• The Churn Benefice

    We're seven village churches seeking to love God and neighbour. We welcome you!
     
     
     

    All through the pandemic the Church continues to be alive and active.

     

    You can contact:
    Revds Jason & Louise by telephone and email
    and Elaine on the office email and/or mobile number.

    We are distributing The Churn, this week's readings, and notices by email.
    Please ask family, friends & neighbours to contact Elaine at office@churnchurches.co.uk if they would like to receive them.

    Take a look at ...

    • our calendar to see what's on this month

    • the notices and events page to find out about our ongoing online events

    • the services page to find out about forthcoming services

    • our resources page to download service materials, reflections, and materials for children and families. The Benefice review update for May 2021 as well as the Summary of Responses are also available under the Resources tab

    • our community page to find links to information about what's happening locally, and how our communities are supporting people affected by the Coronavirus  

     

    text

  • Daily Message

    Rector’s Reflections Thursday 2nd December 2021

    Thought for Today

    This week we’ve been exploring how the historian Luke goes about telling the story of the birth of Jesus. We have seen that Luke starts the story with an account of the miraculous birth of John the Baptist, and sees the birth in the context of God’s promise to bless Abraham and his descendants.

    Luke is now in a position to tell the story of Jesus’ birth. To start with, Luke wants to tell us what happened. Luke tells a brief story, set out in the first 20 verses of chapter 2. There’s a census; Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem; Jesus is born in Bethlehem and is laid in a manger; angels appear to local shepherds; and the shepherds come to Joseph and Mary, and see the baby laid in the manger. Luke spares us further details, and there is no reference to the Kings; this might be because the information available to Luke was limited, or it might be because it didn’t suit his purposes to add in further details.

    And then there’s the “when” question: when did Jesus’ birth take place? Luke is very cautious about the precise dating: he simply talks about it as happening “in those days” (ie at the about the same time as the birth of John the Baptist) and links it to a census ordered by Emperor Augustus, taken “while Quirinius was governor of Syria”. In other words, Luke doesn’t know the exact date, but is trying his best to pin it down.
    We have dealt with Luke’s answer to the “how” and “when” questions relating to Jesus’ birth. But what of his answer to the “why” question?
    It seems that Luke is wishing to focus on the words spoken by the angels to the shepherds: the baby “born this day in the city of David [is the] Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord”. In other words, this baby has been sent by God to “save” his people: to bring them wholeness and healing, to restore their relationship with God, and to bring them forgiveness of their sins. God had promised to send a Messiah, who would save and rescue his people, and bring in a time of blessing, not just for the Jewish people but the whole world as well. Jesus was both Saviour and Messiah.
    I wonder where we need God’s healing in our own lives and in our communities? Where might we need to be “saved” and from what?

    View the 'Daily Message' for this month

    dailyMessage

  • Latest Audio

    Click on the link below to listen to our latest audio files:

    Download Night Prayer

    Listen whenever you want to our service of night prayer.


    latestAudio

  • Safeguarding in the Churn Benefice
    The Churn Benefice is committed to the safeguarding, care and nurture of the children and people of all ages in our church communities.
    In the first instance questions relating to Safeguarding concerns and support should be addressed to the Rector : The Revd Jason St. John Nicolle, The Benefice Centre, Church End, Blewbury, OX11 9QH, 01235 850267, office@churnchurches.co.uk
    Click here for link to the Safeguarding Policy

    text