Church

The West Dorset Magazine, May 20, 2022 59 Church It’s what’s inside you that really counts

By The Rev Deb Smith, Team Rector of Bridport

There is a children’s story entitled the Paper Bag Princess. In this story, Prince Ronald was about to marry Princess Elisabeth when a dragon comes, smashes the castle, burns all the royal possessions and carries off…Prince Ronald. So to the rescue comes Princess Elisabeth. (Of course!) There is only one problem, the castle is smashed, she is all covered in soot and can’t find anything to wear except a dirty old paper bag. Undaunted, she puts on the paper bag and proceeds to prove her royal worth by out-manoeuvring, outsmarting, and defeating the dragon, while rescuing Prince Ronald. When Ronald sees his rescuer, He looks at her and says, “Elizabeth, you are a mess! You smell like

ashes, your hair is all tangled and you are wearing a dirty old paper bag. Come back when you are dressed like a real princess.” “Ronald,” says

Elisabeth, “your hair is nice and your clothes are elegant, you look like a real prince but you are …not!!.” They don’t get married and live happily ever after.

You see, Prince Ronald was shiny on the outside not so much on the inside, he lost sight of what was most important. Elisabeth, however dirty she was on the outside, showed patience, perseverance, and other fruits of the spirit; and on the inside she was beautiful. So may we too be concerned with following in the way of love, and remember a very simple truth: it is not what the world pours into us that purifies or defiles us, it is the effect we have on the world as what is inside of us is poured out.

Services

Sunday, May 22 Sixth Sunday of Easter

Allington: 9.30am Sunday Eucharist Beaminster: 6pm Mass Bothenhampton: 11am Holy Matins Bradpole: 9.30am Service of the Word Bridport: 10am Vigil Burton Bradstock: 11am Holy Communion Castleton: 11am Matins Cattistock: 9.30am Holy Communion Chideock: 8.30am Vigil Corscombe: 6pm Informal Worship Dewlish: 11am Parish Communion Dorchester Baptist Church: 10.30am Sunday Service Dorchester Community Church: 10.30am Celebration Service Frome Vauchurch: 11am Holy Communion Halstock: 9.30am Breakfast Church Holy Trinity Church, Dorchester: 8.30am Holy Mass, 10.30am Holy Mass Lillington: 10am Morning Service Litton Cheney: 9.30am Holy Communion Littlebredy: 11am Holy Communion Longburton: 10am Said Holy Communion Melbury Osmund: 9.30am Morning Prayer Puddletown: 11am Morning Prayer Puncknowle: 9.30am Family Service St John’s Church, West Bay: 11am Morning Praise St Mary’s Church, Bridport: 8am Holy Communion, 11am Holy Communion St Paul’s at The Gryphon: 10.30am All Age Worship St Peter’s Church, Dorchester: 9am Said Communion, 10.30am Sung Eucharist Sherborne Abbey: 8am BCP Holy Communion, 9.30am Parish Eucharist, 6pm Choral Evensong Shipton Gorge: 11am Holy Communion Swyre: 9.30am Holy Communion Tolpuddle: 9.30am Go Forth

Thurs, May 26 Litton Cheney: 9.30am Ascension Day Service

Sunday, May 29: Seventh Sunday of Easter Allington: 9.30am Eucharist Service Beaminster: 6pm Vigil Bridport: 10am Vigil Burton Bradstock: 11am Holy Communion Castleton: 11am BCP Holy Communion Cattistock: 8am Holy Communion, 10.30am Team Service Chideock: 8.30am Vigil Dorchester Baptist Church 10.30am Sunday Service Dorchester Community Church: 10.30am Celebration Service Holy Trinity Church, Dorchester: 8.30am Holy Mass, 10.30am Holy Mass Lillington: 10am Morning Service Longburton: 6pm Songs of Praise Maiden Newton: 8am Holy Communion, 10.30am Team Service St Paul’s at The Gryphon: 10.30am Morning Worship St Peter’s Church, Dorchester: 9am Said Communion 10.30am Sung Eucharist St Mary’s Church, Bridport: 8am Holy Communion Sherborne Abbey: 8am BCP Holy Communion, 9.30am Parish Eucharist, 6pm Choral Evensong Shipton Gorge: 11am United Service Swyre: 9.30am Holy Communion

Sunday, June 1 Burton Bradstock: 11:30am Holy Communion followed by Light Lunch

Thursday June 2 Swyre: 10am Thanksgiving and Celebration for Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee

n A weekly telephone service recorded by a member of the ministry team is available on 01308 293062.