Friday 21st March 17:40  

w/c Sunday Mar 23^rd 2025

Dear Friends,

Our Epistle this week reminds us that our God is faithful.
With so much going on in our world, and possibly in our lives, we need to be reminded of this sometimes.
But as George Day points out in his reflection below, it is very easy to use words without really thinking what they mean.
Perhaps we might reflect this week on some of the words we use in our worship and prayers, and what we really mean when we say them – and faith, hope and love maybe a good place to start.

Thought for the week  

Currently at the two ends of the Mission Community we are doing a Lent course on the subject of hope, though in fact following a different course at the two venues – apologies to those who have tried moving between the two courses and found they aren’t the same!

In preparing sessions at the Buckfastleigh end it has struck me just how easy it is to use words, especially what we might call Christian buzz- words, without thinking about what they involve. In particular it has struck me that:

FAITH that is not realistic is not real faith

LOVE that does not cope with the realities of life and of people is not real love

HOPE that does not reckon with possible feelings of hopelessness is not real hope.

And this of course is what makes all of these great Christian qualities to be sometimes quite painful. Yes, they all bring joy, but they also cost.

Life can be tough, and difficult questions arise, so real faith has to reckon with those difficulties and questions. Sometimes that can lead to intense struggles for us, and there is no shame whatsoever in experiencing doubt and struggle as we cope with life – and sometimes that can include coping with ourselves.
And of course, faith should never be produced as a glib, simplistic answer to difficulties.

People (let’s face it) aren’t always easy to love, and so a love that only cares for the easy ones, or those in easy situations, is not real love.
Love has to be practical and it involves going out of our way to show care and concern for other people.

Hope similarly has to cope with reality, and frankly there is a great deal at the moment that can produce feelings of hopelessness.
Such feelings should not be just dismissed, whether in ourselves or in others, and yet somehow hope must win through.
And the answer to that has to lie in trust in God.

Faith, love and hope lived out in the reality of all that life throws at us.
George Day

Notices and Diary

• Sun 30^th March is our joint Mission Community Mothering Sunday service at 10am at St Petroc’s. NB remember the clocks go forward!
• Our ecumenical Lent lunches at South Brent Methodist school hall on Wed at 12.30pm
• Lent course at St Luke’s on Tuesdays at 10am and South Brent Methodist church on Wed at 2pm starting 11^th and 12^th March
• A spectacular theatre production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is coming to:

 Torquay’s Princess Theatre on Tuesday 1st – Sat. 5th April.
This is of course CS Lewis’ allegorical book about the Christian faith.  For details and to book go to:lionwitchonstage.com

Tues 25^th Mar               St Luke’s Lent course at 10am

Wed 26^th Mar               St Petroc’s Morning Prayer at 8.30am

                                    Thought for the week at 10am by zoom and telephone

St Petroc’s Funeral at 12pm (Jilly Elford)

                                    St Petroc’s Lent lunch in Methodist school hall at 12.30

St Petroc’s Lent course in Methodist school hall at 2pm

St Luke’s PCC at 7pm

Fri 28^th Mar                  Morning Prayer at 9am by zoom and telephone

                                    St Petroc’s funeral at 1pm (Edith “Sally” Luscombe)

Sun 30^th Mar                 Mission Community Mothering Sunday service at 10am at St Petroc’s

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