The Orion Nebula is an archetypical example of star formation, from the massive, young stars that are shaping the nebula to the pillars of dense gas that may be the homes of budding stars.
Bible readings.
Proverbs 8: 22-31, John 1: 1-14
“In the beginning….our fragile world”
The gospel reading today is one that is often used in Christmas services, but it’s actually one that takes us back all the way to the very beginning of everything at the start of Genesis. The Word was there before the world existed and is bound up in creation: its history, its present and its future. It is a message of hope, yesterday, today and forever. To those who first heard John’s gospel nearly 2000 years ago, this imagery of the Word would have connected with two different audiences. For Greeks, Logos, the Greek word for the Word, was what underpinned their understanding of the universe. And for Jews, it was a link with their understanding of wisdom, being a crucial part of creation.
I wonder how you understand the concept of “the word” from a Christian Faith perspective? “and the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us”
Lent, Holy Week and Easter in the Penlee cluster.
Weekly Blog/ newsletter and website
As we move forward now to the time that Sian and Andrew Yates leave Penlee Cluster a small group of people will be responsible for communications. information for the newsletter and blog in by Wednesday evenings. Send information to: teamleader@penleecluster.org.uk , josie.huntley@penleecluster.com and communications@penleecluster.org.uk
Man down
What is Man Down ?
We are here to help reduce the number of male suicides and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health by offering men the space to talk about their emotions. The main way we do this is by facilitating free-to-attend fortnightly informal talking group meetings held at locations all over Cornwall.
What happens at Man Down Penzance?
Every two weeks on a Friday at 7pm we invite men to come along and talk about their mental health as part of a supportive talking group. By offering the chance to speak and listening to others, together we break down the stigma associated with talking about our emotions. All attending agree to the sessions being a confidential, non-judgemental and safe space to share. We also offer social meet ups and an online peer support group for those that have attended a face-to-face talking group meeting. We meet every two weeks at Penzance Leisure Centre, the next meeting being Friday 2nd February. Arrival from 6.45pm with the group starting at 7.00pm
Good news for St Mary’s, Penzance.
St Mary’s church is one of two churches from the diocese of Truro that has been chosen to go forward to the National church Demonstrator project, the aim of which is to help other churches to become more carbon neutral. Thanks to people at the church and the wisdom and commitment of the PCC in helping us get this far. If the church then gets through the National section then they will get a huge amount of technical and grant making help as well as an injection of money. What is very exciting is that the church congregation will be able to assist other churches in becoming more environmentally aware. Many thanks for the help of the two diocesan officers Sue and Kate.
Pastoral ministers meeting.
Monday 5th Feb 2pm-3pm at St Mary’s Pz.
This short but very important meeting will be looking at pastoral support and the keeping safe of pastoral ministers as we go about our ministries. We will also be revisiting the issues around lone working and reporting of safeguarding issues.
DBS renewals.
Saturday 10th Feb from 10am to 12 noon.
Quite a number of people need to update their DBS clearance. Others who have recently started working alongside us also need to undertake DBS checks. Please come along to meet our safeguarding lead Graham. Please bring along two forms of ID including something with your address on and a photo.
NightChurchPZ
At NightChurch on Saturday we had a few new visitors, and were blessed indeed when a quiet chap walked in and casually asked “Don’t ‘spose you’ve got a piano?” Pointed in the direction of the piano, we were expecting a bit of ivory tinkling, not the jaw-dropping beauty and skill that we were treated to. We were all very much moved and it made our night. Rhys said that he was happy for us to share a recording. You will find us on Facebook search for nightchurch penzance. https://fb.watch/pYC2hmYM2J/
At NightChurch we like to run an art activity and we’re really enjoying the collage. Thank you so much to everyone who donated calendars, glue and magazines. We would really appreciate more magazines to chop up, so please do keep bringing them in to St Mary’s. Thank you also to Jacqueline who made some lovely chocolate slices which were infinitely more popular than the stuff we bought from the shop!
We’re also always happy to have more volunteers, so if you’re interested please speak to Alice.
Raising awareness of climate change.
There will be a gathering in Penzance to raise awareness of the climate crisis which will be in the form of prayers and singing. Saturday 17th Feb 11am outside the Lloyds Bank building. (This is to coincide with the ‘No Faith in Fossil Fuels Lent Vigil’ – a ten day event set to take place in Westminster from February 14- 24, 2024.) All welcome.
Communion by extension training.
Sunday 11th Feb 12noon at St Mary’s Church.
