Friday 20th June  14.00 

  w/c Sunday June 22^nd 2025

Dear Friends,

Here is an advanced notice that next Sunday 29^th is a United Mission Community Service at 10am at Val’s field at Littlehempston.
Please can you bring a chair and any donations of cakes would be gratefully received.
There are no toilets in site, but you can pop into the church if needed.
Further details are in the notices section of the Newsletter.
Please could you consider car sharing if possible.
Looking forward to seeing you there!

Thought for the week,

I don’t know if you noticed, but there is a lot of fear going on in our Gospel reading today.
The people of Gerasene were afraid of the man with demons; the man with demons must have been afraid of both the demons and the people who chained him down; the demons were afraid of Jesus; the swineherds were afraid; and the people were afraid of Jesus’ power.
So, that’s a lot of fear in one short story.

It’s interesting that Jesus both instils fear in some people and relieves others of their fear, bringing peace and freedom from fear to the man who had been plagued for so long.
And that’s still the case today – some people fear Jesus and some turn to him, desperate for transformation.
I think the reason Jesus can both be the cause and the healer of fear is because he challenges all things that run contrary to the purposes of God. Some people want to be transformed, or see the world transformed, and others are fearful of either themselves or the world around them being transformed, as transformation means changing and that can be challenging.

The Gerasenes were afraid of the changes Jesus brought.
You can see why the liberated man wanted to follow Jesus, his healer, away from Gerasene.
It must have been difficult to hear that Jesus wanted him to stay there to witness to God’s glory amongst those who feared him.
Yet, I think he wouldn’t even have had to do much – just living his transformed life amongst them would have been enough to remind others of Jesus’ power.

And this transforming power of Jesus is still at work today.
This week I’ve been attending an American conference on theology and prisons, and I couldn’t help but think of it when writing this reflection.
During a session with people currently incarcerated and on a Christian based course, two of those who had previously been violent members of gangs were witnessing to the profound changes in them that had been noticed by those members of the gangs currently with them in prison. Because those members had known these prisoners before and after their transformation through their relationship with Jesus, these prisoners were in a unique position to witness to the power of God just by living their lives differently.

So, let’s give thanks for Jesus’ continuing transforming power in people’s lives and ask him if there is anything in us that needs transforming so that we might witness to his power in our lives.
Rev Alex

Notices and Diary

• June 29^th United Mission Community service at 10am in “Val’s field” at Please bring a chair; cold drinks and cake afterwards. Directions – from Totnes take the A381 towards Newton Abbot. After about 2 miles take a left turn signed Littlehempston. (If you have got to the Pig and Whistle pub you have gone too far). Drive down towards the village and turn right at Ash Tree Cross (no ash tree any more, but tall willows close by) Don’t go under the railway line. Follow the hill up and up and up some more. At the top where it starts to drops down to the right take the un-surfaced lane straight ahead. My field is the second gate on the left and will have a sign. Please park by the fir hedge, anyone less able can drive around to the right of the barn and park nearer the field. What3Words reference is affirming.garden.dilute

Sat 21^st June                        Diocesan Synod meet at Cullompton

                                                      Harford special spaces walk starting at St Petroc’s S Brent at 2pm

Wed 18^th June                   St Petroc’s Morning Prayer at 8.30am

                                                      Thought for the week at 10am by zoom and telephone

Fri 20th June                       Morning Prayer at 9am by zoom and telephone

 Know you are in my heart and in my prayers.
Rev Gina