E-Newsletter St Mary's & St Michael's Parish of Shalford & Peasmarsh Update & Worship Early January
Heading towards epiphany new year light bursting across Shalford from the chantries
Sharing extracts from one of Jan Richardson's blessings with you today, with prayers for a time of dreaming, reimagining, looking forward to new tables of welcome...which will come:
When you are lost
in your own life.
When the landscape
you have known
falls away.
When your familiar path
becomes foreign
and you find yourself
a stranger
in the story you had held
most dear.
Then let yourself
be lost.
Let yourself leave
for a place whose contours
you do not already know,
whose cadences you have not learned
by heart.
let yourself land on a threshold
that mirrors the mystery
of your own
bewildered soul.
It will come as a surprise,
what arrives
to welcome you through the door,
making a place for you at the table
and calling you
by your name.
Praying together this week:
Everlasting God,
at this time we lift to you
those in all nations
who work on the front line in healthcare.
Be their strength and their shield
enfold them in your loving embrace,
as they give of themselves in the care of others.
Give them courage and support in their work,
and knowledge of the thankfulness of individuals and of millions
Amen.
Please forward this newsletter to any who you think might be interested, and ask them to email us if they'd like to receive St Mary's e-news regularly.
Due to the high risks locally as well as nationally at this time, St Mary’s worship together will now sadly be entirely online until Ash Wednesday at the earliest. We hope then to offer outdoor worship through Lent as well as continuing online on youtube and zoom, but do let us know your hopes - we will review and announce any revised worship plans by 17th February. From now until Ash Wednesday please see below and more on our website, which we hope will offer you some spiritual, pastoral & community support amidst these difficult times. Please get in touch if you have any other needs, requests, comments: though we can’t be so visibly present at the moment, we are here for you, for each other, for every other.
THIS SUNDAY 10TH JANUARY - ST MARY'S HOME CHURCH -
THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST
Join via the zoom link below at 10am for informal worship together this Sunday,
and for a few Sundays following. This Sunday as we journey through the season of Epiphany, we will be celebrating the baptism of Christ with a little Piero, and asking 'who or what affirms you as a beloved child of God?'
Please bring a picture/image, object, poem, reflection which you might be willing to share briefly together, reflecting baptism, epiphany, or child of God to you.
And then there's coffee (byo!) & chat - how are you coping in this lockdown?
Look forward to seeing you - just click link below to join by 10am Sunday:
Topic: St Mary's Home Church on Sundays followed by coffee
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84683965438?pwd=eHU4RGhZSzRTR1o3TEJJclc0c3g0Zz09
Dial by your location +44 203 481 5237 United Kingdom
Bishop Andrew's Sermon for this Sunday
'Who do you think you are?' is the theme of Bishop Andrew's sermon for this Sunday, based on the lectionary readings for Epiphany 1, including the story of Jesus' baptism in Mark 1:4-11; and what does it mean to be 'God's Beloved'?
The Shalford & Peasmarsh Community Support Network (below) has continued to receive calls steadily every week since the last lockdown for lifts, shopping, prescriptions and we still have many more volunteers who rarely get the chance to help and are ready and waiting. We also now have a special team of DBS checked insured volunteer drivers able to give lifts to vaccine and other appointments if safe to do so. Please pass on news and contact details to your neighbours and all you think might value support from locals helping locals during this difficult lockdown. Thanks so much to all of you who volunteer so wonderfully, and so safely with masks and distance at the fore.
GIVING TO St Mary's and Shalford & Peasmarsh Parish Just click on the big blue button above (or the one on St Mary's website) if you could donate to Shalford Parish church (St Mary's & St Michael's) life, ministry, serving community. Along with so many other areas of life at the moment, churches have been hit hard financially through the pandemic and we would be so grateful for your donations. The button will take you directly to our Justgiving site for one-off or regular online donations, where we can also receive gift aid. If you would be willing to discuss setting up regular giving through direct debit in the Parish Giving Scheme, that would be a wonderful help - please contact Ann Thomas to discuss. Thank you so much for all your support.
