Friday 24th October 11.30 

 w/c Sunday 26^th Oct 2025

Dear Friends,

This Sunday is Bible Sunday.
The Bible Society says “Research this year has shown that many people outside the Church are open to the Bible and prayer – if only someone would introduce them.” Perhaps this week we might all try to spend some time reading and reflecting on this ancient book that’s full of wisdom for today – and perhaps introduce someone else to it too.

Thought for the week

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector,” Luke 18:10.

They were, at least in theory, good and godly men, those Pharisees.
They had a deep concern to keep God’s law. Yes, they could become pernickety, rigid, even hard-line, and so you probably didn’t always do all they demanded in the way of obeying the law.
But they were people to look up to. In theory, anyway.

But there is always a danger for those who are keen to be morally and spiritually right, the danger of smugness, of effectively patting yourself on the back, and that smugness could, sometimes did, lead to despising other people.

That is a danger that can affect us. We can smugly see ourselves as good and we may catch ourselves looking down on other people.

So Jesus’ funny, probing, challenging, disturbing parable of the two men going to the temple to pray speaks to all of us.
The Pharisee’s prayer was one of self-congratulation. Of course, he was dead right – he wasn’t like lots of other people; he did do lots of good things; he wasn’t like that wretched tax-collector, who somehow had had the nerve to come to the temple.
But was it really a prayer to God, or was it simply telling himself what a good man he was?

In contrast, the tax-collector knew he was a rotter.
Collecting taxes for# the Roman oppressors.
How low could you go? How had he ever got into this miserable business?
But once in, it was very hard to get out.

So, he prays in desperation, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

And then Jesus’ punch-line, a punch-line that must have drawn gasps or tuts of disapproval from some of his listeners, “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.” Was Jesus saying that a quick prayer for mercy by a lousy rotten sinner made it all alright?

No. Was he saying the Pharisees’ desire to follow the law of God was wrong? No. But he certainly was challenging self- congratulation and the tendency to look down on others, and equally he was offering hope to those who had made a mess of life, and had been sucked into wrong.

Lord, save us from ever becoming smug or self-righteous. Save us from despising others. You who came to save the lost, help us to follow you.

Amen.

George Day

Notices and Diary

• S Brent Storytellers and Archive are holding an event on ‘When Marley House Became Syon Abbey’ on Saturday 25th October, 2pm in the Old School Hall. Tickets from Artworks.
• Rattery Oct 25^th 7pm Harvest supper in Village Hall

Tues 28^th Oct                      St Luke’s Bible study at 10am

Wed 29^th Oct                       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

Fri 31^st Oct                            Morning Prayer at 9am by zoom and telephone

Sun 2^nd Nov                          St Petroc’s Parish breakfast from 8.30am

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