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Newsletter - Last Sunday after Trinity

27/10/24

Your weekly update from the Benwell & Scotswood Team.

Click below to read this week's information and latest news.

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Services this week


Sunday 9.30am - St John's Holy Communion

11am - Hub service (Parish Eucharist) at St James'

4pm - St Margaret's evening prayer


Tuesday

9.30am Morning prayer at St Margaret's


Wednesday

5.45pm Evening Prayer at St John's


Thursday

10.30am Venerable Bede - Holy Communion


 

Dates for your diary


Sun 27th October

11am - hub service moves to Venerable Bede


Sun 3rd November

All Souls commemoration of the departed - 4pm at St Margaret's


Sun 10th November,

9.30am St John's, Holy Communion followed by an Act of Remembrance.

11 am, Ven Bede Act of Remembrance followed by Holy Communion.

4pm, St Margaret's, Act of Remembrance and evening prayer


Mon 11th November,

10.55am, St James, Act of Remembrance at the war memorial.


 

News

DON'T FORGET THIS SUNDAY - move to the Venerable Bede


From Sunday 27th October our 'hub' service (11am parish eucharist) will move to the warmer Venerable Bede Church for the winter months. 


Venerable Bede, West Road, NE4 8AP

Every Sunday at 11am

From 27 October


Don't Forget this will also be the same day the clocks change! The clocks will go back one hour, so you get an extra hour in bed.

 

Donations for residents of Violet Close


Please take donations to Cornerstone Benwell, Armstrong Road, NE4 7TU. Please contact them if you are unsure of what to bring. Clothing, food, toiletries are needed. Islamic clothing, for men, women and children is needed.




















 

All Souls' Service - Thanksgiving for the departed


Sunday 3rd November, at 4pm

At St Margaret's Scotswood, NE15 6AR


Every year we hold a special service on All Souls' Day (or on the nearest Sunday).


During this service we gather to remember those we have lost, to pray for them, and light a candle in honour of them.


This year the service will take place on Sunday 3rd Nov at St Margaret's. Everyone is very welcome.


During the service a list of names of those we have lost will be read out, including those whose funerals have happened in the last 3 years. If you would like to add a name to the list please send an email to church@benwellscotswood.com (alternatively a paper list will be available in our churches).


If you have any questions or would like someone to talk to, please do let us know.


 

Remembrance 2024


We will be holding an Act of Remembrance in each of our churches this November. This is when we remember those who gave their lives in the First World War and all other wars, and we pray for an end to all conflicts.



On Remembrance Sunday -10th November


Holy Communion followed by an Act of Remembrance.


Act of Remembrance followed by Holy Communion.


Act of Remembrance and prayer



On Armistice Day - Monday 11th November


Act of Remembrance at the war memorial inside St James' church.



 

Who will our new Rector be?


The process for finding a new Rector has begun!

We want to know your thoughts to help us, it's important that everyone in the community gets their say. So we have 3 questions for you:


  1. What is exciting in the parish that our new Rector should know about?

  2. What do you think will be the biggest challenges for the new Rector to tackle?

  3. What kind of person would you like our new rector to be?


Please email your responses to church@benwellscotswood.com or write on a piece of paper and hand it to a churchwarden or Revd Chris.

 

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



Trinity 21

Green

Readings



Jeremiah 31.7–9


7 Thus says the Lord:Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,   and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;proclaim, give praise, and say,   ‘Save, O Lord, your people,   the remnant of Israel.’8 See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north,   and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,among them the blind and the lame,   those with child and those in labour, together;   a great company, they shall return here.9 With weeping they shall come,   and with consolations I will lead them back,I will let them walk by brooks of water,   in a straight path in which they shall not stumble;for I have become a father to Israel,   and Ephraim is my firstborn.



Mark 10.46–52


46 Jesus and his disciples came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ 48Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ 49Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ 50So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher, let me see again.’ 52Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.



Intercessions


Prayers for others:

  • Tai and Derek

  • Lawrence Okonkwo

  • John Nicholson

  • Malcolm Smith

  • John Peterson

  • Maria Hawthorn

  • Herbert Agbeko

  • Ellis & Pauline Nelson

  • Michelle Wilson

  • Peter Wilson

  • Alan & Maureen Taylor

  • Irene Foskett

  • Pat Law

  • Moe and Mary

  • Lynn Mosby

  • Irene Scaife

  • Baby Alice Rose, Jodie and family

  • Christina Wilson

  • Diane Humphrey


Rest in Peace

  • Archie York

  • Jay Laws

  • Lin


Other

  • Residents of Violet Close

  • Merton Lodge Community Centre


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


Kathy Germain, Reader


Bartimaeus‬‭ is‬ a‬ man‬ of great faith. Despite the people‬ who‬ try‬ to‬ silence‬ him, his persistence‬ shows the substance‬ of his‬ bold‬ expression‬ of‬ faith.


Bartimaeus’s‬‭ faith‬ is‬ not‬ about‬ reciting‬ the correct words or subscribing to certain dogmas, it‬ is his unrelenting conviction that‬ Jesus can, and will, give him what he needs‬.

