This Week At St Mary’s
Monday
NO MORNING PRAYER TODAY
Bell Ringing Practice at 7.45pm
Tuesday
Holy Communion at 8.30am
Memorial Service for the late Linda Cullinan at 2.15pm
Welcomers’ Training Evening at 7.30pm in Church
Wednesday
Morning Prayer at 8.30am
Full Choir Practice at 7.30pm
Thursday
Holy Communion at 12.30pm
Saturday
Annual Wedding Preparation Day 10.30am in the Crypt
Next Sunday : 4th Sunday before Lent
8.30am Holy Communion (Traditional Language)
11.00am Parish Eucharist with St. Mary’s Band & Junior Church
Simon is preaching at St Michael’s Battersea, where he is Patron, prior to the arrival of the new Vicar later this month. The President and Preacher at our Service will be Revd. Annie
Kurk, Chaplain of St Cecilia’s School, Wandsworth
3.00pm Winter Recital: Chi-Hoi Cheung (Piano)
6.00pm Evening Prayer & Bible Study
Please Pray For…
Those who have asked for our prayers:
Ingrid Spatt, Penny Law, Rowena Libson, Pearl Yarde, Alan Broadhead, Valerie Coughlin, Sareeta, Liz McMurthy, Vic Leach, Helene Bernard, Ted Jenkins, Chris Fremantle, Annie Gent, John Clark, Jim & Sue Stewart, Alistair Stewart, John Marsh, Katie & Jess Cullinan and Cynthia Newman
Those who have died recently, their families and friends:
Emma Belak, Donna Thomas, Nicholas Berry, Tania Foley, Linda Cullinan and Nicholas Scott Lazareff
Bible Reading Suggestions
Monday Hebrews 11: 32 – end
Tuesday Hebrews 12: 1 – 4
Wednesday Hebrews 12: 4 – 7,11 – 15
Thursday Hebrews 2: 14 – end
Friday Hebrews 13: 1 – 8
Saturday Hebrews 13: 15–17, 20-21
Next Sunday’s Readings: 1 Corinthians 2: 1 – 12; Matthew 5: 13 – 20;
THIS WEEK’S NOTICES
Parish Lunch: Please stay for a shared lunch today, prepared and served by the Sunday Morning Study Group.
Church Open to Visitors: During the winter recital series we intend to keep the church open for visitors and will be making tea and coffee after each recital. If you can help please sign up on the rota at the back of the church. Thank you Libby Bradshaw 07956 655 037.
Opportunities to Serve at St Mary’s
Welcomers: there will be a very important Welcomers’ Evening Meeting on Tuesday evening in Church, from 7.30pm to 9.pm. We are very keen to recruit some new Welcomers as our team has been slightly depleted: please come to the meeting to find out more or contact Carol Bailey ([email protected]).
Setting Up for Church: We have recently got a small group going who prepare and clear up the vessels before and after the 11am Parish Eucharist. We could do with one or two more on the rota: contact Sarah Macnab ([email protected]).
Lent Book 2017: St Mary’s Lent Book this year will be Dethroning Mammon by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury. It is both a study book and a work book on the relationship between our faith and money. If you would like us to order a copy for you, please sign up at the back of church.
Battersea Deanery Synod Open Meeting on Refugees: The next Synod is an Open Meeting where the speaker will be Samantha Palmer, a lawyer working with Safe Passage UK, who has been helping try to reunite children from the Jungle Camp in Calais with their families. Thursday 23rd February, 7.30pm – 9pm. Venue St. Luke’s Church.
Forthcoming Dates & Events
31st January Welcomers’ Meeting & Training Meeting at 7.30pm
4th February Annual Marriage Preparation Day
6th February Junior Church Leaders’ Training Meeting at 7.30pm
7th February PCC Working Groups
12th February Guest Preacher: Father Paul Benfield, Vicar of St Nicholas, Fleetwood (Diocese of Blackburn)
13th February General Synod Week (Simon Unavailable)
1st March Ash Wednesday: The Beginning of Lent
Lent at St Mary’s
The season of Lent is one of growth and spiritual development, a season of self-denial and realistic assessment of our human frailty. Among the things on offer this year are the following:
Lent Worship:
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent on 1st March. This year, on Sunday mornings this year, there will be a series of Lent Sermons exploring the Ministry of Healing & Wholeness, giving the church a chance to explore and understand more of what might be involved in such a ministry at St Mary’s. There will also be a special Ecumenical Taizé Service at St Mary’s on Thursday 6th April.
Lent Sunday Evenings: In this year of the Reformation, Simon will be leading us in Bible Studies on the great Reformation text: St Paul’s Letter to the Romans. In both lecture, discussion and study, we can explore the radical message of St Paul’s longest, and most theological, letter. 7pm on Sunday evenings, following Evening Prayer at 6.30pm.
Lent Study:
There will be three different options: a Lent Course entitled Staying Close: A Lent Course Exploring Intimacy with God, which will run on Sunday mornings, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings; the York Course Receiving Christ, which will run on Thursday lunchtimes; and an ecumenical film and discussion group, based on the film The Way, which will run on four Thursday evenings at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church. You can start signing up today.
Lent Reading:
We shall be reading Archbishop Justin Welby’s new book Dethroning Mammon, which explores our relationship with money from a Christian perspective. It can be ordered through St Mary’s by signing up at the back of church by Sunday 5th February.
Lent Music: There will be a special concert for Palm Sunday on 9th April at 6.30pm. On Sunday mornings the Choir will be singing one of Sir Michael Tippett’s Five Negro Spirituals from A Child of our Time on each Sunday of Lent.
1-2-1 Conversations: As is his custom, Simon will be offering time to talk on an individual basis, for personal spiritual development and growth.
And after Easter…Theology on Tap: Monthly beer (or wine), theological discussion and fellowship in a local hostelry, jointly hosted by Simon and Fr. Gerry O’Shaughnessy. Details forthcoming.