As we prepare for present clergy leaving posts just after Easter, we are working very hard to ensure that all acts of worship are covered by either visiting clergy, clergy connected to the cluster, lay ministers and members of our congregations. Thanks for all those who have stepped forward to help. There are some people who need to undertake a little more training in order to help lead “communion by extension”. The first of these training sessions will take place on Sunday 11th after morning worship. There will be another session for people who can’t make this time the following mid week at St Peter’s Newlyn.
First steps Pioneering course.
Tuesday 6th Feb: 2pm on zoom
Below is the pre-work from Tina for next week.
Please watch this video. An interview on the gift of dissent with Gerald Arbuckle, cultural anthropologist.
What do you make of Arbuckle’s connection of grief and dissent? Is dissent the word you would use for what he is describing?
Pre-reading: Acts 9:19b-30 Consider what role Ananias and Barnabas play in enabling Paul to be a midwife to numerous new contextual worshipping communities.
Children’s Society collection boxes.
David Carpenter is gathering this years collection for the Children’s Society. If you have a box at home please bring it to church so your contribution can be added to this years donation.
David is also wanting to step down as being a local co-ordinator. If there is anyone who would be interested in taking on this role please contact Andrew for more information.
Core staff meeting: Tuesday 6th February.
We meet at 12noon for lunch before our meeting. Discussions about Lent, Holy Week and Easter, Safeguarding, and arrangements for the forthcoming vacancies. We will also be discussing exciting young people and children’s work.
Joint PCCs of the Penlee cluster.
Tuesday 6th Feb 4pm at St Peter’s church
All the church councils will meet together in the same place next week. For the first 3/4 of an hour people will meet in their separate PCCs to discuss individual PCC matters. Then all groups will come together with a lay chair to discuss the way ahead.
Choosing a new bishop of Truro.
On behalf of Simon Robinson, Chair of the Vacancy in See Committee, I would like to invite you to join a public consultation meeting on 6th February 2024 at 7pm for one hour. This meeting is open to anyone who might wish to attend.
This meeting is on Zoom link http://tinyurl.com/yrqqub7z
Meeting ID: 997 1717 1573 Passcode: 983305
Leaving a legacy to your local church in your will.
As you are probably aware, some of the ways that today’s church mission, life and buildings are financed are because of generous donations and legacies of past generations. The financial gifts left in their wills are greatly appreciated and well managed.
So we are asking that you might prayerfully consider making such a gift in your will. Or you might leave instructions for your family that donations given at the time of a funeral might go towards the mission and ministry of the local church. We are very committed to making sure that our local churches and the life and ministry associated with local worshipping congregations continue into the future. It is very possible to ensure that any money left to the church stays local and is used for the purposes that you have intended.
Will writing can be time-consuming and difficult – and that’s a big reason why many people put it off. To make it easier, the Church of England has partnered with Farewill, the National Will Writing Firm of the Year 2022, to offer a free online will writing service, which you can do from home in less than 30 minutes. If you have questions, Farewill’s specialist team can help you over the phone or live chat 7 days a week.
Making a will and keeping it updated is the only way to ensure a person’s wishes are carried out after their death, giving them peace of mind that they can continue supporting the family, friends and charities they love. In using Farewill, there is no obligation for anyone to leave a gift in their will to their church. However, if someone decides that they can, that gift – great or small – will help the church’s ministry and mission thrive for the benefit of future generations. You can view and share a legacy special edition of the Parish Resources newsletter by clicking here.
Pilgrimage, retreats and time to take stock.
Forms are now available for people who are taking part in the following pilgrimage or retreats. Please return by the end of the week so that places can be booked. Sian and Andrew Yates.
Hilfield Friary: April 9th -12th
Cost : £150 plus contribution towards travel.
There are a few places available on the Franciscan retreat for those who might like to explore the Christian faith through the lens of Franciscan spirituality…living more simply and living with joy and humility. Come and explore the life and prayer beat of a monastic community.
Irish pilgrimage: from St Kevin to St Francis.
16th -19th April: £300 including flights to Dublin from Newquay
A time to explore elements of Celtic Christianity and seeing God in the beauty of creation. Led by Prof Michelle Brown and Andrew & Sian Yates. We will explore the beautiful area around Glendolough as well as parts of Dublin.
Isles of Scilly retreat: Tresco: 26th- 29th April.
Cost (your cost in getting to the island and a contribution towards food). “Moods of the sea through the eyes of the psalms”.
