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Yesterday
I went into Lancing Prep to do a Harvest assembly with the
older children. It brought back many memories of singing
“Cauliflowers fluffy and cabbages green…” as a child in my
non-church primary school. I brought along a pumpkin that had
been grown in the Vicarage garden this summer, before I
dramatically dropped it on the floor and shattered it to
pieces. On purpose, it must be made clear, but I succeeded in
making it look like an accident, and the school hall was filled
with shocked gasps. I wanted to get to the seeds to make my
point about what Harvest Festival was really about. You’ll have
to join us on Sunday though to find out what I said.
For it
is Harvest festival time again as we give thanks for all the
good gifts that the earth has brought us. Whether you’ve grown
something at home, or whether your harvest involves a trip to
the supermarket, it is a time to give thanks for the food we receive,
and for all those who work to bring it to our plates. And it is
a chance to collect for those who for whom access to food is
less certain and more difficult. Our church will be decorated
by local organisations, we will be collecting food for Brighton
Food Bank, and we will be joined by Chomp, one of our charities
this year, to hear about what they do to combat food poverty in
our city.
On the
4th October the church celebrates the life of St Francis
of Assisi. There is a beautiful window dedicated to him in our
Lady Chapel. It shows him surrounded by the beauty of creation:
kingfishers, pheasants, ducks and chickens, lilies, trees,
swallows, lambs, owls and more. It is an incredibly rich image.
And at the bottom, the simple words from Psalm 150: Let
everything that hath breath praise the Lord. A clear and stark
reminder of what we and all of creation are here to do - in
amongst the harvest suppers, the charity collections and window
dressing fun, our sole purpose in life to to give praise to
Almighty God. May we and the whole of creation be free to do
so.
Mthr
Alice
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We
gather at our normal times of 8am and 10.15am on Sunday 5th
October to celebrate our Harvest Festival - complete with real
life pumpkins from the Vicarage garden, as well as a host of
other produce that will be artfully displayed. We are
collecting on behalf of Brighton Food Bank, so if you are able,
please do bring in your harvest donations of any long life food
(especially pulses and tinned meat and fish) or any toiletries.
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As well
as collecting donations for the food bank, we are also going to
be joined at 10.15am on Sunday 5th by Chomp, the third of our
charities for this year. Chomp run holiday lunch clubs across
the city especially aimed at children who are in receipt of
free school meals. They aim to combat holiday hunger, provide
activities, and educate families about budget friendly healthy
eating. There will be a collection for their work at the end of
each of our services.
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As part
of Baby Loss Awareness Week we will be holding a Wave of Light
Memorial Service on Sunday 12th October at 4pm.
At whatever stage you may have lost a baby, and however long
ago it was, you are welcome to join us to love, to grieve, to
remember and to give thanks. Siblings are welcome - there will
be some activities for them to do at the back, and refreshments
will be served afterwards.
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Our new
drop-in Tea at the Good Shepherd starts on Tuesday 14th October meeting in church.
We’ll be meeting each week from 2pm-4pm
for tea, coffee, homemade cakes and gentle activities. It’s
free to attend and open to everyone in the community, so please
do spread the word far and wide.
And if
you’d like to be involved in running the sessions, whether
that’s sitting and chatting, setting up or baking some cakes,
please do let us know!
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As if
Sunday Snippets and the Book Group weren’t enough to get your
brains going, our Autumn Course starts on Thursday 9th October.
We’re going to be looking at Heresies and
How to Avoid Them, based on the book of the
same name. We’re going to be taking a look around the early
church and the controversies that shaped what we believe and
why. This is not all jam and Jerusalem; it’s fiery, fast paced
and full of drama.
We meet
at 11am in church (after the 10.30am Eucharist) or at 7.30pm in
Maldon Road. And you don't even have to read the book!
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Our Sunday Snippets have got off to a great
start as we spend about half an hour after our 10.15am Parish
Eucharist dipping our toes into a variety of topics. The priest
in the picture above is Fr Brice. We don't know who he is, but
he made a YouTube video on why we adopt certain postures at
different times during our worship. Had the Vicar known there
was a video, she wouldn’t have bothered writing her own
session, but she has now, so this Sunday you should come and
hear it!
You can
find our full Growing in Faith programme by clicking the button
below.
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Our Book Group next meets on Friday 24th
October. We’re reading “Finding Sanctuary: Monastic Steps for
Everyday Life” by Christopher Jamison OSB. It’s not too late to
join us - send us an email if you’d like to get involved.
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We’re
going to be celebrating All Saints Day with something new this
year. As well as our celebrating with our Sung Eucharist in the
morning of Sunday 2nd November, we’re going to be hosting a
children’s Light Party on Saturday 1st
November between 4pm and 6pm. With glow sticks, a fire
pit, marshmallows, hot dogs and lots of fun crafts, we’re going
to be bringing the light to the darkest time of year.
Please
do invite any children you know to come along! You can help us
with catering by clicking the button below and filling in the
(very short) form.
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