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Benefice
Newsletter


  11 November
2020

A message from Canon Margaret

I have a confession to make.

I sat in an almost empty church this week. For twenty minutes. And ran out of anything to say to God. Actually, I ran out of things to say after about ten minutes but thought it wouldn’t look good if I left quite so quickly. Particularly in my dog collar.

I’m finding this latest lockdown difficult. I have muscles that ache. Not legs and arms and shoulders. But spiritual muscles. I find I don’t know what to do with myself in prayer without the stimulus of a service. And particularly without the trigger of music. And there’s these dark November days...

And then I listened to Joe Biden. Waiting. Apparently. And I heard him quote his favourite hymn. Which is one of mine too.

You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,
Who abide in His shadow for life,
Say to the Lord, "My refuge, my rock in whom I trust!"

And He will raise you up on eagles' wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His hand.

And I realised I do know what to say.

I can say to the Lord, "You are my refuge, my rock in whom I trust!"

Enough.

For those of us who want to be on the go all the time, talking all the time, to trust God enough to rest in his love is hard. But it is enough.

Maybe God will be able to speak to us instead. And maybe we will listen?

 
With prayer and love
Canon Margaret
Changes

We have changed some of the previously published details of our church events. We don't expect them to change again, but if they do, we will tell you in the newsletter. The changes are:
  • All Saints' Church is open for private prayer Thursdays 10:30 - 11:30 (instead of 10:00 - 12:00)
  • Our Christmas Eve Nativity play via Zoom will be hosted from All Hallows at 16:00 (and not from All Saints at 19:00)
  • Blue Christmas has been renamed Light in the Darkness
Worship schedule

Weekly worship via Zoom
  • Tues & Thurs 8:30 Morning Prayer
  • Wed 17:30 Evening Prayer
  • Sun 10:00 Sunday Morning Prayer followed by coffee & chat
  • Sun 18:00 Compline
For the link please contact Rev Christine, Rev Paula or Agnes. You can find our contact details at the end of the newsletter.
 

Churches open for
private prayer
  • All Saints Thurs 10:30 - 11:30
  • All Hallows Wed & Sat 10:30 - 12:30

Advent and Christmas
  • 26 Nov and 3, 10, 17 Dec 19:30 Advent Course via Zoom
  • 14 - 20 Dec Light in the Darkness prayer space Swansgate Centre
  • 24 Dec 16:00 Nativity via Zoom
  • 24 Dec 20:00 Bethlehem Mass (joint benefice service) All Hallows
  • 25 Dec 9:15 Family Eucharist (joint benefice service) All Saints
  • 27 Dec no services at All Saints
  • 27 Dec 10:30 Family Eucharist (joint benefice service) All Hallows
Magazine deadline

If you have any items to publish in the magazine, send them to John (johnvmagazine@virginmedia.com) by Sunday 15 November, please.
Online events

Canon Margaret is leading our Advent Course titled Left Holding the Baby. There will be four sessions, weekly on Thursday at 19:30 via Zoom, starting on 26 Nov. Please ask Canon Margaret for the invitation link.

The Posada will move over to Facebook this year. You can join in by drawing a nativity scene or taking a photo of your crib at home. We are planning to post a new image on our churches' Facebook every day in Advent. Please let Rev Paula know if you would like to take part.

We would like to publish a recording of Nine Lessons and Carols on our YouTube channel, and hopefully on DVD for those who have no internet access. If you can offer your technical expertise with this, please let us know.
Light in the Darkness

We need volunteers to run a prayer space in Swansgate Centre the week beginning 14 Dec, for those who struggle to engage with the jollity of Christmas due to bereavement, financial hardship or other reasons. Please speak to Rev Paula if you can help or if you would like to know more.
Our prayers are asked for:Prayer

Those who suffer in body, mind or spirit, among them Christian S, Sue P, Roger P, Richard H, Tim C.

The housebound: Ruth S, Margaret O, Diana B.

The Church of Ceylon (Extra-Provincial to the Archbishop of Canterbury); The Rt Revd Dhiloraj Ranjit Canagasabey, Bishop of Colombo; The Rt Revd Keerthisiri Fernando, Bishop of Kurunegala. The Porvoo Churches: Estonia, Rochester.

If you would like to add a name to our prayer list, please first obtain the consent of the person you wish us to pray for. Then tell Rev Christine whom to pray for and the reason why.
Remember the departedBlack cross

Those whose anniversaries fall on this week: Lily Renk, James Hill, Elizabeth Ferris, Evelyn Watson, Frank Loads, Lee Hopkins, Baby Carl Bates, James William Raymond, Ralph Ward, Harry Temple, David Reid, Jim Leatherland, Stuart Coles, Alan Miles Desborough.

Those who passed away recently, among them Ella Reid. We pray for those who mourn.
Contacts
Rev Paula
01933 227101
revpaulayork@gmail.com
Agnes
(benefice admin)
officeallsaints@btinternet.com
officeallhallows@btinternet.com
Rev Christine
(prayer list)
01933 226730
07927405764 (text messages only)
c.ostler@btinternet.com
Barbara
(prayer chain)
01933 222612 or 07694251570
Canon Margaret
07752183574
revmahj@gmail.com
John
(magazine editor)
01933 382502 or 0774615656
johnvmagazine@virginmedia.com
Bob A.
(churchwarden and GDPR officer of All Saints)
01933 383316
Michael
(churchwarden, planned giving and GDPR officer of All Hallows)
01933 401596
Bob T.
(churchwarden of All Saints)
01933 227335
Bob A.
(churchwarden of All Hallows)
01933 223850
Ian
(help with shopping / collection of prescriptions)
01933 274222
Chris
(treasurer of All Saints & All Hallows)
christopher.haynes2@ntlworld.com
Our website: allhallowsandallsaintswellingborough.co.uk
Our online services: rebrand.ly/saintsandhallows
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