We were delighted to welcome our friends from across the Benefice to St Teath church on Thursday 18th May to celebrate Ascension Day. Our service was led by Jeffrey, assisted by lay reader Sue. Geraldine spoke to us of where Jesus’ Ascension fits in God’s plan and gave a prophetic word to us about letting go of things we no longer need to do. Our 16-strong choir led some hearty singing in the hymns, although somehow Tallis’ If Ye Love Me sounded rather a long way from the original…… The choir consoled themselves with renditions of Camborne Hill and Ilkley Moor in the pub afterwards.
Our Benefice held two services for Sunday 14th May, one at St Teath, the other at St Adwena. The St Adwena report is on its way….
St Teath service was led by our faithful and ever energetic lay reader Claire, who enjoyed the last week of the Easter Season with more cries of “He is risen indeed! Alleluia” and noting Jesus’ pattern for loving God, others and ourselves. She urged us again to demonstrate Jesus’ love in Deed and Word. Note the Deed comes first!
What a weekend! We’ve celebrated the King’s coronation with all five of our fellowships over the last few days. It all started Friday evening with a moving vigil led by Jeffrey in St Adwena church, followed by sung Compline. Our St Johns friends joined with Delabole Methodists to celebrate together, whilst St Thomas hosted for Camelford Methodists. At St Teath, our choir led us in a choral communion, including a new anthem commissioned by the RSCM for the Coronation. In the afternoon, our Civic service at St Julitta’s included a Benefice wide choir. Jeffrey reminded us that we all have a vocation, and although it may not be the same as Charles III’s, it is equally important and designed by God specifically for us. Let’s get out there and live it!
11.00 am Delabole Village Celebration at the Methodist Church
3.30 pm St Julitta, Civic Service
Our RSCM affiliated choir from St Teath will be on duty at both St Teath and St Julitta, singing a new anthem called The Mountains Shall Bring Peace written by Joanna Forbes L’Estrange.
On Friday 5th May at 6.30 pm, St Adwena, there will be a Vigil for the King, including Sung Compline. This is a culmination of our sequence of prayer for Charles as he prepares for his Coronation the following day. If you haven’t already taken a copy of the prayer guide for the Coronation, do collect one from the back of any of our churches this week.
Sunday 30th April was a Benefice service at St Teath church, led by our Parish Nurse Rev’d Geraldine, assisted by our wonderful lay readers, Sue and Claire. Geraldine spoke of the need to build fellowship to support each other, and through that be open to the needs of those around us. She shared some beautiful illustrations of that fellowship through a series of meditation starters from a table left out for us during communion. Our choir led us in sung worship and John led us in a thought provoking time of prayer. Looking forward to the next times we worship together as a whole Benefice, on Ascension Day and then at Jeffrey’s Licensing.
We welcome Geraldine as both registered nurse and ordained priest, working in Camelford and Delabole as part of her role in Bodmin. Here’s a report from the service in Bodmin this weekend:
The churches making up the Bodmin Team Ministry gathered in St. Hydroc’s for a joint service led by the Rt. Rev’d Philip Mounstephen, Bishop of Truro.
On a glorious spring morning Bishop Philip drew our attention to the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert. He expressed some sharp contracts, close parallels and rich resonances of this account with the Garden of Eden, Moses’ 40 days on Mount Sinai and the 40 years God’s people wondered in the wilderness.
The bishop expressed these accounts as callings. It was only Jesus, God’s beloved Son, who chose to obey and fulfil his vocation from God when he was put to the test. Jesus was obedient even to death. After his resurrection he was given all the kingdom, power and glory from God the Father. Today, the Church is the body of Christ and just like Jesus we need to be obedient to God’s call. For those yet to know God, the good news is everyone can come to him. It’s only through Jesus’ unflinching obedience to his Father, and his faithfulness to his calling, that his Kingdom and our salvation, will come.
The service also was a Commissioning of Rev’d Geraldine Ashton Bodmin, Camelford & Delabole’s Parish Nurse. Rev’d Geraldine is both a nurse and a priest and she is fulfilling her calling to serve God and those around her, within the protocols of parish nursing.