*

Bartimaeus‬ knows‬ who‬ Jesus is. He is blind but he sees clearly by his faith. No‬ one‬ else‬ so far in Mark’s Gospel‬ has recognised Jesus’ true identity, yet Bartimaeus is able to see so much about Jesus with so little information‬. Bartimaeus‬ uses‬ the title‬ ‘Son of Man’‬. It‬ harkens‬ to‬ the‬ Hebrew scriptures‬, the prophecy of the Son of Man coming from the‬ House‬ of‬ David.‬‭

*

To‬‭ Bartimaeus‬,‬ the‭ title‬ means‬ that‬ Jesus‬ is‬ God’s chosen one, it introduces‬ the‬ notion‬ of‭ Jesus‬ being‬ a‬ royal‬ figure,‬ an‬ image that‬ becomes‬ very‬ important‬ when Jesus‬ triumphantly enters Jerusalem as a king,‬ only to be put on‬ trial and‬ die.‬ Bartimaeus, despite‬ his blindness, sees‬ the‬ royal‬ lineage‬ of Jesus’ identity.

*

Bartimaeus‬ also‬ sees‬ that‬ Jesus‬ can grant forgiveness and spiritual healing.‬ Faith‬ does‬ not‬ come‬ easily‬ to‬ the people‬ in Mark’s gospel;‬ they have‬ to‬ climb‬ obstacles‭ and overcome others to‬ find‬ what‬ they‬ seek. As the‬ story‬ unfolds‬ Bartimaeus shouts louder. The‬ crowd‬ keep trying to‬ shut‬ him‬ up‬, heckling‬ him, but he‬ keeps‬ going. Bartimaeus is at the‬ bottom‬ of‬ the‬ social ladder‬ in‬ ancient society, but he does‬ not‬ give‬ up because the‬ going‬ gets‬ tough.

*

I‬‭ wonder‬ if the people shout Bartimaeus down because they think he ‘deserves‬’ to‬ be who he is? Maybe they think he is blind because his‬ sins made him‬ so? Or‬ are‬ they‬ selfishly putting their‬ own needs‬ above his‬?‬ Perhaps‬ it's‬ their‬ ignorance‬ about‬ Jesus,‬ they don’t get his message and they think they can limit who receives his compassion and grace. But Bartimaeus was having none of it; he knew his salvation‬ was in Jesus. Against the odds he shouted louder until his words could penetrate the ears of Jesus.

*

Jesus‬‭ could‬ have‬ quite‬ easily‬ walked‬ over‬ to Bartimaeus,‬ but‬ instead‬ he‬ gets the‬ crowd‬ to‬ bring‬ Bartimaeus‬ to him‬.‬ The‬ crowd‬ who tried‬ to‬ stop‬ Bartimaeus‬ now‬ help him. Jesus is healing their blindness too. He is showing them all that this‬ is‬ why he has come.

*

Mark‬‭ adds‬ another interesting‬ detail. Bartimaeus threw‬ away his cloak,‬ we can assume for someone who had to beg for money, they would hang on‭ strongly to their possessions. But Bartimaeus knows that Jesus will heal him‬, he will‬ not‬ need to sit‬ on that cloak again and will not need to rely on the people walking by for sustenance.

*

Jesus asks‬‭ Bartimaeus “what do you want?” And Bartimaeus does not ask for gold or‬ silver, he does not ask for more than he needs, but simply‬ “that I‬ can‬ see‬ again”. Knowing‬ Jesus‬ can‬ do‬ this,‬ he has every confidence.


We can compare this to our reading from last‬‭ week‬ when‬‭ Jesus asked the disciples James and John what they‬ want. Bartimaeus does not ask for any special‬ privileges like James and John. Jesus has not come to bestow power and wealth, but to open our eyes‬ to a new spiritual and social reality of peace and contentment where God‬ reigns.‬ When it comes to understanding what Jesus has come to do,‬ the disciples James and John were more blind than Bartimaeus.

*

Bartimaeus started‬‭ his journey sat by the side of the road, and he continues his story‬ following Jesus along the road.‬ He‬ comes from being‬ unseen,‬ invisible‬ in‬ society, to‬ being‬ in the heart of the scene. The‬ road becomes the way, the‬ way‬ to the cross and suffering, but also resurrection.


After 10 chapters‬‭ full‬ of secrecy, confusion and mistaken‬ belief, Bartimaeus shows Mark's readers what faith‬ in Jesus means.

*

In our congregation and in‬ our communities we all have a role to play. This story helps us to understand how this relates to salvation. Jesus saved Bartimaeus and all the people from a life of darkness, not just literally but spiritually.


We are called to see others as Christ does, we all need to be healed of our blindness and to see by the light of faith. To‬ persevere. To shine as his light in the world and show the way to salvation and peace. We may feel unseen or unimportant. But I’m telling you get up, take heart, he is calling you.

*

Amen.

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