#534 Such moderate rain and showers
Fr Sam writes
I have always been a great cricket enthusiast, despite growing up on a diet of 1990s English batting collapses. I will confess to being a curmudgeon who can’t bear the Hundred: I long for proper cricket. And it seems that what we needed to end the summer-long drought was the return of Test matches. This feels very much as it should be.
I’m also reminded of the Book of Common Prayer’s prayer for rain, which asks God to send “such moderate rain and showers, that we may receive the fruits of the earth to our comfort”. Definitely my prayer of the week…
Image: “Shade and Darkness – the Evening of the Deluge” by J. M. W. Turner
This Sunday: on this Rock
This Sunday we come to a central moment in St Matthew’s Gospel, when the disciples recognise and acknowledge exactly who Jesus is.
Our first reading is from the prophecy of Isaiah, where the prophet reminds the people to remember “the rock from which you were hewn”, their long history of the relationship they had with God (Isaiah 51.1-6).
Our Gospel reading sees Jesus ask the disciples who they think he is. Peter says “You are the Messiah” and is told that he is the rock on which Christ’s Church will be built (Matthew 16.13-20).
Image: “View of Toledo” by El Greco
Services this Sunday
| 9.30am | St Paul’s | Parish Mass | Fr Sam Tanna-Korn |
| 10am | Woosehill Church | Holy Communion | Revd Cara Smart |
| 11am | St Nicholas’ | Community Eucharist | Fr Sam Tanna-Korn |
Rochester Cathedral
Saturday, 26 September 2026 – Choir singing Evensong at Rochester Cathedral – 3.15pm.
As ever, the choir would really appreciate members of the congregation joining us and a coach is being organised. It will leave Wokingham at 9.15am arriving in Rochester at approx. 11.15am and leave Rochester at 5.30pm arriving back in Wokingham at 7.30pm approx.
The cost will be somewhere between £22 and £30 for adults, £10 for Children.
There will be a sign-up sheet at the back of church or you can email Rhoda at rhoda297@gmail.com.
Ride & Stride
It’s not long now before this year’s Ride & Stride Day to raise money for Berkshire Historic Churches Trust. This year it will take place on Saturday 12 September.
The Berkshire Historic Churches Trust raises money to help maintain the structure and fabric of churches across Berkshire, through the provision of grants towards repairs and renovations. Ride & Stride is the annual fundraising event for all of the Historic Churches Trusts across the UK.
We need:
PARTICIPANTS – Could you walk, ride or cycle between some churches in Wokingham, Reading or anywhere else in our county? You can do as few or as many as you like. It is a great opportunity to visit some of the churches in and beyond our area.
WELCOMERS – Anyone who has participated knows that it is nice to be greeted when you arrive at a church and to have someone to speak to there. Could you help by spending an hour in St Paul’s on the day to welcome any visitors to our church?
SPONSORS – If you cannot participate, please sponsor the people Riding & Striding for St Paul’s. As well as raising money for the Berkshire Historic Churches Trust, half of the money raised is returned to St Paul’s.
It would be really good to have some new cyclists taking part from St Paul’s. So, if you have a bike, please think about being a participant. A number of other churches organise groups of walkers who visit churches together, rather than taking part as individuals, and a few have a cycle group as well.
If you can take part as a Rider or Strider (either on your own or as part of a group), or be in the church as a Welcomer, please speak to or contact, Andrew Harte (email: rideandstride@spauls.org.uk)
This week’s calendar: a disappearing disciple
On Monday 24 August the Church celebrates St Bartholomew, one of the twelve apostles. Bartholomew is named in the Gospels among those whom Jesus called to follow him. Tradition holds that he later preached the Gospel far from his homeland and was martyred for his faith.
His feast reminds us that discipleship begins with Christ’s call and leads us into lives of faithful witness, even if history doesn’t record our deeds.
Image: Mosaic of St Bartholemew in Ravenna dating from the sixth century
