‘Sir, give me this water so I may never be thirsty’ (John 4:15)
With Jesus, things are never predictable. In our very different time and context, over-familiarity with the incident of the Samaritan woman at the well may blind us to the original shock value. Jesus openly challenges and breaks through two boundaries: that between the chosen people (the Jews) and those rejected (the Samaritans) and between male and female. The woman herself is taken back by Jesus' request, recognizing his breach of both boundaries: 'How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?' In his approach to the woman, Jesus challenges each one of us in our natural human tendency to assess others, on whatever grounds - race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation - in terms of inclusion and exclusion. He is inviting those who claim to be disciples to join him in breaking through those boundaries, instead of helping to construct them and keep them in place.
Yet the challenge goes deeper than this. Jesus offers living water, and the woman's immediate response is to rejoice at the idea of a permanent quenching of physical thirst and the redundancy of a boring and repetitive chore. So often we appraoch God on the basis of our immediate and perceived need, and indeed, Christ himself urges us to do this. But he also beckons us deeper - beyond our surface desires to that fountain of living water that alone can sustain and nurture us for all eternity.
Barbara Mosse
'Love in a time of Coronavirus'
The Coronavirus pandemic is presenting the global community with a new set of challenges that are changing and developing from day to day. At Holy Trinity Church we believe 'that the world will be saved by beauty' and each of us is called upon to think about others first and act in kind and considerate ways. So we should:
Protect and support our neighbours by observing all the official precautions
Reach out to the elderly, housebound and those with chronic health conditions (see 'Taking care' below)
Refrain from panic and hoarding food
Resist fear and live today to the full
Pray! For those who have been deeply affected by Coronavirus, those who are or have been sick, those isolated, for health specialists and authorities who are combatting the spread of infection, and of course for all who at this time are feeling anxious.
From this Sunday, in order to ensure the best possible level of hygiene in public worship, we will be observing at the Sung Eucharist, and in similar ways at other services, the following best practices recommended by the Church of England:
The Clergy and Servers will wash and sanitise their hands before handling the vessels and the elements, before Mass and at the Offertory
We will receive Holy Communion in one kind only, ie. receive only the Host
The Host will be administered into the hand only, not directly onto the tongue
Children or other non-communicants will receive a blessing without physical contact
At the Peace and at other times, there will be no shaking of hands
There will be no refreshments served after the service
It is highly likely that the present situation in the United Kingdom will get considerably worse before it gets better. We await to see what the Government orders in terms of public gatherings. However, we write to assure you as your priests that Holy Trinity Church will remain open as a place of prayer whatever lies ahead. Our forebears faced two World Wars with courage and determination and subsequently rebuilt their lives and the life of our community by faith. We must do the same.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Nicholas Wheeler Rector
Fr. Grant Bolton-Debbage Assistant Priest
Choral Societies stop concerts
Both our own Sloane Square Choral Society and the Battersea Choral Society have taken the very tough decision not to go ahead with forthcoming concerts owing to the Coronavirus pandemic. Sloane Square Choral Society were to perform Dvorak's 'Stabat Mater' on Sunday (March 15) and Battersea Choral Society were to perform Elgar's 'The Kingdom' on Saturday 21 March.
Sloane Square Choral Society have decided to cancel their concert and will offer ticket refunds but hope to offer members a 'Come and Sing' day with the piece at some point in the future. Battersea Choral Society are postponing their concert until later in the year.
This is a particularly difficult time for freelance musicians who we should be thinking of and praying for.
Come with us on the Walsingham Way
This August, pilgrims from Holy Trinity Sloane Square will set out on a four-day pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. This will be our FIFTH pilgrimage since 2016 but the difference this year is that we will be travelling with pilgrims from Fr. Grant's new parish, All Saints, New Cross.
As always it will be an opportunity to grow in faith as we journey with Jesus Christ and our fellow pilgrims to the beautiful Norfolk countryside to a place so holy that it has become known as ‘England’s Nazareth’. Why not join us? Brochures and booking forms for the pilgrimage are now available in church.
Cleaning Guild looking for new volunteers
On Saturday April 4 our Cleaning Guild will spend a couple of hours - as they do on the first Saturday of every month - dusting and polishing our Church to keep it beautiful for all who step into it.
The volunteers are a dedicated group without whose efforts we would quickly find dust and cobwebs appearing and our beautiful metal ornaments no longer gleaming.
Would you like to join the Cleaning Guild? The Guild begins its tasks at 11am and finishes before 1pm with a short time of prayer and a delicious sandwich lunch. If you can't make it every first Saturday of the month, come when you can.
A special desk job!
The welcome Desk at Holy Trinity ensures that visitors to our church receive a warm welcome. But although we try to staff the desk between 10am and 4pm in two-hour slots each day, there are still quite a few gaps.
The photograph shows Joan Rawle, who volunteers to sit at the Welcome Desk on Fridays from 12 noon to 2pm. You may or may not be able to be here very week but if you could volunteer to ensure that this great tradition continues, speak to our Parish Administrator Sophie Wilson by e-mail or phone (details below).
The Beauty of Holiness
There is nothing more compelling than a life lived for others that brings love and joy to the world. We may think of one of the saints or perhaps a neighbour who makes a big difference to our community. All too often our awareness of our own frailties and faults discourages us from seeking to emulate those spiritual giants but we are all called to be 'something beautiful for God’ and by His grace working in us we can be transformed.
The season of Lent provides an opportunity to engage our whole selves in just such an adventure. Its forty days recall the time Jesus spent in the desert preparing himself for the offering of his life. Originally, it was the time when new Christians prepared for baptism at Easter or when those separated from the life of the church through sin were restored to its fellowship.
