THE PARISH CHURCH OF STOKE
DAMEREL (ST. ANDREW & ST. LUKE)

For the 10.00am Parish Eucharist  for today click here

Rector: Revd Keith Robus RN
Telephone No: 01752 509724

Email: keith.robus@btinternet.com
www.Stokedamerel.church
www.facebook.com/StokeDamerelChurch



Sunday 12 September      15th Sunday after Trinity

HELLO FROM STEVE GUFFICK
Hi. I am Steve. I am Husband to Anna, Dad to Josh
and Ben and I am an Ordinand studying locally,
with a view to being ordained in June 2023. The
family and I will be joining you from October for a
few months on placement to experience the life of
Christ flowing through the Parish life of Stoke
Damerel, and to join in with as much as possible
(as much as I can persuade Keith to let us in on...)
We currently live on the Cornish coast in Seaton,
which is part of St Germans Parish. There I am
also a local worship leader and PCC member. It
would be great if things we learn from this
placement could be used back in my own parish
too. I am a carpenter by day and Anna is a Doctor
in Derriford hospital. Josh and Ben are 11 and 8,
Josh has just started secondary school, helping to
make me feel old...
I believe my journey to God began the second I
was conceived, but God only let me know about it
in my mid 30’s following a few traumatic years
ending with the death of my father. At the moment
I saw him at his bedside I dropped to my knees to
pray. A man who hadn’t visited a church other than
the odd Christening, since school. Prayer started
me on my way that day and plays a massive part in
my life today. Who wouldn’t want to spend time
talking with, listening to and generally spending
time with the creator of the whole universe!
I became a worship leader in my last parish when
the rector left to move back to be near family
leaving a 2nd year curate in charge of 4 churches
and thought I should try to be useful. I have
reasonable experience of worship in many
traditions and hope to build on that whilst walking
with you all soon. I have enjoyed tuning in to some
of your services on you tube in an attempt to see
how Keith does everything, shh don’t tell him I’m
doing that he will think I’m cheating...
Since becoming a leader I have tried to increase
my knowledge and, prior to beginning studying for
ordination, studied a diploma of higher education
in theology mission and ministry with SWMTC, a
branch of Durham university. It is thanks to this
previous work I only have to spend two years as an
ordinand, a year off for good behaviour if you will.
My faith gives me a desire to bring good news to
the poor, to help the oppressed, to set captives free,
at least I like to think it does.
We can’t wait to meet you all soon and are looking
forward to this section of our journey with God.



THIS WEEK'S READINGS

Sunday 12th Sept 15th Sunday after Trinity

IF YOU ARE ILL OR NEED TO GO INTO HOSPITAL
Please ring for support:-
Revd Keith: 509724
Wendy: 218432
Liz: 509852

Merciful God,
we entrust to your tender care
those who are ill or in pain,
knowing that whenever danger threatens
your everlasting arms
are there to hold them safe.
Comfort and heal them,
and restore them to health and strength;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

PLEASE PRAY FOR:-
Heather, Charles, Andy, Bishop Nick,
George & Audrey, Chris, Yvonne, Lisa, David,
Terry and Pat, Janet,  Jean, Philip, Margaret,
John, Eli, David, Kelly, James, Ruth,
all those who are ill or affected by the present
virus outbreak, and all those who have asked
for our prayers.

BLESSED SACRAMENT CANDLE

If you would like to have the candle lit for a week
for a particular prayer / thanksgiving /
commemoration, etc., please send a £5 donation to
Debbie Smith, clearly marking your donation as
being for the candle. Details of your intention can
be emailed to:- sarah.lundstrom@virginmedia.com
so that a mention of the commemoration, etc., can
appear in the Sunday Sheet.

RECTOR’S RAMBLINGS
Stoke Damerel Parish Church is a hybrid church
open for public worship and private prayer and all
services will be live streamed.

By attending a live streamed service, you give
implied permission to have your image captured
on CCTV and to be broadcast as participant in the
liturgy.

