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Christian theology is centred on thethree-ness of the one true God’s innerbeing. The Holy Trinity – which wecontemplateonthisTrinitySunday–isamystery upon which and in which weare invitedtodwell,nottosolveas ifitwereapuzzle.Anditishard.Butwhenwedostoptoreflect,onethingwecannotice is the fruitfulness andexpansiveness of ‘three-ness’ whencompared to the closed possessivenessof ‘two-ness’ – and if God is Three inOne, then that might explain the factthatwhatweexperienceofGodhasthequality of expansiveness andcreativeness:thebeautyofhiscreationand the love that flows from him. Weneed to lose ourselves in wonder andcontemplation in the face of thismysteryofGod’snature–which iswhyit is important to worship and pray aswethinkaboutGod.
Incidentally,theBrexitnegotiationsareabouttostart.I’mstruckbythefactthattherearetwopossibilities:(a)thatwemaygetcaughtupinadyadicconversationwiththeEU(“We/youwant…”,“We/youdon’twant…”)–or(b)thatsomethingmoregenerativeandcreativemightbepossibleifthetwopartieskeepinmindandviewa‘third’place,‘whattheworldorthefutureneeds’andwhatwemightchooseinserviceofthat.Ifweadoptthissecondapproach,awholerangeofcreativepossibilitiesopensupasthetwo‘sides’engagethethirdpositionandcreatesolutionsthatareinserviceofaworldbeyond.Creativityflowingoutwards,notjustbetween…ThatmightgivethetoneBrexitnegotiationsmoreofagodlyqualitythanIfeartheymayotherwisehave! FrAlanGyle
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SERV ICES TH IS WEEK : TRINITYSUNDAY11June2017FamilyMassat09:00SungEucharistat11:00MissaVidispeciosam–VictoriaOLord,grantgrace–GibbonsLiberanos–SheppardPreacher:FrLouisDarrantBarnabas,Apostle:12JuneMorningPrayerat09:00Massat18:00Feria:13JuneMassat08:00Feria:14JuneMorningPrayerat09:00WednesdayEveningServiceat18:45Feria:15JuneMorningPrayerat09:00Massat18:00Richard,bishop:16JuneMorningPrayerat09:00Massat18:00VotiveoftheBVM:17JuneMorningPrayerat09:00MassatnoonCORPUSCHRISTISUNDAY18June2017FamilyMassat09:00SungEucharistat11:00GallowayMass-MacmillanWelcomesweetandsacredfeast–FinziOsalutarishostia(Fmajor)–Elgar
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Here is a reflective theological exercise forSundayafternoon.Taketimetostillyourself.Breathe.Imagineyourselffacedwithsomeonedifferentfromyou, someone withwhom you disagree orwhoselifestyleisunlikeyourown.Canyouthink of someone? It should be a realperson – but it could be a colleague, afriend or a family member. Ask yourself:whatdoyouthink?Whatdoyoufeel?Howwill the conversation - which mustinevitablybegin-start?Whatwillyousay?Whatwillyoufeelasyouspeak?
Dyadic conversations (which is to sayconversations between two positions)inevitably have a similar feel. “Iwant..”, “Ithink…”,“Idon’twant…”,“Youare..”.Theyping back and forth like a game of tabletennis – and as they become moreenergetictheworldaroundfeelslikeitfallsaway.Webecomethemorefocusedontheother.We become blinkered.We want towin, or conquer, or to possess, or bepossessed.
Nowimagineyoustandingbesidethesameperson who is different from you. In thedistance is a third point. That pointrepresents somewhere beyond the two ofyou. You stand looking together at thatpoint. What is the nature of theconversationnow?Howdoesitfeel?Whatare thequestionsyoufindyourselfasking?Perhaps “What can we…?”, “I wonderwhat…?”, “What is needed by…?”. Noticethat the conversation in this place with athirdpositionpresent ismore informedbycuriosity, more expansive, more engaging,moreco-creative.
That is the difference between the dyadicandthetriadic–callitthepowerofthree.
