Friday 9th May  10.58am

w/c Sunday May 11^th 2025 

Dear Friends,

It was wonderful to welcome our new Team Vicar, Rev Alex Holmes, her friends and family, together with the Bishop of Exeter, to the Mission Community at her Licensing service on Tuesday.
Thank you to everyone who came to support her and to enjoy such a wonderful occasion.
We all look forward to sharing in Alex’s ministry amongst us and wish her all God’s blessing as she settles into the Mission Community.

 Thought for the week, John 10 v 22-30

In our gospel reading this week, Jesus is walking in Solomon’s Colonnade, in the environs of the Temple during the Feast of Dedication.
This feast, Hanukkah occurred in winter and is also known as the Festival of Light; rather like Advent, leading into Christmas, when we think of the Light coming into the world.
This ought to be a place of peace and contemplation; perhaps this is why Jesus is walking there but, as so often, He is surrounded by those who ask questions.
Not so much from want of information, although I’m sure some at least desired to know if He was the Messiah but others had mixed motives as we later discover.

John records three previous encounters with Jesus on religious festivals: in John 5 He heals a man on the Sabbath (God is at work on the day of rest, perhaps especially so)
In John 6 He feeds the crowds during Passover saying “I am the Bread of Life”.
In John 7 during the Feast of the Tabernacles, we have Jesus as living water and the Light of the World, linking us to the Temple rituals and back to Exodus as God rescues and leads His people. This is the fourth “festival encounter”.

The Jewish leaders and teachers gather around Jesus and ask Him to tell them plainly if He is the Messiah.
In the earlier part of the chapter, He has just been explaining His role using the imagery of the Shepherd and the sheep (“I am the Good Shepherd” verse 14).
Yet still they don’t understand what He has told them (verse 25 “I have told you but you do not believe”).
They have seen the signs, they have heard Jesus speak but they can’t let go of their dogma and fixed ideas. So, Jesus does just as they ask;
He tells them plainly and woosh, they rush for the stones, not because of His good works, they say, but because He does tell them that He is the Messiah.
The problem for them is that they haven’t understood from their own scriptures who the Messiah is: God with us. It is so easy for us to stay with what we think are our certainties and miss what God is showing us.
Help us Lord to experience Your Presence in our lives and let You guide us.
David Harwood

Notices and Diary

• St Petroc’s VE day service will be on May 11^th at 11am. Please note there will not be a 9.30 service that Sunday.
• Wednesday 14th May 10 – 11.30 Churches Together Christian Aid Coffee morning, cake sale and Fellowship in the Methodist School Room. All proceeds will go to Christian Aid. 
• Littlehempston church Coffee mornings on Thursday May 29th, from 10.30-12 midday – all v welcome

Sun 11^th May                       St Petroc’s VE day service at 11am

Wed 14^th May                     10 – 11.30 Christian Aid Coffee morning, cake sale and Fellowship in the Methodist School Room

Fri 16^th May                          Ministry Team at 10.30am at St Luke’s

                                                      Staverton Funeral at 12pm (Hewitt)

Sar 17^th May                        Landscove wedding at 1.30pm (Wheeler/Jordan)

                                                      St Luke’s wedding at 3.30pm (Bush/Winzer)

Church Services this month

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