Dear all,
*“As a deer longs for flowing streams,*
*so my soul longs for you, O God.” Psalm 42:1*
Have you ever longed for God? Not longed for God to act or longed for God to answer prayer or longed for God to guide you - but just longed for God? For God’s presence, for the refreshment, renewal and life-giving power of God’s existence? Our Psalm Sermon Series moves on to look at this longing this week as we encounter Psalm 42. It is a psalm written from a place of distance from God, a place of isolation, loneliness and hardship yet it doesn’t ask for God to change the circumstances for the psalmist it just calls out again and again for God’s presence. For the distance to be removed, for God’s companionship to be felt, once again. I wonder how often we yearn for God? How often our prayers are centred around simply wanting to spend time with God? Or are we more focussed on the asking? The intercessions? The petitions? The discipline and practice of creating space in our lives for simply being with God – not with an agenda – not even with a purpose (albeit that making the space is in itself purposeful) – but recognising the importance of developing a thirst for God – is a challenging one, but crucial.
Those of you who regularly exercise for the benefit of your physical bodies would no doubt say that the more we exercise the more we miss exercise when we cannot do it for some reason. Exercise breeds a desire for exercise. Making time to be with God breeds a desire for more time to simply *be* with God.
The silent sitting time is not for everyone – our personality types influence how we engage with our faith. It might be that for you that sitting in a comfy chair in silent contemplation is the most refreshing or it might be time listening to worship music, or walking in the countryside is more helpful. But it needs to be time invested. When we are wholly focussed on making it *God time.* Not slipping it in whilst we do another activity or while our mind is somewhere else, but time set aside to come into God’s presence for no other purpose than to simply *be* with God.
Because I invite you to ponder on the name of God in Exodus 3:14 “I am who I am”. God said to Moses in that encounter “…say to the Israelites: “I AM has sent me to you””. God is the verb to be. God is life, the source of life and God’s name is TO BE.
For many of us with busy lives and many calls on our time our longing is often for rest and a chance to step off the treadmill. Well, I would argue, that this longing for rest is in fact a longing to simply be – without the need to *do – *and the longing to simply *be* is a longing for the source of simply *being*. The great I AM.
I pray that this week you find some time to *be* with God and that it awakes in you a thirst for more of that time and more of God.
*News and Upcoming Events*
**Saturday 13th July* - 10am - Safeguarding Training *If you are planning on attending please let Ruth know so that the morning can be tailored to training needs. Please note that if you have a named volunteer role at St Philip’s Church Safeguarding Training in mandatory, so if you are struggling to make time to do the training on your own this is a perfect opportunity!
*Saturday 13th July – St Philip’s Families Ice-Cream Party *Those of you who have young children at St Philip’s I hope will have received your invitations to the Vicarage to gorge on ice-cream. We look forward to seeing you there as long as there is no rain!
*Sunday 14th July – Edge Summer Party* 5pm at the Vicarage for our end of year party (and pre-football warm up event?!)
*Sunday 14th July - St Philip’s will be providing a welcome tea for the first Cambridge International Summer Outreach team* Thank you for all those who have offered to provide food for this so that we can help the welcome to volunteers be a positive one.
*Sunday 21st July – 2.30-6pm – A Family Pilgrimage Afternoon at Little Gidding *Described as an afternoon of fun, faith, fresh air and food this is an opportunity to explore God’s world as a family. There will be storytelling, worship, walking and prayer stations. Please bring some picnic food to share for tea. For more information contact Rev Fiona revfiona@norleigh.org.uk (children must be accompanied by a parent or carer.)
*Toilet Refurbishment* these are progressing – thanks for bearing with us as various toilets have been out of action.
*Opportunities*
*We are looking to recruit a Music Missioner to join the team at St Philip’s – *someone who will lead us in worship and coordinate our missional outreach using their musical gifts. You can find the advert and Role Description on our website: Home - St Philip's Cambridge (stphilipschurch.org.uk) https://www.stphilipschurch.org.uk/ Please do spread the word and pray God brings us the right person to join our church family.