Thepowerofthree
The Weekly Sheet Week beg inning Sunday 11 June 2017:
Tr inity Sunday
St Paul’s Knightsbridge The Parish Office 32a Wilton Place
London SW1X 8SH Phone 020 7201 9999 E-mail [email protected]
The Vic ar Fr Alan Gyle
020 7201 9999 07939 805970
The Associate Vicar
Fr Louis Darrant 020 7201 9992 07779 103826
ModeratortopreachWearehonouredtobeabletowelcometheModeratoroftheGeneralAssemblyoftheChurchofScotland,theRtRevd.DrDerekBrowning,asourpreacherat11amonSunday18thJune.DrBrowningistheMinisterofMorningsideinEdinburgh,butforthisyearistheSeniorclergymanoftheChurchofScotland.HeisafinepreacherandIgreatlylookforwardtowelcomingmyoldfriendtoStPaul’snextSunday.Pleasecomeandmeethim.FrAlan
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SalisburyCathedral&NorthWales
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Final preparations are beingmade for the day trip toSalisbury Cathedral inWiltshireon24thJune2017.There will be a historicaltour, a Eucharist, lunch andtime for you to explore atleisure. We will be meetingatWaterlooStationat08:30in anticipation of the 08:50
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July’s Explorations gatheringis an opportunity toexperience the ancientpracticeofthe labyrinth. It isapathknowntohaveexistedforover4000years.The twists and turns on thelabyrinth path mirror thetwists and turns in our lives.Followingthispathofferstherestless mins an opportunityto be inwardly observant, to
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train.Wesuggestyoubuyan open return. There is aFestal Evensong at 17:30forthosewhowishtostay.Further details from FrLouis.
We are now fully bookedfortheParishPilgrimagetothe Llŷn Peninsula in
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Snowdonia, North Walesfrom Thursday 7th toSunday 10th September2017, but we have openedup a waiting list shouldfurther places becomeavailable. To register yourinterest please go to ourwebsiteatwww.spkb.org
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Wepraythisweekfor:Peter,deputybishopandallwholeadtheChurchinthisdiocese;forsocialworkersandallintheircare;forHMGovernmentandnewlyelectedMembersofParliament;forallengagedintheBrexitnegotiations;forcooperationanddialoguebetweenJews,ChristiansandMuslims.
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Amongthesickandthoseinneed:PatriciaDopheide;JohnWatson;DanGadow;JohnRoberts;FrancisFaber;NickWalker;ElizabethHeim;SueKo;IanPowe;BrendaYoung;JoyTaylor.
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And we pray for therecentlydeparted:AlexandraHolesh;MaryAnnBrashler;JulianBlack;LiamDickerson;MartynHett.Year’smind:MimiHashemi 13/6PatriciaJohnson 16/5
Walkingthelabyrinth–thenextExplorationsmeeting
VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INF ORMATION
www.spkb .o rg
AND RE GISTER FOR OUR WEEKLY EMAIL
WelcomingBishopCarlos&friends
We report with sadness of the recent death in the ChelseaandWestminster of AlexandraHolesh. Her funeralwill takeplace in St Paul’s at 11am this Friday (16th June). We praythatherearthlystrugglesnowover,shemayrestinpeace.
Pleaseprayfor…
Themethodinvolvestherepetitionofasinglewordfaithfullyandlovinglyduringthetimeofmeditation.ThisisaveryancientChristianwayofprayerthatwasrecoveredformodernChristiansbytheBenedictinemonkJohnMain(1926-1982).JohnMainrecoveredthiswayofbringingthemindtorestintheheartthroughhisstudyoftheteachingsofthefirstChristianmonks,theDesertFathers,andofJohnCassian(4thcenturyAD).ItisinthesametraditionasTheCloudofUnknowing,writteninEnglandinthe14thcentury.JohnMain'slegacyinspiredtheformationoftheWorldCommunityforChristianMeditation(WCCM),contemplativedimensiontothecommonlifeofChristiansandengaginginthecommongroundsharedwiththesecularworldandotherreligions.PleasespeaktoFrLouisifyouwouldliketoknowmoreaboutpractisingthisformofprayer.
ChristianMeditation
FindlaySpenceJoinusontheeveningofthe22ndJuneat7:30pminStPaul’sforarecitalbyFindlaySpenceourcelloandcompositionscholar,accompaniedbyJohnSunderlandandMichaelPapadopoulos.ProgrammetoincludetheBeethovenpianoandcellosonatano3inAmajorandworksbyLiszt,Elgar,Chopin,Dvorak,SaintSaensandBrahms.Thisisafreeconcert-noticketsarerequired-althoughdonationswillbewelcometoassistwiththepurchaseofanewcelloforFindlay.Moreinformationtofollow,butpleaseputthedateinyourdiariesnow.
OnTuesday6thJulywelookforwardtowelcomingBishopCarlosand20pilgrimsfromtheDioceseofLebomboinMozambiquetoStPaul’sforEveningPrayerandsupper.Pleasesavethedate.Moreinformationwillbesharedshortly.
AlexandraShuraHoleshRIP
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payattentiontofeelings,toexplore challenges and beopen to fresh insights andideas.Walking prayerfully is verymuch part of the Christiantradition and is known tohave been embraced byChristians since the fourthcentury.We will meet in Hyde Park
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on Saturday 8th July at10:00am.PleasespeaktoFrLouis if you are [email protected]
