My apologies. Frs Rodney and Robin will be live “streaming” their Sunday service at 11am on Sunday (Spanish time), not on Saturday as the post said. The following is (I hope!) correct,

Andrew

Fr. Rodney and Fr. Robin will be broadcasting their now regular communion service on Fr. Rodney’s Facebook page. It will be “streamed” live on Sunday at 11am Spanish time (10am BST) and then available for the rest of the day on Sunday, to join at your leisure. As always both the live broadcast and the recording will be available on the following page – https://www.facebook.com/rodney.middleton.940. If you are not ready or not able to join us in one of our churches this is a wonderful way to share our worship.

Our churches are all operating services at their normal times, with each celebrating the Eucharist. Do join us if you can. 

Full details of these weekly communion services can be found at this page – https://costablanca-anglicanchaplaincy.org/churches-and-services-3/.

In all our churches we are committed to abide by the regulations; sanitation, social distancing, mask wearing and personal sanitising on entry. We continue to keep a record of attendees for track and trace purposes if needed. 

And remember to tune in to Fr. Marcus for his live Sunday radio programme, between 6pm and 8pm, Spanish time, on Pure Gold FM. You can listen on the radio on 94.1 FM. Or on your computer, tablet or phone join through the listen live button on https://puregold.fm/.

If you wish to make a donation to support our Chaplaincy, which is entirely self-funded, you can pay directly into the Chaplaincy bank account in Spain (please show your name and the congregation that you support, if appropriate). The full IBAN number is –

ES24 0075 1294 6206 0012 5274 

Or just click the following link to do so by PayPal –

https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=8hc0985vrStuiADNdeJjh4dNI44wyezOeX4OX6JKT7Jbzj_b_6hmxlvCrk-9baGDzOiCE0GyaxABaGx5

Fr. Rodney and Fr. Robin will be broadcasting their now regular communion service on Fr. Rodney’s Facebook page. It will be “streamed” live on Saturday at 11am Spanish time (10am BST) and then available for the rest of the day on Sunday, to join at your leisure. As always both the live broadcast and the recording will be available on the following page – https://www.facebook.com/rodney.middleton.940. If you are not ready or not able to join us in one of our churches this is a wonderful way to share our worship.

Our churches are all operating services at their normal times, with each celebrating the Eucharist. Do join us if you can. 

Full details of these weekly communion services can be found at this page – https://costablanca-anglicanchaplaincy.org/churches-and-services-3/.

In all our churches we are committed to abide by the regulations; sanitation, social distancing, mask wearing and personal sanitising on entry. We continue to keep a record of attendees for track and trace purposes if needed. 

And remember to tune in to Fr. Marcus for his live Sunday radio programme, between 6pm and 8pm, Spanish time, on Pure Gold FM. You can listen on the radio on 94.1 FM. Or on your computer, tablet or phone join through the listen live button on https://puregold.fm/.

If you wish to make a donation to support our Chaplaincy, which is entirely self-funded, you can pay directly into the Chaplaincy bank account in Spain (please show your name and the congregation that you support, if appropriate). The full IBAN number is –

ES24 0075 1294 6206 0012 5274 

Or just click the following link to do so by PayPal –

https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=8hc0985vrStuiADNdeJjh4dNI44wyezOeX4OX6JKT7Jbzj_b_6hmxlvCrk-9baGDzOiCE0GyaxABaGx5

Greetings to you all as we come to the end of this little series on the Gifts of the Spirit.

Paul concludes with ‘to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,^[and to still another the interpretation of tongues’.

Firstly we need to distinguish between Languages and Ecstatic Utterance or Glossolalia.
At the great Pentecost event we read:

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues^[a] as the Spirit enabled them.

⁵ Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. ⁶ When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. ⁷ Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? ⁹ Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,^[b] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome ¹¹ (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

So, were they drunk? No, it was only 9.0am. What was happening. They were given a gift of being able to tell people the great things that God had done in ways that many different people of diverse backgrounds could understand. It is to do with God.
Interestingly the Disciples themselves didn’t seem surprised by it. I would certainly be saying ‘I didn’t know that I could speak Aramaic, Greek and Latin!

But in the list we have been exploring from Corinthians, Paul is talking about ecstatic utterance.
This was causing all sorts of perplexity in the church in Corinth.
It was possibly like this. At some sort of service, someone would fall into an ecstasy and pour out a torrent of words or unintelligible sounds in no known language. Maybe because they were on such a spiritual high that words as we know them were not enough to express their joy.
This was a sought after gift because people believed it was a direct influence of the Holy Spirit who can take our offerings and turn them into something beautiful for God.
Others though the utterances were completely meaningless. So confusion and consternation arose.
Some people would speak in tongues, but then interpret what they had said or meant.
Others sometimes had the gift of being able to discern the meaning of what someone else was saying whilst in their ecstasy.
Paul never questions the reality of this gift of tongues, but he was well aware that it had its dangers, both by being divisive, but also ecstasy and self hypnosis are difficult to distinguish.
What we can say is that the image we have of the early church is that it was vividly alive. Things happened, in fact astonishing things happened. Life was heightened and intensified, and there was nothing dull or ordinary about. Paul believed that all this powerful activity was the work of the Holy Spirit who gave to each person gifts to use to build the Kingdom.

