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13/07/2014 MALMESBURY ABBEY

‘Just and true are your ways King of the nations.

Who will not fear you?’

I remember a conversation on a plane as we descended into Kampala. Mem-bers of our party were discussing summer holidays when one of our group from the Diocese of Bristol said ‘perhaps it’s best not to mention holidays while you’re here, as for most Ugandans holidays simply just don’t happen; in fact the concept barely exists for many.’ It was later in my trip that I saw an offering with produce brought forward to front for the first time. This wasn’t a Harvest Festival, this was subsistence farmers, whose hands never encoun-tered cash, bringing their offering to God. And this time they were spending in church was in fact their holiday, their holy-day, a blessed bit of Sabbath in an exhausting life. Seeing in a different context helped me to see my own context a little clearer; and with gratitude. The writer Mark Buchanan (in his book The Holy Wild) describes a night in Uganda when he couldn’t be bothered to worship God, thought the food was awful and was too sour to join in the praise, when a woman stood up to de-clare her love for Jesus: ‘I praise Him all the time for how good He is. For three months, I prayed to Him for shoes. And look! He gave me shoes!’ The Ugan-

Vicar’s blog: thanks

HOSPITALITY THAT INVITES PEOPLE CLOSER

STABILITY THAT DRAWS PEOPLE DEEPER

CREATIVITY THAT LIFTS PEOPLE HIGHER

THIS SUNDAY: July 13th 8am BCP Holy Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship, Junior Church & The Grid 6pm The Mix//The McAdams 6.30pm Choral Evensong EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer MON 14th 8pm Baptism Prep 2 TUES 15th 7.30pm WOMAD concert WED 16th 10am Malmesbury School Celebration Service 10.30am Holy Communion THURS 17th 10.30am Time for Chat 4pm Evening Prayer 7pm Choir Practice SAT 19th 10am The Meeting Place NEXT SUNDAY: July 20th 8am BCP Holy Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship, Junior Church & The Grid 6pm The Mix//The Campbells July 28/29 Holiday at Home Aug 3rd New Wine Sep 9th Glory! Prayer Meeting

Sep 13th Archbishop in Malmesbury Oct 7th Confirmation at the Abbey Oct 17/18 BBC History Weekend Oct 31st glo in the dark Junior Church party Nov 18th Glory! Prayer Meeting Nov 30th Advent Sunday

Abbey Diary dans went wild. They clapped, they cheered, they whistled, they yelled. Buchanan sat there devastated, realis-ing that not once in his life had he prayed to God for shoes, and he had certainly never thanked God for them. He was snapped out of his self-pity, he was repentant, and he made this astute observation: Thanklessness becomes its

own prison. Insightful words. I sometimes wonder why I spot indiffer-ence within myself in a time of worship. That to an onlooker I might look no dif-ferent standing in church singing to God than when I am standing in a queue in the Coop (although I don’t normally sing at the checkout.) And I think Buchanan is right: Thanklessness

becomes its own prison. And I think Psalm 100 calls us, a people with shoes and holidays and the Cross of Christ before us, to a better place:

Make a joyful noise to the Lord,

all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;

come into his presence with singing.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is he that made us, and we are his;

we are his people, and the sheep of

his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise.

Give thanks to him, bless his name.

For the Lord is good;

his steadfast love endures for ever,

and his faithfulness

to all generations.

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Revelation 15:1-8

I saw in heaven another great and marvellous sign: seven angels with

the seven last plagues – last, because with them God’s wrath is com-

pleted. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire

and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the

beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps

given them by God 3 and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of

the Lamb:

‘Great and marvellous are your deeds,

Lord God Almighty.

Just and true are your ways,

King of the nations. 4 Who will not fear you, Lord,

and bring glory to your name?

For you alone are holy.

All nations will come

and worship before you,

for your righteous acts have been revealed.’

5 After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple – that is, the tab-

ernacle of the covenant law – and it was opened. 6 Out of the temple

came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in

clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes round their chests. 7 Then

one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden

bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. 8 And

the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his

power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of

the seven angels were completed.

1. Read Psalm 96:10-13 and Psalm 98:4-9 and notice where God is de-scribed as just and righteous. Which verse of Revelation also ascribes these attributes to God. How do you view these qualities of God?

2. The song of Revelation 15 is described as the song of Moses and the Lamb. Why is this and how does it relate to salvation history? (Exodus 13-15 might help.)

3. How does the word judgement relate to the word justice? How does the final judgement speak to you of god’s justice? Who gets justice. God or humanity?

