1 BEING CHURCH – Newsletter 59 May 9 th , 2021 WESTBOROUGH METHODIST CHURCH Registered Charity # 1133833 Website: www.westboroughmethodistchurch.org.uk Email: [email protected]Tel: 01723 506926 (ansaphone) Minister: Rev d Graham Morgan SUNDAY SERVICE – 9 th MAY 10.30am Revd Graham Morgan – Service of Holy Communion This newsletter is to keep us all in touch and to share information and any other items that may be useful or uplifting. ALL CONTRIBUTIONS WELCOME to the Church Office
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BEING CHURCH – Newsletter 59 May 9th, 2021
WESTBOROUGH METHODIST CHURCH Registered Charity # 1133833
SUNDAY SERVICE – 9th MAY 10.30am Revd Graham Morgan – Service of Holy Communion
This newsletter is to keep us all in touch and to share information and any other items that may be useful or uplifting. ALL CONTRIBUTIONS WELCOME to the Church Office
Loving God, we rejoice in the hope that is at the heart of Easter: the rising, the new beginning, the
light of resurrection flooding over the shadow of the Cross.
We pray for the Church: that we may live and speak as people of the resurrection, showing by our
words and deeds the sense of joy and purpose that Easter brings. But we are too well aware that
the light of the resurrection is obscured from many by the deep darkness of their shadowland
existence. We pray for those bowed low by their weight of sorrow and despair through illness or
bereavement, through loss of self-confidence, guilt, shame or fear. We pray for those caught in
the cross-fire of conflicts and fearing for their future. We pray for those who feel hope snatched
from them by sad circumstances. For all such, we pray that their shadows be pierced by
resurrection light and hope spring newly eternal within them. Amen.
(Stephen Brown from “Seasons and Celebrations”)
PRAYER REQUESTS
MARGARET (who has been home briefly but is now back in hospital) ANNA (now at home) STEPHEN and family (From Isabel - Stephen’s back home, very sore and feeling sorry for himself, but otherwise healing nicely. Operation a success as far as we
know, they think they got it all).
Please pray for the situation in INDIA as they battle with a deadly wave of coronavirus
PRAYER HUB SCARBOROUGH
Prayer Hub Scarborough is available at
www.prayerhubscarborough.org and on Facebook, Twitter,
Whatsapp and Instagram - @prayerhubboro
With regular prayers, resources any personal prayers you have or wish to share, anything that you
feel is on your heart. Please do get in touch if you would like to know more
If you do not have internet access and would like to contribute a prayer please get in touch with
Lesley by phone or post.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to anyone celebrating at this time.
Birthday Wishes to:
BERYL (11th – Lance says it’s ‘two fat ladies’!)
MARK (12th)
If you have any remembrances, thanksgivings, celebrations or messages that you wish to share please let the Church Office know (Contact details on front page)
10.30am May 9th – Revd Graham Morgan – Holy Communion
Order of Service – (Please be aware there may be some differences in verses/words to StF)
Welcome Prayer Hymn John 15:9-17 – Brian Sermon ‘Jesus loves you’ Hymn Intercessions Flute – Fiona Holy Communion Hymn
SERVICES planned for 10.30am at Westborough for May
MAY16th – Revd Nigel Spencer
23rd – Revd Pam Ward
26th – Wednesday 10.30am Midweek Holy Communion, Revd N Spencer
30th – Mrs Patricia Mollon
READERS
Please contact Colin if you can read at morning worship during MAY.
MIDWEEK HOLY COMMUNION
A service of Holy Communion will take place on Wednesday, 26th. May at 10.30 a.m. led by the Reverend Nigel Spencer
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WESTBOROUGH CHURCH SERVICES - GUIDELINES
There will be stewards to guide you through the set up and maintain the stringent hygiene regimes
– please follow their advice.
YOU SHOULD FEEL SAFE AND COMFORTABLE IN WORSHIP.
Sunday 9th May at 10.30am led by Revd Graham Morgan Service of Holy Communion
ENTER using the right hand side FRONT ENTRANCE door if you are able. Leave the ramp entry
for those who need to use it. Doors will not be open before 10am.
WEAR A MASK (which should cover your mouth and nose)
SANITISE your hands
MAINTAIN 2M SOCIAL DISTANCE from people outside of your household/bubble
FOLLOW THE ONE-WAY SYSTEM in place within church
HOLY COMMUNION. The elements will be prepared using strict hygiene guidelines. Wafers are being used. They will be brought to you at your seat by stewards wearing masks and gloves. Please slide a single wafer off the plate using one finger.
BIG QUESTIONS?
Join us for our next Alpha Online session on
Monday 10th May at 7pm as we look at our next big question 'How Can I Have Faith?'. Everyone is
welcome to join for any session as we explore life and faith together. For more information or to register,
WANTED FOR SHOEBOX APPEAL 2021 - Unwanted wool for shoe box knitting
If anyone has wool to spare I have lots of ladies knitting items
for the 2021 shoebox appeal. I would be grateful for any
spare wool you may have. I can collect please phone the
Church Office.
