Greetings on this sunny, if rather chilly lunchtime!
Remember, 3pm tomorrow, Friday there is a World Day of Prayer service at the Church of The Sacred Heart in Baydon Road. The service has been written by the women of Taiwan on the theme: “I have heard about your faith.” All Ages are welcome!
We are truly blessed in the Valley with good relations across all faiths and denominations. Do come along and support on of our ecumenical services – there will be refreshments!!
This Sunday we have services at St James, BCP 9am and at St Michael & All Angels sung Eucharist at 10.30 – the readings are on Pews News attached so do look at them before the service if you can, as a way of preparing for the second Sunday of Lent.
Don’t forget the 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. It is suitable for all ages and you are welcome to pop in any time.
The Lent Course has started well with its focus on failure, how we deal well when things don’t go as well as we hoped, and how we understand failure as Christians. We’ve thought a lot about how God does not and will never define or see us as failures. We talked about failure in the Old Testament – of which we discovered there’s quite a lot! Next, we’re moving on to think about how we can deal well with failure and missed opportunity as a Church and about failure in the New Testament. There’s still time to join in;
- St James the Greater Saturdays at 9.00 am preceded by Morning Prayer at 8.30 starting with breakfast.
- Mellor Cottage, Walkers Lane, Lambourn Mondays at 2pm.
- Lambourn Vicarage 4 Newbury Street, Lambourn Wednesdays at 7pm start.
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.
If you have recently joined a Valley church or got more involved and would like to join the Electoral Roll which is about identifying yourself as part of the Church, please either use the sheet attached today or pick up a sheet from the back of Church. If you are on your parish Electoral Roll already then you don’t need to do anything! Any query simply ask.
Come and See on Saturdays 3.30 pm at The Vicarage Lambourn is when we get together to find out more about The Beatitudes, explore spirituality and discover more about the Christian faith. Simply come along, share a cuppa and cake as we chat through some of the questions and thoughts we may have. All are welcome – age no barrier! Find out more here Come and See – for individuals (daily content) https://mailchi.mp/oxford.anglican.org/come-and-see
Advance notice of a date when Oxford Diocese is encouraging parishioners to join Bishop Olivia in London on 21 April to demand action on the climate emergency.
Finally, the Lenten Candles in St Michael’s each week are like a reversed Advent Wreath. In Advent the light builds and gathers each week to show that the birth of Jesus is getting nearer- in Lent, the darkness gathers as, candle after candle, the lit candles are extinguished week by week until the last one is put out on Good Friday itself. As we journey into Lent with the light of Christ within, may we do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with you our God. Amen.
God bless
Julie