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

Email:   info@stokedamerel.church                                          
www.Stokedamerel.church
www.facebook.com/StokeDamerelChurch

Please note: Stoke Damerel Church does not divulge
personal information to third parties.

Sunday 31st August    11th Sunday after Trinity

THIS WEEK'S READINGS 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:-
The sick:-
Maureen, John and Shirley, Margaret, Graham, John.
The long term sick and infirm:-
George, Peter, Diana, Liz, Keith, Rob, Clive.
The Ministry Team:-
Wendy, Ruth, Marilyn and Rhona.

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.

SERVICES THIS WEEK
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.

Watch our livestreamed services
Please follow the link to make your way to our YouTube page: 

 STOKE DAMEREL YOUTUBE CHANNEL 

Sunday 31 August            11th Sunday after Trinity
0800 Holy Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev’d Sue Nicholas
1000 Sung Parish Eucharist including Baptism
of Ella Faith Howden
Celebrant: Rev’d Sue Nicholas

Wednesday 3 September
1000 Morning Prayer

Sunday 7 September         12th Sunday after Trinity
0800 Holy Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev’d Mike Harman
1000 Sung Parish Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev’d Mike Harman

WELCOME TO ELLA AND HER FAMILY
On Sunday, we welcome Ella Faith Howden to be
baptised at the 10 o'clock service. Ella is just 16
weeks old and will be bringing along her big sister,
Freya, who was baptised by Father Keith 3 years
ago, her mum, Emma, dad, Mike, and other family
members, including her Godparents, Uncle Tom
and Aunty Lauren, who are already Freya's
Godparents.

RUTH'S REFLECTIONS
“And he (Jesus) said “Let anyone with ears to
hear, listen” Mark 4 v 9
Last Thursday I was able, as I do fortnightly, to
visit Devonport Views for a short service of
morning prayer. After coffee, I have the privilege
of sharing with them a service of morning prayer
which I know is very much appreciated and gives
me an opportunity to encourage them as they live
together in the Devonport Views Community. The
lectionary reading for Thursday was the Parable of
the Sower, a parable which may be very familiar to
you, and I would suggest you might like to refresh
your memories by reading it from Mark’s gospel.
The verse that was drawn to my attention was
verse 9. “Let anyone who has ears to hear, listen”.
We live in a world that seems to hear a lot but
maybe not actually listen. Perhaps that is one of
the reasons why Jesus told stories, to try and get
people’s attention. He wanted them to listen to
what he had to say. The telling of a farming story
would be using imagery that would be familiar and
so he got their attention.
For those of you who know the parables well, you
will realize that the verse I have highlighted comes
from the middle of the parable of the Sower. Jesus
has just outlined an illustration of what happens
when people do not fully listen or even try to
understand the message is that is being shared. He
ends with the seed being sown on good ground and
there is much fruit. There is a warning for those
who do not respond.The ground on which the seed
is sown is rocky, full of weeds and infertile and
there is no sustainable growth or fruit.
This passage in Mark 4 is very well known and is
often used as an example of how people respond to
the gospel. This parable talks about the ground or
if you like the place people are in so that they are
receptive to the message and is also used in the
mission context to explain that those who hear the
gospel and act upon it, are fruitful in the kingdom
of God and will be blessed.
But it seems to me that the whole understanding of
this parable is around that small verse, verse 9. It is
about listening to what Jesus is saying and acting
upon it. If it was just that easy why are churches
not full and everyone a church goer? People need
to choose to listen. They must be prepared to act
on what they hear and responding to what they
hear can be painful and challenging, especially
when people are asked to face themselves in the
light of Christ’s teaching.
Looking at the story we can note that whether it is
a path, rocky ground, thorny ground or even fertile
soil, the seed was the same. It was the same seed
for all contexts. The gospel message, or seed, has
been the same since the world began. From the
existence of God as revealed to Adam, to the
coming of Christ as described in the gospels and
even today when we share with others the “Good
News”. We are encouraged to put ourselves in the
story, not only what does it say but where am I in
the narrative? Does this affect what I think, and
does it mean I have to listen harder?
Ruth

MARILYN'S MEMOS

HELP REQUIRED ON 13TH SEPTEMBER
HERITAGE/DEVON HISTORIC CHURCHES OPEN DAY
There are still some empty slots on Saturday 13th
September for our National Open Days. We need
help manning the church and backing up Tony’s
historical expertise!
We would be very appreciative of CAKES FOR
A CAKE SALE, to go alongside Ann’s PLANT
STALL. We will be offering coffee and cakes for
sale.
We also need helpers for the front garden of the
church as the ivy is very invasive and causes
damage to old graves and walls.






MORNING PRAYER WEDNESDAY 10 SEPTEMBER
Wendy and I will be at Walsingham for the week,
so with regret there will be no morning prayer.
Marilyn

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN AUGUST
Jack Price, Penny Barnard, Maureen Wilson,
Catherine Gillhespy, Emma Bell, Ann Pitt.

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

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sep 13 Heritage Open Day        10am – 3pm
Oct 5 Harvest Thanksgiving and lunch
Oct 19 St. Luke’s Service            10am
Nov 9 Remembrance Sunday 10.30 Eucharist
Nov 21 Christmas Fair                11am - 3pm
Nov 22 Christmas Fair                11am - 3pm
Nov 28 St Andrew’s Night Supper 6.30pm
Nov 30 World Aids Day Celebration 12.00pm

These dates are just some of the special occasions
coming up in the next few months. There will also
be various concerts, details to follow.

MANY COLOURFUL FLYING VISITORS TO THE GARDEN
It has been a somewhat peculiar summer, with
numerous variations in weather conditions and
about five official heatwaves so far. Prolonged dry
conditions have led to some trees and plants
shedding their leaves already, giving the
appearance of an early autumn. The springs, which
are reputed to flow under the back gardens around
here, seem to be keeping everything behind our
property lusciously green. The area of grass is still
bright green all over, whereas the similarly sized
patch at the front is now mostly brown in
appearance. Temperatures are still generally high
though, and sleeping at night can be difficult at
times.
It has been pleasing this year to see increased
numbers of insects in the garden. Various types of
Cabbage White butterflies always visit each year,
generally to lay their eggs on our Brassicas!
There have been many more this year. However,
they rarely settle long enough for me to get a
decent photograph. We do have a Buddleia bush,
the flowers of which are loved by Red Admirals.
Thankfully, we have seen an increase in numbers
of this colourful butterfly as well, although I have
yet to see any on the Buddleia. So, for now I must
make do with the Peacock butterfly which settled
there whilst the plant was in the shade.

Elsewhere in the garden I managed to photograph
a Speckled Wood on a sunny leaf, with wings
folded up.

On some days, especially when the sun shines, all
the butterflies seem to be everywhere, and some do
settle long enough to be photographed. The
Gatekeeper shown below was caught enjoying a
long drink of nectar from one of our flowering
bushes.

There are often many different butterflies to be
seen flying around the garden, and some seem to
be pairing up before egg laying.
Luck was with me one warm morning when I
eventually managed to get up close to photograph
a Red Admiral which was sunning itself on the
grass, wings spread wide open, enjoying the
warmth for quite some time before eventually
flying off again.

On another morning earlier this week I was
fortunate to see a bright red sunrise in the east,
but it was only short lived, and I did not manage
to get a photograph. Not long after there was a
very low rainbow in the west. It had not rained,
admittedly there was some cloud around, but the
weather looked fine.

However, within a few minutes, a short but
torrential downpour soaked the garden. That
should help the many tomatoes to plump up.
Tony Barnard