“The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;”

(Psalm 118:22)

This week, the sections of the email are:

• Opening Reflection: The Rejected Stone
• This Sunday:  The Parable of the Tenants (Matthew 21:33-end)
• Key notices: Planned Giving Review, Anni-verse-ries, Union of St. Luke’s and St. George’s Parishes, Harvest Appeal
• Coming Up: CTiR Prayer Breakfast, History of St. Luke’s Talk – This Saturday, Baroque Recital, Kent Women’s Convention, Barn Dance, 150^th Celebration Service with Lunch, Thanet United Prayer
• Interesting Blogs: Sense and Sensibility and Yearning, Man City on Trial
• Weekly Calendar
• Online Forms: Event application, Submit a notice, maintenance report, Safeguarding

Scroll on…

Opening Reflection

We love stories where the seeming underdog does surprisingly well.

One of the great stories that came out of this Summer’s World Cup, concerned the tiny nation of Cape Verde. No-one expected them to gain any points. Yet in their first match they drew against Spain, the team that would ultimately go on to win the tournament. They followed that with draws against Uruguay and Saud Arabia to become the smallest ever nation to reach the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup. They were then knocked out by Argentina, the runners up of the competition, but only after taking them into extra time.

In 33AD, Jesus was in Jerusalem debating with the heavy-weight Jewish authorities. In that debate, Jesus told them a story about a vineyard, whose tenants refused to pay rent to the vineyard owner. It was obvious that the story was a thinly veiled criticism of the temple authorities. Jesus was publicly accusing them of failing to do what God required. Yet, what hope did Jesus, a poor Jewish Rabbi from the backward region of Galilee, have of making a difference against the powerful temple elite?

The events of the following days seemed to give an answer. In worldly terms Jesus had no hope. In the following days, they arranged for Jesus’ arrest trial and execution. Their critic was dead and buried. Or so they thought.

The truth was different. What they should have seen from Jesus’ teaching and miracles was that this was no ordinary Rabbi. This was God’s Son. They should have accepted his criticism and started to behave as God required.

Yet, this was not the end of the story. Although Jesus was brutally rejected by them, he was resurrected by God and became the capstone for a new living temple, the church, which would transform the world.

Paul Worledge

This Sunday

The Parable of the Tenants (Matthew 21:33-end)

This Sunday, all the children’s groups are running. We return to our series on the Parables in Matthew’s gospel with the Parable of the Tenants.

Key Notices:

Anni-verse-ries

For St. Luke’s 150th Anniversary, we are aiming to collect 150 of everyone’s favourite verses. We are beginning to display them in church and on the church website. Please use this form to submit your favourite verse and if you can, give a brief reason why this verse is important to you. So far, we have only about 25, so please start submitting!

Planned Giving Review

Every autumn we ask people to consider their regular giving to St. Luke’s for the coming year and to consider giving a one-off gift to help us cover our costs for this year. In 2026, our Sunday to respond to this will coincide with the celebrations of the 150^th on Sunday 18^th October. For those who indicated that they were willing to receive letters about their finances there are named envelopes available on the table at the back. There are also some unnamed envelopes, so if you do not have one with your name and would like to consider giving to the church, please take one of those.

Union of St. Luke’s and St. George’s Parish and Benefices

The consultation has now finished and there were no objections to the merger, which is great news. The merger will now definitely go ahead in the next couple of months.

Harvest Appeal

If you have not yet contributed to the Harvest Appeal in support of Tearfund’s Venezuelan Earthquake appeal, then you could send a gift by bank transfer to St. Luke’s (PCC of St Lukes Parish Ramsgate, 40-52-40, 00015701). Please make sure you add the reference: harvest2026.

Coming Up:

Churches Together in Ramsgate Prayer Breakfast

This Saturday, 9am-10am, St. Luke’s Hall, but hosted by St. George’s.

History of St. Luke’s Talk – 150^th Event – This Saturday!!!

