Monthly Archives: April 2020

Services and events for week beginning Monday 27th April

Details of events this week are below: all are welcome! Please pass these invitations on to anyone who you think might be interested.

 

1) Wednesday evening catch-up

Wednesday chat

Time: Apr 29, 2020 07:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87370590433?pwd=aDBDYXN1NkpUNG1FeVlna1FuT0o5Zz09

Meeting ID: 873 7059 0433

Password: 018189

 

2) Friday Morning Prayer, 9.00am

May 1, 2020 09:00 AM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87495674785?pwd=Y3dYOCtYdUt6TktRU3I1Y2FnaHdZZz09

Meeting ID: 874 9567 4785

Password: 027831

Service at https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/morning-prayer-contemporary-friday-1-may-2020

 

3) Friday night prayer

May 1, 2020 09:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88661960447?pwd=SjIvaW5KeWNMNHUxVDE2S1M5aVZqQT09

Meeting ID: 886 6196 0447

Password: 032154

Service at https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/night-prayer-contemporary-friday-1-may-2020

 

 4) Sunday morning prayer

Time: May 3, 2020 10:00 AM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81026679436?pwd=U1d4bHhidktLWDdUWWQwMUF6OFFydz09

Meeting ID: 810 2667 9436

Password: 009724

Service at https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/morning-prayer-contemporary-sunday-3-may-2020

 

Thought for the week – 27th April

The thought for the week from David …

 

During the lock-down, I’ve been struck by how so many people are becoming more aware of the natural world around them. Today I was told of how a parishioner has just discovered a partridge nest in her garden. Another was forced to give way on her walk as a badger crossed the path just in front of her. Everywhere is much quieter so we can hear bird song.

 

A lot of people find that there is something spiritual in the natural world; a lot of these would not wish to identify with any particular religion but still find themselves deeply uplifted by looking at the beauty of the world around them. This is something that was very familiar to the writers of the Bible; the creation poems in Genesis and the psalms celebrate the natural world, seeing in it an insight into the goodness of God the creator and sustainer of the universe. As a biological scientist, I am  aware of the complexities of the physical universe, formed from the Big Bang five thousand million years ago, with life on earth shaped by several hundred million years of evolution. We have an understanding of how God works through the laws of nature that was not available when the Bible was written. But knowing the mechanism does not detract from my sense of awe at the natural world, “creation”, however that is understood. Psalm 108 beautifully captures this; the prayer that follows is taken from the Church of England website.

 

1 O Lord our governor, ♦

how glorious is your name in all the world!

 

2 Your majesty above the heavens is praised ♦

out of the mouths of babes at the breast.

 

3 You have founded a stronghold against your foes, ♦

that you might still the enemy and the avenger.

 

4 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, ♦

the moon and the stars that you have ordained,

 

5 What is man, that you should be mindful of him; ♦

the son of man, that you should seek him out?

 

6 You have made him little lower than the angels ♦

and crown him with glory and honour.

 

7 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands ♦

and put all things under his feet,

 

8 All sheep and oxen, ♦

even the wild beasts of the field,

 

9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea ♦

and whatsoever moves in the paths of the sea.

 

10 O Lord our governor, ♦

how glorious is your name in all the world!

 

We bless you, master of the heavens,

for the wonderful order which enfolds this world;

grant that your whole creation

may find fulfilment in the Son of Man,

Jesus Christ our Saviour.

 

Events and services for week beginning 20th April

Dear All,

Details of events this week are below: all are welcome! Please pass these invitations on to anyone who you think might be interested.

 

1) Wednesday evening catch-up

Time: Apr 22, 2020 07:00 PM London

 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/99535698130?pwd=QTBSL1VHWXlwbWFxdytHNkxtYXZqZz09

 

Meeting ID: 995 3569 8130

Password: 025543

 

 

 

2) Friday night prayer

Time: Apr 24, 2020 09:00 PM London

 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/94457575826?pwd=dTIyeXRQOG4rTWFlaklZYmFOc1hTUT09

 

Meeting ID: 944 5757 5826

Password: 014797

Service at https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/night-prayer-contemporary-friday-24-april-2020

 

 

 

 3) Sunday morning prayer

Time: Apr 26, 2020 10:00 AM London

 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/98311336593?pwd=RFNqcnZLWTBrZjZXcTdSMnVWMGlCZz09

 

Meeting ID: 983 1133 6593

Password: 031440

 

Service at https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/morning-prayer-contemporary-sunday-26-april-2020

More infectious than the virus…

 

More infectious than the virus….

This post is shamelessly inspired by a recent “Thought for the Day” on Radio 4 by the Rev Dr Sam Wells, one of the deeper thinkers in the Church today. He talks about the power of touch, physical touch which is of course is now so difficult and “virtual” touch over the internet or the phone. Jesus, in a crowd, was touched by a woman with menstrual bleeding. Under religious law, she was unclean, to be shunned by those around her; by touching Jesus, she had made him unclean as well. But now the situation was reversed; it was Jesus’s love that was the stronger, more powerful than religious taboo, able to heal the woman.

