On Sunday July 7th we welcomed guest organist Andy Johnson from Middleton Scriven, who with our own cantor Les, lead us in a mini-choral evensong. Anglican plainsong has its own, haunting quality and the sung evening prayer has a surprisingly large number of followers; we were joined by a number from Chelmarsh. We will repeat the service again in a few months time; if you have never been to the service, come along and give it a try!
Monthly Archives: September 2019
New hand rail for church – May
Our gratitude and thanks go to George Poyner for making a handrail for the portable access ramp at St Mary’s.
Thanks George!
Mews in the Pews, Pet Service – 16th June
Today’s service was special service to celebrate animals – with pets themselves invited to turn out for the day.
The service featured a cat on a lead, and a Sprocker named Ella.
Coffee Morning Success – 18th May
Over 40 people gathered at a coffee morning hosted by Ellen McConnell on May 18th, which raised a whopping £275.00 for badly needed church funds. In addition to an amazing array of cakes and superb coffee, there was a bric-à-brac stall, beautiful hand made cards made by Lyn and Chris of Lincoln Fields and a great raffle. Thanks to Ellen’s networks in the village and further afield, as well as her community spirit, the event brought together people from a number of local villages, which was something that many people commented was particularly enjoyable – for local villagers especially since there are few opportunities to meet together. Our church is the only public building in the village, and the newly formed ‘Friends of Billingsley’ are looking at ways to use the church facilities for community activities and events, as well as keeping it open for worship.
Evening Service – 12th May
In May, on Sunday 12th at 6.00pm we have a guest preacher, the Rev Sue Jellyman from Carrington near Church Stretton. Sue is a keen Morris dancer and will bring this into her sermon; “‘Praise him with tambourine and dance’: God, Morris dancing and me”.
Easter at St Mary’s – April
14th Century Easter Sepulchre
In April we had a talk on the archaeology of Billingsley and a number of Easter services. These focused on the medieval Easter sepulchre in the church. This is a recess in the wall of the church close to the altar. It looks like the space for a tomb, typically where the founder of the church would be buried, but there is no body. This is point, it represents the empty tomb of Jesus. In the middle ages, shortly before Easter Sunday, the altar would be stripped and the cross wrapped in a shroud and put in the tomb, to be removed first thing on Easter morning and put back on the altar. We carried out theses ceremonies over Easter, probably the first time they had been done for 500 years.
The Norman Conquest and Brexit – 10th March
The first Evening Service held on March 10th took a sideways look at Brexit via the Anglo Saxon St Wulfstan, the Bishop of Worcester at the time of the Norman Conquest and who managed to put aside political differences to work for the benefit of all of his flock for the next 40 years.