Dear friends
Friday 6th November 10.45am
w/c Sunday 8th November 2026
Dear Friends,
Thought for the week:
We are not yet in Advent but have entered the series of Sundays before Advent where we traditionally prepare for this time of waiting on God.
There is less to do outside and perhaps more time to contemplate where we are on our journey as the days go shorter.
The wonderful colours of autumn remind me of God’s blessings in Creation and of how we, despite our knowledge and technology are absolutely dependent on the planet we have been given.
In our gospel this week (Matt 25) we have the parable of the ten virgins who wait for the bridegroom to arrive at the wedding.
Theirs are places of honour as they publicly represent their villages and families.
The bridegroom is delayed and the oil fuelling their lamps becomes an issue.
The wise ones have stored up plenty but the foolish ones don’t have enough for the unexpected delay and are in danger of public disgrace.
The imagery of this passage speaks of the Second Coming of course and the Bridegroom is Jesus Christ; but what about the oil for the lamps?
We have probably all sung “give me oil in my lamp” at one time or another and the image of the fuel oil is in a very real sense the Holy Spirit.
To put it another way, it is the state of our relationship with God. Is this as deep as it might be?
Do we have the fuel for more than just a Sunday burst of light at the service? Do we keep the oil reservoir topped up? It doesn’t do to stretch the analogy too far but the message of this parable is clear: we don’t know when Christ will come again and we need to stay close to God so that we are ready.
Sometimes you might be tempted to ask, why doesn’t God come now and put an end to all the misery and evil in the world? However, if Christ does not delay, how will those who will come to faith in Him have time to respond?
Only God knows the answer to that question.
Our task is to persevere, stand fast in our faith and go frequently to the One who sustains us, in whom we live and move and have our being. Give me oil in my lamp Lord, keep me burning until the break of Day.
David Harwood
Lectionary Readings for 8th November Remembrance Sunday
- Amos 5:18-24
- Psalm 70
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-end
- Matthew 25:1-13
Notices and Diary
Wed 11th November St Petroc’s Morning Prayer at 8.30am and
Thought for the week at 10am by zoom and telephone
St Petroc’s Parish Lunch 12.30-1.30pm
Fri 13th November St Petroc’s Morning Prayer at 9am by zoom and telephone
CHURCH SERVICES IN NOVEMBER | ||
Sunday November 8th REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY | ||
Dean Prior South Brent Rattery Buckfastleigh Landscove Littlehempston Staverton | 9.30am 10.45am 10.45am 10.50am 10.50am 10.50am 10.50am | Holy Communion (BCP) REMEMBRANCE SERVICE REMEMBRANCE SERVICE REMEMBRANCE SERVICE REMEMBRANCE SERVICE REMEMBRANCE SERVICE REMEMBRANCE SERVICE |
Sunday November 15th | ||
South Brent South Brent Dean Prior Buckfastleigh Littlehempston | 8.00am 9.30am 9.30am 11.00am 11.00am | Holy Communion (BCP) Morning Worship Morning Worship Morning Worship Holy Communion |
Sunday November 22nd | ||
South Brent Landscove Buckfastleigh Rattery | 9.30am 9.30am 11.00am 11.15am | Holy Communion Holy Communion Holy Communion Holy Communion |
Sunday November 29th | ||
Buckfastleigh South Brent | 10.00am 6.00pm | MISSION COMMUNITY ADVENT SERVICE ADVENT CAROL SERVICE |
If you are not already on our email list and would like to be kept informed of events in the churches of our Dart and Avon Mission Community by a weekly email, please send an email to dartavon@gmail.com
Friday 7th October 2022
SOUTH BRENT COMMUNITY FRIDGE
SHARE FOOD – Save waste
Have you ever wondered what to do with that spare food?
The South Brent Community Fridge has finally arrived and is installed at the entrance to the Old School Community Centre in the centre of the village.
It will open on Tuesday 18th October and will be open 24 hours a day.
Surplus and end of line food is collected by volunteers from supermarkets and local businesses who would otherwise be disposing of it, and put in the community fridge for anyone to come and take what they wish.
If you have spare food yourself, if you are going on holiday or have extra vegetables in your allotment, you can also put it in the fridge to share.
The guidelines of what food is safe to share are posted by the fridge, and the fridge will be checked daily by a dedicated team of volunteers.
It’s a win-win situation for the environment and the people of South Brent as we move into a winter when many ordinary people will be feeling the pinch.
Please use it!!!
If you would like to volunteer to help the community fridge please contact fridge@ssb.org.uk . In particular we are looking for a back up for the coordinator, Their role will be, when the main coordinator is away, to
– liaise with the driver and fridge monitor coordinators who are responsible for the day to day running of the fridge, and work with them to resolve any issues that come up
– Be responsible for the maintenance of the room where the fridge is (in collaboration with the old school Community Centre)
– Act as liaison with outside organizations.