Pentecost

From the Vicar
Have you ever tried to assemble a piece of furniture which comes to you packed up in a couple of boxes?  It can be rather worrying and daunting at first sight! There is a list of instructions in all sorts of different languages, lots of nuts and bolts of different sizes, and usually a few odd-looking tools, which simply look as if they won’t be up to the job, and then one feels lost, confused and helpless!

The disciples together in that upper room between Ascension and Pentecost must have felt lost, confused, helpless, and certainly not up to the job ahead of them, but then something extraordinary happened to them! Suddenly they were set on fire with confidence and pushed out of the comfort and safety of that upper room and into the streets, by that energy of God’s presence. Now the Church was really on the move!
Those disciples, just like ourselves, were learning that the Holy Spirit had been given to the Church to enable it to be the Church for people and places everywhere, no longer closed in within an upper room.

The Holy Spirit pushes us beyond ourselves, our abilities, expectations and safety levels. So, at Pentecost especially we pray, “Come, Holy Spirit”.

Come Holy Spirit, Wind of God
Breath of God, wind of God,
whose source we only vaguely comprehend
and of whose destination we have no knowledge,
disturb us with your power,
ruffle our complacency with your unseen movement,
blow the dust from our beliefs
and the cobwebs from our prejudices
so that we may have such a clearer, fresher faith
that the storms of this world may fail to shake it.
Amen

Michael

Computer tips for later beginners

Initial session will be at the vicarage on Wednesday June 11th at 6.00pm - we anticipate it will last for about an hour, to an hour and a half. Only a couple of people have suggested topics they’d like to know more about, so I will try to deal briefly with a fairly broad range, then identify those that you’d like to go into in more detail on a future occasion.

We do need to know how many are coming - please can you telephone, text or email me, or catch up with me in church, to confirm that you’ll be there; it would also be useful to know which version of Windows you’re using.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Kath Mitchell-Dawson
tel: 01745 550488 • mobile: 07711 675076
email: kath-b@btconnect.com

Book & Plant Fair

Getting ready for all the visitors

"Don't let anyone leave without buying at least ten books ..."

Tea ladies!

Lots of customers ...

Taking a break. I don't think Shirley was about to hit someone ...

Not quite ten books each, but not bad!

Plant sales outside the church

Service with a smile!

Celebrating the Year of Pilgrimage

St Asaph Cathedral will host a special service on Sunday 4 May at 3.30pm to mark the end of the Diocesan Year of Pilgrimage.

Bishop Gregory is keen to see representatives from every Parish in the Diocese at this event and clergy are asked to bring at least two members of each congregation with them to this exciting celebration.

The service will be an opportunity for reflection on the past year and offer the chance to give thanks. A cairn will be built in the centre of the cathedral with items from the Year of Pilgrimage and pilgrims will be able to place their pilgrim's shell on the cairn at the beginning of the service.

Pilgrims will also be able to pick up a certificate marking their participation in the celebrations and have it stamped after the service. Children representing our church schools sharing shell-shaped biscuits made in school as part of their learning.

At the end of the service everyone will be given small flasks of water and parchments of sand to deliver to their churches on the following Sunday to symbolise "journey and refreshment". A special liturgy of "Receiving the Gifts of Sand and Water" will be distributed to all churches so that the flasks and parchments can be presented to all churches in the diocese.

Clergy will not have to robe for this service as the Diocesan family sit together for worship and reflection. We look forward to seeing you on May 4th!

Easter flowers

Flowers in the church this Easter. Click on any photo for a larger version.

Holy Week

From the Vicar : Holy Week
In just a week’s time we will begin Holy Week, which is described in more detail than any other in the life of Jesus. In its drama it provides an opportunity to perhaps reflect on our own Christian  commitment, loyalty and life.

• Can we relate the stories of the Passion, which we read in the Gospels to our own lives? 
• Are we like any of that whole host of characters which we meet in the story? The different disciples, Peter, Judas, Caiaphas, Pilate and members of the crowd.
• Can we imagine what went on each day? Can we see ourselves behaving like those who figure in the Passion of Christ?

It was certainly a difficult time for Jesus and may well be a difficult time for many of us too, as all of us have those “Good Friday” times in our lives – pain, suffering, anxious times and, sadly, loss – perhaps of a person, but also of a relationship.

Some may be held up on their life journey at Good Friday, in difficult times. They are  in need of all our care, love and support, until they are able to gently move forward.

Holy Saturday can be that day of waiting and hoping for better things, a time of waiting for Resurrection. All of this can remind us that Holy Week leads us to another day which we can be part of – that final day of Holy Week.

Easter Day will once more remind us that we are a Church, Parish and People of the Resurrection.

For the children, I guess, a good Easter Day will be measured by the number of Easter eggs on Easter Sunday morning! However, when we eat an egg we know that the shell needs to be broken - sometimes we want to hang on to things just as they are, our habits and our fears too, yet God calls us out of our shells into a whole new way of living - the loving way, for God and each other - perhaps our shells will need to be broken!

A Happy, Blessed and Peaceful Easter.

Michael

Transfiguration Sunday

From the Vicar : Lent 2014
This first Sunday in March, Transfiguration Sunday, means we are preparing for Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, this week. Once again we will travel through these six weeks towards the events of Holy Week and Easter.

Travelling as a group of people builds relationships, understanding, shared experiences and all are welcome on the journey.

On this particular journey we have the opportunity to be close to the greatest travelling companion of all – Jesus – and so discover more about ourselves, each other and the One who helps us define who we are and where we are.

Weekly worship will reflect our growing together and, of course, the Church is open each day for people to drop in, perhaps light a candle, offer a prayer or simply find some quiet space.

Have a good Lent and so look forward with Jesus to a wonderful Easter.

Michael

“Lord, give us the eyes of faith, to see your presence in the world.
Where fear closes our eyes, help us.
Where tears blind us, heal us.
Where busyness keeps us from noticing, slow us.
Where pride gets in the way, release us.
Set us free to see your love at work in the world.”
Amen