The www.worthparish.org/comeandsing page has been updated. We’d forgot to tell singers to bring a pencil !  If you’re not a singer, please come along for the informal concert at 7pm, Saturday 19th September.

Words are powerful – more powerful than we sometimes realise.  Words can tug at the heart-strings: Josephine, a lovely, kind, cultured young lady from the church I led in Damascus wrote this week “last night ISIS tried to attack my village … today was a bad day, we were asked by security to leave the village.”  More ‘internally displaced’; friends not numbers.

Words can build up and encourage: Isaiah has been given the gift of “sustaining the weary with a word”.  Do you offer that kind word to a suffering neighbour? Are you going to look out the refugees to be housed in Crawley to extend a word of “welcome”?

Words can express profound truths: “You are the Messiah” says Peter, barely comprehending the meaning and significance of what he says in response to Jesus’ question.  Words will allow us to convey our experiences, doubts, confusion and understanding when we (OK only about 30 of us signed up so far) meet for the Alpha evenings and find it’s OK to get it wrong sometimes – as Peter does in today’s gospel.

Words can also tear down: they don’t have to be “full of deadly poison” to hurt and undermine others – a sarcastic comment; the hint or insinuation in some ‘harmless gossip’ is enough.  The adage “You are what you eat” is familiar and we try to limit our excesses.  But do we think that “you are what you say” and take as much care over that?  If we are deliberate about holding back angry words, or the temptation to boost our ego by diminishing another but instead look out opportunities to offer a kind, encouraging or welcoming word we (individually and as a Church) will be offering clear, sweet water not a brackish poison.  We can’t offer both.    How will you use the power of your words?  Which are we to be?

Anthony

Here’s a list of our raffle winners. Congratulations ! If you haven’t been phoned about your prize by Wednesday, please call the office.

PRIZE	WINNER
Two-course meal for 4 people at the Coaching Halt with a bottle of house wine	Liz Burston
Watercolour of St Nicholas’ Church, Worth	Sue Walshe
A month’s family membership of Nuffield Health	Elizabeth Whyman
Gel Manicure or Pedicure (Bodikind)	Chloe
A LEGO set	Sian Moulder
Another LEGO set	Ann Dent
Goodie bag from “Beautiful Nails & Body Salon” including £25 voucher	Gill H
Chiropody Treatment (Bodikind)	Hidgkinson
Mounted photograph of St Nicholas’ Church, Worth	Jean
A hamper of foods	Jacqueline
A bottle of something nice	Ann H
Set of 6 individual casserole dishes	Kerry
Automatic golf putter	Mike C
Ice-watch with Swarovski crystals (worth £100)	Bridget
A wine course for 2 people at Majesticwine	Bob Sulley
£10 voucher from The Master Fryer, Pound Hill	Jane S
Children’s golf set (kindly donated by ASDA)	Esther
Children’s badminton set (kindly donated by ASDA)	Shirley S
Men’s toiletry gift set	Ian Gibb
Ladies’ toiletry gift set (1)	Nikki
Ladies’ toiletry gift set (2)	Heather
A box of biscuits	Joan Tick
Jigsaw	Gay Redstone
Set of mystery books	Brenda Tredger
Cool bag	Alastair Wells
Whisky	Coin Smith
Clarins	Andrea
Marmalades	Peter
Thorntons Chocolates	Ann H

Thank you to everyone who attended our summer fete at Worth Rectory.  It was very successful, enjoyable and very hot !  Especial thanks go to Steve (formerly of the Coaching Halt) and chef Sam who did a sweltering and fantastic job on the barbecue, giving their time for free, and to Bob who produced marvellous charcoal portraits of visitors.

We will publish details once all expenses are in, but it looks like over £1000 was raised for Parish funds and there is a lot we need to save for – path improvements at St Nicholas’, double-glazing at St Barnabas’, increasing our work with young people, belfry repairs to name just a few, so thank you for supporting us.