Can I please thank those people who have already given to
me it is really appreciated. This year’s boxes from
Scarborough went to Croatia but sadly they did not get there
till February due to covid Thank you for your continued support
Bonnie
CIRCUIT NOTICES
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Colossians 4: 2 THROUGH THE ROOF is an organisation that seeks to help churches become positive about disability inclusion. You can access their free resources and support, or sign up to appear on their map of disability-friendly churches. BUS STOP NEWS
The latest Newsletter is available. If you would like a copy please contact Lesley.
“The mission of Westborough Methodist Church is to offer the love of God,
and to share our Christian faith, by meeting the needs of all people through
• An online conversation where people can share stories and pics about their favourite Yorkshire Coast people, places and things.
• Two free to enter competitions with prizes worth £600 around the same theme.
• A garden party planned for Sunday 27th June 2021 in The Crescent Gardens Scarborough 1pm till 4pm. Full details below:
The Great Get Together 2021- Our Favourite Scarborough, Whitby and Filey Things
The Great Get Together 2021- Our Favourite Scarborough Things
The late Jo Cox MP believed that ‘We are far more united and have far more in Common than that which divides us’.
The Great Get Together is an annual event which takes place across the UK each June to commemorate Jo and to
celebrate her belief in our communities. In Scarborough we have celebrated The Great Get Together for each of the
past four years . For the first three years we held a Garden Party and last year an online event and competition. This
year we are intending to do both and given the year we have had we would love you to join us in thinking about the
favourite people, places and things we have missed, or are most looking forward to once lockdown is finally ended.
You can take part by letting us know what are the favourite things you are most looking forward to and why? Just a
few lines that will not cost you anything. The idea is that we will then feature your words and possibly a related
picture, or some other media, to help us showcase our free competitions and our Great Get Together event. We
think your contribution will also help us share hope and optimism and a sense of pride in our people, our town and
the whole Yorkshire Coast area. This is an opportunity to give some much needed publicity to people, places,
businesses, and activities on the Yorkshire Coast. Feel free to choose somewhere, someone or something. that is
well known, or less well known; what matters is that it is special to you. Please respond direct to our Facebook page,
or if you prefer email to [email protected] and please encourage your friends colleagues and family to
also take part.
• If you do respond we will publish your contribution on Facebook at some point during the campaign which launches on May 1st.
• Enter our competitions and give yourself a chance of winning one of the £600 worth of prizes. Closing date Sunday June 13th at Midnight.
For full competition details go to http://dfpwebsites.co.uk/gettogether/
• Please also join us in The Crescent Gardens on Sunday 27th June where you will be hosted by Scarborough Girl Guides and Scarborough Museums Trust to an afternoon of activity, refreshment, good company and entertainment.
To find out more please visit and like our Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/TheGreatGetTogetherScarborough/ where you can also look at some of the great
I want you to be wise in what is good, and guileless in what is evil (v. 19)
Background
Imagine! Paul has been a Christian apostle for 20 years or so. He is currently lodging in Corinth, in the house of Gaius. He is surrounded by his close team (named in verses 21-23). He has just completed his long tract for the church in Rome (which finished at Romans 15.33). Paul’s next task is to send a short note to the church in Ephesus (which is what Romans 16 is); and he decides also to include with it a copy of what he has composed for Rome. (We wonder what his scribe Tertius thought about that.)
Paul is a brilliant pastor. He remembers so many names in the church in Ephesus; and affirms each of them warmly (verses 3-16). They had shared so much together. Epaenetus, for example, was Paul’s first convert in Asia. And Andronicus and Junia, a married couple, were Jews who had become Christians within a year or two of Jesus’s death and resurrection - before Paul himself. They had shared time in prison with Paul. They were both apostles (meaning, in their case, people authorised to preach in their own congregation and in houses and nearby villages where groups of Christians gathered).
Paul was jealous for the reputation of his beloved Ephesians ("Your obedience is known to all" verse 19). His deep love for them entitled him to be furious about a threat to their wellbeing. Some visiting Christian teachers, smooth-talkers all, had peddled ideas contrary to Paul’s teaching. With their flattery they were unsettling some of the simple souls. Divisions were appearing. That was totally unacceptable. The self-serving visitors must be ostracised. Paul’s prayer for the whole congregation is that they be expert (‘wise’) in goodness and innocent of evil. Their struggle was not about legitimate differing opinions in the Church: it was a struggle between God and Satan. But Paul’s faith and hope are strong. The God of peace (building in Ephesus a united and harmonious fellowship in Christ) will swiftly win this battle (verse 20).
Verses 25-27 are a doxology that may originally have been added to the letter to Rome or to Ephesus or both.
To Ponder:
• The modern Church wants to be hospitable to all and inclusive. On the one hand there are authentic differences of opinion between faithful Christians in each congregation. Struggle as contemporary Christians do to achieve this, it is essential to talk and listen to one another patiently, courteously and with open minds and hearts. On the other hand the Church can be subverted by ideas and values that contradict the gospel itself. How does your congregation identify these? And what responses are appropriate?
The Revd David Deeks is a retired Methodist minister. He has always focused on theology