In order to watch the livestreamed services please
‘click’ on this link to
make your way to YouTube site:
https://www.youtube.com/c/StokeDamerelChurch

Sunday 12 September    Trinity 15
0800 Holy Eucharist
1000 Sung Holy Eucharist
Sung hymns are provided by St Martin’s Singers
Tues 14 September
No church services
Wed 15 September
10.00 Holy Eucharist
Thurs 16 September
No church services
Sunday 19 September    Trinity 16
0800 Holy Eucharist
1000 Sung Holy Eucharist

Sung hymns and organ music
The Church of England, working with St Martin
in-the-Fields and the Royal School of Church
Music, is delighted to be providing a resource of
rights-free music for use on streamed services.



The Prayer of St Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith:
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

St Aubyn’s Church 250th Anniversary
Next Sunday we all have been invited to a 250 th
service of Thanksgiving at 1100am with a
celebration of Holy Communion by The Rt Revd
Nick McKinnel, the Bishop of Plymouth followed
by a lunch.

St Aubyn’s Church History Exhibition
The History exhibition will be open as follows:-
Thursday 16 Sept:    12 noon - 4pm
Friday 17 Sept:           10am - 4pm &  7 - 9pm
Saturday 18 Sept:     11am - 3pm

Pastoral Placement
Please hold in prayer Steve Guffick and his family
as he prepares to be placed in the parish for his
Long Placement in training for ordination.

The Village Hub Food Bank
Please do remember our local ‘small but perfectly
formed’ food bank. The Hub are particularly
asking for canned meat and fish, UHT milk, tea,
coffee and sugar.

Blessed Sacrament Candle
In Stoke Damerel Church there burns a candle
week in week out to mark the presence of Our
Lord under the form of the Blessed Sacrament.
The reservation of the Blessed Sacrament is for
distribution to those at home and in emergency.
For a bargain price of £5 per week, your dedication
will be prayed for on the Sunday Sheet and by the
congregation. Lesley Morris has resumed her
duties as ‘The Lady of the Lamp’ and please do
make contact.

Christmas Cards 2021
Please see the attached form to order your
Christmas Cards. The cards have the image below
and are an excellent fund-raiser for the Parish. I am
delighted Mrs Lesley Morris will be the co-
ordinator for this venture – Lesley, thank you for
taking on this valuable task!



Father Keith

ORDINATION
This weekend the ordination of deacons will take
place in Exeter Cathedral, including the following
from our city:
Pat Brenton from Derriford Hospital Chaplaincy
and St Mary's church Plympton.
Duncan Holland from St Pancras, Pennycross.
Pat and her husband Ray have worshipped with us
from time to time.
Please remember them in your prayers.
Wendy Pezzey

From The Reverend Peter Warland RN (Retd)
A TRIBUTE TO A BRAVE FRIEND
On Sunday 5 September, 14th after Trinity, whilst
recovering from my latest dialysis session at home,
I tuned in to the Eucharist here at Stoke Damerel,
to be celebrated by the Revd Michael Harman in
Fr. Keith’s absence.
I was shocked to the core to hear him state, at the
opening of the service, that one of the two divers
who had been exploring the wreck of HMS
SCYLLA (in which, incidentally, I had voyaged
extensively in the early 1970s) had been reported
missing was his own younger son, Andrew.
Having both served in the Royal Naval Chaplaincy
Service, Margaret and I have known Michael and
his family for many years – since their sons,
Stephen and Andrew, were small boys at school.
Michael’s wife, Jane, died just two years ago; now
he is faced with another enormous sadness to cope
with.
I am sure that our congregation at Stoke, that
morning, whilst equally shocked by Michael’s
news, were also deeply touched with admiration by
the way he then went on to conduct that Eucharist
with such calm dignity and relaxed manner, with
not a single word-slip, and with a quite splendid
sermon into the bargain! All this less than thirty -
six hours since he had heard the dreadful news. It
showed professionalism of the very highest order. I
am sure he will say that he only did it ‘in the
power of the Spirit’, but I very much doubt that I
could have done it. I salute him.
May God be very close to Michael and his elder
son, Stephen, (who serves as a commander in the
Royal Navy), during these hard days, giving them
his love and fortitude, may he take Andrew’s soul
to himself and may they know that they remain in
our sympathy and our prayers here, at Stoke
Damerel.

