When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

(Luke 14:15)

This week, the sections of the email are:

• Opening reflection: You’re Invited!
• Key notices: The Bible Course, Charity Support
• Coming Up: Prayer Breakfast, Men’s Night, Heritage Open Days, The Birth of St. George’s
• Local Church news: ACTS newsletter, Course on Psalms, Thanet Prayer Diary
• Interesting Blogs: Dear Kemi, Does ChatGPT have the answer
• Prayer Requests
• Weekly Calendar
• Online Forms

Scroll on…

Opening Reflection

When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 14:15)

What would you love to be invited to? A banquet at Buckingham Palace? The after party for a Taylor Swift concert? A chimpanzee tea party at your local zoo? What invitation would you feel is too good to miss?

The man quoted above was at a dinner party with Jesus. In response to Jesus’ mention of the resurrection he declares how good it will be to be part of God’s heavenly banquet. In other words how good to share in the joyful celebration of eternal life that God offers. Jesus responds with a parable about people who refuse at the last minute to attend a host’s party with flimsy excuses. The host is furious and invites others to the party and vows that the original invitees will miss out on the feast.

The point Jesus is making to the man is this: You say it will be a blessing to be at the feast of the Kingdom of God, but I am here now telling you that the Kingdom of God is near, the feast is ready. If you refuse to accept my invitation you will miss out. This is a challenge and warning to everyone who likes the idea of being invited to God’s heavenly banquet, but focus instead on the less important matters of possessions, work and personal relationships.

September is a time of new starts for many. Children are starting a new school year and many of us are gearing up again after a summer break. It is a good time to consider again Jesus’ invitation. For some that may mean starting to attend church, perhaps for the first time or perhaps having fallen out of the habit of attending in recent years. For others it may mean committing to a deeper pursuit of growth in faith, maybe by joining the Bible Course. Whichever it is be assured you are invited and we would love to welcome you.

Paul Worledge

Key Notices:

The Bible Course – Starting this week!

The Bible Course is an opportunity to see the big picture of the Bible and understand how it all fits together. There are eight sessions in which we will watch videos explaining how the Bible fits together and its relevance today. There will also be opportunities for discussion in small groups and guidance on reading the Bible for yourself. You can join us either on Monday nights, 7:30-9:00pm in St. Luke’s Hall or Thursday’s 11:30am-1pm in St. Luke’s church. We will be giving out course books, for which there is a suggested no obligation donation of £10. If you cannot make every session you can catch up on what you miss online. No need to book, just turn up and give it a try.

Charity Support

At our last PCC meeting, we decided rather than paying from church funds into a few chosen charities, we would seek to promote the charities at special services through the year and encourage people to donate generously at those times.

In order to start this, we want people to suggest charities to support. We will choose three charities: one with an international focus, one with a national focus and one with a local focus. Ideally, the charities should be Christian. Please send suggestions for charities to support to Sue Martin in the next week, so that the PCC can consider which three to choose.

the summer to complete these courses and help us ensure we are a safe church for all?

Coming Up:

Churches Together Prayer Breakfast – Saturday -9-10am

Join other churches for breakfast and prayer at St. Laurence Church this Saturday.

Men’s Night – Wednesday 10^th September, 6pm

Petanque Evening at Charlotte Court. £5, but includes sandwiches. Please let Bruce Stokes know if you are going (07708 682464, bruce.stokes@btinternet.com)

Heritage Open Days – Saturday 13^th and 20^th

St. George’s will be open on Saturday 13^th and 20^th for the Heritage Open Days for Tower and Crypt Tours, and also on 13^th September as part of the Festival of Sound and with a Yard Sale.

The Birth of St. George’s – Saturday 4^th October, 3pm

An illustrated talk by Margaret Bolton looking at how Ramsgate developed up to the Regency period and what prompted people to build a church. Why did they call it St George’s? Where did the money come from? Why was it designed to look as it did? Who worked on the project? How has it changed since?

Tickets are £5 on the door or in advance from the website. All proceeds to the St. George’s Restoration Fund. Fliers available at the back of church.

Local Church News:

ACTS newsletter:

Find out the latest from the local Christian schools work charity: Page 1  — Page 2

Course on the Psalms:

Robin Plant is running a course on the Psalms called, ‘Thirsting for God’ at Newington Free church on Tuesday evenings. The first session is this Tuesday 9^th September at 7:30pm. Find out more.

Thanet Prayer Diary

Please check out the latest Thanet Prayer Diary for September and October. Copies available at the back of church or via this link.

Interesting Blogs to Share:

Dear Kemi…

In this article Graham Tomlin responds to Kemi Badenoch over the summer where she explained that she gave up on faith because of the unanswered prayers of Elizabeth Fritzl, who suffered at the hands of Josef Fritzl for years. Read more… (5 mins)

 

Does ChatGPT have the answer?

This article asked ChatGPT about what people today ultimately desire. The answer was surprising… Read more (5 mins)

Weekly Calendar

Sunday 7^th August – Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

Eucharist – (St George’s, 9:30am), Reading: Luke 14:15-24

Monday 8^th   

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

The Bible Course (St. Luke’s Hall) – 7:30-9:00pm

Tuesday 9^th      

Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Community Meal (St. George’s Hall) – 5:30-7:00pm

Wednesday 10th      

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Men’s Group (Charlotte Court) – 6:00pm

Thursday 11th       

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

The Bible Course (St. Luke’s Church) – 11:30am-1:00pm

Saturday 13^th    

Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Sunday 14^th – Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity

Eucharist – (St George’s, 9:30am), Reading: Luke 15.1-10

Sunday School (St George’s, 10:30am)

Online Forms

Under the ‘Contact’ tab on the website, there are now three forms that you can use to help us in managing the church:

• Events Application Form. Use this if you are organising a church event that needs a church room booked, advertising or ticketing.
• Submit a Notice. Use this if you want to ask us to include a prayer request or other notice in the church notice sheet or email.
• Maintenance Reporting Form.Use this to report any non-urgent issues with our buildings or grounds.

St. George’s Website

• What’s On – a page which lets you know what is happening this week and gives information about upcoming events.
• Notices – You can read the latest notices on this page.
• Sermons – Read a transcript of a recent sermon or watch the YouTube version recorded at St. Luke’s. There are now videos for all the sermons over the summer.

Finally, let’s make sure we don’t miss out on the invitation.

Yours in Christ

Paul Worledge

(Priest in Charge, St. George’s Ramsgate)