Listen, anyone who has ears!
With these words, Jesus is inviting his audience to listen carefully, not just to the words they hear but also to their deeper significance. There are different ways to listen to and profit from what we hear.
Readings for Sunday Romans 8: 1-11 Matthew 13: 1–23
Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables.
He said, ‘Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty . Listen, anyone who has ears!’
Meditation on the Gospel reading
1. Find a space that you feel relaxed and comfortable in
2. When you are ready, read the Gospel several times, until the passage becomes familiar.
3. imagine being in the crowd and hearing Jesus speak these words. Does this parable comfort, challenge, or puzzle you ? Why?
4. imagine being one of the disciples. Ask Jesus what message he really wants you to hear in this parable.
5. Take time to listen … to let the word of God take root within you.
6. End with saying the Lord’s Prayer
Richard Rohr meditations – holding the paradox
Last week, the Daily Meditations focused on the thought that “Everything belongs”. No one needs to be punished, scapegoated, or excluded. We cannot directly fight or separate ourselves from evil or untruth. Evil becomes apparent when exposed to the Truth. Join us on Monday mornings via zoom at 8.30am as we reflect on the mediations of the week.
EcoChurch heating system
With the spiralling cost of gas and the need to reduce our carbon footprint, the Cluster has just begun a project exploring a new way to achieve affordable low carbon heating in our churches.
On Wednesday 2nd August a firm from Bristol will be coming to the Penlee Cluster to give us advice and information on how a new radial heating systems might work in our context. If you wish to be present at one of these site meetings do let Keno know. We will have a clearer idea of meeting timings nearer the time.
Devon & Cornwall Regional Conference.
How do we flourish in a church with barriers?
Thursday 20th July 2023
An Evening Conversation on Zoom 7pm-9pm
Keynote speaker: Revd Tanya Hockley-Still (UKME Adviser, Diocese of Exeter)
For more information, please contact
Andrew Yates Paulpriest@penleecluster.org.uk
Bible Study: Paul’s letters to New Churches
Thursday 27th July: 11-30am St Mary’s church PZ
“A Letter from Rocky (alias Simon Peter)
Following the surprise visit (in our imagination!) of St Peter to our Sunday service at St Mary’s recently we have decided to explore St Paul’s letters to new churches’. (1 Peter in the New Testament).”
We start at 11.30am and will share a simple lunch together. If you want more details contact Church warden Lesley or Alice. stmaryswarden@penleecluster.org.uk
Family Workers : Rainbow Project Report
It has been another busy term for the Rainbow Family Worker Project in the Penlee Cluster of Churches. The project continues to go from strength to strength, with its usual weekly events serving young people and families in the community, as well as its work in schools. The project has also been busy planning summer holiday projects and other much-needed and exciting projects that will begin to take shape in the September term.
…..you can read the report in full on this link… https://sway.office.com/HnJyHRiCND1m32xD?ref=Link
Holiday club update and HELP needed
4 weeks Mon-Thursday
Starting 24th July to 17th August
Because of the increased need with families in the area over this summer we will be opening the playzone for Free for parents to have somewhere to bring their children and to have a snack and drink. There have been endless messages of thanks and gratitude expressed on Facebook after family worker Molly posted this news on Facebook.
Ways to help (sign up lists in churches)
At the playzone St John’s: making drinks, supplying plate of cheese or ham sandwiches, sausage rolls, or fairy cakes. Helping with a craft activity.
Holiday club at Paul… we need
Because of the increased need with families in the area over this summer we will be opening the playzone for Free for parents to have somewhere to bring their children and to have a snack and drink. There have been endless messages of thanks and gratitude expressed on Facebook after family worker Molly posted this news on Facebook.
Ways to help (sign up lists in churches)
At the playzone St John’s: making drinks, supplying plate of cheese or ham sandwiches, sausage rolls, or fairy cakes. Helping with a craft activity.
Holiday club at Paul… we need
a car driver: Thursday 27th July to BF adventures Falmouth .. leaving PZ at 9am
someone to teach Cornish songs 31st July: 10am-11.30am
pasty makers: teaching those skills Monday 27th 10am- 12noon. Scone making: Tue 1st August: morning
Help with swimming on Monday afternoons at the PZ leisure centre.
Thanks for all those who are donating money towards the increased costs of the scheme:
Up to 40 children at holiday club: 10 young helpers: 30 children plus parents at playzone.
Huge thanks to the person who donated the cost of the coach hire to Eden ….
We also need: plastic mixing bowls, rolling pins, chopping boards and pastry cutters if you have spares!
Also adult shirts for painting projects.
New hymn books for St Peter’s Newlyn
Looking to buy the same book as the rest of the cluster churches. Each book costs £10. We are asking that people might think of purchasing one for the church in memory of a loved one or a special event,
Thanks to the person who has already donated 25 books.
There is a list at St Peter’s Newlyn if you would like to buy a book.
Book for Autumn book group discussion
The Precarious church: by Martyn Percy . We will reflect on this book in some detail. Three reflective evening sessions over a three month period so that we can reflect both on the book but on the discussions within the group. You may wish to buy the book and read it over the summer ready for the Autumn sessions .
Throughout the book, his sharpest observations focus on the bishops responsible for the way in which the household of faith lives its life. He is right to criticise, where failure is wanton and egregious. Though I share some of Percy’s misgivings about the Church of England right now, some of his critical observations encompass the writer of this review. I felt rightly judged by his demands that we be better pastors, teachers, and practitioners of Christian faith. Dr Martin Warner Bishop of Chichester.
