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Dear Friends,
Once again we begin the lovely season of 'mists and mellow fruitfulness' there is certainly an autumnal feel in the air, nonetheless a good weather forecast for the beginning of the week -
UPDATE
There is no change to the update of the past few weeks, as most will know local rates though higher than for most of the pandemic have thankfully started to recede again, with considerable pockets of high rate nearby -
Up to date information may be found at Church of England website and latest updates on guidance are also on our diocesan website.
SUNDAY PUBLIC WORSHIP -
Wem Parish Church:
08:00 -
09:45 -
13:00 -
Weston Parish Church:
09:30 -
Lee Parish Chrch:
11:15 -
THIS SUNDAY: THE FOURTEENTH AFTER TRINITY
You may follow our Cathedral services for this Sunday by clicking on the above and following the necessary links -
08:00 -
10:30 -
17:30 -
OR
Access the C of E website to find details of this week's service which you can also watch during the week, it is available from 0900. This week:
09:00 -
THIS SUNDAY on BBC
Radio Four: 08:10 -
BBC ONE: 13:15 -
Please find attached the readings, Homily and 'Live the Word' for this Sunday (courtesy of Redemptorist Publications). Also find attached our Local Prayer Diary and an especially powerful Diocesan Prayer Diary.
NEXT SUNDAY 15th AFTER TRINITY (Education Sunday)
Wem:
08:00 -
09:45 -
Weston:
09:30 -
Lee:
11:15 -
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 8th -
A 'Lesser' yet still important Feast Day of Our Lady, to use once again Wordsworth's memorable phrase, 'Our tainted nature's solitary boast' -
Almighty God,
who chose the blessed Virgin Mary
to be the mother of your only Son:
grant that we who are redeemed in him
may, by your grace,
be holy and obedient to your word:
through Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God for ever.
PARISH MAGAZINE
I was tempted to attach to this bulk email...but fear it might overload matters so please expect copy vv soon indeed! Many thanks as always to Pam for her patient editing of this and correction of my pytos!
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
In his Sep message Adrian Dorber the Dean of our Cathedral writes:
"The key in Jewish and Christian understanding of the Creation and the Environment is that human beings are co-
"Faith must be the solvent of fear and untruth."
This is season of Creation tide let us pray as never before for our world environment; remembering how our human rapaciousness has made the ecological balance so fragile, considering the imperative of Climate Justice and asking God through The Spirit to nurture us in doing all we can for our world's future:
Heavenly Father,
You have taught us, through your servant St Francis,
That all creation is your handiwork.
Grant us your grace that we may
Exercise wise stewardship of this Earth;
Tread lightly upon it;
And cherish its resources;
That our children may enjoy its riches, throughout all generations,
And your name be glorified through all that you have made.
Amen.
With every good wish for the week ahead, may it be the best possible for you -
Nick
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Dear Friends,
Please find attached the September Benefice Magazine,
Hope you are having a good weekend, take care,
Nick Heron
Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-
01939 232550
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Dear Friends,
I trust all is well with yourself and those closest to you and that this finds you in the best of spirits.
UPDATE
Let us continue to hope (for many obvious reasons) that we may soon return to closer to 'normal' in our worship. Our current protocols may be quickly accessed by way of reminder at www.wemcofe.co.uk. As I type the rates for our specific areas have shown a rise and those around our area a real 'mixed bag' with some areas high yet reducing, others rising and some significantly lower however as yet none as any would wish. I am meeting all the church wardens early next week and I can assure you we will consider, again, where we should be at present apropos our actions and care.
SUNDAY PUBLIC WORSHIP -
Wem Parish Church
08:00 -
09:45 -
13:00 and 15:00 -
Weston Parish Church
11:00 -
Lee Parish Church
No service, joint with St Luke's Weston
EDUCATION SUNDAY
Why education Sunday? The following is from the foreword to the Churches Together in England resources
"Education Sunday provides a great opportunity to give thanks to God for all who teach and all who study, for all who continually have to find the right words and deliver them with enthusiasm and graciousness, for all who have to build constructively on all that has been learnt before while constantly opening up new horizons."
Revd Dr Hugh Osgood, President of Churches Together in England
So much to be grateful for and pray about.
THIS SUNDAY: THE FIFTEENTH AFTER TRINITY
You may follow our Cathedral services for this Sunday by clicking on the above and following the necessary links -
08:00 -
10:30 -
17:30 -
OR
Access the C of E website to find details of this week's service which you can also watch during the week, it is available from 09:00. This week:
09:00 -
THIS SUNDAY on BBC
Radio Four: 08:10 -
BBC ONE: 14:45 -
Please find attached the readings, Homily and 'Live the Word' for this Sunday (courtesy of Redemptorist Publications). Also find attached our Local Prayer Diary and an especially powerful Diocesan Prayer Diary.