4. Does this passage challenge you in anything? What does the cross as your judgement day mean to you?

5. Read the John 12 passage above. Jesus tells us that hs has not come to judge the world. (v47) How then do you understand the second half of the passage?

6. God is love and God is holy. How then do you reconcile this to his wrath in Revelation 15:7?

MONDAY Psalm 116 Daniel 6 Rev 20:1-6

TUESDAY Psalm 87 Ezekiel 38 Rev 20:7-10

THURSDAY Psalm 98 Isaiah 65:17-25 Rev 21:1-8

FRIDAY Psalm 84 Ez 48:30-35 Rev 21:9-14

small group resource +

Additional Reading: John 12:44-50

WEDNESDAY Psalm 47 Malachi 3 Rev 20:11-15

daily readings

44 Then Jesus cried out, ‘Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. 47 ‘If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.’

You may remember that Bishop Lee was preparing to cycle from John O Groats to Land’s End when he was diagnosed and treated for Hodgkin Lymphoma. Following his recovery this was rescheduled and is now underway. From 6-19 July the Bishop will be cycling the JOGLE in order to raise funds for our Dio-cese’s work with our partners in Uganda. He has set an ambitious target of £10 000 and would love you to participate in this by prayer, by giving, or even by joining him for part of the ride on 16 July. More details can be found online at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/LeeRayfield and by visiting our Diocesan website. For those without access to the internet donations can be sent di-rectly to the Bishop at Mark House, Field Rise, Swindon, Wilts SN1 4HP. Please make cheques payable to Bristol Diocesan Board of Finance and write on the back ‘Le Tour de Lee’. If a donation can be Gift Aided please include your name and address, including postcode.

L’autre Tour

After our wonderful Holiday at Home at the end of this month, come and sing with us and listen to wonderful testimonies as we ‘Celebrate God’s Joy’ on Thursday 31st July at 3pm in Malmesbury Abbey. All will be welcomed and tra-ditional English Tea will be served after the service. For more information please contact Revd Mandy Churcher on 824416 or contact the Parish Office.

Songs of Praise

Only 3-weeks left until we pack our bags and head off to the Royal Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet for another unforgettable week of laughter and friendship, passionate worship and inspiring teaching. It’s not too late to book and come with us. You can camp or commute, come for the whole week or just for a day. Go to www.new-wine.org/summer for more details, and speak to Revd John Monaghan to let him know you are coming!

New Wine 2014

Parish Office Holiday Closure Due to staff holidays the Parish Office will close Sat 26th July and re-open at 9.30am on Monday 4th August.

Noticeboard Prayer for Persecuted Christians Join us as we pray for persecuted Christians in Muslim countries during this month of Ramadan at 7.45pm on Monday 14th July at 18 West Street. For fur-ther information please contact Mike Langtree.

If you like smiling, serving refreshments and getting to know all the new faces that are appearing at our 4pm services please contact Clare MacDonald on [email protected] and offer your services for our 4pm refresh-ment team. With the holiday season approaching we are getting very low on volunteers and would really value your help just to serve and clear away; preparation will be covered.

Tea & Coffee at 4pm

Sermons & Weekend Away talks online The talks by Bishop Lee & Paul Langham and most of the sermons from our Revelation series are available online at www.malmesburyabbey.com/media

June 29th Revelation 11 The Last Word on Witness

July 6th Revelation 12 The Last Word on Politics

July 13th Revelation 15 The Last Word on Judgement

July 20th Revelation 19 The Last Word on Salvation

July 27th Revelation 21 The Last Word on Heaven

The Last Word Revelation at Malmesbury Abbey

Lesley, Roy and Ruth would like to thank many in the Abbey family who have been praying for Ruth during her recent illness and surgery. The family know that they were supported in prayer and surrounded by the love of God. Ruth is improving slowly at home.

Ruth Wilson

12th CENTURY BEAUTY 21st CENTURY CHURCH

Contact

ABBEY OFFICE Mon &Tues (9.30am-12noon) Weds, Thurs ,Fri, (9.30am-2.30pm) 01666 826666 www.malmesburyabbey.com issuu.com/malmesburyabbey [email protected] Staff members can be contacted by [email protected] NEW CAFÉ HOURS (From July 13th) Tuesday—Saturday : 9am-4.30pm Sunday & Monday: Closed all day [email protected]

Our monthly Choral Evensong takes this Sunday evening at 6.30pm. The Abbey Choir and leadership are committed to keeping this beautiful and ancient ser-vice alive as a living act of worship to God. 17th century liturgy, readings from the King James Version of the Bible and beautiful choral music, this Sunday by Hadley, Howells and a new piece by James MacMillan. All are very welcome.

Choral Evensong