#421: quite good odds, really
Tim Schenck has written these words of invitation and encouragement for parishes all over the world:
“When you hear clergy strongly encouraging you to attend the services of Holy Week, especially the Great Three Days (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil), it’s not just because they like to see more people in the pews, or it’s good for their egos, or they want parishioners to see how much effort goes into these liturgies.
It’s because they believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the transforming power of the Christian faith. It’s because they love you and want nothing more than for you to have such a moving encounter with our Lord, that it will change your life. It’s an invitation rooted in profound love, and a recognition that there is literally nothing more important in the entire world than to participate fully as we collectively journey from the Upper Room to Calvary to the Empty Tomb.
I hope you will join your local parish a lot this week. And I bid you all a most blessed Holy Week.”
News and Notices for the coming week
Please do come along to as many things as you can in Holy Week (see above)- it is absolutely true that the more you are able to put in the more you will get out of it! Don’t forget that the main services on Easter Day will be a bit noisy around the Gloria- you are free to step outside for two minutes if you would prefer to- and do bring something to bang or wave or smack as part of the celebrations of the Resurrection.
Also, more people needed to have their foot washed on Maundy Thursday– please bring a towel and a sock you can easily take off.
Here is what is happening in Town with Churches Together on Friday for Good Friday:
Good Friday 2024 Events in Wokingham
10.30 Stations of the Cross service @ Corpus Christi Church, Sturges Road
11.00 Coffee and Hot Cross Buns
11.30 Walk with the Cross to Peach Place
12.00 ‘Were you there?’ Open Air Presentation drama with music and readings in Peach Place
12.45 Walk with the Cross to All Saints Church, Wiltshire Road 12.50 Concluding prayers
Also, people wanted to help clean St Paul’s on Saturday morning- anytime after 9.30. All welcome. Do bring a broom if you can too:
Church Cleaning
Holy Saturday (30th March) is the day when we have a BIG CLEAN and get the church ready for Easter. It would be lovely to have lots of people to help so, if you have a few hours to spare that morning, please could you come along anytime after 9.30am. We do have cleaning materials, but an extra broom might come in handy! Refreshments of hot cross buns and coffee will be provided. Thank you.
Looking further ahead
The first Repair Cafe is happening on Sat the 13th of April from 10 to 1 at All Saints- it is being organised jointly between the two churches. Bring your broken things along, and do offer to help if you are better at that sort of thing than Bertie is! Visit wokinghamrepaircafe.uk for more details and to volunteer.
Wokingham Repair Café
Don’t bin it when you can repair it!
We are trying to encourage a sustainable environment and to support that we are asking everyone to think before disposing of items that would generally finish up as landfill. If you can extend the life of your electrical appliance, or your bicycle, or your lawn mower etc. you could make a significant impact on our world. To help with this Wokingham will be getting its own Repair Caf̩ where you can take along broken items that you can repair with the help of skilled volunteers. The first session will be on Saturday 13th April between 10am and 1pm. More information can be found on the website Рhttps://wokinghamrepaircafe.uk/ . If you have a particular talent for fixing things, you might also consider volunteering to help at the repair caf̩; a volunteer registration form can also be found on the website.
The next Games Evening is in the Parish Rooms from 7pm on the 12th of May. Why not come along with your favourite board game? And why not come along as a Tithings Group so you can play games together and get to meet some new people as well. Put the date in your diary now.
A reminder for the Carbon Literacy Course in May which is being run by Chris Cipkin on Thursday evenings- if you would like to sign up please could you let Louise know as soon as possible so we know if it is viable or not. Thanks.
Sonning Deanery Prayer Cycle– for the month ahead…
Memorial Service for those who have been bereaved… run by AB Walker…
Job vacancy for a Learning Mentor at St Paul’s Junior School…