 

The love of God, that same love that we see at work in our communities today, is more powerful, more infectious, than any virus. I join with Sam Wells in praying that it continues to infect our society long after the Covid virus has gone.

 

You can listen the broadcast now by clicking on the link below or alternatively by cutting and pasting this link; https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p089nl0t It is under 3 minutes so give it a go!

 

 

When I needed a neighbour

I’ve been really impressed by so many people in and around Billingsley who are looking out for others, whether that is via the group organised by the parish council and the church, through an informal network or just keeping in touch with a neighbour. Jesus had a lot to say about loving each other and this is exactly what is happening at the moment, by people of faith and those of none.

The poet and hymn writer Sidney Carter wrote these lines back in the 1960s; they seem very appropriate for today:

When I needed a neighbour,

Were you there, were you there?

When I needed a neighbour, were you there?

And the creed and the colour

And the name won’t matter,

Were you there?

 

I was hungry and thirsty,

Were you there, were you there?

I was hungry and thirsty, were you there?

And the creed and the colour

And the name won’t matter,

Were you there?

 

I was cold, I was naked,

Were you there, were you there?

I was cold, I was naked, were you there?

And the creed and the colour

And the name won’t matter,

Were you there?

 

When I needed a shelter

Were you there, were you there?

When I needed a shelter were you there?

And the creed and the colour

And the name won’t matter,

Were you there?

 

When I needed a healer,

Were you there, were you there?

When I needed a healer, were you there?

And the creed and the colour

And the name won’t matter,

Were you there?

 

Wherever you travel,

I’ll be there, I’ll be there.

Wherever you travel, I’ll be there.

And the creed and the colour

And the name won’t matter,

I’ll be there.

 

If you to listen to it being sung, follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fExR7eOhJO0

Services and events for week begininning 13th April 2020

Details of events this week are below: all are welcome!

 

1) Wednesday evening catch-up

Time: Apr 15, 2020 07:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/97293591689?pwd=ZnVFNzgxZWFScWZtUC8rRk13MCttQT09

Meeting ID: 972 9359 1689

Password: 024195

2) Friday Night Prayer

Time: Apr 17, 2020 09:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/98726051317?pwd=cnJjRUJBVk1zRXoyTTE1ZXVUTGZsdz09

Meeting ID: 987 2605 1317

Password: 003536

(service at https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/night-prayer-contemporary-friday-17-april-2020)

 3) Sunday Morning Prayer (NB This is now back to 10 am)

Time: Apr 19, 2020 10:00 AM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/97488441627?pwd=dzY5OTUrRFhKb2hnZEZNVnpFRVVTQT09

Meeting ID: 974 8844 1627

Password: 013953

(service at https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/morning-prayer-contemporary-sunday-19-april-2020)3)

 

 

On line services available over Easter

I’ve moved morning prayer on Easter Sunday forward to 9.00am, as apparently at 10.00am, we are being invited to sing “Jesus Christ is risen today” followed by “Thine be the Glory” from our front doors…..

 

The new invitation to Easter Sunday Morning prayer is below:

 

Topic: Morning Prayer Easter Sunday

Time: Apr 12, 2020 09:00 AM London

 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/160630079?pwd=QmdGeHBLMFQ3aEJPeXBNcCtzZXg3UT09

 

 

Meeting ID: 160 630 079

Password: 010373

 

Night prayer on Good Friday remains at 9pm.

 

Night Prayer Good Friday

Friday Apr 10, 2020 09:00 PM

 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/834580721?pwd=RmQ3NlBGVmpQQ2VtTzU5d1F6c0xEZz09

 

Meeting ID: 834 580 721

Password: 027075

 

David

 

Easter message from Rev. David

At St Mary’s, we have been working in partnership with others in the community to reach out to people in Billingsley, Glazeley, Deuxhill and neighbourhood during the Covid lockdown. We have used our webpages and facebook page to publicise our activities, as well as leaflets. The report below gives a good example of what is happening.

“About a dozen residents in Bynd Lane have been working together to help each other out with shopping.  The group set up in a very simple way via a facebook Messenger group and have organically grown over the past few weeks.  Two of the families involved are in complete self-isolation so for them this has been a vital support.  People take it in turns to go shopping, which means that each of those who need shopping only have to ask for a few items for each shop.  The group has also been linking in with services offered via the Billingsley Farm and Community facebook page, managed by Helen Leather of Billingsley.  One such service is breads, cakes, pies etc home delivered to those in isolation in Billingsley every Wednesday by Catherine’s bakery.  One resident said ‘the deep sense of community is immense.  As a family in isolation, without this very local support we would be struggling, but it’s not just about the practical help, it’s the laughs and jokes we share to keep each other motivated and involved with each other’.”

Some words from Matthew’s Gospel (chapter 18, v37-40) spring to my mind:

“Then the righteous will [say], ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

Easter is ultimately about the setting loose of God’s Kingdom here on earth; in our response to Covid, perhaps we see glimpses of what that looks like.