7/7/24
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
Sun 7 June
9.30am - St John's Holy Communion
9.45am - St Margaret's Holy Communion
11am - Hub service at St James (Parish Eucharist)
Thurs 11 June
10.30am - Holy Communion at Ven Bede
Dates for your Diary
Wed 10 July
PCC at Ven Bede
Sat 20 July
St Margaret's Patronal festival
12.30 Food and activities
2pm Eucharist
Sat 3 Aug
Benstock Festival
News
BENSTOCK '24
It's back! On Saturday 3rd August at St James' Church.
Buy your tickets at benstock.org
Benstock 24 is the biggest music festival in Benwell this year. Stacked with the best up-and-coming talent and established names, this is the place to feel the beats and dig the vibes. Chill with the music and enjoy a night to remember.
Bands, licensed bar and more!
Free family friendly art and activities from 3pm.
Bands from 5.30pm - tickets £10 (or £5 for those who are unwaged).
All proceeds will go to the 'Something Wonderful' project, working with the vulnerable and isolated and strengthening the community of Benwell. More info at benwellscotswood.com/somethingwonderful
St Margaret's Patronal festival
On Saturday 20th July join us as we celebrate St Margaret's day in Scotswood!
Bring and share lunch and activities from 12.30pm.
Eucharist at 2pm.
St Margaret's Scotswood, NE15 6AR.
David's farewell celebration
A celebration of David’s ministry of over 39 years, and farewell to David and Elspeth as they prepare to leave Benwell and Scotswood.
Sunday 11th August 4 pm at St James, Benwell
Farewell Eucharist to mark David’s retirement
Preacher: Revd Yvonne Greener, Area Dean of Gateshead
Followed by Celebration Supper in St James Church Hall until 8pm
(food will be provided but all contributions welcome!)
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
Sunday 7 July 2024
Trinity 6
Green
Readings
2 Corinthians 12.2–10
2I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. 3And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows— 4was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. 5On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. 6But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, 7even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated.8Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, 9but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.
Mark 6.1–13
6He left that place and came to his home town, and his disciples followed him. 2On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! 3Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offence at him. 4Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honour, except in their home town, and among their own kin, and in their own house.’ 5And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6And he was amazed at their unbelief.
Then he went about among the villages teaching. 7He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.’ 12So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
Intercessions
Prayers for others:
John Nicholson
Malcolm Smith
Paulette Thompson
John Peterson
Maria Hawthorn
Herbert Agbeko
Ellis Nelson
Pauline Nelson
Michelle Wilson
Peter Wilson
Alan Taylor
Maureen Taylor
Irene Foskett
Lorraine Atkinson
Pat Law
Moe and Mary
Hilary Dixon
Lynn Mosby
Nelly
Irene Scaife
Baptisms
Vinnie Johnson
Other
Abi and Claire as they begin ordained ministry
The ongoing situation in Russia, Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, Sudan and all other places at war.
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
Revd David
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Our gospel today, a bit like last week, is, I’m sorry but I can’t resist it, a tale of two halves.
Last week, Chris drew our attention to how Jesus made himself and his healing power available to both the powerful, and the powerless. Healing both the daughter of Jairus, leader of the synagogue, and the anonymous woman, who touched his robe in the crowd. Two halves of the story, but in both the result is the same. Healing and salvation.
The two halves this week are very different, for one thing the baton is passed on, or sticking to the football analogy, in the second half, the star has come off the pitch, is sitting on the bench, and the subs are on. The other difference, this time it is not all one-way traffic. Healing and salvation are harder to come by. But the big surprise, it is not the subs, but the star, who has problems. First half, Jesus, and he could do no deed of power there,
Second half, Disciples, they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
So, what is going on? Well, perhaps the first half wasn’t quite such a disaster,
he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. But still ...he was amazed at their unbelief.
This was the home crowd, people you would have thought would have rallied behind ‘wor ‘Jesus, a local lad, one of our own, but no,
is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary.?’ And they took offence at him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honour, except in their home town, and among their own kin, and in their own house.’
‘We already know this man, there is nothing so special here.’ Familiarity, as the saying goes, breeds contempt.
The second half is very different, sent out into the unknown, the twelve are warned they may meet rejection, and are given instructions how to deal with it.
If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.
But for now, the reality is not rejection, but healing and salvation, many demons cast out, many people healed.
What can we take from this? Last week was a high point as we celebrated with Abi, Claire and others as they were ordained by the bishop, commissioned and sent out like those first twelve, continuing, as we believe, the work that began with them. What will they face in their new roles? Will it be a ministry of failure and rejection as they marvel at the unbelief in their parishes, they are a rebellious people, or will there be many demons cast out, and many people healed. The truth is it will most likely be a bit of both. Times when they feel like Gary Southgate, and everybody is piling in on them, and times, maybe rarer, but still real when they have their winning- ‘Hey Jude’ moments. ( Written before Saturday maybe Gary is the hero after all!) There will be times when people think, and make it plain, ‘O they have nothing new to say, we heard this before’, and times when people listen and respond.
It is not just football managers we all live in a results obsessed age, no doubt one thing they will have to face, is endless interrogation of their ‘effectiveness’. But is that fair? the key question is not so much about results, as faithfulness. Will they be faithful? Will they hear and understand ? Even when they are tempted to say ‘where did this man get all this’. ‘Is not this the Team Rector, we know his wife and kids and which training college he went to…’
He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.
Will they be able to hear those instructions rightly, not for 1st Century Palestine, but 21st century Hexham or Monkseaton? Don’t rely on anything but God, who will provide all you really need. Trust Him, but don’t take that to mean you won’t need common sense too. Wear your sandals and take your staff, you will need them. The staff is a practical help but it is not all you have to lean on, it is not for nothing that the twelve were sent out in pairs. Don’t be put off by failure and rejection. Jesus experienced these things himself and warned the disciples to be ready for them, but don’t let ‘success’ go to your head, elsewhere Jesus warns,
many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name? Then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.”
Let’s be clear, this is not only for Abi and Claire, or those called to ordination, all of us as members of the church, Christ’s body in the world, are called and sent out to be beacons of healing and salvation, salt and light, as Bishop Helen-Ann recently reminded us. The key to that is not results, though they may follow, but faithfulness. It is not something achieved all at once but something we can grow into. Above all, remember, however shaky or uncertain we might feel, our faithfulness is made possible and real through God’s faithfulness to us.
The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
Amen