NEXT SUNDAY 16th AFTER TRINITY
Wem:
08:00 -
09:45 -
Weston:
09:30 -
Lee:
11:15 -
WEM CHURCH -
From Monday of this week the wood-
HOLY CROSS DAY -
In our Church Year 14th September (this Tue) is marked as Holy Cross Day, a date and name from our Book of Common Prayer calendar yet one of even deeper historical provenance. Good Friday, very clearly, is dedicated to the passion of Christ and the crucifixion, this feast day marks the cross itself as the sign of salvation. -
Almighty God,
who in the passion of your blessed Son
made an instrument of painful death
to be for us the means of life and peace:
grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ
that we may gladly suffer for his sake;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK
Nature is resilient, yet delicate. We are already witnessing the consequences of our refusal to protect and preserve it (Gn 2.15). Now, in this moment, we have an opportunity to repent, to tum around in resolve, to head in the opposite direction. We must pursue generosity and fairness in the ways that we live, work and use money, instead of selfish gain.
“A Joint Message for the Protection of Creation” by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Pope Francis,
and the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew, released 7th September
Somewhere in the last 300 or 400 years in the popular saying of the Lord’s Prayer, it somehow changed from “in earth” to “on earth”. This tiny change encompasses for me all that is wrong in our relationship with the earth of which we are a part. We used to understand that we live in it, we are part of it, we depend on it and that, as good stewards of the earth, the earth depends on us. Then, somehow, we decided that we did not live in it any more but on it; it was ours and we could do with it as we wanted.
Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, speaking during a House of Lords debate on the Environment Bill, 7 September
Heavenly Father,
You have taught us, through your servant St Francis,
That all creation is your handiwork.
Grant us your grace that we may
Exercise wise stewardship of this Earth;
Tread lightly upon it;
And cherish its resources;
That our children may enjoy its riches, throughout all generations,
And your name be glorified through all that you have made.
Amen.
Look after yourselves and those around you and have the best week you can, every good wish,
Nick Heron
Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-
01939 232550
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Dear Friends,
Yet another week, may it have been as fulfilling for you as possible and this find you in good spirits.
UPDATE
Let us continue to hope (for many obvious reasons) that we may soon return to closer to 'normal' in our worship. Yet again as I type the rates for our specific areas and those around our area a real 'mixed bag' with Wem at 348.9 per 100K and Weston at 480.2 per 100K, we will keep things as they are with care and caution -
SUNDAY PUBLIC WORSHIP -
Wem Parish Church
08:00 -
09:45 -
Weston Parish Church
09:30 -
Lee Parish Church
11:15 -
THIS SUNDAY: THE SIXTEENTH AFTER TRINITY
You may follow our Cathedral services for this Sunday by clicking on the above and following the necessary links -
08:00 -
10:30 -
17:30 -
OR
Access the C of E website to find details of this week's service which you can also watch during the week, it is available from 09:00. This week:
09:00 -
THIS SUNDAY on BBC
Radio Four: 08:10 -
BBC ONE: 14:45 -
Please find attached the readings, Homily and 'Live the Word' for this Sunday (courtesy of Redemptorist Publications). Also find attached our Local Prayer Diary and the Diocesan Prayer Diary.
NEXT SUNDAY 17th AFTER TRINITY
Wem:
08:00 -
09:45 -
Weston:
11:00 -
Lee:
11:15 -
Advance notice: On Sun 3 Oct there will be a united service with all three parishes together in St Peter & St Paul's Wem at 0945. Thereafter the church wardens from all 3 parishes have decided that throughout the interregnum on the first Sunday of the month there will be a united/joint benefice service, again at 0945.
WEM CHURCH -
The wood-
WESTON FOOD-
Well done and thank you to all involved in St Luke's outdoor (churchyard) coffee morning held last week. This raised the impressive sum £250 for the Whitchurch Foodbank, such a critical and (very sadly) necessary cause.
SUPPORT TO AFGHAN REFUGEES
It would have taken a hard heart indeed not to have been distressed by the scenes in our media from Afghanistan just a few weeks ago. Words fail me............… However, there are ways we can help, no matter how small, and make a difference. I am grateful to Katherine Murray for drawing our attention to the following:
“There is a collection point in Shrewsbury for items needed to support evacuee families from Afghanistan being settled in our area. It's in an industrial unit, 11A Centurion Park in Harlescott, (behind Wickes). They are asking for all kinds of household items (bedding, towels, kitchen equipment) as well as suitable clothing, baby equipment, toiletries, toys etc (but not food). I wonder if you might make this known
Absolutely Katherine!! Please if you have any such items do drop them off and let others know too.
FEAST OF MATTHEW, APOSTLE and EVANGELIST: TUESDAY 21st SEPTEMBER
Matthew Chapter 9. 9-
Matthew appears in the list of the 12 apostles, according to the Gospel written under his name was tax-
May we all find time at some point during the day to pray the following collect, thus uniting ourselves, as one, across the Church on this Feast Day:
Almighty God,
whose blessed Son called Matthew the tax-
to be an apostle and evangelist:
give us grace to forsake the selfish pursuit of gain
and the possessive love of riches
that we may follow the way of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER FOR PEACE
Each year on 21 September the World Council of Churches calls churches and parishes to observe the International Day of Prayer for Peace. 21 September is also the United Nations-
The International Day of Prayer for Peace offers an opportunity for church communities in all places to pray and act together to nurture lasting peace in the hearts of people, their families, communities and society. The idea was proposed in 2004 during a meeting between WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and coincides with the UN International Day of Peace. The Day of Prayer is one of the initiatives of the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence:
Most Holy God and Father
Hear our prayers for all who strive for peace.