My belief is that the Holy Spirit remains active in our Chaplaincy and in our lives. It is our joy to be open to his presence, his power and his inspiration. We can be led by him, and do great deeds.
You can be the miracle – the one that is needed most. It will bring untold joy.

Bless you, Bless you, Bless you.

As ever,

Fr Marcus

Here is the link to Fr. Marcus’s new video message –

St Columba, trees, paths, rivers, sea and sky.

Bishop Robert made “a very warm and enthusiastic announcement” at Synod this morning, to inform members of the appointment of Fr. Ray Andrews to the full time post of Spiritual Advisor in the Diocese in Europe.

Fr. Ray will play a critical role in supporting clergy across our very large diocese.

This is excellent news for the diocese, and especially for us here on the Costa Blanca, as Fr. Ray will continue to live in this parish.

We offer Fr. Ray our sincere congratulations as he embarks on this exciting new phase in his ministry.

Hello My Friends,

I hope all is well.

Some of you spotted the typo in my last letter in the section about prophecy.

It is never like predicting lottery numbers, but more like knowing that if we don’t share our understating of faith we young people, they will grow up with some real joys and great meaning  missing from their lives.

Should of course have been
It is never like predicting lottery numbers, but more like knowing that if we don’t share our understating of faith with young people, they will grow up with some real joys and great meaning  missing from their lives.
(we / with)

Apologies for that.

In his list of Gifts of the Spirit Paul goes on to mention ‘distinguishing between spirits’. At the time of writing there was a very strong belief in all kinds of spirits, demons, powers and many different people claiming to have the ability to do strange and or miraculous things.
Paul is rightly saying that we need to be able to discern if something is of God, or not. This is not as easy as it sounds. Churches throughout history have argued about the interpretation of scripture, and felt that they were trying to do the will of God, but that will being almost the opposite of what other churches were doing.
Some people may have a particular charisma and can do great deeds, but are they all of God? Some very evil people have managed to convince millions of people to follow ideas that are very ungodly. Wars have been fought with people believing God was on their side.

The good news is that the Holy Spirit has gifted some people with the ability to distinguish between spirits, and to be able to discern if things are of God, or not.
An example of how this might work is to discern if an idea
Fits with the message of the Gospels
Fits with the teaching of the Apostles
Fits with the teaching of the Church
Fits with the ideas of Scripture, Tradition and Reason
Brings Glory to God
Would build the Kingdom
Can be agreed on by those who are mature in the faith.

A good example would be the process that people go through to test avocation to the priesthood.
It is not enough for someone to say I want to be a priest. Not even to say ‘God has called me to be a priest’. Rather clergy, friends, vocations advisors, selection panels, would all work together to discern whether a calling was true, and would advise the Bishop.
But somewhere during the spiritual journey of the candidate, someone would have sensed that they had a genuine calling, and mentioned it to them. Most clergy, long before they thought of it themselves have been asked ‘Do you think God is calling you to be a priest?’ The person asking may well have the gift of being able to distinguish between spirits.

Sometimes it is not easy to see a particular gift in yourself. We are brought up with a sense of humility, so it may be difficult to see. But we can spot it in others, and our task is to let people know.
‘You are really good at …….(Could be anything, explaining things, sharing faith, music, organising, administration, listening the list is endless..,) in fact you have a gift’.
Gifts are given to us in order to build the Kingdom of God, and to glorify him. Sometimes we do well to encourage folk, so that they use their talents and skills not just for themselves, or for industry or business, but to grow the church and to do God’s will.

Bless you, Bless you, Bless you.

As ever, Fr Marcus

Our churches are all operating services at their normal times, with each celebrating the Eucharist. Do join us if you can. 

Full details of these weekly communion services can be found at this page – https://costablanca-anglicanchaplaincy.org/churches-and-services-3/.

In all our churches we are committed to abide by the regulations; sanitation, social distancing, mask wearing and personal sanitising on entry. We continue to keep a record of attendees for track and trace purposes if needed. 

Fr. Rodney and Fr. Robin will be broadcasting their now regular communion service on Fr. Rodney’s Facebook page. It will be “streamed” live on Saturday at 7pm Spanish time (6pm BST) and then available all day on Sunday, to join at your leisure. As always both the live broadcast and the recording will be available on the following page – https://www.facebook.com/rodney.middleton.940. If you are not ready or not able to join us in one of our churches this is a wonderful way to share our worship.

And remember to tune in to Fr. Marcus for his live Sunday radio programme, between 6pm and 8pm, Spanish time, on Pure Gold FM. You can listen on the radio on 94.1 FM. Or on your computer, tablet or phone join through the listen live button on https://puregold.fm/.

