elham valley group Newsletter

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The Collect: 

Eternal Father, whose   Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven that he might rule over all   things as Lord and King: keep the Church in the unity of the Spirit and in   the bond of peace,

and bring the whole   created order to worship at his feet; who is alive and reigns with you, in   the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Post Communion Prayer:
Stir up, O Lord, the wills of your faithful people; that they,   plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by you be plenteously   rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6
Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the   sheep of my pasture! Says the Lord. 2 Therefore,   thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who   shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven   them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for   your evil doings, says the Lord. 3 Then I   myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have   driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be   fruitful and multiply. 4 I will raise up   shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any   longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord. 5 The   days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a   righteous Branch, and he
 shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and   righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah   will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which   he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

Gospel Reading: Luke   23:33-43
When they came to the place that is called The   Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right   and one on his left. 34 Then Jesus said, ‘Father,   forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast   lots to divide his clothing. 35 And the people   stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others;   let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ 36 The   soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37 and   saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ 38 There   was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’ 39 One   of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you   not the Messiah?  Save yourself and   us!’ 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do   you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of   condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been   condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this   man has done nothing wrong.’ 42 Then he said,   ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ 43 He   replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’ 

Please   Pray for Robin   Mackonochie, Mark,   Tom Hutchings, Millie Collins, Jill Fitch, Poppy Allard, John   Meers, Michael   Kirk, Alice Mills, Martyn Bowles, Claire   Laker.
Please   contact the Benefice Administrator Alison Dale 07985025381 or beneficeadmin@elhamvalleygroupofchurches.co.uk to add people to the prayers.
Please pray for the departed,   Roger Hargreaves & Vera Law, and   those for whom an anniversary of death falls at this time, Matthew Nixon, John Armstrong,   Eveline Smith, Sam Perkins, Wally   Palmer and Ann Ames.

To arrange for Funerals, Thanksgivings, Blessings, Renewal of   Vows and all other services please contact the Rector – revcarolbates@gmail.com 0777 239 4855
For Baptisms and Weddings please contact the   Benefice Administrator -beneficeadmin@elhamvalleygroupofchurches.co.uk 07985025381

Parish Notices: 

Baptisms: 

Jodie & Teddy Farmer – 23rd Nov. – Wootton

Burial:

Derek Newman – 5thDec. 1pm – Lyminge

Wedding:

Joanna Haeger & Alexander Feaver – 6th Dec. 12pm - Elham

 By Gary Colvin

Our weekly shopping trip to Lidl in Hawkinge is a simple errand—until you drive there from Lyminge. The route winds through Etchinghill and along Teddars Leas Road, a narrow country lane where only one car can pass at a time. Almost every journey involves pulling into a passing place to let someone by.

When that happens, my wife and I always watch to see what kind of acknowledgment we’ll get. Most drivers are gracious—some flash their lights enthusiastically or wave with gusto. Others offer a simple hand lift, or the laziest of gestures: a barely raised finger from the steering wheel. But every so often, someone zooms past without even a glance of thanks.

That lack of gratitude always stings. After all, it feels good to be appreciated, especially when we’ve gone out of our way for someone. It reminds me of a passage from the Gospel of Luke. Ten lepers were healed by Jesus—but only one, a foreigner and a Samaritan, returned to give thanks and praise to God.

Gratitude, it seems, is rarer than we think. Yet giving thanks—to God, to others—should be as natural as breathing. It’s an expression of humility and recognition that we’re not self-sufficient.

When Jesus met those ten lepers on the border of Samaria and Galilee, they cried out, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” They didn’t demand healing; they asked for mercy. Their plea wasn’t just for restored bodies but for restored dignity and belonging.

I once met a small community of lepers in Nepal, cared for by a Christian charity. Their compassion reminded me that mercy still lives in quiet places. Perhaps next time we are helped by someone, or a driver stopping on a narrow lane—we might remember to show the same grace, and to simply say, “Thank you.”