#511 Springing into new life
Fr Sam writes
As I write this, it feels like spring has come. All the daffodils I planted in the autumn have bloomed. Please don’t tell me about the weather forecast for the future.
This Sunday afternoon I will be baptising a new member of Christ’s Church. This is reflected in the St Paul’s custom of sprinkling the congregation with holy, baptismal water at the confession. It is a useful reminder that, though Lent is a time when we contemplate the desert, it is also a time when we think of Christ’s work in washing away our wickedness, and giving us new life.
This Sunday: God so loved the world
This Sunday we hear of the encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus, who came to Jesus by night. The first reading is from St Paul’s letter to the Romans (Romans 4.1-5,13-17): St Paul writes about how we are justified not by our deeds but by our faith in Christ. The second reading is the story of the encounter with Nicodemus (John 3.1-17), when we hear the famous summary of what Christ came to do: ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.’
Image: “Nicodemus Visiting Jesus” by Henry Ossawa Tanner
Services this Sunday
| 8am | St Paul’s | BCP Mass | Fr Sam Tanna-Korn |
| 9.30am | St Paul’s | Parish Mass | Fr Sam Tanna-Korn |
| 10am | Woosehill Church | Morning Worship | Revd Cara Smart |
| 11am | St Nicholas’s | Community Eucharist | Fr Sam Tanna-Korn |
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. Teri Austen
Community Showcase
St Nicholas’ Church and Emmbrook Village Hall Committee invite you to our Community Showcase. Come and join us to meet some of the people and local groups that make Emmbrook special.
The event is on Saturday 21 March between 2 and 4pm in Emmbrook Village Hall. It is part of the St Nicholas 50th birthday celebrations.
This week’s calendar: a faithful bishop
1 March is the feast day of St David, the sixth-century bishop and patron saint of Wales, known for his life of prayer, simplicity, and faithful preaching of the gospel. According to tradition, his ministry and miracles strengthened the early Church in Wales, and a monastery grew at the place where he lived and died. He called his followers to “do the little things” and this continues to inspire Christians today to live humbly, serve faithfully, and seek holiness in everyday life.
Image: An icon of St David from the cathedral and city that bear his name