And all who strive for justice.
Help us, who today remember the cost of war,
to work for a better tomorrow,
and as we commend to you lives lost in terror and conflict,
bring us all, in the end, to the peace of your presence,
through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
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May you have the best possible week, take care and every good wish,
Nick,
N P Heron
Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-
01939 232550
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Dear Friends,
What an absolutely gorgeous few days, sometimes parts of Sep can be an absolute treat. I do hope that no matter what else this may have raised your spirits and that as always this finds you in the best possible etc
UPDATE
"Let us continue to hope (for many obvious reasons) that we may soon return to closer to 'normal' in our worship." So I wrote last week and not having looked at the local rates for a few days I was full of high hopes, however, painfully, I note Weston's rate is still in the high 400s and Wem's at 586, so, for now, we will keep things as they are with care and caution -
Doubtless this will be discussed at the Wem PCC on Mon day and I'm sure the CWs from across the benefice will be concurring too in the very near future.
SUNDAY PUBLIC WORSHIP -
Wem Parish Church
08:00 -
09:45 -
Please note: The Wem 10k race will be taking place so it may be sensible to arrive a shade earlier, leaving afterwards should be unencumbered. [Perhaps take a look at the Town Council's website for more info'?]
Weston Parish Church
11:00 -
Lee Parish Church
11:15. Holy Eucharist for HARVEST FESTIVAL -
THIS SUNDAY: THE SEVENTEENTH AFTER TRINITY
You may follow our Cathedral services for this Sunday by clicking on the above and following the necessary links -
08:00 -
10:30 -
17:30 -
OR
Access the C of E website to find details of this week's service which you can also watch during the week, it is available from 09:00. This week:
09:00 -
THIS SUNDAY on BBC
Radio Four: 08:10 -
BBC ONE: 13:15 -
Please find attached the readings, Homily and 'Live the Word' for this Sunday (courtesy of Redemptorist Publications). Also find attached our Local Prayer Diary and the .
NEXT SUNDAY 18th AFTER TRINITY
Wem:
08:00 -
09:45 -
A united service with all three parishes together in St Peter & St Paul's Wem at 09:45. So, please note, no service in Weston and Lee on this Sunday and thereafter throughout the interregnum the church wardens from all 3 parishes have decided that on the first Sunday of the month there will be a united/joint benefice service, again at 09:45.
FUTURE BULK EMAILS
If you've ever wondered who else receives these emails I send to everyone (BCC) on the Wem Electoral Roll (plus a few others) for whom I have an email address. Very kindly Phoebe Ashton and Sylvia Griffiths forward to the ER contacts and others from Weston and Lee. I don't think these emails will be continued in their current form post my departure...but they will be a really good way for the church wardens or PCCs to let a lot of you know, and quickly, any news -
One cannot assume that you wish to continue receiving, if you do not please let either myself, Phoebe or Sylvia know asap. Ta!
WEM CHURCH -
The wood-
WEM PCC (Via ZOOM)
This will be held at 19:30 on Monday 27th, all should have had an invitation from Chris by now -
SUPPORT TO AFGHAN REFUGEES
I am quite sure a reiteration of last week's posting about this is well in order and remain grateful to Katherine Murray for drawing our attention to the following:
there is a collection point in Shrewsbury for items needed to support evacuee families from Afghanistan being settled in our area. It's in an industrial unit, 11A Centurion Park in Harlescott, (behind Wickes). They are asking for all kinds of household items (bedding, towels, kitchen equipment) as well as suitable clothing, baby equipment, toiletries, toys etc (but not food). I wonder if you might make this known.
CREATIONTIDE
This season marked by countless Christians the world over draws to its close at the end of this coming week. It is a time of prayer for our planet, its fragile ecosystem and those prophetic voices straining so hard to change the direction of our common life so that the earth may flourish and future generations may celebrate the fullness of God's creation. This was mentioned at the start of Creationtide, it is mentioned at the end of the season as frankly we cannot pray too much for the whole area of climate crisis -
Heavenly Father,
You have taught us, through your servant St Francis,
That all creation is your handiwork.
Grant us your grace that we may
Exercise wise stewardship of this Earth;
Tread lightly upon it;
And cherish its resources;
That our children may enjoy its riches, throughout all generations,
And your name be glorified through all that you have made.
Amen.
The new declaration from representatives of religious communities across the United Kingdom calls for people to be “advocates for justice” ahead of the Glasgow summit. Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich, and lead Bishop on the Environment for the Church of England, signed the letter alongside leaders of every major Christian denomination and representatives from Baha’i, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh communities. Please find more attached:
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
'Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realise we cannot eat money.' Unknown.
Keep taking care and enjoy the coming week, every good wish,
Nick
N P Heron
Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-
01939 232550
