Update on Sunday Worship

Sunday 25th October

The Last Sunday after Trinity

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Please contact us using the Your Comments page, by email to 360musafa@gmail.com, or by contacting the Tove Benefice Office.

Sunday
9:15 am    Holy Communion at St Lawrence, Towcester
10:15 am  Benefice Sunday Worship via Zoom
11:15 am  Holy Communion (BCP) at St Bartholomew's, Greens Norton 
11:15 am  Holy Communion at St Augustine's, Caldecote
2:30 pm    Baptism at St Lawrence, Towcester


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Our weekly news contains details of services for this and next weekend, as well as daily bible readings, prayer requests and notices for forthcoming events. 

Looking ahead to events and services that are happening please do look at the monthly calendar for October

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Dear all,

Periodically I have written about the conflict and violence in the Holy Land. As we move to the season of Remembrance we will celebrate the Saints, remember the Souls and at Remembrance services reflect on conflicts of the past, remember the fallen and commit to a peaceful future. We shall hear words for the prophets such as Micah’s and his vision of peace, ‘They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree.’

Oasis of Peace is the English translation of the name of Neve Shalom in Hebrew and Wahat al-Salam in Arabic. It is a village that has been home to Palestinian-Israeli and Jewish-Israeli families who have chosen to live together peacefully. The village was founded in 1972 by Father Bruno Hussar, a Jew by birth and a Catholic by conversion, who envisioned a demonstration of the Old Testament prophecy that “My people shall dwell in an oasis of peace.” (Isaiah 32:18). The village is located midway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on the Green Line, the village welcomes all faiths and is governed by a democratically elected mayor and council.

Last week I attended the Rueff Lecture which is central to Oasis of Peace UK’s mission of supporting financially Neve Shalom – Wahat al-Salam. The lecture was delivered by Sir Malcolm Rifkind and is titled "One Land, Two States: Past, Present and Future?" Sir Malcolm served in the cabinets of Margaret Thatcher and John Major from 1986 to 1997, and most recently as Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament from 2010 to 2015.

In his introductory comments Sir Malcolm noted that an Israeli election is on the horizon and it could be that the Israeli Arabs who end up holding the balance of power. And he commented that it is people getting to know each other that has a better chance of solving problems than just Prime Ministers.

Sir Malcolm proceeded to give a particularly clear and structured analysis of the situation. Yes, the position of each side is extreme – there is great bitterness – yet on three occasions in the past a solution was nearly found – but he asked, what are the odds now? His conclusion was positive.

A view is that there is too much bitterness on each side. There is the issue of 200 000 settlers in the West Bank and the continued action of Hamas and Hezbollah. Yet under President Clinton, Arafat and Rabin moved from being enemies to shaking hands and mutual recognition of each other’s existence. The day after the funeral of Rabin, Arafat left Gaza to travel to Israel to pay his respects to Leah Rabin. Both men had come to the conclusion that the situation could not be resolved with military force and that diplomacy and compromise was needed.

On the issue of settlers; if Israel can absorb Arabs than potentially the West Bank and Gaza could absorb Jews. He also noted that Israel’s relationship with other countries in the Arab world had changed – and they were not the military threat they once were.

Sir Malcom believes that a two-state solution is still credible. The alternatives, such as annexing the West Bank could lead to an apartheid situation if those living in the West Bank and Gaza did not have voting rights. Could a 1 state survive. Could there be civil war.

We’ll see what the results of the next election brings, and continue to pray for peace in the Holy Land and give thanks and support to those who wish to live together in peace.

With every Blessing,

Greg

All Souls’ Day, following All Saints’ Day, is the day when the church traditionally remembers those who have died, and prays for them by name. In the Tove Benefice this is offered in a Service of Light during which there will be an opportunity to light candles in memory of those who have died. As the years pass, we still miss those who have died so this annual service is an opportunity to gather and hear and sing comforting words and give thanks for those who are loved but no longer physically with us. 

The service will be held at St Lawrence’s Church, Towcester on Sunday 1^st  November at 4.00 pm.

The service has a simple format and will comprise hymns, Bible reading, poem, prayers for the bereaved and an address in addition to the lighting of candles. All are most welcome to attend and to remember someone who has died recently or a further time ago.

Loved ones who have died in our Benefice in the last year will be remembered by name in the service.  If there is anyone else who has died and whose name you would like to be read out, please call the Benefice Office on 01327 350459 to let us know or write their name on the list that will be near the entrance to the church, with one of our helpers, when you arrive at the service.

We will be lighting candles as our way of giving thanks and remembering individual people.

With every Blessing,

Greg
 

Light Party Volunteers 

We are looking for volunteers for this event, please contact Sarah Barnet at tovefamilies@gmail.com if you are able to help out at all.

Forthcoming Events


 

Worship for this coming week