*Eco-Bite – our new green “nugget” each week: *
The City of Ely and Ely Cathedral are hosting a *Green Fair* Saturday 27th July 10am-4pm. This is the third annual Green Fair showcasing eco-friendly stalls selling home-made, locally produced artisan products, plus vegan specialities, local beers and ciders. You can also discover more about local environmental groups and how you can support them and enjoy live entertainment and demonstrations – all for free! Find out more at https://www.elycathedral.org/events/green-fair
*Last Week’s sermon*
Last week’s sermon: sermon 7.7.24.mp3 http://sermons.stphilipschurch.org.uk/2024-07-07%20-%20Mark%20Rodel%20-%20c.mp3
The link to our sermon archive: St Philip's sermon archive http://sermons.stphilipschurch.org.uk/
*This Sunday 14th July*
*10.30am – Holy Communion with Explorers *We look to Psalm 42 this week and Lucy Sixsmith will be leading us deeper into our understanding of this well-known and evocative psalm. We will also be looking at John 4:3-26 and its connected themes.
If you can't attend church in person you can always use this Zoom link:
meeting ID: 976 3739 9129 and Passcode: 330714
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/97637399129?pwd=TGhKWWxOcWF1S242aVhrWDlJdUkxZz09
*Prayers *
If any of you have specific prayers you would like us to include in this newsletter do please get in touch.
*Appointment of a new Bishop of Ely *the panel was interviewing Thursday and Friday this week. Please pray for wisdom and agreement for all involved in choosing who our next Bishop will be.
*Revd Anne Maclaurin *it is Anne’s last Sunday as Vicar of St Barnabas this Sunday, please pray for her as she moves into this next season of life and ministry, that God will continue to guide her and show her where she is called to serve. And please also pray for St Barnabas as they enter into Vacancy and seek a new Vicar, that they may find strength, inspiration and new found faith as they pull together through the interim period.
*The family of Cynthia Constable who sadly died last week. *Please continue to pray for Cynthia’s family especially as they prepare for her funeral which will be at Cambridge City Crematorium on Tuesday 16th July at 12 noon.
*Lucy Sixsmith *will be stepping down from her role as Parish Assistant at the end of July. We will be so sad to see her leave St Philip’s but please pray for her in this next season of life and please also pray for us as a church as we seek to reappoint someone to the role. If you would like to contribute to a leaving/thank you present for Lucy please get in touch with Ruth.
*Please also pray for our Mission Partner this month:*
*Wycliffe Bible Translators* – Wycliffe’s vision is for a world where everyone can know Jesus through the Bible. And their mission to achieve that vision is to serve local partners worldwide as they bring God’s word to their communities in the language which speaks to them best.
*Regular Weekly Services/Prayers to join:*
*Wednesday 12noon Reflective Holy Communion* A quiet time to help find space and peace in the middle of the week.
*Monday & Friday 8.30pm – Compline on zoom *
Meeting ID: 836 5965 9953 Passcode: 749968 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83659659953?pwd=btP5AjGMu1s-dE_2W9T0MMFqnnPKSS.1
*Wednesdays 7.00-7.30pm - Weekly Prayers on zoom*: -
Meeting ID: 852 1105 2733 Password: 397987
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85211052733?pwd=OE52bm9NS1RtQVQ0ZytTc0xBZnVsUT09
*Saturdays 8.15am - Morning Bible Discussion and Prayer on zoom*:
Meeting ID: 143 338 655 Password: 824271
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/143338655?pwd=L1JJTFZJNU9EaFZjaUFjQzVlalpMZz09
With love and prayers
Ruth
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Blessings Ruth
*Revd Ruth Barry* *Vicar, St Philip's Church, Cambridge*
185 Mill Road, Cambridge, CB1 3AN 01223 318315 vicar@stphilipschurch.org.uk *My day off is Tuesday*