Pew Leaflet
East Perthshire Group of Churches
St Ninian’s, Alyth; St Catharine’s, Blairgowrie;
St Anne’s, Coupar Angus; St Michael and All Angels, Ballintuim
4th SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
5th JULY 2020
COLLECT FOR THE DAY
O God, the protector of all who trust in you,
without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy:
increase and multiply upon us your mercy;
that with you as our ruler and guide
we may so pass through things temporal
that we lose not our hold on things eternal;
grant this, heavenly Father,
for our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen
Readings
Zechariah 9:9-12
Romans 7:15-25a
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Hymns
Entrance Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Gradual O perfect love, all human thought
Offertory I cannot tell
Final The church’s one foundation
Reflection from the Rector
Richard Curtis, the English film maker, made a film called About Time; it’s a fantasy story about a father and son who can go back in time and correct the mistakes they made. Over time in the film, the son realises that he doesn’t need to go back, he just needs to live each moment as if it were his last and make good choices as he goes along. Making the good choice as we go along is not always straightforward. Two thousand years ago, the Apostle Paul new this; he pointed out that even though we know what is the right thing to do, sometimes we choose the wrong anyway.
A few thousand years ago people had a more fluid approach to time than we do today. The first reading for the 4th Sunday after Trinity is from the prophet Zechariah; he lived at the time when Israel had returned to Jerusalem after years of captivity in Babylon. Zechariah spoke of a time when the king would come to save them in humility, riding on a donkey, and would rebuild the temple of God. At the time of Zechariah, the temple was being rebuilt, but Zechariah was also speaking of a time in the future and of the end time. Zechariah’s prophecy took in the whole scope of time present and future.
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If we could look at our world in this way and see our lives as part of the eternal; to be aware of God who is eternally present, maybe we would hear that still small voice of calm, the voice of God and discern how to choose the right thing.
Our Gospel reading for the 4th Sunday after Trinity paints a picture of Jesus speaking with and listening to the Father and then passing on what he hears to others. Jesus is surrounded by powerful people; there are heated arguments. Those in authority created laws based on the first five books of the Bible and they use these laws to control people. It has been said that there were 613 laws at the time, and people were expected to live in accordance with the laws. These laws were known as the yoke, the kind of yoke that you put around the neck of an ox so that you can control its movements; and people were expected to ‘wear’ this yoke; that is they were meant to live in obedience to these laws.
Jesus saw this yoke as a heavy burden imposed not by God, but by people in authority, and so he said to the people “come to me all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”.
The yoke of Christ is not a heavy burden; it is easy; a way of knowing God that can be understood by a child or a bishop. Easy, so you can understand in an instant or spend a lifetime and still not fully know. The church offers us space to see our lives as part of this eternal life in God, and knowing this, we may more easily choose to do the right thing.
WORSHIP IN THE CHURCHES
As the churches are closed for public worship, the Rector, James continues to celebrate the Eucharist in the churches behind closed doors. On the 4th Sunday after Trinity, the 5th of July, he will celebrate the Eucharist in St Catharine’s at 9.30am and in St Ninian’s at 11.15am.
5th SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
12th JULY 2020
Readings
Isaiah 55:10-13
Romans 8:1-11
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
CONTACTS
Rector: The Reverend James Bryson RIBA
T. 01250-875426.
Assistant Priests: The Reverend David Cameron
T. 01250-873272
E.
The Reverend Janice Cameron
T. 01250-873272
There was to be a thanksgiving and farewell with Lis Burke, who moved on into her role as Diocesan Warden of Lay Readers. Due the pandemic that was not possible, however, when we gather in the churches again, Lis will come back for a thanksgiving and farewell. Please pray for Lis as she prays for us.
St. Catharine’s Centre Coordinator: Mrs. Alison McCaig
Normal hours Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 9am-1pm.
T. 01250 874583.
E.
Items for Pew Leaflet to Mrs. Margaret Linley by 5pm on Wednesday
T. 01828 670314.
E.
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DIOCESAN NEWSLETTER
If you would like to receive a copy of the monthly Diocesan Newsletter, go to the diocesan website, https://standrews.anglican.org, at the bottom of that website front page, you can “SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER”.
NO INTERNET ACCESS
LISTEN TO THE SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH’S SERVICES ON THE TELEPHONE
Below are details of how people can listen to the Scottish Episcopal Church’s services on the telephone. If you know people who do not have access to the internet, who may like to hear the services, please let them know. In order to hear a broadcast service by telephone there are some things you need to do.
1. Call the free phone line 0800 260 5801. The line will be active from 10.45am before the Sunday service and 6.15pm before the Thursday service.
2. Once you have called the number you will be prompted to enter a “meeting ID”. The meeting ID numbers appears below: please note that there are two different ‘meeting ID’ numbers, one for Sunday service and one for Thursday service. Type the relevant number on your telephone keypad, then press the # (hash) key.
3. You will then be prompted to enter a participant ID. Simply ignore this request, and once again press the # key.
4. You should then hear music, and a sporadic countdown until the start of the service.
5. The service will run according to the 1982 liturgy. While you are listening, you will be joining hundreds of others in worship at the same time, although the service is recorded. When participating in the worship, your voice will not be heard by the other participants to ensure that all callers can hear the service clearly.
Sunday Worship
Meeting ID: 817 1523 4515
Service Begins at 11am
Phone line open at 10.45am
Service lasts around 30-40 minutes
Thursday Worship
Meeting ID: 894 7162 6403
Service Begins at 6.30pm
Phone line open at 6.15am
Service lasts around 20-30 minutes
If you have any problems accessing services, please feel free to contact the General Synod Office (0131 225 6357) and ask for Aidan Strange - the Digital Communications Co-ordinator - to call you back on a number you provide. He will aim to be in touch before the next service to help you resolve any problems with the telephone service.
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DAILY HOPE
A free phone line of hymns, reflections and prayers for those without internet access. The Daily Hope phone line offers music, prayers and reflections as well as full worship services at the end of a telephone line. The line, which is available 24 hours a day on 0800 804 8044 has been set up particularly with those unable to join online church services during the period of restrictions in mind.
USED POSTAGE STAMPS
We are still saving stamps for Scottish Charity Air Ambulance. Please keep them for us and leave them in St. Catharine’s when we can get back in. Members of St. Anne’s and St. Ninian’s could put them in an envelope for my attention marked “Stamps” and they will find me somehow. For a while the only planes going overhead were helicopters and they might have been SCAA ones! Many thanks. (Mary Hall)
FOODBANK
The Foodbank in Blairgowrie is in a different form to what it was before covid-19. During this pandemic Foodbank is collaborating with Perth and Kinross Council. St. Catharine’s Church Community Centre remains closed and is used for storing, packing and distributing food through the Council. Drop off points for food donations are open at Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s in Blairgowrie.
COMMUNITY BOOKSHOP
Booklore Community Bookshop in Blairgowrie have launched a free book delivery services aimed at self-isolating/at risk groups, older people and struggling families requiring community support during Coronavirus lockdown. If you, or someone you know falls into this category, for further information or to make a book order: telephone 01250 871120.
Open Monday to Friday, 10am to 1pm. Further details can be found at: www.brdt.org.uk/booklore.
WELCOME TO VISITORS AND NEWCOMERS
We welcome visitors and newcomers to our churches. If you are new to the area and/or church and would like the church to have your contact details, please add your details below and give this to the Rector or Assistant Priest. Note: All data is stored and used in compliance with GDPR
Name/s……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Address………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
For a downloadable copy of the complete Pew Leaflet Please Click Here