not an escape route from the realities of life. Rather it is nailing our colours to the cross of Christ and sharing not only in the ‘power of His resurrection’ but also in ‘the fellowship of His sufferings’ that we might gain the crown of life – eternal life.
This has been a hard and difficult time for many of us and it is not going to get any easier very quickly, but we can take comfort in the fact that Jesus and many of His followers have travelled a similar road before and what they have lost in this life they have gained in eternity. So let us not give up now. Let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Amen.
Hymn
Take up thy cross, the Saviour said,
if thou wouldst my disciple be;
deny thyself, the world forsake,
and humbly follow after me.
Take up thy cross, let not its weight
fill thy weak spirit with alarm;
his strength shall bear thy spirit up,
and brace thy heart, and nerve thine arm.
Take up thy cross, nor heed the shame,
nor let thy foolish pride rebel;
thy Lord for thee the cross endured,
to save thy soul from death and hell.
Take up thy cross then in his strength,
and calmly every danger brave;
’twill guide thee to a better home,
and lead to victory o’er the grave.
Take up thy cross, and follow Christ,
nor think till death to lay it down;
for only he who bears the cross
may hope to wear the glorious crown.
To thee, great Lord, the One in Three,
all praise forevermore ascend:
O grant us in our home to see
the heavenly life that knows no end.
C W Everest (1814-77)
Some useful information on the current situation from our Doctors Surgeries in Aldeburgh and Leiston
Latest update from Aldeburgh Doctor Surgery
Please be aware that from 15 June 2020 our services will change as follows however WE MAY AT SHORT NOTICE HAVE TO REVERT TO OUR FALLBACK POSITION, OF ORFORD BEING THE DESIGNATED SITE TO SEE ALL PATIENTS FACE-TO-FACE.
- DISPENSARY
Orford and Alderton will both be open as per pre Covid opening hours. Patients will be able to collect their prescriptions through exterior dispensary windows. We ask that patients queue honouring social distancing advice of two metres.
Please do not call dispensary – prescriptions are still taking 5 working days.
- OPENING HOURS
Pre Covid opening hours, but the doors will remain locked at all sites so please telephone the surgery for appointments, results or queries.
Alderton Surgery Monday 08.00 – 14.30
Tuesday-Friday 08.00 – 18.30
Orford Surgery Monday 08.00 – 18.30
Tuesday Closed
Wed-Friday 08.00 – 13.00
Aldeburgh Monday-Friday 08.00 – 18.30
Hollesley Temporarily closed until further notice. – Repeat prescriptions requests will continue to be collected from the site.
- APPOINTMENTS
All appointments will be by telephone unless a patient is asked to attend the surgery for a face-to-face appointment.
One clinical team will manage telephone, video and online consultations. A small group of clinical staff will see patients face-to-face where there is a clinical need, thus reducing the risk of infecting patients and staff.
We are only able to accommodate essential blood appointments, because these appointments, which normally take 5 minutes, but now due to infection control, take 20 minutes.
Patients who have transport will be asked to support our service by attending Landseer Road for bloods. To pre-book appointments at Landseer Road online:
www.esneft.nhs.uk/service/bloodtests or tel 03331 032220.
When attending a face-to-face appointment at the surgery please remain in your car or the car park until a member of staff comes to collect you. And if you have a facemask please wear it.
We encourage all patients, if possible, to use our e-consult service; which offers online consultations with our clinicians. The link to our e-consult service can be found on our website:
www.thepeninsulapractice.co.uk/econsult
- RECEPTION
Our team are here to help you. For infection control purposes we are making internal structure changes and we request that patients honour social distancing at all times.
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT WE MAY AT SHORT NOTICE HAVE TO REVERT TO OUR FALLBACK POSITION, OF ORFORD BEING THE DESIGNATED SITE TO SEE ALL PATIENTS FACE-TO-FACE.
For all practice updates please see our website http://www.thepeninsulapractice.co.uk/homepage or The Peninsula Practice Facebook page.
Latest update from Leiston Doctor Surgery
‘Due to infection control measures in regards to the Coronavirus, we now have a reception desk in the upstairs lobby where you will be asked some questions in regards to your symptoms and exposure history.
The doors that can be accessed from the main street are NOT to be used, this is for the safety of our patients and staff to prevent spread of infection.
The downstairs entrance accessed via the car park must only be used by patients that require to access the lift or pick up medications.
Please do not come to the surgery without a booked appointment.
All patients with pre-booked appointments for the nurses/HCA’s will be asked to contact the surgery prior to their appointment if they have any cold/flu like symptoms.
All GP/allied health professional appointments are telephone triaged initially.
Do not come early to appointments if possible and do not bring other people to accompany where possible.
We appreciate your support and cooperation at this time and want to ensure you that we are taking every possible measure to minimise risk for our patients and staff.’
For more information, please visit the Leiston Doctor surgery website:
https://www.leistonsurgery.com/page1.aspx?p=1&t=1
https://www.leistonsurgery.com/page1.aspx?p=3&t=1
The Week Ahead – Next Sunday
28th June – Third Sunday after Trinity
NOTICES
|
Food Banks – Message from the Community We support 22 independent and Trussell Trust Foodbanks through our Food Stores; the Foodbanks all collect from the stores who support them. To find the list of who we support and how to find out what their specific needs are please go on to our website https://www.eastofengland.coop/food/ethics-and-sustainability/food-banks-(1)?viewmode=0 Suffolk Community Foundation are in need of donations to support the various Suffolk Charities they are involved with, to support them financially go to https://www.suffolkcf.org.uk/in-response-to-the-coronavirus-threat-suffolk-community-foundation-launches-local-appeal/. |
|
✞ Wednesday Online Services ✞ Around our Benefice there are, as well as our Sunday morning 10.30am online gatherings, three acts of worship that take place on Wednesdays. At 10.00am there is a service of Holy Communion according to the Book of Common Prayer streamed from The Vicarage at (Alde Sandlings YouTube Channel). |
|
☏ Citizens Advice 📧 |
|
📖 Readers ✞ |
|
How about you?? |
|
Anyone for a Picnic & Informal Outdoor Service? ✞ What if one of us invited 5 people to meet at the cross at a specified time armed with a folding chair and a ‘self-picnic’ (that is, not for sharing) and a glass? The ‘host’ would bring a simple service sheet, perhaps a couple of well known hymns and prayers – and a bottle of wine. |
The Church of England is producing lots of good material and advice at present. This includes some excellent prayers for us all to use and I commend them to you:
https://www.churchofengland.org/
You can also join the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich weekly newsletter mailing list by visiting:
