Painting by Willem de Poorter entitled The Parable of The Talents
Bible readings: Zephaniah 1:7,12-18, 1 Thess. 5:1-11 – Gospel Reading [NRSVA] Matthew 25.14–30
‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
CLUSTER INFORMATION & EVENTS
Celtic Morning Prayer – Each weekday morning on zoom 8:00am – 8:30am. Please email Keno for zoom details at admin@penleecluster.org.uk.
Breakfast and Breathe – This group for parents and carers meets every Monday at St Mary’s at 9:30am. We share breakfast, friendship and fellowship. We have craft activities and also have an optional gentle faith-related activity. Please let Hilary know if you are coming to this so we know numbers.
Fellowship Lunch at St Mary’s – Every Monday midday.
Lunch Club at Paul Hall. Every Monday at 12 noon.
Emmaus Group is a diverse, friendly group reflecting on a Bible reading every Tuesday, 5-6pm, at Paul Church Hall. All are very welcome. Kevin
Night Church at St Mary’s – 6-9pm every Wednesday, join us for dinner, reflection and singing. A warm welcome awaits. This is a place for everyone. Victoria
Psalm Prayer Group at Mary’s – Every Thursday at 11:15am we read, pray and meditate on a Psalm. Come and join us. Josie
Meditation Group – Every Friday a Meditation group meets at St Mary’s church at 10:30am. This is a welcoming and supportive space for everyone in the community. Vicky
Christian Meditation and Contemplative Prayer – Last Monday of the month at St Mary’s at 7pm. We look forward to being together in silent worship. Next on Monday 30th November. Vicky
Julian Prayer Group – The Julian Group meets at 6pm at St. Pol de Leon church on the first Sunday of the month, and online via zoom all other Sundays. If you would like to attend, please email Mel at mlevesconte@hotmail.co.uk for zoom details. Mel
Prayer Requests – If you are concerned about someone and would like their name included in the Prayer Request Group’s weekly prayer list, please do email Mel by 7pm on Tuesday evenings. If you would like to join the group and could spend a little time each week praying the list in your personal prayer time, please do contact Mel at mlevesconte@hotmail.co.uk who will add you to the circulation list. Information is not shared and members’ names are not circulated within or outside the group. Mel
St Peter’s church Christmas Coffee Morning
Saturday 5th December – 10 to 12 noon. Mince pies, raffle and a special visit from Father Christmas. Lynda
Taizé Advent Service
St Mary’s Church on Sunday 29th November, 6.30pm.
The Taizé service will feature gentle chants, silence, prayer and time for personal reflection. We will be led by the wonderful music group, the Taizettes, which includes Jenny, our Children and Family Worker, on bass recorder. With the gentle music, beautifully lit space, this service will provide a meaningful introduction to the season of Advent.
St John’s Clothes Rack
We held our 2nd Clothes Rack event on Wednesday and from the increase in people coming along, word is getting around about this provision. We had good supportive conversations with those people who came and a real sense of making a difference. A big thanks to the team of volunteers from Breakfast and Breathe, St John’s and St Mary’s Church. Staying open until 5pm was beneficial as we reached more people. Our next event is on Wednesday 9th December. Any donations of children’s winter clothes and toys are very welcome. Please contact me if you need items collected or bring to St Mary’s Church. Many thanks, Hilary
Christmas Wreath Making
Come and make a beautiful decoration for your home. The workshop is free but donations welcome. At St Mary’s on Monday 30th November at 10am. Please email Keno admin@penleecluster.org.uk if you are able to come. Limited places. Thank you. Penny
Christmas at NightChurch
Dear Friends, as Christmas approaches, we would like to give everyone who comes to NightChurch a small gift. We would be very grateful if you would consider supporting this Christmas appeal. We are asking for something practical for the winter months or a little treat, with an approximate value of £5–£10. Please bring your gifts, wrapped and marked NightChurch, to the office at St Mary’s by December 16th.
Our NightChurch Christmas dinner will take place on Wednesday 23 December. This is a wonderful and popular celebration, please do get in contact if you would like to help.
NightChurch will open as usual throughout the Christmas and New Year period, with extra morning drop-in sessions alongside the St Mary’s welcome team, from 10am–12 noon. On Christmas Eve, we will be hosting breakfast at 10am, and in the evening serving pizza at 6pm before the Christmas Eve service at 7pm.
If you would like to donate a gift, or help at the Christmas dinner, you would be most welcome. A sign-up sheet for gifting will be at St Mary’s or, alternatively, please email: nightchurchpenzance@gmail.com
Thank you for continuing to support the NightChurch community. Victoria and Jacky