THANK YOU 
I just wanted to say a big thank you for the
sponsorship, support and encouragement many of
you have given as I have trained from being a non
runner to completing the Plymouth 10K (6.2
miles). 
My initial target was £250 and I managed to raise
£1600 for St Luke’s Hospice at Turnchapel. It
costs on average £1000 for them to care for a
patient at home which was where my Dad was
cared for so it feels great to have exceeded this
amount.
Following the race, St Luke’s spoke to me about
my reasons for running and created this short
video.
https://youtu.be/sw7ilK1fOV8
Once again, thank you.
Craig Miles




CHURCHWARDEN'S WARBLINGS

Beware: there may be rather more than usual!

Firstly, THANK YOU to all those who rapidly
responded to my request for assistance in
compiling our new inventory. I will ask Sarah to
attach a chart with the Sunday Sheet which we can
use as a basis for progress. The task will
commence on Monday 10 am, and as we know:
“Many hands make light work”.
Looking back on this week, I think we would all
agree that what touched us most was Rev’d
Michael Harman’s announcement last Sunday that
should things go awry with our Eucharist, it would
be because on Friday one of his sons was drowned
whilst diving on HMS Scylla in Whitsand Bay and
thus his mind was in a different place. In spite of
this unspeakable tragedy, he wanted to fulfil his
commitment and be of service rather than
remaining at home. I think he felt our heartfelt
support as we were able to talk openly with him
and his son Steve following the service. I have not
yet seen any reports in the news that the two
bodies have been recovered, which must be doubly
traumatic for Michael and his family. We will
continue to hold them in our prayers, I am sure.

HERITAGE AND DEVON HISTORIC
CHURCHES OPEN DAY: 11 TH SEPTEMBER
Tony has been working very hard to prepare for
this important annual event and Team Stoke
Damerel is looking forward to seeing many of you
tomorrow between 10am to 4 pm, especially at the
Tamaritans play 1941 RESURGAM at 7pm. Free
admission with collection plates in strategic
positions. This is a new play which last about an
hour, focusing on one family, on the night of 21 st
April 1941 in the midst of the Plymouth Blitz. It
tells the story of that night through the eyes of
Vera, an 18 year old girl, who together with her
mother, her aunt and a lodger, endures the six hour
bombing raid. The play, inspired by research and
verbatim accounts of the Blitz in Plymouth,
reflects the realities of wartime Plymouth for an
‘ordinary family’, highlighting the resilience of the
people.

Musical updates
The piano has been tuned this week. This happens
twice a year and our Bechstein was the first piano
John (of Grantham piano fame) upgraded many
years ago when it resided in the Midgeley
household in Penlee Gardens. He told me it was
over 100 years old and that should we ever have
any spare cash it could benefit from some
additional work. It will, however, never be a
“concert” boudoir grand and that a new Bechstein
would now cost in the region of £120,000!
Following the tuning, I was blamed by John for
losing a filling, as I gave him coffee and a Leibnitz
biscuit! No comment......

Our lovely Bechstein boudoir grand with Ivan
Babichev.
This week has seen the roof being raised by two
rousing choir practices: the Gilbert and Sullivan
fellowship and the South West Chamber Choir.
Next week, the Great Sea Choir will join them.

