It was a large crowd from Wokingham that drove down to Portsmouth on Saturday, ready for the St Paul's Choir to sing Evensong in Portsmouth Cathedral. It's not the world's biggest cathedral, though there was plenty of room for a mouse to run around and explore.
Sadly the music chosen for the evening didn't have any rodent parts. I offered to make myself useful by taking photographs and recording the music, but others already had that in hand and I was able to put my feet up in an empty stall. I'm told you can find pictures and recordings on the church website.
The next outing is already booked! The choir are accompanying me on a trip to Winchester Cathedral on 16 February. Maybe this time they'll let me sing...
Fr Sam writes
It was such a pleasure to go on the choir's trip to Portsmouth on Saturday. I know it was warmly appreciated by the cathedral clergy, who were full of compliments for the music.
And a 'thank you' must also go to the significant number of supporters who came along to participate in the worship. It was a great example of what our church is all about.
'O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness' wrote the Psalmist. It is wonderful when our worship is beautiful because it leads our inward souls into a deeper understanding of the beauty of God.
Come, O thou Traveller unknown, Whom still I hold, but cannot see; My company before is gone, And I am left alone with thee; With thee all night I mean to stay And wrestle till the break of day.
From "Wrestling Jacob" by Charles Wesley
Services this Sunday
8am
St Paul's
BCP Mass
Fr Sam Tanna-Korn
9.30am
St Paul's
Parish Mass
Revd Cara Smart
Organ preludes: Berceuse Armas Järnefelt (arr. Fricker) Musings on 'Engelberg' Paul Leddington Wright Anthem: Cantate Domino Giuseppe Pitoni Organ voluntary: Intrada Malcolm Archer
10am
Woosehill Church
Morning Worship
Fr Sam Tanna-Korn
11am
St Nicholas's
Community Eucharist
Revd Colin James
1.30pm
St Paul's
Holy Baptism
Fr Sam Tanna-Korn
6.15pm
St Paul's
Evensong
Fr Sam Tanna-Korn
Organ prelude: Night Cyril Jenkins Responses: Rose Canticles: Sumsion in A Anthem: O thou, the central orb Charles Wood Organ voluntary: Choral (op. 37, no. 4) Joseph Jongen
Autumn Bazaar
The Autumn Bazaar will be on Saturday 8 November, midday to 3pm in the Parish Rooms. Do come along and bring your friends and family!
Grand Draw tickets
Grand Draw tickets are on sale now. They are available from Liz Gallagher or Teri Austen. The first prize is a Lovely Luxury Hamper, the second prize a Wine Hamper and there are many more prizes. We would be grateful for donations for the hampers. There is a sign-up list at the back of St Paul's and St Nick’s. Also, we would be very grateful for donations of suitable prizes. The Draw will take place at the end of the Bazaar.
Tombola
The choir are running the Tombola and would be grateful to receive donations of suitable items such as bottles, cans, packets, toiletries, sweets etc. These can be handed to members of the choir or placed in the Tombola box at the back of St Paul's.
Taizé service
Susannah will lead us in a Taizé service at Emmbrook Village Hall on Sunday 26 October at 3.00pm.
All are welcome to this peaceful, reflective service. There will be tea and cake afterwards.
This week's calendar: the beloved physician
Saturday 18 October is the feast day of St Luke, to whom the third Gospel is attributed. St Luke is referred to by St Paul as the "beloved physician": he was a doctor by profession, and his gospel shows a particular regard for the outcast and excluded in society.
The collect for St Luke's day unites his medical career with his evangelistic one as it refers to the "wholesome medicine of the Gospel", reminding us that the Good News brings healing not only for our mortal bodies, but also for our immortal souls.
St Paul's Wokingham with St Nicholas and Woosehill
