Dearest friends,
This week we have been enjoying the wonderful readings from Genesis giving us the first few chapters of the story of Joseph. (Genesis 37). It’s worth going back when you have a moment this week and reading the whole story (Genesis 37-46).
It is a story where you can easily imagine Joseph asking the question ‘how much more of this can I take?’.
First he was sold into slavery by jealous brothers, then he was put in prison for a crime he did not commit – but each time Joseph managed to turn the bad into good.
He took the evil that others had done to him and made it good.
When he was sold into slavery he ultimately become the chief servant in the house of Potiphar.
When he was accused by Potiphar’s wife of taking advantage of her (although the situation was really the other way around) he found himself in prison where he was put in charge of the other prisoners because ‘the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love’.
Finally he interprets the dreams of two supposed enemies of the Pharaoh and those interpretations turn out to be true.
He is called to serve the Pharaoh and again he does’t just serve but becomes second only to the Pharaoh himself.
In each of these situations it would have been easy for Joseph to give up, to let his faith fly away, to give into dejection and despair.
But his resilience and steadfast love of God got him through some very very difficult times – and that steadfast love and that same resilience that is a product of that love can get us through hard times.
As we enter our final week of Lent ahead of Palm Sunday and Holy Week it’s a good time to reflect on those places in our lives where we are under pressure. What is feeling like it’s ‘too much’. Take time to reflect and to see where God may be offering an opportunity to turn that pressure into something good.
In love,
Fr. Matthew
Notices
Summer Term Planning
As in previous terms we’ll meet together as two churches and plan the term ahead. The Summer Term will be based out of St. Luke’s and our planning meeting will happen there on the 30th April at 6:30pm. We’ll do a short review of the Easter term and then plan for the term ahead.
Summer Lectures
Over the summer term I don’t plan to run what you may call a traditional ‘course’. Instead I’m going to offer a series of Sunday afternoon lectures, perhaps once a fortnight. These lectures will range from ‘What is the Christian perspective on Assisted Dying’, to ‘Why was Devon so central to the Anglo-Catholic movement in England’. If you have a topic you’d like me to talk on, or invite someone to talk on, please do be in touch.
Sunday 6th April
5th Sunday of Lent
9:15am – Sung Mass, St. John’s
11am – Sung Mass, St. Luke’s
Divine Office Psalter Week 1, C(I), Lent 5
April
- 9th – Poppins Nursery Easter Bonnet Parade 11am [SL]
- 10th – Oswestry Chrism Festival (Exeter Cathedral, 11am)
13th April – Palm Sunday
- 9am – Sung Mass & Procession [SJ]
- 11am – Sung Mass & Procession [SL]
17th April – Maundy Thursday
- 7pm – Joint Mass with Washing of Feet & Watch, [SJ]
(Watch to continue at SL from 8:30pm)
18th April – Good Friday
- 3pm – Mass of The Lord’s Passion [SJ & SL]
19th April – Holy Saturday
- 8pm- Vigil Mass of Easter [SJ]
20th April – Easter Sunday
- 6am – Dawn Mass [SL]
- 9:15am – Mass of Easter Sunday [SJ]
- 11am – Mass of Easter Sunday [SL]
- 30th April – Summer Term Planning Meeting, 6:30pm [SL]
St. John’s Table Top Sale – Every 3rd Saturday at Wickham Hall
St. Luke’s Ladies Group – First Wednesday of every month at St. Luke’s, 2pm