Dear Reader,

Three things before you listen to the sermon podcast above ;-)

* We’re starting from scratch with our church membership Electoral Roll. If you’d like to stay on, or join to express your commitment to St Mary’s, please send in this form - you only have so long to respond.

* I’m so sad to see Marston Beans Coffee Shop go. Even more sad for Rob and Rachel who poured time and money into making it not just a coffee shop, but a community. It can’t be sustained, and they’re heartbroken. Please join me saying a big thank you and give to my campaign for them today - click: givesendgo.com/marstonbeans

It would be wonderful if they experience God’s love through the generosity of our church community and friends. Keep them in your prayers too…

* I invite families who attend Sundays 9.30am to join our Holy Communion service for this Mothering Sunday at 10.30am which will be family-friendly.

Thank you and God bless,

Revd. Andrew+

1 Corinthians 10:1–13 NIV For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Luke 13:1–9 ESV

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’ ”

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