Friday 11th September 11.12am 

                                                                                   w/c Sunday 13^th September 2026

Dear Friends,

This week sees the first Diocese of Exeter Annual Week of Prayer with some suggested themes: –
Sunday – Education – pray for schools, colleges and universities

Monday – Missional Leadership – pray for clergy and lay leaders in our churches

Tuesday – Missional DNA – pray for church members living out our faith wherever we may be

Wednesday – Vocations – pray that each of us would know how and where God is calling us

Thursday – Children and Young People – pray that help them to discover God’s transforming love

Friday – Mixed Ecology- pray for creative and pioneering ways to engage people in worship

Saturday – Grow in Prayer – pray for individuals and churches to see prayers answered

Thought for the week:  

This week the readings seem to be pointing in one specific direction: forgiveness and mercy.

Aristotle famously said, ‘Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all’ and today Jesus is doing just that.
By giving Peter a fairly direct answer and then illustrating his

meaning with a parable, Jesus is reaching both heart and mind, or the emotions and the will.
And that seems to be particularly relevant when teaching about forgiveness, because forgiveness is

about both of those things.
It is about heart and mind. Peter probably already thought he was being generous when he suggests that you should forgive people seven times, as Jewish law only required you to forgive someone three times.
But Jesus raises that to seventy-seven (or seventy times seven) times.
Which is basically saying you should always choose to forgive*. And that decision to forgive is one you can make with your mind.

I think we all know, though, that forgiving someone is generally not as easy as simply mentally saying ‘I forgive you’.
We can say those words and then still find that angry or hurt feelings intrude on our thoughts.
That’s because forgiving someone also has a huge emotional element to it.
If we weren’t hurt by the words, actions or inactions of someone, then we wouldn’t need to forgive them.

While our mind might say ‘I forgive’, our heart can find that harder.
That’s why we often have to

choose to forgive someone many times over, each time those feelings of hurt arise.
Gradually, those feelings subside until forgiveness is complete in heart and mind,

Through teaching his disciples with a parable, Jesus is trying to educate their hearts by showing them where their compulsion and strength to forgive comes from.
Each of us is like the first slave in the story.
We have each been forgiven our numerous sins by God.
Not because we deserve it,

but because of God’s abundant grace and mercy. Knowing that we have received that grace we

should then, unlike that first slave, extend that same unwarranted grace to others.
Knowing that we have received the gift of forgiveness, we are to forgive others, as we pray in the Lord’s prayer.

Because the parable isn’t just about mercy and forgiveness.
Above all, it’s about God’s grace.

*It’s always important to remember, when talking about forgiveness, that it doesn’t mean not

changing things, or not putting boundaries in place, or putting yourself at risk of further harm.
You can do all those things and still decide to forgive the other person.
That difficult act of forgiveness can also release you from carrying the burden of negative emotions.
Rev Alex Holmes

Notices and Diary

• Sat 12^th Sept St Mary’s Rattery – The Friday Nightclub Concert for guitar and violin – music through the ages. Glass of wine 6pm, music 6.45pm. Tickets £10 on door
• For those who have booked, don’t forget the Mission Community Amazing Train ride on Thurs 17^th Sept. Contact Geoff Addy with any queries: – Geoffaddy@btinternet.com

Sat 12^th Sept                       Rattery Concert in aid of the church 6pm for 6.45pm

Wed 16^th Sept                    St Petroc’s Morning Prayer at 8.30am

Thought for the week at 10am by zoom and telephone

St Petroc’s Parish Lunch 12.30-1.30pm

Rattery funeral 1pm (John Thorn)

Thurs 17^th                              The Mission Community Amazing Train ride!

Fri 18^th Sept                         Morning Prayer at 9am by zoom and telephone

                                                      Church wardens meeting at 9.30am

                                                      Rattery wedding at 12pm

                                                      St Petroc’s PCC at 2pm

A prayer for Education Sunday, Sept 13^th

Gracious God,

we thank you for the gift of education, for places of learning, for curious minds, and for all who help knowledge, wisdom and understanding to grow.
We thank you for opportunities to learn throughout our lives, and for those who encourage us to become the people you call us to be.
Bless all who teach and all who learn, that their gifts may enrich the whole community.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

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