NEWS FROM OUR RECTOR – PIPPA MADGWICK

Dear Churchwardens, PCC secretaries and all,

I hope you are able to enjoy the sunshine that we have had and find some good amidst our current restrictions.

Here are some snippets of news from around the Benefice this week; do please send me items to share for next weekend. It’s great that people are finding creative ways to care for their neighbours. Have you begun to wonder how society could change for the better as a result of our shared challenges? Have you found people want to talk about significant things? Although today is a day off for me, I wore a clerical collar when going shopping today and people queuing to shop and at the till talked about how they wanted churches open to pray in and more.

For Sunday here is a service of morning prayer, plus the readings to accompany this, a short reflection on the gospel reading from John and intercessions written by Jenni. These could be used at home on your own, but for the adventurous we are trying something I’d never heard of a week ago: we are holding a Facebook Watch Party. Those who have joined Facebook and The Rutland Water Benefice group can log on to Facebook, at 9.30am on Sunday morning, to watch a video of the service, together with Jenni leading the intercessions and John’s talk too. Doing this together I’m told we are able to contribute to the Party by typing in comments, so can share requests for prayer etc. Joining is far more straightforward than I’d thought, so why not be brave and try to do so . . . .

And do let me know if doing what we can online is helpful for you. How you are trying to support those who do not access online material?

May God bless us, our communities and world, now and always,

Pippa
Email – rectorrwb@gmail.com