Dear Friends,

One of my favourite films is High Society. Some people think the version called the Philadelphia Story is better—but does it have Grace Kelly and Louis Armstrong in it, with songs by Cole Porter? It does not. In the film High Society, Grace Kelly plays a glamorous, witty, proud and quite unforgiving woman. And her father midway through the film says, “You have a good mind, Tracy… You have everything it takes… except the one essential: an understanding heart. Without it, you might just as well be made of bronze.”

An understanding and generous heart. It’s always a lovely description of someone, that they have a big heart.

The disciple Mary, sister of Lazarus, does have a generous heart. In John 12, Mary “took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair”. Some say Mary Lazarus’ sister and Mary Magdalene after whom this church is named, are two different people, but Jesus seems to disagree. He says to the disciples after Mary anoints his feet: “Leave her alone, so that she might keep it (the rest of the perfume) for the day of my burial.” And the next time in John’s Gospel we see someone called Mary going to Jesus’ tomb to anoint his body, it’s Mary Magdalene. So Mary Magdalane, and Mary Lazarus’ sister, might not have been the same person, but John writing the gospel certainly seems to think they are.

And it fits with what we know of Mary Magdalene, Mary and her generous heart. Mary shows us how to live the life of a generous-hearted disciple. She is generous with her personal possessions yes, and generous with her time, attention, her talents, even her reputation.

Mary recognised that as God is generous to us, so we should be generous to others. And her act of generosity points to what is the fundamental truth of living the life of a generous-hearted disciple—it all springs from her relationship with Christ. It is that relationship that inspires and guides the generosity—and her generosity is in response to it. The more we are open to seeing and feeling God’s love for us, the more we love in return.

It is a different way of looking at the world and our life. Many people think, What should I do with what I have earned? A better way of looking at things is to ask oneself: What should I do with what God has given me? And a way to put this is to ask, What does God want me to do and give from what God has provided me? What does God want me to do and give from what God has provided me?

As the Quakers so beautifully put it, “Attend to what love requires of you.”

Have an understanding heart. Live a generous life, and remember where our generosity comes from, it comes from God. As I sit here in Mary Magdalene’s Church, may we hold her up as an example and live generous lives with what we have been given. Amen.

With love and my prayers,
Michael
(From Michael’s Vlog for September.)

Sunday and weekday Services

Our weekly service times are:
Sunday 10:00am Eucharist
Tuesday 10:00am Morning Prayer (BCP)
Thursday 10:30am Holy Communion (BCP)

Additional, Regular Services beginning in September (please note the change of days):
2nd Sunday of the month 6:30pm Choral Evensong
4th Sunday of the month 6:30pm Evening Praise – an informal service
We also provide a livestream of our Sunday Morning Eucharist Service. The link for the livestream page is
https://stmarymagdalene.church/livestream-service/

Change of date on the social calendar for the coming year

Tea Dance
was on 17th November, but due to a hall booking it has been moved to 9th November.

Community Café & Informal Singing

Continues from Tuesday 17th September.

Rekindling, Tuesdays from 3:30-4:30pm

We will be meeting at Mo & Malcom’s until 10th September. From 17th we will be following on from the Community Café in the Vestry/Hall as before.

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:109

Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at Mark’s Gospel together. When we come together, we’ll look at the chapter, sharing any thoughts and insights that the Holy Spirit gives.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
2 Timothy 3:16

Let us join together in the adventure of reading God’s Word.

Donate

Would you like to donate towards the work of St Mary Magdalene? If so, this QR code will take you to our donations page where you can choose the amount you wish to donate. Or simply click on this link: https://stmarymagdalene.church/product/open-donation/

Charity Dinner

Saturday 14th September at 7:00pm £20

Opening the Church on Saturdays

Our church is a valuable resource for people in our community to take some time out of their daily lives to reflect and connect with God. Not everyone is available on Sunday mornings and some just want a few minutes to pause and be still. We are hoping to make our church available for private prayer on Saturdays and are looking for volunteers who can give a couple of hours of their time. A minimum of two people will need to be always present. Names will be added to a rota, so the more people who are available to help us, the less often you will be called upon. If you are able to help with this, please see Alison Reeve.

Oktoberfest is back!

Following the success of last year’s Oktoberfest, it’s been decided we should do it all again on 5th October. This coincides with the last weekend of the real thing in Munich.

If you would like to come then please let me, Judy, know as soon as possible.

Don’t miss out on the fun!!!

Judy

Pilgrimage to Greece 2025

In the past it was always our custom to go to Launde Abbey one year and a pilgrimage elsewhere the next. Instead of going to Launde Abbey again, we are considering a pilgrimage to Greece for 2025 which includes St Paul’s time in Greece as well as some sightseeing of the ancient wonders of Greece including Athens and Delphi. Because this is likely to be expensive, about £3,000, we have deferred this to 2025 to give time to save, there is a monthly savings scheme now available. I have already had expressions of interest from about 12 people and, if you think you would like to come, please speak to Michael Smith for more details.

If you have not been on a pilgrimage with us before they are great fun, and serious too, help us all to get to know each other better and make us the family we are. Do give it a thought.
A PDF of the Pilgrimage schedule is available on our website here.

Michael Smith

Ladychapel Memorial book

Every week we remember the anniversaries of death for different people. Their names are taken from two Memorial Books we keep. One for those whose ashes are interred in the Memorial Garden and a second, in the Lady Chapel, for people we wish to be remembered on a certain date (usually their death).

If you would like the name of someone to be remembered in the Ladychapel Memorial Book please speak to Maureen Rew, the cost is £25.

Not one, not two, but eighteen nineteen twenty and growing!

Something to dip in and out of or play while ironing or relaxing! Instead of a single video, this week we have a playlist on our YouTube channel containing twenty videos with lyrics. Four have been shared in the emails before, a few of the others at Rekindling, while others you may have heard elsewhere. Hopefully there will be one, two, or more(!) that strike a chord with you, the words, the tune, or a combination of the two. There’s a variety of styles included so perhaps one day something upbeat works, another something quieter, more reflective resonates with you. Any feedback is welcome.

All have great words that I encourage you to be active participants in rather than passive bystanders. Here’s a link to the playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOS511gUMPpV2F1Lk-vDW5x9_UE_t_bVG

Dates for your diary

September
Sun 13th 6:30pm Choral Evensong
Wed 11th 11:30am Coffee & Cake followed by Lunchtime Concert
Sat 14th 7:00pm Charity Dinner
Tues 17th 1:30pm Community Café
Tues 17th 3:30pm Rekindling
Wed 18th 7:30pm PCC Meeting
Sun 22nd 6:30pm Evening Praise!

October
Sat 5th 7:00pm Oktoberfest
Wed 9th 11:30am Coffee & Cake followed by Lunchtime Concert
Sun 13th 10:00am Harvest Festival
Sun 6th 6:30pm Choral Evensong
Sat 19th 3:00pm Parish Concert
Sun 27th 6:30pm Evening Praise!

This magazine appears online only, with only a few copies available for archival purposes.