Own up then- who’s got 60 million spare Covid tests at home? [259]
Dear friends- great excitement here as we get everything ready for Cara’s First Mass on Sunday at 9.30am. Do please continue to pray for her, and for all of those being ordained in the next 10 days or so (including Miles Welborn as deacon at Christ Church Cathedral on the 3rd of July), and for all of those who respond to God’s call, whether that is lay or ordained, in the home or in the place of employment.
Cara’s Ordination
Cara is being ordained priest at 11am tomorrow (Saturday) by the Bishop of Reading in Reading Minster. The link for the service is here if you would like to join in at the time, or catch up later: Livestream (anglican.org)
Sunday Morning
As well as services at St Paul’s at 8am, and at Woosehill at 10 and St Nick’s at 11, Cara will preside for the first time at the 9.30am Service. This service will be livestreamed in the usual places, and the Order of Service is here:
We will make a short presentation to Cara during the service, and she will cut a cake, but we will have to save the main celebration until after the 9.30 on Sunday the 25th of July once the restrictions have relaxed (fingers crossed) and we can circulate and chat and relax and not have to sit down and stay in one place and keep counting our group size. The wine will keep until then- and thank you to everyone who donated wine, or donated to Cara’s present. It’s not too late to donate even now- see email 256 for full details on how to do that.
The bellringers are also planning to ring a quarter peal before the service in celebration of such an important day, which will be a lovely sound as you come up the Church drive.
And here is the link for the Children’s Activities which Cara normally sends out, for anyone who wants to use it at home instead of or as prep for J-Club: ebdd71_a1a4c448c3434d6487f9ba48cd7f231e.pdf (filesusr.com)
Bobs and bits
A memorial service for Pam Beckett is happening on Tuesday the 29th of June at 2.30pm at St Paul’s. Do come along if you would like to support Hugh and the family.
Also, on the afternoon of the 29th the Government are testing how to send out emergency alerts to people in a set area. We don’t know how far the area will cover, but if you are in Reading that pm there is a good chance that you might get a test text which looks alarming at first. Don’t panic and jump into the river or anything like that- I think you’ll be asked to read the text and not do anything else. Just a heads-up as the Gov practice something new and important.
Caroline Saynor of St Nick’s has done an excellent video of Windrush in Wokingham, as was mentioned last week by Bertie- here is the video which was the centre of the Assembly at Holme Grange on Tuesday morning:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13tBmDDQq59xIYGqWltLqn9IYXBDHG3Ul/view?usp=sharing
If you would like to tell your story or the story of your family then do contact Caroline to offer to be interviewed- she would love to hear from you.
There will be a full email about volunteering at St Paul’s next week (way to stoke anticipation and eagerness!) but for the time being can I mention two things? Wokingham Borough are organising a Picnic for Pride Month at Elms Field on the 10th of July- if anyone would like to volunteer to be a marshal or a First Aider please let me know? And do pick up a Pride flag when you see them, and do look out for book recommendations in the Library as well.
Also, if anyone who comes regularly to St Paul’s would be willing to toll the bell at the elevation of the sacrament during the Eucharistic Prayer then please speak to a member of the clergy. Thanks.
And finally, the moment you’ve been waiting for… joke of the day…
No, really, I’m not being condescending. I’m too busy to do that, thinking about things which are far too complex and important for someone like you to understand. (Jimmy Carr)
