Services this Week
Sunday 7 June – Trinity 1
9.00am Westwell Holy Communion
9.00am Shilton Holy Communion
10.30am Alvescot Holy Communion
10.30am Kelmscott Holy Communion
6.00pm Kencot Evensong
The Reverend Canon Ron Lloyd
Dear Friends,
Many of you will by now have heard about the death of The Rev’d Canon Ron Lloyd, a much-loved former Rector of this Benefice
His ministry continues to be remembered with great affection and gratitude by many. Catherine and her family have now finalised the funeral arrangements and have asked that these details be shared more widely.
The funeral service will take place on Monday 6th July. There will be a private family funeral service which I will be taking in the church of the Holy Rood Shilton in the morning, followed by a cremation.
A Service of Thanksgiving for Ron’s life will then follow in the afternoon at St Mary’s Church, Bampton, at 2.30pm, to which everyone is warmly invited.
Ron was known and respected by so many people across this Benefice, and this service will provide an opportunity for friends, neighbours, former parishioners, and the wider community to gather together, give thanks for his life and ministry, and support the family.
Please continue to keep Catherine Foster (Ron’s daughter) and all the family in your thoughts and prayers at this time.
Many of you will have known Ron personally and will share my sense of loss at this news. He served these parishes with faithfulness, generosity, and a deep love for both the Church and the communities entrusted to his care. His ministry touched countless lives, and the legacy of his service continues to be felt throughout this benefice.
I shall always be grateful for the warmth of his welcome, the wisdom of his counsel, and the many stories he told that illuminated both faith and life.
Ron had a remarkable gift for storytelling. Whether in conversation, in the pulpit, or over a cup of tea, he could bring people together through humour, wisdom, and his ability to see God’s grace at work in the ordinary events of life. Those stories were never simply entertaining; they reflected his deep pastoral heart and his understanding of people. Many of us will have our own cherished memories of moments shared with him.
As we mourn his death, we also give thanks to God for his life and ministry. We remember with affection Hazel his late wife and all the family, holding them in our prayers and commending them to God’s comfort and peace.
The Burial Office reminds us that “in the midst of life we are in death,” yet it also proclaims the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ. In that Christian hope, we commend Ron to God’s merciful keeping, giving thanks for all that he was and all that he gave.
May Ron rest in peace and rise in glory.
The Rev’d Harry MacInnes
A Daily Pause with Christian Art
One simple resource I would warmly recommend are the daily reflections from Christian Art.
https://christian.art/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Each day they pair the Gospel reading with a work of art. Sometimes a famous painting, sometimes sculpture or architecture, and other times a contemporary work of art. This is given alongside a short spiritual reflection. It is a wonderful way of engaging both our hearts and our imagination in prayer and scripture.
The combination of beauty, passages from the Bible, and thoughtful commentary can open up familiar Biblical stories in fresh and unexpected ways.
The emails are free to receive each morning, and signing up is very straightforward through their website.Harry MacInnes
St. Peter’s Church Alvescot
PLANT SALE
THIS SUNDAY 7 JUNE 11.30am – 1.00pm at St Peter’s Church
Plants and seedlings for sale
Teas and cakes
Garden Raffle
Vouchers for various local gardens –
Blenheim Palace
Birdland Park & Garden
Cotswold Wildlife Park
Batsford Arboretum
Aston Pottery
Plant Donations welcome
LOWER WINDRUSH CHORAL SOCIETY
Saturday 27 June at 6pm
St Mary’s Church, Church Green, Witney, OX28 4AW
Coronation Anthems – Handel
Mass in D Minor – A. Caldara & J.D. Zelenka
Soloist, Choir, String Quartet, and Organ
Directed by Terry McNamara
No charge but donations invited to cover the Society’s concert costs
Bar proceeds to St Mary’s Church