Newsletter - Last Sunday after Trinity
- Benwell and Scotswood Team
- 9 hours ago
- 6 min read
26/10/25
(Year C)
Your weekly update from the Benwell & Scotswood Team.
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Dates for your diary
2 November
4pm - All Souls' commemoration of the departed at St John's
9 November
Remembrance Sunday - Act of Remembrance to begin at 11am at St James (other service times as normal).
11 November
10.55am - Armistice day Act of remembrance at Ven Bede
23 November
6pm - Confirmation service at St James (with Bishop Mark)
Services this week
Sunday
10am - St John's Holy Communion
10am - St Margaret's Holy Communion
11.15am - St James Parish Eucharist
Tuesday
4.30pm - Farsi Bible Study at St James
Thursday
12pm - Ven Bede Holy Communion
Sunday 2 November
10am - St John's Holy Communion
10am - St Margaret's Holy Communion
11.15am - St James Parish Eucharist
4pm - All Souls' commemoration of the departed at St John's
News
All Souls' commemoration of the departed
4pm, 2nd November at St John's Benwell Village, NE15 6NW
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.
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 2025
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.
Remembrance Sunday 9th November
St Margaret's Scotswood, 10am
Holy Communion followed by an Act of Remembrance.
St John's Benwell Village, 10am Holy Communion followed by an Act of Remembrance.
St James Benwell, 11am Act of Remembrance at 11am, followed by Holy Communion at 11.15am
Armistice Day - Tuesday 11th November
Venerable Bede, West Road, 10.55am Act of Remembrance at the war memorial inside the church.
Confirmation service
6pm, Sunday 23rd November at St James
Bishop Mark Wroe will be with us to lead this very special service for us.
Confirmation is a big step when we declare that we want to follow Jesus Christ, to receive the Holy Spirit, and to be part of his church, always finding ways to love God and one another.
If you are interested in being confirmed (or baptised!), or you aren't sure and want to find out more, then just let us know. Fr Chris will be in touch to chat and begin preparations once he returns from holiday.
Embrace - Gaza appeal
Conflict across the Middle East is unfolding with relentless intensity, devastating the lives of millions. Even as they live through these dark times, Embrace’s partners in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon are working tirelessly to bring the light of Christ amidst the suffering.
You can click below to donate online. If you would rather donate by phone, please call 01494 897950.
Liturgical colour: green
Intercessions
Prayers for others:
Betty George
Ali Zarei
Sonja and Stan
John Nicholson
Maria Hawthorn
Herbert Agbeko
Pauline Nelson
Irene Foskett
Pat Law
Christina Wilson
Diane Humphrey
Christine Williams
Baptisms
Esohe Osawaru
Rest in Peace
Alan Robson
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.
Readings
2 Timothy 4.6-8, 16-18
6 As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
16 At my first defence no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! 17But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Luke 18.9-14
9He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 10“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ 13But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
(from the New Revised Standard Version of the bible)
Sermon
Kathy Germain, Reader
The passage
Luke 18:9 is Jesus' Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, which teaches that divine justification comes through humble repentance, not through prideful self-righteousness. Jesus tells the story specifically to those who are confident in their own goodness and look down on others.
The setting: think about it Two men go to the temple to pray. A Pharisee, a highly respected religious leader known for strict abiiding by the Jewish law, and a tax collector, a Jew despised for collaborating with the Roman occupiers and notorious for extortion, are present.
The Pharisee stands and loudly prays so everyone can hear, but he is first praising himself. He thanks God that he is not like other people—specifically, not being like the nearby tax collector. He boasts about his strict religious observances, such as fasting twice a week and tithing all his income, practices that exceeded the legal requirements.
The tax collector stands at a distance, unwilling even to look up to heaven. He beats his breast in sorrow and humbly prays, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner!". His simple, earnest prayer focuses solely on his need for God's grace, not on his own deeds.
Jesus ends by stating that it was the tax collector, not the Pharisee, who went home "justified" (declared righteous in God's sight). Jesus explains, "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
The parable is a master class on humility versus pride. The Pharisee's prideful comparison of himself to others blinds him to his own spiritual needs. The tax collector's posture of profound humility and remorse allows him to receive God's mercy.
Jesus makes it clear that being made right with God is not about a person's good deeds or religious practices. The tax collector, with nothing to offer but his sin, is justified, while the Pharisee's religious achievements are shown to be worthless because of his contemptuous heart.
I have said it before and i will say it again God sees in your heart. While the Pharisee presented an image of righteousness to the world, God saw his arrogant and self-serving heart. The tax collector, despised by others, was seen by God as truly repentant. This emphasizes that God judges the internal posture of the heart, not the external appearance. What you take in your mouth does not make you sin its what comes out from your heart that makes you a sinner.
Here is the challenge to everyone:
Although this story uses the extreme examples of a Pharisee and a tax collector, its message is for all people. It serves as a reminder to believers to examine their own heart and attitudes to guard against spiritual arrogance. It challenges the idea that any "good person" can be justified by their own merit. You can’t. It’s not about yelling from the roof tops it’s about serving in the shadows.
Amen