North Chippenham
Group of Churches
RECTOR’S
RAMBLINGS (February 2010) by Simon Tyndall
ALICE HALL - I am
really looking forward to joining folk in Bristol Cathedral for Alice Hall's
licensing as an LLM (Licensed Lay Minister) or Reader. She is a great asset to our ministry team and
I want to wish God's blessing on her ministry amongst us.
VERONICA KILMISTER -
also, I am delighted that Veronica Kilmister was recently selected to
become an LLM . She will continue her
training and is expected to be licensed in February 2011.
CONFIRMATION
CANDIDATES - if anyone is thinking about being Confirmed
(the next service takes place on Wednesday 5 May at St Andrew's church at
7.30pm) please could you contact me as we look towards holding some appropriate
preparation for adults and/or youths.
ASH WEDNESDAY & LENT - we
will be holding special services to mark the beginning of Lent at 10am on
Wednesday 17 February at St Paul’s and at 10am on the 18 February at Kington St
Michael. Lent is a special time – a gift
to the church – a time to think and reflect on the meaning of Jesus' passion
and death – before the joyful celebration of the Resurrection on Easter Day.
WOMEN'S UNION &
THAILAND - also, on Thursday 18 at 2.15pm I will be
speaking to the Women's Union in the hall about my recent trip with Ann (my wife)
to
21 FEBRUARY 10am - at
this service at
ALSO, the deanery is
hosting a visit from a group from Mukono in the period 19 March – 9 April and
Phil Townsend & Tim Woodward will be looking for offers of accommodation
and meals. Can I encourage you to
volunteer – it is such a blessing to host a brother & sister in Christ from
such a different context.
'GIVING FOR LIFE'
SEMINAR - the diocese has invited John Preston (the
National Stewardship & Resources Officer) to come to speak on 'Giving
for Life' at 7.30pm on Tuesday 23 February at St Peter's church in
Frogwell. I would like to encourage
anyone interested in the issue of Christian giving please to come along!
ALPHA AWAY DAY
- with a very good response to
the current ALPHA course we will be holding an Awayday on Saturday 6
March. Details of timing and venue can
be obtained during the ALPHA evenings.
AREA DEAN ROLE
- and just in case you think I
don't have enough to do... I can tell you that there are some interesting
things going on in the wider deanery – with the main focus being on the
so-called 'vacancy process' at the Corsham Benefice (where Roger the Team
Rector has retired) and in the By Brook Benefice (where Val the Team Vicar has
moved and Ann the Team Rector is anticipating retiring in the summer). We are hoping to make future appointments –
but very much in the context of the church being both priest and people
together – a joint venture, if you like, and so church is not seen as the place
lay people 'keep ticking over' until their next priest arrives!
DIOCESAN
NEWS -
can now be found on the internet with interesting news from around the
Diocese of Bristol on www.bristol.anglican.org/news/local
SAMUEL'S WEDDING - as
you probably know, our son Samuel will be getting married on Saturday 10 April
to Becky Simpson in Oswestry. Please
keep them in your prayers as they start on this great adventure together. They are a lovely couple who met at
university and they will be setting up home in York where Samuel is working in
hospital management and Becky for the minister at St Michael-le-Belfry church.
PRAYER LABYRITH (HOLY WEEK) -
having held 24 hours & 36 hours of continuous prayer at St Pauls we
are looking to encourage prayer in a different format this Holy Week. Maddy Crook writes “as the prayer weekends
we have provided over the last year have been such a success with really good
feedback as to how people have found these times such a blessing we are taking
this a step further for Easter and planning to set up a prayer labyrinth during
Holy Week. We will be utilizing the
south aisle now the pews have been removed we have a much larger space to
enable us to be more creative. It is
planned to have St Paul’s church open for a couple of hours each day during the
early part of the evening, probably between 6-8 pm Mon – Sat and then during
Sunday morning. The labyrinth will be a
means of people journeying through the week to meditate on the journey Christ
took leading up to the resurrection, I am hoping that we will also be able to
offer prayer ministry for folk to pray or talk with others if they would like
to.”
THEMES
& READINGS - will be as follows at the morning services
during January, continuing the theme (from John's Gospel) QUESTIONS
JESUS ASKS (…OF US).
|
Feb 7 |
Why are you trying to kill me? |
Genesis 2:4-9,15-25 |
John 7:14-24 |
|
Feb 14 |
Do you believe this? |
Exodus 34:29-35 |
John 11:17-27 |
|
Feb 21 |
Has no-one condemned you? |
Psalm 51:1-12 |
John 8:2-11 |
|
Feb 28 |
Do you understand? |
Psalm 27:1-14 |
John 13:1-15 |
MIDWEEK BIBLE READINGS - at
our midweek services of Holy Communion (10am on Wednesdays at St Paul’s – and
10am Thursdays at Kington St Michael) we are continuing a series called on ISAIAH THE PROPHET, but also take a
break for Ash Wednesday (at both churches!)
|
Feb 3/4 |
True fasting |
Isaiah
58:1-12 |
Matthew
25:34-40 |
|
Feb 10/11 |
The Lord's glory |
Isaiah
60:1-6 |
Matthew
2:1-11 |
|
Feb 17/18 |
Ash Wednesday |
Psalm
51:1-12 |
John
8:1-11 |
|
Feb 24/25 |
The Lord's
delight |
Isaiah
61:10-62:7 |
Matthew
9:35-38 |
PRAYER FOR THE MONTH –
comes from the writings of
Almighty God, you have made us for yourself,
And our hearts are restless
Till they find their rest in you.
Teach us to offer ourselves to your service,
That here we may have your peace,
And in the world to come
May see you face to face;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
Amen