Churches May 2022

St. Helen’s Church is now open for worship again. We are very grateful to Ian Pagan for enabling us to use Longhorsley Mission for worship.

We are, of course, very pleased to be going home!

Everyone is welcome. The wearing of face covering and social distancing are discretionary.

PCC and Sub-Committee Meetings

All meetings to be held in St. Helen’s Meeting Room.

PCC Meeting

The next meeting of the PCC is 6th July at 6.30pm.

St Helen's Contact Details

Vicar: Audrey McCartan 708806

audreymccartan@btinternet.com

Website: www.achurchnearyou.com

Wardens: David Pringle 788283 (Treasurer)

Stephen Gibson 788711 (Secretary)

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Thought for the Month

Recently, for Easter, I was sent some vouchers for a local pub. It was a nice surprise to receive them. Unfortunately when they arrived, it didn’t have any information on who they were from. On Easter Sunday, a friend who came for lunch asked if I had received anything in the post recently that I wasn’t expecting. I said I had received some vouchers and it turned out they were off my friend, it was a lovely surprise.

During the Easter Season, we continually hear the Easter stories in which those involved were surprised by the Lord. We hear of the encounter between the women walking back from the tomb who encounter Jesus who greets them and tells them to tell the others to gather in Jerusalem. Mary Magdalen encounters Jesus in the garden and mistakes him for the gardener. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus have Jesus walk with them on their pilgrimage. Jesus surprises the disciples whilst out fishing as he calls to them from the beach.

There are many surprise encounters, and throughout our life, we will continue to have many encounters with people which will take us down many twists and turns and will help to build up the story of our life.

How often though, do we encounter Jesus in the most unexpected scenarios of our life? Do we ever think about our relationship with him? Do we ever grow in our love of him? We are called to find Jesus in the ordinary and every day tasks of life.

The great Spanish Mystic and Saint, Saint Teresa of Avila encouraged her sisters in the convent of the Incarnation in Avila to find God in the pots and the pans, in the every day tasks of life.

So often when we look for God we look too hard, when he is in the ordinary, everyday tasks of life. When I drive over to Longhorsley from Ashington, I am constantly surrounded by the beauty of his creation, but then when I arrive, I am surrounded by God’s beauty in the people that I meet and the faith that we share together.

In this season of Easter, allow yourself to be surprised by God, to really get to know him once again and to encounter his love. Easter is always a time of growth and new life, but it is never too late to find growth and new life in ourselves.

Father Shaun Purdy, St Thomas of Canterbury

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