Church

32 The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022 Church Care for others is mark of a good leader

By Canon Deb Smith, Team Rector of Bridport

You may have noticed that there has been a leadership race on – and our news headlines are filled with claims of who is the best person for the top job. Even among the disciples this jostling for position – or the question, who is the greatest – took up much energy. And when Jesus took the wind out of their sails by suggesting that greatness might have something to do with being last and servant of all, it turned everything upside down. Jesus is like that. If being great, holding the number one position, means being last of all and servant of all, then we have completely misunderstood what greatness is really about. Jesus is asking us to reframe our understanding of greatness. What does it mean and look like for you and me to be great in today’s world? That’s the question. Jesus answers that question by taking a little child in his arms and saying to the disciples: “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” The child is a symbol of vulnerability, powerlessness, and dependency. The child in Jesus’ day had no rights, no status, no economic value. The child was a consumer and not a producer. Greatness, Jesus says, is in welcoming and receiving into our arms one like this, regardless of his or her age. With the growing sense of fear about how some of us will manage as the cost-of-living crisis bites, perhaps greatness is to be found not in what we have accomplished and gained for ourselves but in what we have done and given to “the least of these” Our greatness is revealed in our service and care of others regardless of their ability or willingness to pay or return the favour. Greatness comes to us when we share with others who have nothing to share with us, when we respond to the needs of others. That’s the life Jesus offers us. This kind of greatness happens in the simple, ordinary, and mundane. It often goes unnoticed and unnamed, but it keeps community together.

Services

Sherborne Abbey Weekday Services Monday to Saturday at 8.30am, Morning Prayer - The Sepulchre Chapel Every Monday at 9am, Holy Communion - The Lady Chapel Every Tuesday at 12noon, Holy Communion - The Lady Chapel Every Wednesday at 10.30am, Holy Communion with Homily – The Lady Chapel Every Thursday at 12noon, BCP Holy Communion - The Lady Chapel Every Friday at 9am, Ecumenical Holy Communion - The Lady Chapel The first Friday of the month at 9am, Requiem Holy Communion - The Sepulchre Chapel - Every Saturday at 9am, Holy Communion - The Sepulchre Chapel Communion, 9.30am Parish Eucharist, 6pm Choral Evensong St James the Great in Longburton: 10am Family Communion St Martin of Tours Lillington: 10am Holy Communion St Paul’s at The Gryphon: 10.30am Holy Communion St Mary Magdalene: 11.15am Holy Communion Cheap Street: 6.30pm Taize Service Burton Bradstock: 11am Holy Communion Shipton Gorge: 9.30am Breakfast Church Swyre: 11am Holy Communion Litton Cheney: 9.30am Holy Communion Littlebredy: 11am Holy Communion Each week a service is recorded by a member of the clergy team. Listen to this by calling 01308 293062. Roman Catholic Mass 8.30am Chideock 10am Beaminster Dorchester United Church: 10.30am Morning Worship and Junior Church Powerstock, St Mary the Virgin: 11am - Benefice Eucharist Broadoak, St Paul’s: 6.30pm Evening Prayer Halstock: 10am Morning Prayer Melbury Osmond: 9.30am Holy Communion Frome St Quintin: 11am Baptism Maiden Newton: 9.30am Worship Service

Sunday, September 18 Sherborne Abbey: 8am Holy Communion, 9.30am Parish Eucharist, 6pm Choral Evensong St Martin of Tours Lillington: 10am Morning Service St James the Great, Longburton: 10am Family Communion St Paul’s at The Gryphon: 10.30am All Age Worship St Mary Magdalene, Castleton: 11am Mattins 9.30am Family Service Chilcombe: 6.30pm Evening Prayer Swyre: 11am Morning Worship Puncknowle: 11am All Age Holy Communion Litton Cheney: 9.30am Morning Prayer Long Bredy: 9.30am Morning Worship Corscombe: 10am Morning Worship West Chelborough: 9.30am Holy Communion Evershot: 10am Holy Communion Melbury Bubb: 11am Holy Communion Maiden Newton: 9.30am Holy Communion, 3pm Messy Church Chilfrome: 11am Harvest Service Dorchester United Church: 10.30am Morning Worship and Junior Church Puncknowle and Swyre: Breakfast Church will be held at the Puncknowle, Swyre and West Bexington Village Hall (in Puncknowle) from 9:30am -10:30am on September 25, and then every fourth Sunday.