Thoughts from The Vicarage with burying Alleluias, Lent groups and youth news!
Greetings!
Please find attached Pews News for service details, prayers and readings. We will be burying our Alleluias during the All Together service at 11am in Lambourn. If you prefer a quieter, more contemplative service we have 8am BCP in Lambourn and a 9.30 Family Communion in Eastbury.
Plenty to make a note of this week but firstly I simply have to share some fabulous news. The Lambourn Youth group meets each Tuesday at the British Legion and we, Mr Vicarage and myself help to run it. This week we only had 34 young people as it was half term, usually we have 60+. There were Valentine cakes to ice, chess to play, Teasel, Christina’s gorgeous therapy dog, not to mention the tuck shop! The young people donated some of their tuck money to Christian Aid and raised £12.94 which will be added to the amount raised in church – congratulations.
And as an unashamed segue please do let me know if you are interested in joining in the volunteer team to support the Youth Group. We’d love to hear from you – we are blessed to have such a super team!
All are welcome to Come and See on Saturday 3.30 pm at The Vicarage Lambourn as together we find out more about the Christian faith and what goes on in church. Simply come along and share a cuppa and cake as we chat through some of the questions and thoughts we may have. This week will include mindful colouring of the alleluias which will be buried on Sunday in St Michael’s as we prepare for Lent and look ahead to the joy of Easter Day!
This Sunday after weeks of hints and intimations including a star, a dove, and a baptizer’s voice in the wilderness we emerge into full sunlight, blinded as God parts the veil and shows us Christ’s majesty at the Transfiguration. And yet ,we also turn towards the temptation, passion and death of Jesus as we read a foretelling of His death and resurrection. This brings us to Ash Wednesday on February 22nd with a service at 7.30 pm in Lambourn when our foreheads are ashed with the sign of the cross. All are welcome to this moving and thoughtful service.
I will also be in St Michael & All Angels from 8.30 – 10.30 if you would prefer to come for an ashing in the morning.
From Ash Wednesday there will be an interactive Stations of The Cross prayer walk set up in St Michael & All Angels for Lent – all are welcome for quiet prayer, contemplation and reflection.
But first don’t forget Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday, the traditional feast day before the start of Lent. The 40 days leading up to Easter was traditionally a time of fasting and on Shrove Tuesday, Anglo-Saxon Christians went to confession and were “shriven” (absolved from their sins). If you would like to come to confession at any time in Lent please let me know – or indeed if you’d like to know more, simply ask.
Lent groups in the Valley will be:
- St James the Greater Saturdays at 9.00 am preceded by Morning Prayer at 8.30 starting 25th February;
- Mellor Cottage, Walkers Lane, Lambourn Mondays at 2pm starting 27th February;
- Lambourn Vicarage 4 Newbury Street, Lambourn Wednesdays at 7pm starting 1st March.
Please sign up on the list in each church if you’d like to come along to a Lent group – you’d be most welcome.
For a Lent booklet Dust and Glory please email me if you would like one at £2 each. For a longer read try Dr Emma Ineson’s book ‘Failure: What Jesus Said About Sin, Mistakes and Messing Stuff Up.’ This runs alongside and elaborates upon the smaller booklet along with questions to stimulate your thinking and prayer.
World Day of Prayer written by the women of Taiwan is on March 3rd at 3pm in the Sacred Heart church in Lambourn – do save the date. All are welcome.
Please remember to bring your palm crosses back to church for them to be burnt ready for Ash Wednesday
Finally don’t forget to bring your family and friends to St Michael’s 11am on Sunday to see the young people bury the Alleluias … along with a few Easter chicks, bunnies and the ubiquitous Easter e**s ready for Easter joy!
Looking forward to seeing you meanwhile
God bless
Julie