Forthcoming Musical Events
Sunday 10 October 3pm:
WAR CHILD classical concert with piano, guitar;
flute and clarinet. The soloists are all
internationally known. Proceeds going to children
in Palestine.
Organised by Jeanie Moore. See Wegottickets.com

Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 October
A Mayflower Garland 400 folk weekend:
This is being organised by Plymouth Folk Roots:
Martin Hazell and Marilyn Goldsbrough, joined by
Oly Skulsky and WREN music of Okehampton.
We successfully applied for a grant from
Mayflower 400 Sparks funding and planned this
event for last year but it was postponed due to
covid-19 lockdowns. The weekend commemorates
in music the Mayflower story, and celebrates the
90th birthday of the late Cyril Tawney, a nationally
known folk singer legend, ex navy. One of his
recordings features a song about a bell- ringing
competition, and since the event has a community
theme, our bell ringers have been asked to
compose a “touch” to be given a world premier at
11am on Sunday 10th October.

More about this to follow next week....!

Tip of the Day
Whilst emptying the bin in church, I mouthed
words of thanks to Fr Keith! At the bottom of the
bin, underneath the full black bag, were numerous
others: thus making it so much easier to install a
new one quickly. What a practical and useful idea.

Welcome back, Fr. Keith: we hope you had a
great holiday.
 

                                Marilyn Goldsbrough.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN SEPTEMBER
John Steere, Debbie Smith, Ian Gillhespy.

 

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 2021
Sept   25          Wedding of Tevor and Annabel
Oct     01          Wedding of Lewis and Nikki
Oct     03          Harvest Thanksgiving
Oct     05          PCC Meeting (Venue up for grabs)
Oct     09/10    Mayflower Garland Folk Festival
                            War Child Charity Concert
Oct     17            St Luke’s Hospice and Patronal 
                            Thanksgiving           
Oct      21           Trafalgar Day 
Nov    02            All Souls’ Day
Nov    07            Chamber Ensemble of London
                             Concert
Nov    14            Remembrance Sunday
Nov    19/20    Christmas Fair
Nov    27            Plymouth Gilbert & Sullivan Theatre
                            Productions Christmas concert
Nov    28           Plymouth World Aids Day Event
Nov     29          St Andrew’s Day Fundraising evening
                            celebration
Dec    12            Collati Concert at 1500
Dec    19            Service of Nine Lessons with Carols

BLISSFUL AUGUST (FOR CATS)
August was a funny month. The weather didn’t
seem to settle into what we should be able to
expect for the height of summer, but previous
experience tells us that this is often the case at that
time of the year. September may be cooler but can
be so much more reliable.
Plants that we expected to do well didn’t.
However, with so much rain the garden did look
very lush, although this has encouraged so many
self-seeded interlopers to try and take over the
garden plus the many slugs & snails!!
The only constant this year seems to be our
friendly neighbourhood cat.

Opening curtains of a morning often sees him
waiting on the front lawn to greet us, or curled up
on his favourite flowerpot at the back.

He appreciates it when we put the cushions out on
the two chairs, and will try both out for comfort



If we decide to sit in the sun, he may make use of
the table for a prolonged stroke.

When he first found out where we live and started
to visit us, we kept the patio doors and ground
floor windows only open to just less than the width
of a cat’s head to avoid him causing havoc inside.
However, that was not sensible when things got
very hot. We need not have worried. If he finds the
door wide open, he just boldly walks in, announces
his arrival with a couple of friendly miaows and
then tries out any inviting looking chairs inside
until he decides which is best. Then he settles
down into a blissful sleep, which can last for
hours.

Oh, to be a cat in August!

Tony Barnard

A prayer for the world
God of love and hope,
you made the world and care for all creation,
but the world feels strange right now.
The news is full of stories about Coronavirus.
Some people are worried that they might get ill.
Others are anxious for their family and friends.
Be with them and help them to find peace.
We pray for the doctors and nurses and scientists,
and all who are working to discover the right
medicines to help those who are ill.
Thank you that even in these anxious times,
you are with us.
Help us to put our trust in you and keep us safe.
Amen.