#414: Not a lot of funny things in the world to comment on in the heading at the moment…
My dear friends,
I wonder if you can spot me in the photo above, taken at Bristol Cathedral this weekend. I sneaked onto the coach in Fr Richard’s coat-hood- don’t tell Rhoda because I was trying to avoid paying for a ticket so I could spend all of my pocket money on a delicious piece of Bristol Blue cheese, which absolutely lived up to the billing. Although it did make it harder to hide away on the way back- that strength of cheese makes it hard to keep a low profile. In fact, I was so inspired by the whole adventure, and by the way that the choir sang, and by the way that Chris bravely played in the middle of a building site in his borrowed and bizarrely pointless fluorescent jacket (why was that compulsory and there was no helmet?) that I penned another brilliant poem…
Bravely sitting on the organ stool
Right in the middle of scaffolding and fencing
Indeed, penned in like a protestor,
Somehow the music sets him free
To sing, and play- sets us free too
Or lifts us, lightly, into the
Light- which is really a block of Golden Cenarth cheese. Lovely.
It perhaps needs a bit more work- unlike the Golden Cenarth, which I have absolutely polished off. Lovely indeed. The news…
COMING SOON
Lots going on on Sunday the 11th – foodbank collection at 9.30 and 11, Taize Service at St Nick’s at 3pm and then Songs of Praise at 6.15pm in St Paul’s. There are more details here, in the letter which will also be given out on Sunday morning…
Here are more details of Come and See, from the Diocese of Oxford…
Want to join?
Our Come and See journey for 2024 kicks off on Ash Wednesday, 14 February. It’s a warm, open invitation to anybody and everybody to explore what faith has to offer. There’s still time to join up and spread the word!
Wondering whether it’s for you? Find out more.
Share the webpage with your friends and get ready to journey together with daily reflections and weekly video messages from Bishop Steven this Lent.
Order the booklets
Purchase Pilgrim Journeys: The Way of Love for those who would like to follow a booklet rather than daily email reflections during Lent.
It also includes details of Lent- Ash Wednesday is on the 14th of Feb, and it is really important that everyone starts Lent well by coming along to the 10.30 or 8 o’clock services at St Paul’s- the 8pm will also be available on the Livestream.
Thanks so much to everyone who has responded to the appeal for new Hymnbooks– we now have enough donations of every type of book apart from the Words edition which the congregation tend to have. They cost £9 and we will use any more donations to buy more of those because we are still very short of those. Thank you!… Lesley has sent this message with more details…
Songs of Praise
Please join us this Sunday evening at 6.15pm for an enjoyable informal evening singing some of your favourite hymns chosen by members of the congregation. There will be refreshments and a retiring collection to raise money for the new hymnbooks.
As you will have heard on Sunday, we now have sufficient donations of full music, melody and large print hymnbooks so all donations from now on will be directed towards words copies for the congregation.
AND ALSO, WHILE WE’RE HERE…
If anyone would like to have a go at tidying the Children’s Chapel again then that would be super- please can you speak to Richard or Louise? Thanks. It needn’t be a big job- it’s just important that we keep an eye on it and keep everything fresh and up to date.
Greenbelt 2023 was excellent. It is a weekend Christian festival in Northamptonshire and immense fun, suitable for everyone and all ages- some people camp, some people stay in a hotel or a camper van. The link is here and it would be great to get a group from the parish to go… Greenbelt Festival – Greenbelt Speak to the Lameys, the Weedons and Lynne Judge for enthusiastic recommendations around Greenbelt.
Also, please don’t forget earlier emails about events for young people and children at Christian holiday camps which Becca and Esther help to run, and also the Diocesan trip form 16 to 30 year olds to Taize in August.
Soulspace are organising a Coffee Morning to build community and raise funds on the 23rd of Feb…
And future notice of the World Day of Prayer… This year Woosehill church is hosting the World Day of Prayer service on Monday 1st March starting at 10.30 we would like to invite you to join us if you are able. This year rather poignantly the service has been written by the Women of Palestine.There will light refreshments to follow the service.
And two photos from Madagascar… of Bishop Hall with some of his fellow Bishops and the Churches Together Service in the Lutheran Church.
