.

Bring & Share Lunch: The Bring and Share lunches have re-started on Thursdays. If you have not been before do come along and enjoy lunch with lively conversation as well.

Tiny Church: Will continues at 9.00am in the church every Monday. Pre-school age children and their parents, carers or grandparents are all welcome.

Pilgrim Course: Have you considered joining this course? Open for everybody and easy to follow and fun to do. Do contact Nigel for more details

Wanted: At the Coffee Morning on Saturday 9th May we will be running a Plant Stall. We will be grateful for any donations of plants on the day. If you are planning your planting please add a few more for the Plant Stall. Many thanks Fundraising Committee.

Office Hours: This coming week the office will be closed all day Tuesday but open on Wednesday morning due to Gill changing her work day this week only.

Prayer Diary

From today’s readings: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10: v 11

Prayer Chain If you would like immediate prayers for yourself or someone you know please contact one of the following (requests passed in confidence): Diana McEwen 33873, Julie Russell 31607, Gary Harvey 33990 or Judy Chiplen 33834. If you wish to join the prayer chain - contact Judy 33834.

Please continue to pray for those of our fellowship and friends whoare ill or recovering from operations:June Brook,June and Steve Beech, Margaret Brown,Keith Butt, Michael Bazin,Frances Checkley,Frank Cordery, June Cother, Rachel Cox, Peter Daly, Rosie Fitzgerald, Simon Harding, Betty Issacs, Alan Morris,Leigh Ransome, Paul Shekleton, Kath White, Joan Whitmarsh, Robin Wickenden, Daisy Wyatt, Tim Yeates,and those caring for them. Please also remember the long-term sick and their carers.

Please pray for the departed and those who grieve Frank Coffin, Joan Hulme, Alan Matthews, Joan Barton. & Doreen Mitchell.

Parish Office Hours: Mon 9.00am – 12.noon, Tues, Thurs & Fri: 8.30am -12.30pm. 5 High Street, Wincanton BA9 9JN. Tel: (01963) 824503

All items, for the Newsletter, to the Parish Office by 9am Friday at the latest. Email

St. Peter & St. Paul, Wincanton and

St. Michael, Pen Selwood

Rector: The Rev Nigel Feaver

Parish Office: 824503 or 31507 Day off: Tuesday

Church website:

April 26th2015

Wincanton8.00amHoly Communion BCP CANCELLED

10.30amHoly Communion (Common Worship) * KM

Pen Selwood6.30pmEvening Prayer JL

Readings: Acts 4: 5 – 12 John 10: 11 - 18

Please join us for tea and coffee after the services marked*

A loop system operates at both churches. Large print publications are also available – please ask for them. ‘Play bags’ are available for youngsters in the play corner at Wincanton. A public toilet is available just up the road on the right-hand side at Wincanton. At Pen Selwood the Church Wardens hold the key to the WC in the adjacent village hall.

3rd May 5thSunday of Easter

Pen Selwood9.00amHoly Communion (Common Worship)

Wincanton10.30amHoly Communion (Common Worship)

Please take a copy of this newsletter to a friend or neighbour who is not in church today so that they may keep in touch with events

Dear Friends,

‘So beautiful’….! I was impressed by an item on this mornings ‘Today’ programme (Radio 4) reporting on the amazing revelations about outer ‘space’ (and the Universe in general) brought about by the Hubble Telescope. The scientists interviewed spoke of how they were transfixed by the amazing pictures of the stars and galaxies which they described as ‘so beautiful’. Before the work of this telescope most people thought that space beyond our planet was dark, dull and with little visual appeal. But the images produced by the Hubble telescope reveal a blaze of colour, activity and complexity we had never thought of.

For years I have been fascinated by the story of the two scientists at Cambridge, Watson and Crick who discovered the existence and make up of human DNA which gives each of us our unique biological make-up. Amidst the struggle to work out the complex mathematics and science one of these scientists commented that he would know they had found the right model and shape as, amidst its other qualities it would be ‘beautiful’.

It is wonderful that we have, what I believe is a God-given quality, to see things as ‘beautiful’. However this vision is not automatic and true to the phrase …”beauty is in the eye of the beholder” .. not everyone can see beauty before their eyes. Those who are disinterested and whose minds ore on other things will fail to see.

There is a parallel here with those who don’t see God’s hand at work. The Old Testament prophets often spoke of those who ‘have eyes but cannot see.’ Jesus, spoke of those who failed to see His true mission, and the very Presence of God before their eyes.

I wonder how this applies to us? The church celebrates readily the new life of Easter, and we continually face the challenge of living out the life as ‘an Easter People? … or are we in danger of grinding to a halt, and not discovering … not seeing, ever more deeply what our Lord’s death and resurrection has done for us. I feel we should never stop in discovering what this means; just like discovering new beauty in the amazing depths of the universe, or in fact in the wonder, colour and detailed beauty of blossom and spring flowers. To end (or begin?) lets think about the following:

In ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ C S Lewis writes about the founding of Narnia:

‘There was hardly even a tune. But it was, beyond comparison, the

most beautiful noise he had heard.. … the Voice was suddenly

joined by other voices …Next moment a thousand, thousand points

of light leaped out - single stars, constellations and planets …The

Lion opened His mouth….. it was breathing out a long warm breath.

…. Then there came a swift flash like fire ….And every drop of

blood tingled in the children’s bodies….. and the deepest wildest voice they had ever heard was saying: Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, awake ….’

Worship Notes:

We welcome all who are new to our worship this Sunday.

At Pen Selwood today 6.30pm we sing Evensong. I do thank Jeff Lee for leading this in my absence.

Looking ahead – on Thursday 14 May is Ascension Day and I encourage you to attend the special united Deanery Service, at St Barnabas Church Queen Camel, at 7.00pm.

With every good wish. Nigel (Rector)

Mon27th 8.45amNo Morning Prayer.

9.00amTiny Church

1.20pmFuneral Doreen Mitchell Yeovil Crem

Tues28th8.45amNo Morning Prayer

7.30pmBell Ringing Practice

Wed 29th 8.45amNo Morning Prayerat Stoke Trister

Thurs 30th 8.45am No Morning Prayer

12.00noonNo Holy Communion

12.45pmBring & Share Lunch

7.30pmChoir Practice

Fri1stMay8.45amMorning Prayer

Sat 2nd2.00pmWedding at Wincanton Church

Mothers Union:Next meeting will be Thursday 7th May at 2.30pm in the Church.