#509 Name that sin
It has been a busy few days in St Paul’s and I have had to keep out of the way of a lot of trampling feet. There were two weddings last week, and a funeral this week, and then sixty schoolchildren charging around the building on Tuesday. They looked like good candidates to leave me some tasty spoils, so I was devestated to see the church cleaning team arriving the minute they left.
And I also hear that there was a very successful quiz night across the churchyard in the Parish Rooms in the middle of it all. I didn’t go, I’m afraid: there’s been so much rain this year that I’m beginning to get nervous. I’m building a mouse-sized ark just in case.
Fr Sam writes
We’re hovering on the threshold of Lent. Ash Wednesday is next week, so get your pancakes ready on Tuesday, and your penitential garb ready on Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday masses will be at 10.30am (said) and 8pm (sung), both with the imposition of ashes. Do come along and begin Lent in the proper fashion.
It is also appropriate that this Sunday should mark the beginning of our evensong sermon series for the year. This month I will be preaching on “What is sin?” The full list of preachers will come out soon, but please mark the evening of 15 March in your diary: Bishop Mary is coming to preach on the subject of Lust.
This Sunday: up the mountain
This Sunday is the Sunday before Lent, and it is marked by the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus. The first reading tells of Moses climbing the mountain of the Lord and dwelling there in God’s presence for forty days and nights. The second reading is St Matthew’s account of the Transfiguration of Jesus.
Image: The Transfiguration by Carl Bloch
Services this Sunday
| 8am | St Paul’s | BCP Mass | Fr Sam Tanna-Korn |
| 9.30am | St Paul’s | Parish Mass | Fr Sam Tanna-Korn |
| Preludes: Prelude on St Columba – Grote & Chorale Prelude on St Columba – Milford Anthem: Holy, holy, holy – Schubert Voluntary: Fanfare: Shine, Jesus, shine – Tambling | |||
| 10am | Woosehill Church | Morning Worship | Revd Cara Smart |
| 11am | St Nicholas’s | Community Eucharist | Revd Judi Hattaway |
| 6.15pm | St Paul’s | Evensong | Fr Sam Tanna-Korn |
| Anthem: Set me as a seal – Clausen | |||
Stations of the Cross
The traditional devotion of Stations of the Cross will take place each Friday during Lent at midday. This devotion uses the fourteen images around St Paul’s to explore the journey of Jesus to Calvary and is a powerful way to meditate upon his suffering and love. It lasts about 40 minutes and each week will be led by a different member of the church community.
Desert Island Rector
We are looking forward to our next Mothers’ Union meeting as we have invited Fr Sam to reveal to us his Desert Island Discs. This will take place on Thursday 5 March at 2pm and, depending on numbers, we will meet either in the Carpenter Room or in the church. Please could you let me know if you wish to join us so that we can organise an appropriate venue to accommodate everyone.
Woosehill Church Pancake Party
On Shrove Tuesday, 17 February, there will be a pancake party at Woosehill Church, with a quiz, pancake race and pancake eating at 6.30pm, and a Lent Bible study at 7.30pm.
South Coast Macmillan Mighty Hike
Alice Buddin has signed up to walk the distance of a marathon along the Brighton coast on 13 June to raise money for Macmilan Cancer Support. She writes “I’m doing it as part of a team with two of my sister-in-laws as unfortunately like so many others we have close friends and family who have had to battle cancer. If anyone would like to sponsor me I would be very grateful either by good old fashioned sponsor form in church or via my JustGiving page.”
This week’s calendar: standing in the way of Valentine
This Saturday 14 February is the feast day of Saints Cyril and Methodius. They were 9th-century Byzantine missionaries who evangelized the Slavic peoples of Great Moravia and neighboring regions, translating Scripture and liturgical texts into the Slavic vernacular. They developed the Glagolitic alphabet (the precursor to Cyrillic), laying the foundations for Slavic literary culture and Christian worship in the local language. They are venerated as the patrons of Slavic peoples, missionaries, and Christian unity in Eastern Europe. Their example and prayers are, of course, needed today as much as ever.
