#497 The busy season has started
Image: The Plains of Heaven by John Martin (1789–1854)
I was settling down to listen to the bells on Tuesday evening, when a distinctly unpleasant smell hit my nose. Soon it became clear that the Parish Rooms drains were blocked, and they (and the car park) were out of action.
It’s hard for a mouse to drive (my tail doesn’t reach the pedals), but I’m told this is a bit of a problem. Hopefully we’re well on the way to getting it sorted out now!
Meanwhile, there’s a lot going on. My poor paws are tired after this epic of a newsletter…
Fr Sam writes
‘All men are liars,’ writes the Psalmist in Psalm 116. I don’t know how true this is, but what I do know is that all drainage companies that advertise 24/7 service are liars! Hopefully the problems are now cleared and we can be back up and running very soon…
On Monday the PCC had a very busy and very productive meeting. We looked at safeguarding policies, our budget, new trees for the churchyard, the church sound system and more. We have also drafted a letter to our bishops about the Living in Love and Faith process that I alluded to a few weeks ago: more of that next week.
It was a very good and productive meeting. I am a very fortunate Rector! You can expect to see all these things developing in the parish over the next few months…
This Sunday
This Sunday is the last of the Church’s year, the feast of Christ the King. This is a kind of ‘crown’ on the year, when we consider both Christ’s reign over this present age, and also his glorious reign over the age to come. We hear St Paul tell the Colossians of the ‘kingdom of God’s beloved Son’, and in our Gospel we hear the story of the Crucifixion, reminding us that Christ’s throne is not one of domination, but of self-sacrifice and reconciliation. These are the ways of the Kingdom of God.
Image: Christ in Glory in the Tetramorph by Graham Sutherland in Coventry Cathedral
Services this Sunday
| 9.30am | St Paul’s | Parish Mass | Fr Sam Tanna-Korn |
| Organ prelude: Adveniat regnum tuum (Pater Noster) – Bédard Anthem: Jubilate Deo – Peter Anglea Voluntary: Orb and Sceptre Coronation March (1953) – William Walton | |||
| 10am | Woosehill Church | Holy Communion | Revd Cara Smart |
| 11am | St Nicholas’s | Community Eucharist | Fr Sam Tanna-Korn |
Winter Carnival: Help needed
Churches Together in Wokingham is putting on a stall with publicity for all the town’s churches at the Winter Carnival on 30 November. Help is needed with two things:
- Assembling Christingle packs at Wokingham Baptist Church, Milton Road on Saturday 29 November 2025 from 9.30am to 11.30am
- Manning the CTW stall at the Winter Carnival Sunday 30 November- 10.30am to 5.30pm
Can you help with either of these? If so, please call or message Victor Freeney on 07747 642073 or email victor_freeney@hotmail.com
Christmas publicity
The 2025 Christmas service postcards are now ready for delivery. If you are able to deliver some, please get in touch with Louise in the office to arrange collection either from the office or the back of church and to make sure we don’t duplicate roads!
Advent Sequence
Candlelit Advent Service of Music and Readings 6.15pm on Sunday 30 November.
Please come and celebrate the start of Advent, the Church’s New Year, in a sequence of seasonal music and readings.
If anyone would like to do a reading at this service please speak to Fr Sam.
The choir will be organising refreshments and carol singing in the Parish Rooms afterwards. They will be grateful for donations of mulled wine, soft drinks, beer, mince pies, savoury nibbles etc. Anything not used on the night will be donated towards the refreshments after Nine Lessons and Carols.
Social Committee
The Social Committee are saying goodbye to Janet Charlton, who is one of our longest serving members. Janet has decided that it’s time to take a back seat. We owe Janet a great deal for all the hard work she has done on the Committee over many years and we shall miss her. Thank you, Janet!
Janet’s retirement brings into sharp focus the need for some younger people to serve on the Committee . Many of us are now into our eighties – we would love to have some new members – do please think about whether you can join us.
The Committee would welcome a helping hand in setting up large tables before evening events and lunchtime events after church coffee . The next such event will be refreshments after the Nine Lessons and Carols on Sunday 21 December, when we shall need help setting up the tables at 5pm. Please could you let Alan or Trish know if you are able to help with this. Thank you
Retirement of the Bishop of Oxford
Our diocesan bishop, the Right Reverend Steven Croft, has announced his retirement from 31 May next year.
You can read more on the diocesan website.
Please pray for him, for his family, and for the diocese as we prepare to bid him farewell, and to seek his successor.
Woosehill magazine
The latest edition of the Woosehill magazine has been published. There are some hard copies in St Paul’s, or you can download a copy here.
This week’s calendar: a musician martyr
This Saturday 22 November is the feast day of St Cecilia. She was a Christian in Rome in the early centuries of the Church. According to tradition, she heard heavenly music in her heart even as she was forced into marriage and later martyred for her Christian beliefs.
She is the patron saint of musicians, and one of our church schools also bears her name. So please pray for our parish musicians and for St Cecilia’s school.
Image: St Cecilia, by Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653)