If you wish to make a donation to support our Chaplaincy, which is entirely self-funded, you can pay directly into the Chaplaincy bank account in Spain (please show your name and the congregation that you support, if appropriate). The full IBAN number is –

ES24 0075 1294 6206 0012 5274 

Or just click the following link to do so by PayPal –

https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=aef_xChdlnk4CPqBqz1GN9Mzns6Q0MjzzNHonkDcys90cH_xgkiSC1nCSxUj41pozqdTZntF1ZRy3ysC

My Dear Fellow Pilgrims on this path along the Gifts of the Spirit,

I hope you are feeling loved and inspired.

In Corinthians Paul encouragingly lists the Gifts of the Spirit, and we are attempting to unpack that list, and see what it has to say to us in our present situation.
After Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith and Healing comes Miraculous Powers and Prophecy. So let’s have a look.

It is very likely that in this instance Miraculous Powers, or as JB Philips puts it, ‘The power to do great deeds’ relates to the previous Gift of Healing, and is much to do with exorcisms or the casting out of demons. So many illnesses and diseases were attributed to the work of demons, and it was a spiritual power or Gift to rid someone of them, and that itself was a huge work.

We may have a different understanding of that language these days, but at some stage in our lives most of us have to face up to, or try and conquer our ‘demons’. In a sense nothing has changed, and yet at the same time everything has.
The way that we treat all illnesses, has evolved beyond recognition within our own lifetimes, let alone during the last 2000 years, but we still find that issues get in the way of living our lives to the full, and sometimes these can be overcome by Great deeds.

Sometimes when folk are very poorly, or life is incredibly tough we cry out for a miracle – sadly almost expecting nothing to happen. But you and I have been given Gifts of the Spirit, and equipped with those gifts we have the power to do great deeds.
It may be that we can lay hands on someone, praying over them in the name of Christ, and they can recover, or be helped, or healed. But it may also be that what is actually needed is for us, or them (whoever ‘they are) to be comforted, or welcomed, or loved, or forgiven, or invited, or included or just be able to cope.

I love to use the story of the feeding of the 5000 to illustrate what I mean. You know it well, and you know what I am going to say, but I still want to make the point.
The feeding of the 5000 may have been a miracle of multiplication, whereby Jesus multiplied the number of loaves and fishes until everyone was fed. My faith allows me to see God’s grace at work in this way. 
But it also may have been Jesus setting an example of those who had, sharing with those who didn’t have, and in so doing making sure that everyone was fed. Maybe that was the miracle. It certainly would have been a Great deed.
In that Brilliant film Bruce Almighty, Jim Carey (Bruce) who had been given Godly powers for a while because he had moaned that God (Morgan Freeman) hadn’t helped him, wanted to get back with his estranged girlfriend.  God asks him if he had prayed and he hadn’t, so God said try. What are you going to say ‘Make her fall in love with me?’ Bruce thinks and says .’No. Let her fall in love with the person who will love her and treat her right in the way she deserves’.
Bruce becomes that person, and they are reunited. Bruce goes on with a life in which he encourages people to ‘Be the miracle’.

So, you and I are given the power of the Holy Spirit to do Great Deeds, to transform lives, to make changes, to ensure that things happen, and to Be the miracle. If God translates those actions into Signs of his presence then Praise the Lord for that.

Paul’s next topic is Prophecy, and again this is a really interesting one. Prophecy is a mixture of reading and interpreting the signs of the times, reflecting on what has or is happening, and seeing where it will lead. Some inspired prophecy can give insight into the nature of events yet to happen, or to teach us future truths about the workings of God. Like the prophecies of the coming Messiah.
Others can tell us the consequences of particular actions, practices or events, individual, local, national or global.
It is never like predicting lottery numbers, but more like knowing that if we don’t share our understating of faith we young people, they will grow up with some real joys and great meaning  missing from their lives.
For some, their words will be of a very spiritual and Godly nature, for others their words will be to do with the future of our planet. 
Like all things, the Gift part is the ability to discern what is coming from God, and what is our own human thoughts and ideas. And Paul goes on to address this. I shall pick up on that over the next couple of letters.

Bless you, Bless you, Bless you,

And today – Be the miracle.
As ever,

Fr Marcus

Tomorrow (Thursday) Fr. Rodney and Fr. Robin will be broadcasting an additional communion service on Fr. Rodney’s Facebook page, to celebrate the festival of Corpus Christi. It will be “streamed” live on 11am Spanish time (10am BST) and then available all day, to join at your leisure. As always both the live broadcast and the recording will be available on the following page – https://www.facebook.com/rodney.middleton.940.

Our Thursday congregation in l’Alfàs del Pi will meet as usual at 11am, at the

Forum Mare Nostrum

Cami del Pinxo, 203580 l’Alfàs del Pi, Alicante

Here is the link to Fr. Marcus’s new video message – https://youtu.be/tnBgIMkFEHs