3rd Sunday of Epiphany
Bible Readings: Nehemiah 8.1-3, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12.12-31a; Luke 4.14-21
Gospel reading
Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’
[Luke 4.14-21]
Blog and Website Weekly newsletter
Please send all information for the Sunday newsletter/blog by Wednesday evening to Josie at penleeclusternewsletter@gmail.com. For anything else specifically website-related, please contact Chris at communications@penleecluster.org.uk. If you would like to write a reflection for the newsletter, please contact Josie for details of upcoming Sunday readings.
CLUSTER INFORMATION & EVENTS
Celtic Morning Prayer
Each weekday morning on zoom at 8am. The zoom meeting ID is 815 4586 0947. If you would like to attend, please email Keno at admin@penleecluster.org.uk (or call on 01736 331633) for the passcode, which you will need as well as the meeting ID given here.
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
Julyan Prayer Group
The Julian Meeting will be on zoom this Sunday 26th, at 6pm.
Prayer Requests
If you are concerned about someone and would like their name included in the Prayer Request Group’s weekly prayer list, please do email Mel at mlevesconte@hotmail.co.uk by 7pm on Tuesday evenings. Thank you.
A Prayer for Holocaust Memorial Day
(27th January) by Philip Hall
Lord God and Father,
We remember before you all those who bear the inner and outer scars of the
Holocaust and of subsequent acts of genocide.
Let them not be overwhelmed by the horrors that engulfed them.
Be close to them.
Help them to see that you suffer with those who suffer,
and that no wickedness can ever extinguish your infinite love.
Restrain those who are filled with hatred and use violence to pursue their ends.
Change their hearts.
May remembrance make us alert to the reality of evil and its deceptive allure.
Help us to recognise our own capacity for evil and allow your Spirit to
purge it from our beings.
Help us also to stand up against evil and oppression, even if that means we have to
suffer ourselves.
Enable us to defend those who are not strong enough to defend themselves,
and to be ready to bring the light of your truth into the dark areas of human
experience.
Deepen our respect for everything you have made, and help us to share in securing
the maximum good of every person who is alive in your world.
We ask this in the Name of your Son Jesus Christ,
who died for our sins, carries our sorrows, heals our wounds,
and is risen for our freedom.
Amen
The theme for Holocaust Memorial day 2025 is “For a Better Future”
Congratulations!
Warm congratulations to our brother in Christ, Alex – St. Mary’s sound system star and NightChurch volunteer – for some very good news! Plymouth University has offered him a place on not one, but both the degree courses he applied for with them: BA (Hons) in Filmmaking and BA (Hons) in Creative Media. Now it’s up to Alex to decide which is his preference! A hearty well done from us all.
OTHER INFORMATION & EVENTS
Cornwall Faith Forum Projects
The next CFF Projects Meeting will be held on Thursday 30th January at 7.00pm on zoom. They will look to hold an in-person meeting later in the spring and hope you can join them then. Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsfuqhqzgiEtKegJnhUz6etnThpKXFmtuv
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. In preparation for 30th January, they will be getting the three sub groups Building, Sharing and Learning for Peace together before then. If you would like to be part of one or more of these pre-meetings, please contact Andrew Yates at chair@dorkemmyn.org.uk
‘Hymn Along’
High Street Methodist Church, Saturday 1st February
Come along to Hymn Along at High Street Methodist Church, from 11.00am – 12.00pm. ‘Make a joyful noise unto the Lord” Psalm 98 v4. For more information, please email Mandy Pearce elaineamandapearce@gmail.com. *This event is dementia friendly.
Cornwall Independent Poverty Forum News
The next meeting of the Poverty Forum will be held on Tuesday 4th February at 10.30 am. This will be an in-person meeting and will be held at Church House, Old Cathedral School, Cathedral Close, Truro, TR1 2FQ. Unfortunately, the venue does not have any available parking. To find the nearest car parks, please see here: https://www.visittruro.org.uk/truro-car-parks
The Poverty Forum has been invited to send two members to the VCSE Collaborative Alliance Meeting at The Alverton Hotel in Truro on Tuesday 11 February 2025. The event will run from 9am until 4.30pm and lunch will be provided. This event is convened to enable our VCSE members to work alongside our public sector colleagues as equal partners, to influence the shape of the NHS 10 Year plan and the development of Cornwall’s health and wellbeing prevention strategy. If you would like to attend this event, please contact Andrew asap Andrewy@cornwallindependentpovertyforum.com
Creation Care Network Gathering
Thursday 13th February
The next Creation Care Network Gathering will be on Thursday 13th February at 7.00 pm – 9.00 pm. Clare Fussell, Campaign Director, from Operation Noah (https://www.operationnoah.org/)
will be talking more about Operational Noah’s work and campaigns to encourage greater church action on the climate crisis. Register your attendance before the gathering here: https://tinyurl.com/4xf4779w
Become a Creation Care Champion…
If you care deeply for the environment and you long to see a re-flourishing of God’s very good creation, this planet – our home – join us! We want to create a network that offers you and your parish a fruitful and sustainable path, with support and encouragement along the way. The Creation Care Champions (CCCs) will support a growing community of churches to respond to the realities of this climate crisis with empathy, knowledge and confidence.’ To find out more or to become a CCC please click here: https://tinyurl.com/5fj4bh7s
Debt Advice
The Salvation Army offers debt advice services to people in this area. They are free, confidential and impartial. Please dial 01752 643955 to speak to a Debt Advisor from 10.00am until 4.00pm Monday to Friday or email cornwalldas@salvationarmy.org.uk.