An illustrated talk to celebrate 150 years since the opening of St Luke’s church looking at how it came into being and some of the challenges of its early years. Saturday 3rd October, 3pm in St. Luke’schurch. Admission £5. Find our more…

Baroque Recital – 150^th Event

Petra Hajduchova will be giving a harpsichord recital at St. Luke’s at 3pm on Saturday 10^th October. This will be free, but donations will be welcome to be split between Petra and the church. Find out more…

Kent Women’s Convention

This year’s speaker is Lizzy Smalllwood and the theme is ‘Sent – Make Jesus Known’. Saturday, 10^th October, 10am-4pm, St. Nicholas Church, Sevenoaks. A group will be travelling by train from Ramsgate. See Hazel Kenney 07887 863176 for more information or see their website.

Barn Dance – 150^th Event

Join us for hot food and dancing. St. Luke’s Hall, 7pm, Saturday 17^th October. Tickets are £5 and available from Trevor Kenney 07792 828097.

150^th Celebration Service with Lunch

The focus of our 150^th celebrations will be on Sunday 18^th October, 11am which is St. Luke’s Day. We have a guest speaker from the Church Pastoral Aid Society, our patrons, and will follow the service with a finger buffet lunch. Everyone is welcome. This will also be a joint service with St. George’s.

Thanet United Prayer

The next Thanet wide united prayer meeting will be on Sunday 18^th October, 6:30pm at the Salvation Army in Margate, Ct9 1NS.

Interesting Blogs to Share:

Sense and Sensibility and Yearning

This 5-minute read by Naomi Pitts reflects on the recent film, Sense and Sensibility and our human yearnings. Read more…

Man City on Trial

“Football isn’t dead. It just smells funny.” Jonathan Rowlands reflects on the scandals in the beautiful game, and the hope that justice brings.  Read more (5 mins).

Weekly Calendar

Sunday 4^th October – Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity

Family Service (St. Luke’s Church) Matthew 21:33-end – 11:00am-12:00pm

Monday 5^th              

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Tuesday 6^th                

Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Christ Church Toddlers @ St Luke’s (St. Luke’s Church Hall) – 9:30-11:30am

Wednesday 7^th         

Gardening Group (St. Luke’s Church) – 10:30am-12:00pm

Thursday 8^th

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Cafe4All (St. Luke’s Church), Coffee and Chat for all – 10:00-11:30am

Friday 9^th          

Play & Praise (St. Luke’s Church Hall) – 10:00-11:30am

Saturday 10^th         

Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Baroque Recital (St. Luke’s Church) – 3:00pm

Sunday 11^th – Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity

Family Service (St. Luke’s Church) Matthew 22:1-14 – 11:00am-12:00pm

Life Groups

Will you dare to share the Christian life with others? Life groups are a great way to meet together regularly with a small group of other Christians, for mutual support, to share in reading God’s word and to pray for one another.

They meet at the following times:

• Monday evening (two groups)
• Tuesday afternoon
• Wednesday morning
• Wednesday evening
• Thursday morning

Online Forms:

Under the ‘Contact’ tab on the website, there are now three forms that you can use to help us in managing the church:

• Events Application Form. Use this if you are organising a church event that needs a church room booked, advertising or ticketing.
• Submit a Notice. Use this if you want to ask us to include a prayer request or other notice in the church notice sheet or email.
• Maintenance Reporting Form. Use this to report any non-urgent issues with our buildings or grounds.

Safeguarding

Our website is now updated with the latest information about Safeguarding and links to the Diocesan form for reporting concerns and accessing training.

Training

If you volunteer in anyway at church the national authorities you should take at least the Basic Module in safeguarding training once every three years. If you hold a role connected with vulnerable adults or children and young people, then you will also need to take the Foundation Module. Once you have completed your training, please forward that certificate to James, our administrator, (office@churchramsgate.org) so that we can keep records of who has done the training.

Finally, let’s stick with Jesus, the victorious rejected one.

Yours in Christ

Paul Worledge

(Vicar, St. Luke’s Ramsgate)