Newsletter -09 - 06
Greetings from Penshurst Rectory
On Monday, we entered meteorological Autumn. Keats described Autumn as a “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.” There is definitely a much crisper feel, and the early dew means that muddy labrador paw prints once again adorn my kitchen floor at the start of each day. As for fruitfulnessThe Rectory Garden has brought forth a bumper crop of blackberries, damsons, and greengages, a rather limp apple harvest alongside a bumper collection of wasps!
In the parish this week we have three wedding services one in each parish. We wish Abi and Luke in Penshurst and Toby and Emily in Chiddingstone every blessing at the start of married life. At St Peter’s in Fordcombe we celebrate with Maggie and David as they renew their wedding vows fifty years to the day after their wedding. We also pray for William as he is baptised on Sunday at St Mary’s. Thank you to Revs Aji and David for leading the services in Chiddingstone this weekend.
On Tuesday, the life of Viv Timothy will be celebrated at St Mary’s church at noon. Thank you to Rev’d Fiona for leading this service. There will be refreshments afterwards at Chiddingstone Castle. If attending the funeral it may be easier to park at the Castle and walk through to the church. With term time in full swing, parking in the village will be challenging.
On Sunday this week there are two services- a 1000 Holy Communion at St John the Baptist in Penshurst and an 1800 Evening Prayer service at All Souls in Poundsbridge. Our hymns and prayers will celebrate the creatures we share our lives with and God’s creation more generally. At this service you are invited to bring your pets to be blessed.
On Wednesday evening at 7:30pm the PCCs of St Peter’s and St John the Baptist churches will meet in Penshurst. The Ven Nick Cornell will be in attendance to talk through details of the pastoral reorganisation. He held a similar meeting at St Luke’s a few weeks back.
And finally we thank God for the life of Katharine, HRH The Duchess of Kent who died on Friday. Kent This prayer was shared by The Church of England:
In this edition:
Ø Services
Services:
7th September
1000 Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Penshurst.
1800 Evening Prayer service with the blessing of pets. All Souls, Poundsbridge.
14th September
0800 Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Penshurst.
1000 Holy Communion St Peter’s Fordcombe.
1000 Holy Communion (or Matins) St Mary’s, Chiddingstone.
21st September
1000 Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Penshurst.
28th September
1000 Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Penshurst. To include the harvest festival.
1000 Holy Communion St Mary’s, Chiddingstone.
Life Events:
Ø We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Ø Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Ø Mailing:
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
