Friday 5th June 11.20am 

w/c Sunday 7^th June 2026

Dear Friends,

What a change in the weather we have seen over this last week! Mind you our gardens needed the rain.
And thinking of gardens has made me think of all those wonderful people in our churches who so faithfully decorate our buildings with the beautiful flowers we are so fortunate to enjoy.
As one whose own flower arranging skill is limited to sticking a bunch of flowers in a vase,
I am in awe of their efforts – and very grateful. So, let’s say a big “Thank you” to all our wonderful flower arrangers.
If you would like to some of their skills on display, do visit St Petroc’s between Fri 5^th and Sun 7^th to view their amazing Flower Festival – details below.

Thought for the week Matthew 9 v9-13; 18-26

This week’s Gospel is about two stories of people who must have felt that all hope has been lost.
We have Jairus with his daughter who has just died – that must have seemed a pretty hopeless situation.
Yet still he asked Jesus to come. Then we have the woman who had been suffering a haemorrhage for twelve years.
Noone else had been able to help her, she was outcast and in a seemingly hopeless situation.
Yet she reached out to Jesus. The interesting thing is that Matthew, Mark and Luke record this story in exactly the same style.
They begin with Jairus and then interject with a woman with the haemorrhage before coming back to Jairus.
It’s a story within a story,
they are interwoven, Why might this be? Let me share a thought on this.

These two stories have a lot of similarities.
They both involved women who are both called daughters.  Both of them have incurable diseases. Both of them are healed by a single touch from Jesus.

 These are stories that are meant to be looked at together because in some remarkable way they are linked.
Jairus asked for Jesus’ help despite the fact his daughter was dead and beyond help.
On the way to her, Jesus stopped to heal this woman who also seemed beyond help.
Jairus and all the others saw Jesus’ healing power in action.
Now, when He goes to the daughter, He does so with the evidence and encouragement of the healing miracle He has already performed.
Christianity is never a solo religion. 
It’s not a faith that is meant to be just about me and God.
Yes, Christianity is very personal – I can’t believe Jesus for you.
But Christian living is not meant to be private. 
It’s meant to be communal; God has called us to a community. 
God has called us to be part of one another’s lives so that we can share our experiences, learn from each other’s stories, be encouraged by each other’s encounters with God.  
So that your story can encourage me in my story, and my story can encourage someone else’s.

Maybe this is one of the reasons the Gospel writers intertwined these 2 powerful stories of hope in our living God.
We are not alone in our journey of faith, even at those times of hopelessness.
The Holy Spirit walks with us, and we walk with each other.
Let our stories be an encouragement to each other.
May they offer hope and help as we see and experience God at work in and through each of us.

Notices and Diary

• St Petroc’s Flower Festival June 5-7^th in aid of church bells, with Songs of Praise on 7^th at 4pm
• June 14^th 11-4pm Open Garden to support the Littlehempston church and community orchard at Gatcombe House Littlehempston TQ96LW

Fri 5^th– Sun 7^th                     St Petroc’s Flower Festival with refreshments

Sat 6^th June                          Lay Worship Leaders meeting at St Luke’s at 10am

Rattery wedding at 2pm (Sanderson/Downes)

Sun 7^th June                         St Petroc’s Parish breakfast from 8.30am

                                                      St Petroc’s Flower Festival Songs of Praise at 4pm

Wed 8^th June                       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 10^th June                         Morning Prayer at 9am by zoom and telephone

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