There is something for everybody at Holy Trinity this Lent to help us grow in the beauty of holiness. Not everything will be for everybody. But I pray that through study, self-examination, penitence and prayer you will come to Easter Day renewed for your witness in the world.
Fr. Nicholas Wheeler · Rector
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2021
It is always very moving to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, there is so much to see and experience and learn together. St Jerome said: ‘Five gospels record the life of Jesus. Four you will find in books and the one you will find in the land they call Holy. Read the fifth gospel and the world of the four will open to you.’
We invite you to come and know this for yourselves whether you are new to the Holy Land or have been many times before; there are always new sights and sounds to reflect upon. Reading the gospels will never be the same again and by visiting the Holy Land we are standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters there too. To have the chance to meet the ‘living stones’, the local Palestinian and Israeli Christians who are the ongoing, living church in the region, is humbling.
Our pilgrimage will include the sites where the most important events in Our Lord’s life and ministry took place: in Jerusalem and the surrounding area and further north in Galilee. We hope that if you have never been on pilgrimage to the Holy Land before you will choose to join us and, if you have been before, we welcome you back. Our journey is a life changing as well as faith changing experience. We invite you to journey with us and to share in this great opportunity to see those places we read of in the Scriptures.
The cost is £1,995 sharing a twinbedded/double room with ensuite bathroom. We stay in two religious guest houses - St Andrew’s in Jerusalem overlooking the Old City and in Galilee we stay at the popular Pilgerhaus in Tabgha right on the lakeside. The tour is on a full-board basis with buffet breakfast, lunch and evening meal included daily. Touring is by airconditioned coach and we will be accompanied by a local guide who will share leadership responsibilities and look after the formalities of hotel check-ins, etc. All entrance fees are included as well as gratuities.
For more information, see the brochure in church or contact parishoffice@sloanechurch.org
CONCERTS and EVENTS
News from THE DIOCESE OF LONDON
Loving our neighbours at a time of Coronavirus
Good hand hygiene and good respiratory hygiene is the message of the day. Nevertheless, we are in the midst of something which is going to be a marathon, and not a sprint, so how we respond beyond the Government guides will define our communities.
We are blessed by having a church at the heart of every community and, as Christians who have been called to love our neighbours, we have the potential to work in partnership to shape our communities by love – with of course clean hands and following good respiratory hygiene! What does loving our neighbours look like in the midst of coronavirus?
Here are some suggestions:
Self-isolating if we develop a new and persistent cough or a temperature – this will protect those who are more vulnerable and reduce the pressure on our health service.
Look out for neighbours who might need to self-isolate. Could we offer help to ensure that they get the supplies that they need?
Look out for elderly and vulnerable congregation members in particular. Do they know where to turn ahead of time, in the event that they need support? Could we create a buddy system keeping in contact with each other by phone?
Look out for those fearful of coming out of their homes. Could we offer to ring for a chat?
Is the local food bank well-stocked? Could you donate a little extra?
Look out for those we know working in health and social care who will come under increased pressure.
It is now evident that our lives are going to be affected in many different ways. For those who become ill, or are having to look after others, there will be practical day-to-day implications. However, there is also the profound effect that the coming days, weeks and months will have on our mental wellbeing.
The charity Mind has put together some very helpful informationfor those who are unwell, self-isolating, or – and this will apply to almost everyone – those who are simply worried. Our mental wellbeing will be just as important as our physical health as we come to terms with the current situation.
So with clean hands, and clear thoughts, let us love our neighbours with open hearts.
The Rt Revd & Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE
Diary Dates
Sunday 19 April 2020 at 11am Fr Grant's Farewell at Holy Trinity
Sunday 4 May 2020 at 8pm Fr Grant's Institution and Induction
as Vicar of All Saints, New Cross at All Saints, New Cross
Parish Diary
All events at Holy Trinity Sloane Square unless otherwise stated
SUNDAY 15 MARCH The Third Sunday of Lent
Intention: Parish and People
8.30am Holy Communion
11.00am Sung Eucharist Holy Trinity
Lift thine eyes Felix Mendelssohn Missa brevis James MacMillan God so loved the world Bob Chilcott
Preacher: The Revd. Grant Bolton-Debbage
Monday 16 March Intention: The homeless
Tuesday 17 March Patrick, Bishop, Missionary, Patron of Ireland Intention: Irish Christians
Wednesday 18 March Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, Teacher of the Faith Intention: Those in need
5.30pm Confessions (by appointment)
6.30pm Eucharist
7.00pm Lenten Study Group in the Parish Room
Thursday 19 March Joseph of Nazareth Intention:Servers
6.30pm Stations of the Cross
Friday 20 March Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne, Missionary Intention: The hungry
Saturday 21 March Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury Intention: The elderly
SUNDAY 22 MARCH The Fourth Sunday of Lent
MOTHERING SUNDAY
Intention: Parish and People
8.30am Holy Communion
11.00am All-Age Sung Eucharist
6.00pm Choral Evensong and Benediction
WHO'S WHO and CONTACTS
RECTOR The Revd. Canon Nicholas Wheeler E-mail: rector@sloanechurch.org
ASSISTANT PRIEST The Revd. Grant Bolton-Debbage E-mail: priest@sloanechurch.org
HONORARY ASSISTANT The Rt. Revd. Dr. Michael Marshall
CHURCHWARDENS Jeffrey Kabel Carolyn Hallett
ASSISTANT CHURCHWARDENS Gill Dunley
John Renz
TREASURER David Fairlamb
PCC SECRETARY Martin Bonham
PARISH ADMINISTRATOR Sophie Wilson E-mail: parishoffice@sloanechurch.org
Telephone: 020 7730 7270
FACILITIES AND EVENTS MANAGER Clinton McMaster E-mail: manager@sloanechurch.org
Telephone: 020 7730 7270
