Numbers and money were a bit of a theme in our Parish Communion at St John’s Itchen Abbas today

Firstly, we looked at the words of Luke 4:18-19 where Jesus reveals that he has come to ‘set the captives free’.  One of the slaveries to which people are subject all around us today is the slavery of debt out of control.

Clare Pinniger from Churches Together in Alresford came to speak to us about the work of Christians against Poverty and explained how we could help.

Here is her talk:

Christians Against Poverty Website

If you feel that God is calling you to help be a Debt Advice Counsellor or to help run the Money Course, please do contact me.

Luke 4:18-19

¹⁶ When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, ¹⁷ and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, 

because he has anointed me 

to bring good news to the poor. 

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives 

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free, 

¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

 The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Lk 4:18–19). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Secondly, we thanked our bookkeeper Madeline who has been looking after our finances for the past four years.  She doesn’t usually worship with us as she is a very committed Catholic attending St Peters in Winchester, but today she was with us to receive our thanks for her work and a small mark of our appreciation. Her work as our bookkeeper has been a mark of how well we cooperate ecumenically in Itchen Valley.  Thank you Madeline for everything you have done for us.